It finally became too much walking from one shop to another and falling in long lines with other kids for 1 piece of candy, leaving stores empty-handed because all the treats are gone, or mind-boggling still is being told to return at a particular time in others. At home, he could have his fill of sweets but doesn’t even want them.

At the far end of an outrageously long line of kids waiting to receive treats, he asked me whose idea it was that he go trick or treating.

We laughed at him because he had been anticipating the event ever since he learned about it last year from his friend Andre, and, several days before Saturday, he had been telling me tips for Halloween that he learned from Cartoon Network including one that instructed him to prepare his bag of tricks.

Lennon gets a candy during trick or treating at SM City Cebu.

When I told him that he of course begged to go trick or treating and even specifically asked me to bring back costumes for him and his big brother Dylan from Manila, he replied that he was not joining another one ever again.

The trick or treating at SM City Cebu last Saturday was chaotic; they just let loose the little demons in there. I guess though that was what made it fun, in an irritating kind of way.

There were times when we would be the first to go inside shops participating in the trick or treat activity, but suddenly get surprised by a million (they seem that many) kids swarming in from out of nowhere and even beating us to the treats. They’ve perfected the art of conquer and loot; we first-timers didn’t stand a chance.

Dylan and dad.

It was Dylan’s first time to go trick or treating, too. In his 11 years of Halloween celebration, we’ve never seen the need to dress up and hassle some salesgirl for treats. But my Lennon wanted to experience all the kid’s stuff he sees or hears about.

We finally decided we’ve had enough when, at a shop with the trick or treat sign, we were turned away because it was not 12 yet. Huh? The trick or treating was supposed to run from 11 a.m. to noon. Some stores were also as confused as us about the activity. First timers, probably.

Also worth mentioning here, although it happened in October, is my Lennon’s first camping experience. Barely recovered from dengue, my Lennon, after two weeks of being absent from school, got the go signal from his doctor to return to class on a Friday, which happened to be a camping activity.

Lighted candles and bonfire.

They put up tents on campus grounds. Lennon brought one, too. When it rained, the kids ran to the tents and sought shelter there.

His classmates recited poems and sang songs, which Lennon knew nothing about. I told him to just go along with the others in his group. Parents brought more than enough food for all those who attended the activity.

A bonfire serves as the finale to the camping activity.

At dusk, the teachers made a bonfire and the kids formed a circle around it. They lighted candles and sang a song.

This segue to camping is really so I could put the pictures in. I just found the photos I took of the camping activity, and some have turned out really okay so I’m putting them here.

Cebu Press Freedom Run 5k men, women category winners

It was an anticipated event by runners in media (the serious ones you can count with the fingers of one hand) and I had wanted to write about the run and how I fared earlier on, but my son got sick, is still sick by the way, and so like the good mother that I am, I dropped everything to see to him first.

Surprisingly, a lot of media workers (more than a hundred I was told) showed up for the run, which had the street fronting the Cebu City Sports Club in the Cebu Business Park as starting and finishing line.

Most signed up for the 3k but there were a few brave souls who ventured to run the 5k with little or no training. I envy their courage. There were those who returned after the race banner was already taken down and had to ask for directions to the finish line. I was told these four or so runners stopped for picture-taking along the route so that’s probably why it took them such a long time to come back.

Personnel of Sunnex, which manages www.sunstar.com.ph, participate in the run.

Overall, the run, which was organized by The Freeman columnist Raffy Uytiepo, was a huge success and a lot of fun. I was at first very proud of my time because I thought I had achieved my goal of setting a new PR for the 5K with my time of 29 minutes and 30 seconds until my husband, who wears a Garmin, told me the route was 400 meters short of 5 kilometers. Noooooo! *LOL*

I told my husband after the run that I blame him for my dismal time. After all, when we talked about strategy a few days before the activity, he told me he was going to run the 5k at a pace of 5 minutes per kilometer. Since I’ve always dropped out at the end of the 2nd kilometer at that pace in practice runs, I told him that my plan was to follow at a respectable distance but keeping him within sight at all times. That way, I would know that I’m not running as fast as he is but not running too slow either since, unlike him, I don’t have a way of measuring my pace.

Unfortunately, and we had several good laughs over this one, someone at the front of the line ran like he was chased by a mad dog at the firing of the starter gun, and he sort of infected others, even my husband who should have known better.

My husband said he checked his Garmin at the first kilometer and was shocked to see the pace was three minutes. Not knowing any better, when I saw him accelerating, I ran faster to keep a moderate distance between us. And that was my downfall, for the pace (not 3 minutes but probably less than 5 minutes a kilometer) killed me at the second kilometer as it had always done. It was sheer guts that kept me running the remaining three kilometers. That and probably my other goal of finishing not too far behind broadcaster and runner Haide Acuña.

Since there was little competition at the women’s 5k category, I finished two minutes later than Haide but still placed second. The third placer’s time was 38 minutes, which is not bad for a beginner. I remember that my PR for that first 5k was around 40 minutes.

I’m guessing there will be more serious contenders for all categories in next year’s Cebu Press Freedom run (Sun.Star will be Cebu Press Freedom Week convener and they’re thinking of adding a 10k category), since the first activity had encouraged many to start training for 2010.

In that case, I had better perfect my strategy. But first, I need a Garmin.

Or if I finish ahead of him, I go out with drink-starved friends and see how long I can stay standing after guzzling bottle after bottle of below zero beer.

Hanging out with friends and enjoying the below zero beer at Formo.

All the stresses and cares of my week drop away and I savor these moments when I can sleep as late as 4 a.m. without having to think about work or the children’s assignment.

On this longest day of my week, I give in to the temptations of mojitos, frozen margaritas, caffeine, gelato, fatty food, sleep deprivation, and malling that oftentimes ran up to several hours and result in sore legs and feet.

From sleepless Friday nights, my Saturdays continue on to sleep-deprived mornings and afternoons when my husband and I and our children hit our usual destinations, usually SM, Ayala, or Parkmall. Sometimes, we surprise ourselves by deciding on the beach or some other complicated destination.

Having fun on a lazy Saturday.

At our chosen mall, my kids — with help from my husband and me — blow off a few hundreds on Timezone. Or we give in to our intellectual craving and hit the shelves of National or Powerbooks; Lennon’s recent favorite author is Dr. Seuss while Dylan is showing interest in, of all things, comics. But since he had already gone through all seven Harry Power books, four Twilight books, and nine Series of Unfortunate Events books, aside from a few in the Hardy Boys series, I forgive him.

Choosing a lunch or dinner destination is an adventure in itself that requires a complicated discussion on the kind of food available in a particular place, the degree of deliciousness we give to the menu, six-year-old Lennon’s absolute abhorrence for pork and beef and 11-year-old Dylan’s hate of fish, and sometimes end up in all of us settling for a fast food joint.

Gorging on gelato at Gelatissimo.

We cram most chores that can’t be delegated to the help, like paying bills and doing grocery (thank God for SM which allows us to do both in one place), on late Saturday afternoons. We know we’ve had enough when we’re already complaining of painful backs and tired legs, and we hurry through last-minute stuff so we could head for home.

My Saturdays wind down with tv or a good book and transition to running Sundays, when my husband and I join fun runs (there seems to be one for every Sunday of the week) or do long runs in their stead.

I love my Saturdays; they prime me even for the worst of Mondays.