Etcetera...etcetera...etcetera

Etcetera...etcetera...etcetera

Got so many things on my mind I want to write about...they're totally unrelated...but if I don't write them soon, I'll forget or worse, they will occupy my mind for days to come!

1. My Christmas present
Dex surprised me with an afternoon at the Spa. He had conned me to go to Pasadena. We were supposedly going to visit Tito Rey & Tita Nine de Castro whom we had not visited in a while. Nothing unusual with that. But on our way there, tita Nine(it was actually Dex using the other cellphone) called to say that they were going somehere for a little while and will be back at about 4 pm. Dex said we'll just go window shop on Downtown Pasadena to kill time. When we got there, Dex led the way and we entered an alley. In the alley was a doorway with the sign "BurkeWilliams Spa". To my surprise, he had booked me an appointment there! It was such a thrill.

My appointment started with a milk bath. Luxurious, huh! After my bath, I went inside their "Quiet Room" where there were "stalls" that you can lay back in while listening to the calming sounds of water cascading from a fountain. Lights were dimmed of course. Then, a massage therapist led me to a private room for my pregnancy massage. Ano yun?! Well, instead of laying on my stomach, which I cannot obviously do, I laid on my side. There was a pillow, something like a body pillow but much firmer, that I straddled between my legs. Haaayyy... the massage was heavenly. If not for the therapist telling me to switch sides in the middle of the session, I would have surely fallen asleep! I could have lain there forever! Alas, time was up. I went back to the spa area. There, I was called in for my facial. Ooohh... I discovered I was in for a full spa facial. This meant that aside from the usual facial procedure, I was also going to have my hands dipped in paraffin wax. I was also going to have a scalp, neck, shoulders, arm and foot massage! How great was that! Again, it was another hour of pure luxury! By the time Dex and the kids picked me up, I was just ready to go to bed and sleep.

That night, I slept like a baby. Dex took care of the kids. When we got home, I changed into my jammies, creeped into bed and dozed off.

Isn't my husband great?

2. Gab and her baby doll
Santa gave Gabrielle a baby doll for Christmas. And she adores the little thing! It came with a stroller and a baby bottle. Her baby has gone everywhere with her. Last night, as I tucked her into bed, she was carrying the baby. I took the doll and laid it beside her. Gab would not have any of that. She wanted to hold the baby in her arms! So, that's how they went to bed, in each other's arms.

We actually thought of the baby doll as a present to prepare Gab for her coming sibling. Hopefully, this is a good sign.

3. Motherhood
In the homily of the Fr. John in Today's Mass, he mentioned that children get their morality from their mothers. He said that this was why the prophets were so hard on women. They(the prophets) knew that if the mothers wold get lax with the discipline, society's morals would deteriorate.

This just got me thinking. Motherhood is truly a big responsibility. I'm sure children learn their values from both parents and are influenced by outside forces. But I know too that my children are always watching me, imitating me. Right now, I am the biggest influence in their lives. I actually see myself in their actions - the way they speak, their mannerisms, the way they handle frustration, the way they vent their anger. It is amazing how they pick up on even the smallest thing.

It scares me to think that my imperfect self will have so much impact on such an innocent child. I suppose this is where grace comes in. I cannot be perfect. I can only pray for the grace to be the best mother that I can be to my children.