Friday and saturday were stressful days for us. Butch and I commemorated our son’s 6th death anniversary by embarking on a new mission which will unfold in the days to come. After we had settled with our new mission, we thought of exercising at the gym and then having a massage together at a [tag]couple spa[/tag]. Romantic bonding moment. The couple spa is also a perfect retreat to replenish our body , mind and spirit. The kind manager offered us a complimentary milk bath after the massage.
The masseuse started with our session. Hmm, I loved the citrusy aromatic oils while the chirping bird music in the background lulled me. Butch seemed to be drowsy too. This is relaxing, so I thought. Then I heard a faint “meow” sound interpersed with the tweeting sounds. “GROAN” Stupid message ring tone (the actual meow of our Siamese cat). I forgot to turn the cellphone into silent mode. It “meowed” 4 more times. Never mind the text messages but the meowing sound stuck to my head. Almost throughout the massage session, I imagined a cat meow together with the bird’s chirping noises. So much for relaxing. I forced myself to zone out of the “meow sound” and just let it be.
The massage invigorated our bodies but we didn’t have enough time for a milk bath. The tub looked inviting. Maybe some other time, right? We sipped mint tea and just sat together to enjoy the ambience. I always make it a point to have couple time every week whether we’re stressed out or not. It’s not cheap but that’s the price we pay for love.
The foot and back massage cost only 250 pesos ($4.80) and foot reflexology and foot spa for only 190 pesos ($3.70). WHY NOT? screams my daughter. I then called Lauren and Pat to join her sister. Merrily, they scampered inside the darkened room with soothing aroma in the air. That left me alone so I decided to explore the rest of the mall.
This beautiful ancestral house is inhabited by ghosts. No kidding! I’ve been ignoring the footsteps, the weird sounds, odors and the cat getting spooked for the past 8 years. We moved to Makati in 1998 and thought it was the best decision we ever made. Sure, it took only 15 minutes to my husband’s office. Luijoe was only 4 years old. He cried every night the first few weeks because he wanted to go back to our cute bungalow in Pasig City. He often said that “This house is not beautiful. Let’s go back“. He’d stare forlornly by the window sill.
I was quite apprehensive over the production of Ali’s Sotto Mother’s Day Feature. 
Sports should have been one of the children’s activities. Yes, there were swimming classes but no volleyball, soccer, softball or basketball. Sure, L kicked her way to Kung fu lessons while M Â took rock climbing and fencing during the summer. I think the reason I didn’t encourage contact sports was because I was also brought up that way. All of the siblings studied piano lessons and my mother didn’t want our delicate hands to be injured. So in the same manner, I also discouraged my girls to take up sports that had the highest risk of injury to their hands. “Sports is the only thing that we lacked.” Not that my kids are ungrateful. They appreciate me for the arts and crafts, ballet , piano, voice, theater and the light sports lessons. It’s just their bodies needed more physicial exertion.
Oh well , mommy is not perfect and besides they can always start something on their own like badminton or tennis. It’s never too late. The only consolation I can offer at the moment is membership at the fitness gym. Team spirit may not be present during the exercises but bonding with their mother and the other members can be just as rewarding.
It’s not that I’m vain. That’s a test shot. I checked to see if the makeup artist placed too much cake on me. Okay, I’m vain. I was invited as one of the guests for the taping of a Mother’s Day Special for Ali Sotto-Bsaies’ 
I told my daughter , Lauren ” Did you know that [tag]belly dance[/tag] was taught by mothers to their daughters for easy childbirths?” She raised an eyebrow. I added, “At least you’re learning it now while still single“. Lauren rolled her eyes. She decided to tag along with me last week for belly dancing . Ahh, we had so much fun. After the belly dance session, she went to the “Girl Shoppe” at Market! Market! and bought me red hip scarves with coins while she got the purple for herself. This morning was our second session. The second time around is so much easier . Belly dancing reminds me a bit of the “hula” or “hawaiian dance” which was the craze for pre-teens in the late sixties. I know how to sashay my hips like a graceful hula dancer. But belly dance is different. 