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Mommy Moments: Summer outing

mommy moments

Cj was eleven months old when I flew him to the Philippines to stay with my mother while I was finalizing my divorce. For almost two years I was playing hard ball with his dad, you know the fight over child custody that we usually hear surrounding divorces. While I was meeting lawyers and sorting documents I tried my best to play my role as a mom every chance I get in spite of the distance. Summers were those chances.

With the help of my family, I was able to enjoy those summers with Cj. We were almost always out of the house even if we didn't go very far out of town. The heat drove us outdoors:


This is Cj's favorite part of the yard. Guess why... because this is where he chases our neighbor's chickens off. I love this part of the yard too because it's where I watch him discover creatures around him. He hops after a frog and says, "Mom, kee-kith." My eyebrows meet in the middle, "what's kee-kith, Ceej?" He repeats with emphasis, "kee-kith!" and looks at me like I'm so boring I don't know what a cricket is!


The fun continues. Bottles are brought out of the kitchen and into our little camping site. A friend in the UK sent him this Punch and Judy Show summer tent set:


Then everybody heads off to the beach. While the "olds" are eating and chatting the day away, I try to play with my little guy. He has a different idea though. He spotted someone and began to walk into her direction.


Earlier I told his yaya to back off and let me be - a mom to my son. But she seemed to have won some measure of CJ's affection and he's drawn to her most of the time. So before I got completely kicked out of the scene I used what little brains I had left in the midst of those roller-coaster summers - divert Mr. Yaya-Friendly's attention to myself. It could be a self-satisfied smile on my jealous face; but for heaven's sake I only had summer in the entire year to feel mommy moments that I can call exclusively my own, so here goes:


This year's summer outing will most probably just be at a nearby driving range.

Comments

love the first photo, my boys is also thinking of cmaping out in the backyard!
MommyMoments
Anonymous said…
ganyan din tong daughter ko nung jan pa ako sa pinas ayaw nya sa akin mas gusto nya sa nag aalaga sa kanya ganyan nman mga bata, thanks sa comments and visit too
SASSY MOM said…
That's whats nice about families, they are always there for us. Looks like you and your kid are enjoying every moment together.
Beth said…
wow! daming summer activities that your son can think of---including chasing the chickens! :)

treasured niya siguro mga summers niya here. :)
pehpot said…
summer is at its best pag kasama mga kids no.. bribe him with a lots of toys LOL


this is mysummer outing entry

Make or Break
Hazel said…
Willa, backyard camping is convenient kasi specially when it's time to feed them and it's easier to supervise them when they're just within a short walking distance.

G.O.D., it's one of the reasons why I got my kid back with me as soon as things calmed down because I was so terrified that he wanted to be with his yaya more than he wanted to be with me. life :)

Sassy Mom, thank you for your sweet and kind thoughts. I was never more trusting and grateful for my family's presence than when I was going thru that tough time.

Elizabeth, pati ako parang manok na rin. I didn't know if I was the mom chasing my boy or I was the chicken!

pehpot, bribery sure is my favorite strategy to win him over :)
Chris said…
i love your photos... ang galing even if you were just in the backyard, you had props and everything else, im sure your son enjoyed it!!!

and im sure if you get to spend more time with your boy, he would want to be with you than anyone else!

thanks for sharing with us your precious moments!
Twinkie said…
Cool backyard you got there Hazel! Ako rin napaisip sa "kee-kith"! Haha! Enjoy the upcoming outing. :)
pehpot said…
I.m sure you can always win him over..

lagi talagang kabuntot namin nanay ko.. I can;t go out on some places without her, specially on the north kase she knows how to speak their language..

san naman ang outing nyo this summer?

Make or Break
Joy said…
oh you got only one boy..adorable and lovely photos.
Lan said…
nice photos with your son. mine is up too
http://www.lanieonline.com/2009/03/mommy-moments-5-summer-outing.html
caryn said…
wow, it must be a tall order bringing cj up by yourself ;-) love the punch and judy tent set!

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