Fan

I was watching a rerun of Oprah while Baby and Janine were doing their usual “concert” performance. To serve as their microphone, Baby was holding on to an empty bottle of perfume while Janine, a stick of some sort. Typical of them, they were singing spiritedly, jumping all over the place and almost shouting the house down. Twice, I had to shush them up because I could hardly hear what I was “watching.” They would only settle down for a while and then they would be at it again.

After a while, something funny really happened. Baby was using the sofa as his stage. I was sitting cross-legged on a folding bed I had set up next to the sofa, intent on what I was watching and not really paying attention to Baby. Suddenly, Baby called out to me and extended his hand to me. I looked at him perplexed. He was muttering something but I still did not understand what he wanted from me.

Mama, who saw the whole thing, laughingly told me Baby wanted me to shake his hand as if I’m a fan of him. Mama said he did the same thing to her earlier. True enough when I shook his hand, he continued singing then after a while broke off and again extended his hand to me. Mama and I were laughing the whole time. It was so cute and amusing at the same time. Mama and I guessed he got it from watching TV. It was really so cute of him.

Yesterday was mother’s day and watching Baby and his antics these days is driving home the point to me that while motherhood is such a daunting responsibility, there are moments such as earlier that makes me feel that it is all worth it. I am thinking, Baby does not need to extend his hand to me, I would always be his number one fan, no matter what.

He’s so smart. At two, he knows a handful of nursery rhymes already, knows his animals and his alphabets. Yesterday, Nonon, a cousin came to visit and brought cake for the matriarchs in the family. Baby was reading his books and Nonon was confusing him, calling the animals all by the wrong names. I felt indignant, urging my cousin to stop since he might only confuse Baby. The irritation I felt however was soon replaced by mirth when Baby confidently “argued” with his Tatay-Ninong that the “zebra” he was referring to was actually a “giraffe.”

It wasn’t his getting the names right that amused or truly pleased me. It was the confidence he displayed. He felt so sure he was right and he very blatantly told a person much, much older than he is that he was wrong. It was the “spirit” that he displayed that totally floored me. Now, if that is not enough reason to make me Baby’s number one fan, I don’t know what else will. Well, to be honest, Baby only had to turn to me with his bright, beaming face and that would be reason enough : )

To all my cousins, aunts, friends and loved ones, Happy Mother's Day to you! : )