Caroleen’s Treasures

I was suppose to go to the market this morning. It’s Saturday, the only day we could shop for cheaper vegetables and fish and the ONLY day I could find ukay-ukay all over the market (oh not really all over but imagine a long stretch of tents of gently and harshly used clothing and other goods from abroad). I just wanted to enjoy going through those mounts of ukay-ukay, to be able to smell the scent of the ones that are from the US. I would know just from the smell if it’s from US, Korea or Japan because I’ve been selling ukay-ukay before…the very reason why I just can’t seem to turn away from those colorful mounts during market day. But even if I am addicted to it, I could go there without spending much or nothing at all because I am very fussy about the brand, the materials and of course the PRICE. I wouldn’t buy something that to me, is too pricey for an ukay-ukay. Since Trento is a little town, ukay-ukay’s here are way cheaper than other places but the good were already being sold in bigger towns. It is better that way because I often go home empty-handed.

Donald was convincing me that I should go when I told him that I am having some second-thoughts about it. He was saying I need to have a social life and that I can bring Ella along so he and Eman could also bond. I showered earlier but I stayed when Eman called for food. We are giving him one bottle of formula a day as a supplement for his ever growing appetite and Donald said he can give him his bottle so I could go. I think it’s not a good idea because I am feeling a little bit engorged so I fed Eman instead of giving him bottle. I just want him to have the bottle when he’s really really hungry and is literally screaming and milk hasn’t come yet because we don’t earn much to be able to afford formula. This happens when I am feeding him and after sucking in i-had-no-idea-how-many-ounce of milk (you could tell if he gets milk by the motion of his lips and the way he sucks) he stops, sucks again then starts to kick and gets very whiny because the next milk spurt hasn’t come yet. I have read that milk isn’t really continuously flowing from the breast but comes out in spurts. There are babies that could wait for the next spurt and will just suck patiently but there are babies like Eman who would get soooooooo angry. This is why he is entitled to ONE bottle per day but I am trying not to give him and so he could on learning the word “patience” and I noticed a slight improvement today. He waited for the next spurt which is awesome! I hope by next week we could get rid of that one bottle per day policy.

So I stayed.

Then in the afternoon we went to attend Ella’s VBS graduation ceremony at the Alliance Church. Eman and I could have stayed at home but I wanted to be there. It’s one of the most remembered moments in Ella’s childhood and I wanted to be there and be a part of it like when I and my sister Cheche joined a VBS when I was 11 and she was 3. I was ecstatic when Mamang came to attend our graduation and I will always cherish that moment.

The whole week, Ella attended the class and was pretty thrilled. She was asking us before we left if she will have the “round thing” (she’s talking about a medal) because she didn’t have any absences from their class. At first I had no idea what she’s talking about but I suddenly remembered she asked her teacher during their graduation rites at school why she didn’t have medal. The teacher told her it’s because she had absences from their class. So this time, she thought she’ll be getting a medal since she had a PERFECT attendance. Ask how long the duration of the VBS?  FIVE days. Anyway, they didn’t have medals there which I am grateful for so she wouldn’t feel bad if she hasn’t any. Good thing is that she has three ribbons.

She got third honors, best in memory verse and most cooperative. She was soooooooo happy to have another set of awards for this year like she has passed the bar exam.

Before the awarding of ribbons, they had this singing which I think the call “song worship”. We were asked to stand up and the band started to play. I am glad I am holding Eman because I had a good excuse not to participate. Donald excused himself by taking photos at the back. When the singing and the band went so loud, I brought Eman out to save his tiny ears from bleeding.

He was actually sleeping all the time and he’s not disturbed at all. Donald and I are giggling while we are watching Ella sing and dance. Donald said he has to be ready for a long and serious interrogation as to why we don’t have any musical instruments in church and why we don’t clap and dance while we sing the songs of the church.

As a treat for Ella, we went to eat spaghetti and burger at the local resto in the market. Then while Ella was finishing her food, Donald went out to buy fish while we stayed in the airconditioned area of the resto. When he came back, Ella hasn’t finished her food yet (because she has eaten while there at the church) so Donald helped her and headed to the vegetables and ukay-ukay lane. Donald shopped for vegetables while Ella, Eman and I stayed at one of the ukay-ukay tents. I was holding Eman so it’s hard for me to look on the piles but Ella somewhat inherited the love of it and she has picked a onesies for her little bro. It started to drizzle so we went home but I know Donald was also drooling on the tent filled with baseball caps.