Javo just left for school. He has been home the past few days due to a bad cold and his doctor's advise to rest. I am happy he loves the school and his teachers. When his bus service arrives, he goes to the gate running although always remembers to tell us he loves us. He once came back from the gate because he forgot to tell papi he loved him.
I marvel at his energy, his curiosity, his sensitivity, his determination--sometimes they get me exasperated, exhausted, frustrated, and angry--but most of the time I just love watching him at play and listening to his conversation. When he is excited, his words are all strung up together and come out gibberish. His brain must be going a mile a minute. I have to slow him down so that his words become legible and I can understand him. He becomes frustrated when he is not understood and sometimes gives up. When he does this, I ask him to try once more because mommy is trying to understand him too.
I love the look in his eyes when I finally get him. I love it when his face reflects his excitement, his wonder at something new, his anger, and all the other emotions he feels. I take it to mean he feels safe enough with me that he can express them openly.
One of the many things I have learned from parenting expert, Maribel Sison Dionisio, is that we must be our child's greatest cheerleader and catch them doing good instead of catch them doing bad. I am learning that emphasis should be on the positive and not the negative. The negatives can be corrected silently.
Motherhood for me has been one great adventure after another with pitfalls and unexpected curves but unconditional love will always see us through.
