Questa è Enida

Me Monchies were not overly excited today to have a repeat lunch of the Filini con Tuna leftover I made for supper the other day. But they know who the boss is in this Kremlin Nomer Divyet. Any objection shown to Queen Mother of this Kingdom of Totalitarianism would cause them severe hunger in exile! Long live Queen Mother Enidabeth!

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After saying grace, I let them eat with their sour face on. In this Kingdom of Totalitarianism, no food ever goes to waste. I choose what me Monchies eat, and when they eat. They choose how much they need. End of story, no questions asked. So as you could probably imagine, it was very quiet around the dining table today. And peace was mine to enjoy. For once, there I was savoring every little bit of peacefulness, listening to my own thoughts. Until there was a buzzing sound of a fly flying by.

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(Almost) to my shock, the fly sent Edrick screaming like the world was coming to its armageddon! Goodness gracious me! For flybying’s sake, it’s just a FLY, boy! As you could now picture it, it was my peacefulness that came to its armageddon, of course.

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You see, this summer Edrick has developed entomophobia (fear of insects) that is now driving me, not just the bugs, up the wall! It is driving Kitreena nuts too as Edrick is so scared of anything that buzzes, creeps and flies… he does not want to be left alone. And every little noise that sounds like a buzz or a shake would shake my son and send him running to me or his sister like a 7-on-Richter scale earthquake would!

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I got the feeling that finishing lunch today was going to be as hard as sailing a boat on tarmacadam. So I put this CD on for the whole Pokrovsky neighborhood to hear, and was honestly hoping to shoo all the summer flies away! Though it did shake the whole house a bit, Edrick managed to clean up his Filini con Tuna lunch deafened distracted.

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The Latin music was so good, I must admit, that it didn’t just shake my house and me Monchies. It shook my bum too!

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Me Monchies and I spent some good half an hour after lunch mambo-ing and lambada-ing away shaking the Filini Con Tuna calories off in my kitchen and had so much fun doing it, we must’ve debugged the whole Pokrovsky neighborhood!

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Did I tell you that our journey back to Moscow this time was one of the smoothest journeys we’ve had? If I haven’t, I am telling you now then.  We had a 260-minute transit in Singapore in the wee hours of June 17th. At SilverKris Lounge, we were taking our own sweet sleepy time eating some late supper when Edrick got his second wind and started singing the “This Old Man” song.

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Edrick: “…with a knickknack paddywhack give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home.”

Mommy: Good singing Edrick! *she says this without fail when her Monchies sing*

Edrick: Mommy, why did the old man come rolling to his home?

Mommy: Because his house is down the hill.

Edrick: But why didn’t he walk?

Mommy: Because he’s old.

Edrick: Oh yeah, rolling down the hill is faster than walking.

Mommy: That’s right.

Edrick: Is his dog old too?

Mommy: I’m not sure Monch.

Edrick: If it’s old, the old man shouldn’t give it a bone. Too hard for its teeth.

Mommy: Okay now, eat your chicken wings old man!

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Do you sing your kids cradlesongs, or lullabies as they’re more commonly known? Well, I do. Not as often as I yell, “Bedddd time! Tidorrrrrrr!”, turn the lights off, force me Monchies to turn themselves off, close their bedroom door and run to close mine for my sanity. But I do sing them cradlesongs. Here’s the playlist of the usual:

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• Rock-A-Bye-Baby
• My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean
• Suriram
• Greensleeves
• Hujan Panas
• Mama Hao
• Sayang Di Sayang
• Eagle’s Whistle

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Edrick would usually be ‘gone’ by the middle of the first song. Boy! Is he ever a good sleeper! Kitreena, on the other hand would still be awake on the second repeat of the whole playlist! There are nights when she questions why the cradle is put on the tree-top, why a sweet girl like Suriram can’t be kissed, what exactly did Greensleeves do that broke Sir Lancelot’s heart, and her question-list can be longer than my lullaby playlist if I don’t pretend to fall asleep singing!

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But hey, I shouldn’t be complaining. These monchies are the only remaining audience I have after years of my La Femme de Jogette era, and a decade of hiatus. Haiiiyaaa lagi mao bising meh? Go sing ‘Mama Hao’ loh!

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He tried to balance on the edge of the trampoline and lost it, instantly hitting the ground, landing on his side with his left shoulder taking most of his upper body weight. He came home crying upset with himself more than anything else, as he knew it was a self-chosen pain. His teary, “I wasn’t supposed to stand on the edddggge, Mommm! I’m sorry Mommm!” was enough a proof that his lesson was learned. I said nothing when I pulled him into my arms.

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After a long nap and a rice-porridge supper…

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Edrick: Mom, I don’t know what happened to my balance. I just lost it.

Mommy: *smiles her mischievous smile plotting a twist* Oh do you remember where you lost your balance?

Edrick: Yeah, on the trampoline, Mom. I lost it there.

Mommy: Do you remember what it looks like?

Edrick: You mean my balance?

Mommy: Yeah, your balance. Do you remember what your balance looks like?

Edrick: No, I don’t renember.

Mommy: Does it have any color?

Edrick: You mean my balance?

Mommy: Yeah, does your balance have any color or shape?

Edrick: *looks very puzzled* I don’t think so.

Mommy: Then, how are you going to find it again?

Edrick: You mean my balance?

Mommy: Yes, your balance that you lost today.

Edrick: Don’t worry Mom, I’ll look for it tomorrow near the trampoline.

Mommy: Kah kah kah kah kah kah kah kah kah kah! *loses her balance and falls in love again with her Little Man*

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I have learned that falling is not always a bad thing. Losing one’s balance, too, can be an everyday event. As long as I remember to get up and go at it again. I am blessed for all the hurt I endure today. I’m already on my way to find that balance I have just lost. And I am not going to wait until tomorrow.

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