If we only have these much, Kids...

Yesterday was a Sunday and a family day like many of us. This is also a day wherein I told hubby aside from eating out after we hear the Sunday service/mass, we have to set aside a portion of our money to let the kids play inside the mall where you could find assortment of animal rides or the 'choo-choo' train for that matter. Fifty pesos wouldn't hurt bad. It is very priceless when you see your kids having fun and their hearts jumping in joy like once a week. We are actually fine having the usual Jollibee as our go-to lunch treat. Not to mention that it is very affordable and my kids loves their fried chicken, 200 pesos is all it takes to make our Sunday family bonding time worth the wait. My 2 kids, especially my eldest 3 year old daughter Mariella knows it already that she and her baby sister will be out for a treat after visiting Jesus.

Mariella is one insistent child. Determined in other words. If there's one thing she really likes badly, she would keep on fighting for it until it gets very irritating already. But she is not like that everytime. She can be understanding too especially if we explain to her why we can't have this or that that she likes. I'm glad too that she is not also a 'bilmoko' girl. Yes she asks as to buy certain food, but we don't promise her to buy it right away. We sometimes tell her that papa and mama do not have money yet. And when we have money, we make sure to buy her some of her requests. She's that understanding. She knows now how to share to other kids and that's what I appreciate in Mariella since she became an older sister to Nique. But yesterday was kind of different. When we got inside the mall, she was running already towards the indoor playground. We let them play for a good 10 minutes and then we decided to have early lunch at the nearby Jollibee to avoid a full-packed 'lunchers' (Canadians term) by noontime. And so right after our great meal, we headed back again to the Atrium where the indoor playground is located. We didn't go anywhere else but only at that area. In that place alone me and my husband are already exhausted and consumed by the children's energy, hopping and roaming around following after them. We decided to check on other stores for a while but Mariella saw the 'choo-choo' train (she loves Thomas and friends). She said she wants to ride in it. But we didn't have money anymore so we kept on explaining to her not now but on Tuesday because papa and mama do not have money. (We are open to our kids that we have or don't have money. And luckily Mariella understands.) After telling her that, she cried already and is wailing. She keeps on running following the train and it really pinched my heart. That moment makes me cry and wants to make up to her. Oh how I loved to make her ride on that 30-peso-train ride. If only I had extra 50 pesos...

Since I was carrying the little sister, my husband did all the convincing to Mariella. But all efforts failed. We decided to just go home with still Mariella screaming and crying on top of her lungs. I understand why she acted like that because she is already sleepy. She cannot contain what she is feeling at that moment.

In times like this, I wish we have these much. Extra money to let them eat waffles or let them ride in the train at that moment. I wish we have this much to let my kids explore other places and not just like in the malls... Much to buy simple happiness like strawberry, a slice of cake, cookies, bread sticks on the time they request for it... Much time to do baking with them but we don't have equipment to make it happen... If only we have these much, my loves...