Look Into My Eyes

Help and pray, please! Her 3-year-old nephew was abducted

2008-07-23T08:22:00.000+01:00

Friends, please forward this to anyone in media who can help. Or to anyone who may have information on the little boy's whereabouts or condition. http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted?&album=348&view:replies=threaded&page_start=200 My heart is breaking for this boy's family. Let's all pray for his safe return. Forward and re-post in your blogs, if you have time

Poems, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia

2008-06-14T19:11:00.000+01:00

B's Learning Log task for this week involves handwriting a poem he likes, illustrating it and writing down why he likes it. Over dinner this evening, O and I asked him about what poem he plans to use for his Learning Log entry, and what he had learnt about poems in school this week. "Oh, there are so many poems we've read in school," he chattered as he munched his food, and then he launched into

Savant?

2008-03-16T09:07:00.000Z

I've read about children with autism who display splinter skills or outstanding abilities in specific areas, but I haven't really focused much on those chapters of the books I've read, concentrating mostly on survival strategies, success stories, and how to understand and practically support children with autism. But lately, I've been led to wonder more and more if my own son might have some

AM and PM

2008-02-06T08:39:00.000Z

"Nanay," B jumped on my bed and announced very early this morning, "I think I know what AM and PM mean."B was home from school today because he had been sick yesterday, and I wanted to keep him under observation for 24 hours and make sure he doesn't throw up anymore. He was lethargic and had no appetite at all last night, but thank God, he seemed perfectly fine this morning, and was his usual

On the Author, the Narrator, the Solar System and the Year Ahead

2007-12-31T09:05:00.000Z

"You know, Nanay," said B to me knowingly over dinner last night, ending with a dramatic flourish, "tomorrow is the last day of 2007!""Uh-huh," I smiled through my mouthful of left-over Christmas pasta, "and then, what's the day after that?""The first day of 2008!!!!" he exclaimed triumphantly.After a brief, scholarly, somewhat one-sided discussion (mostly with B on the talking end) on what a

B's Letter to Santa

2007-12-20T09:55:00.000Z

Found this today on B's study table, written in purple marker on half a sheet of toilet paper: "Dear Santa, I like presents. Please give me a toy aeroplane, a battery operated train set, a box of toy cars and a wooden train set on Christmas. Love from B." Any takers, Ninongs and Ninangs? Hehehe, just kidding :) While others his age have been overheard talking about who to ask out to go to the

B's Spelling List For The Week

2007-11-13T15:43:00.000Z

1. garden 2. smart 3. starlight 4. parliament ( I am NOT making this up!) 5. sparkle 6. particular 7. narrator 8. molar 9. calendar 10. popular 11. similar 12. cardinal Some of these words I only learned in high school! What schools teach seven-year-olds nowadays!

Self-Censoring...

2007-09-27T12:27:00.000+01:00

Yes, it sucks, having to censor myself from posting everything I want on B's blog. Or rather, on this very-repressed mom-blog for B. Only, I want to protect his privacy, his safety, his security and to keep his young life out of the bloglight, but I do want to share about his daily triumphs and challenges, to support and encourage other parents of ASD kids out there. Been careful, too, not to let

B's Saviour

2007-03-30T11:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday evening after tea, as the winter sun reluctantly said goodnight, B read out The Toddlers Bible Easter Book (by V. Gilbert Beers) to me and E as we all snuggled in his cosy bedroom.As he read and pointed out the pictures, I was amazed and thankful at how much he already knew about what Jesus went through during Holy Week:B: Look, Nanay. That's Jesus riding a donkey on Palm Sunday! When

Nanay at Work

2007-03-13T09:18:00.000Z

"When will you go to work, Nanay?" asked B as I cut his fingernails before school this morning. "When will you have some work to do?"Too early, Lord, I said to myself as I tried to come up with an appropriate reply. Too early in the morning and too early in his life to start asking me these questions!I found I had nothing to say, so I remained silent. Luckily, Tatay O was there to catch the ball

Desperate

2006-09-19T18:58:00.000+01:00

"Nanay," breathed B as he thumped up the stairs, "I'm desperate."I did my best to keep up behind him, anxious to learn what he meant by "desperate" and where he had learnt such a grown-up word."What does desperate mean, B?" I asked."It means," said B, opening the stairgates and rushing through the first door on the landing, "that I need to go to the loo."And without a backward glance, he was

Homesick

2006-08-01T12:40:00.000+01:00

B, as usual, climbed into bed with me as he woke up this morning. He was happy and cheerful, at first, but as he listened to me and O talking about some of our relatives back home, he grew silent.Then, after a pause in the conversation, he turned to me and said earnestly, "Nanay, I still miss all my friends in the Philippines." Then his little face crumpled in emotion as he tried to hold back his

Cheaters?

