Raising Boys

Dreading tomorrow February 23, 2006

My son is going to compete in a math contest tomorrow and I’m the one who’s a nervous wreck. My hands are clammy, my stomach is queasy, and I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing.

So far, his preparations for the contest went well. He was able to answer most of the review questions given by the teacher. Since the questions are timed, the teacher had prepared him and a teammate by asking them to solve problems and timing them. He was always able to answer the questions before the teacher rang the bell for each question. This does not help me, though.

I’m really just scared for him. What if they lose and he can’t handle the disappointment. What if he cries on stage; he’s only seven years old after all. I know I’d love him forever even if he does not get a single question right but how would he feel.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’ll be there for him, putting on a calm front even though I’d be panic-stricken inside, and I’d be praying that he’d just make it through the day.

Lennon turns three February 5, 2006

Lennon turned three years old on January 23 and we held a party for him the day before, a Sunday, because it wouldn’t be as much fun if we hold it on a school day.

Incidentally, January 22 was also the Pacquiao-Morales fight, which Pacquiao won by technical knockout on the 10th round. I’m not a fan of boxing, it’s such a cruel sport, but I watched the Pacquiao-Morales rematch because anything that has reached a level of page 1 newsworthiness deserves some attention.

But more than anything, I remembered that the fight also happened on Lennon’s birthday party because when I husband and I went to the Goldilocks branch in Mandaue City (unfortunately they don’t deliver to the Lapu-Lapu City branch anymore) to get my son’s birthday cake, the same time that the fight started its delayed airing on television, the street was eerily deserted. To think that I pass this road six days a week to work and it’s always full of vehicles.

But back to my son’s birthday party, fortunately Lennon did not consider it a day for troublemaking–unlike a previous birthday when he bit so hard on the glass when he drank from it that he took off a piece and it consequently sliced his tongue–so it went smoothly.
We had roasted pork (a whole pig), there was much to celebrate with my son turning 3 not less among them his being able to speak at last, and balloons, upon special request of the celebrant.

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Surviving math January 29, 2006

One word could only describe our week last week–hectic. My son was a participant in the Math Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) challenge, a yearly math contest pitting elementary and high school students of all grade and year levels from different schools. It was a sort of elimination round at the division level, whoever tops the test will participate in the regional competition.

Thursday’s test was also only the first part of the competition; contestants have to come back for another round. I don’t know if all of the contestants will be joining the second round or only those who are in the top 5, 3, or 2.
Some 20 private and public schools in Lapu-Lapu City participated in the math contest, held on Thursday last week. Schools had to send in three participants from each grade or year. The higher scores of the two from each team will be added together and this will represent the team’s score.

My son and the two others in his team only knew three days before the contest that they would be joining the challenge. Their teacher took this long to tell them. The result: they were only able to review for a total of six hours. They were not exempted from class for the reviews; on the other hand, the teacher held the review after class hours–from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday or three days before the actual contest. My son’s team, fortunately, still placed third. I don’t know though if they would still be participating in the second round of the contest.
My son said Czar, one of the three students in the team, had cried on last day of the review, saying he does not know the answer to the questions in the teacher’s questionnaire. I was told by his aunt that he also cried during the MTAP opening activities, held an hour before the examination. I really felt sorry for him.

Fantasy books and gaming cards January 3, 2006

Two things fascinate my 7-year-old son Dylan at present–books and Yu-Ge-Oh cards. I’m hoping he’d outgrow the latter but not the former. Our present to him during the school Christmas party last month was L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” book, and he has read it at least three times since then.

The first thing he said to me after he finished reading the book was that the wizard was just a “humbug”. He says the word as if he understands it and I could not be sure if he does because he and I have not found the time to discuss the book in detail. I let him read short stories on his own but I usually read books with him. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first book he has read on his own.
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Harry Potter, Triwizard Tournament, Mad-eye Moody….. November 22, 2005

My son Dylan happened to read the great big sign on the roadside near the Ayala Center in Cebu City that said “Now showing: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” while we were on our way to meet with a friend from Australia over the weekend.

My husband and I had initially considered going by ourselves to watch the movie but because Dylan already knew it was showing, we decided to bring him along as well. Since Lennon is only 2, and his capacity to sit still through a 2 1/2-hour movie suspect, we thought it best to leave him at home.

Having read the printed version of this Harry Potter film, I went into the moviehouse not really expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised. The film was great and I consider it the best among the Harry Potter films. Needless to say, the special effects were spectacular.
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The shepherd’s role November 20, 2005

I was looking through my files and found a photograph of Dylan taken in preparatory, during the class Christmas play. He played one of the shepherds. I remembered having to create a shepherd’s costume for him the night before the event from the Grim Reaper costume he used during Halloowen. I cut the hood and made it into a shepherd’s headpiece. Thankfully, it turned out okay.

I’m not really looking forward to the first grade Christmas party this year. I don’t think I can stand exchanging pleasantries with his first grade teacher.