2006-07-14T21:51:00.000+01:00

"How was drama club today, B?," I asked on our usual walk home. "What did Mrs Day ask you to do?""It was fun, " B offered, eager to share his day with me. "She put us into groups. First there was SPACE. Then there were the CHEATERS. Then the INDIANS. Then ICE."This jolted me out of my reverie and made me bring E's pushchair to a screeching halt on the footpath. Then I caught myself and took a

Pixie Dust and Other Questions I Probably Didn't Answer Very Well

2006-07-02T17:02:00.000+01:00

"Nanay," B asked as he watched Disney's Peter Pan on DVD, "Can I have some pixie dust, please? Because I would like so much to fly."And I thought to myself: Wouldn't we all, B? Both your Tatay and I dreamed of flying as little kids, and it's a dream that one never quite outgrows, really. Glad you've joined the club at last!But actually, I was so surpised and pleased by his question that I didn't

Creative Juice

2006-06-26T18:46:00.000+01:00

We were walking home today when B said, "Chinese, Draggy, Lees, Fern and Lucy went with me to school today."I presumed that those were the names of his new circle of pretend friends. I'd heard him talking to them up in his room the last couple of nights. So I let him talk, enjoying his creative energy.B continued, "We walked there together and they sat on the carpet--- like this." And he

According To B

2006-06-24T20:17:00.000+01:00

"You know, Nanay," B said as we were walking home this evening from anticipated Mass. "Jesus has a judging book.""A judging book?," I replied. "Is that where He puts the good boys and girls on one page and the bad ones on another page?""Yes," he said. "We're all in Jesus' judging book... That's what we learned in school. And also in church.""That's marvelous, B," I said, and my thoughts went back

B at 6

2006-06-21T07:49:00.000+01:00

"Stop panting, Nette," Dra Z instructed me. "Time to start pushing with the next contraction. Okay?"She had barely finished saying this when the next wave came, and I pushed."Not quite good enough, Nette. But it's crowning. You need to push harder."O was by my side, supporting my shoulders, camera in hand. I mustered up all my remaining concentration after 12 hours of slow labor and focused on my

Peace and Happiness

2006-06-18T17:56:00.000+01:00

A week ago, we visited with a family who are long-time members of Antioch, the ecumenical community we are part of here in England. Both of their children have specials needs, and the older one has Aspergers, which is what B is suspected to have.It was refreshing to be with people we didn't have to explain ourselves to. They knew how it felt to be told that one's child has an incurable pervasive

To My Unborn Child

2006-05-17T08:56:00.000+01:00

Five months and already you are kicking like a horse. Sometimes I wonder if you can hear me sing to you at night, or if you feel the quiet depth of our love for you when your Tatay hugs and kisses you in my tummy. Five months a miracle. Five months a gift.You are a child of love, friendship and unity. Your Tatay and I were wed in a beautiful chapel overlooking Mt. Batulao in Caleruega, Batangas

Your Comments

2006-05-15T14:17:00.000+01:00

Before E and I dash off to B's school, may I just say thank you to those who've kindly left comments on some of the entries on this blog, and on my other one, as well.I've just been able to read them and reply back today. I do hope I didn't miss anyone's comment! Let me know if I have.It's always a joy to hear from those who come and visit my thoughts. :)See you soon. More later.

TCVs: Forgiven But Not Forgotten

2006-05-07T17:17:00.000+01:00

My husband O and I have now come to terms with the part which TCVs (Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines) may or may not have played in triggering our son B's autism. This doesn't mean we have resigned ourselves to the past, but that we have found blessed and empowering peace amidst the violent turmoil of our recent discovery. Peace that, as Scripture says, "transcends all understanding."We have

On Walls and Thimerosals

2006-05-04T10:16:00.000+01:00

I hope I've pulled myself together enough to write about what has disturbed my peace the past few days... See, this is the life of a parent with a special-needs child; it ain't never clean, it ain't never sanitized, it ain't never predictable and it ain't never heartbreak-free. The times my heart gets tortured, pierced, dragged into the mud... oh, I dare not count. But each experience mercifully

Sorry

2006-05-03T19:57:00.000+01:00

Cried half the night, deeply disturbed by these new revelations. Before turning in, I went to B as he slept, and brokenly whispered, "I'm sorry, anak, I'm sorry... You needn't have gone through this, after all... " And then I cried myself to sleep, in deep, torturous pain.I want to explain, I want to share about this, I want to be sensible and not show everyone what a wreck I am just now... but

Why?

2006-05-02T13:56:00.000+01:00

This is probably one of the first questions to cross parents' minds after their child is diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) like autism, ADHD or Aspergers.I know it was mine.Sadly, tragically, this is the one thing no one can tell us. Not yet.Books and doctors are quick to assure us that PDD is not caused by bad parenting. But apart from that, no one has a clue about what

Excellence vs Persistence

2006-04-28T12:59:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, B ran flat out across the school playground towards me, beaming, waving an official-looking piece of board paper in his hand."Nanay, Nanay, look, look at what Mrs L gave me at the big school assembuhly!!!"I took it and read:S___ H___ Primary SchoolCertificate of ExcellenceAwarded toB____ A____forPutting 110% effort into all homework every weekand consistentlyachieving excellent results

Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

2006-04-10T17:22:00.000+01:00

Flashback to September 2005: B's first week in Year OneFound a sheet of paper stuffed in B's bookbag. It was a list of words under a heading which said: "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check." Baffled, I asked his teacher, Miss N, whatever it was for."Oh, Mrs A," Miss N said to me. "You just do EXACTLY as it says, one word at a time. He looks at each word, says it aloud, you cover it-- just fold the

Look Into My Eyes

2006-04-07T12:27:00.000+01:00

It was late afternoon in early December. As the developmental pediatrician assessed my son, B, my husband and I looked on with bated breath. At two years and five months, B was hardly intelligible, speaking jargon, couldn’t keep still for two seconds. We watched as the doctor coaxed B into holding a pen. He gripped the pen with his palm, his fingers skewed and totally unable to control it. She