“What about me?” he asked after reading my birthday blog for Abraham. Even before I responded, Lemuel started browsing my entries in April last year hoping to find a birthday entry for him. Left with nothing to say, I told him I just started writing birthday blogs and will come up with one for his coming birthday.
Lemuel turned eleven a few days ago. I know I should have written this entry earlier had my workload did not consume all my energies and left my ideas dry due to fatigue. Tardy as it is, I’ll make up…the kid deserves a blog and he is looking forward to it.
Abraham was born on a Christmas day; Lemuel came out on a Holy Thursday, forty-four minutes to Good Friday. My OB-Gyne said I always choose the perfect timing. Her husband drove her all the way from Villa Escudero where they are having their Holy Week vacation to slice-up my belly.
Lemuel is not expressive or
malambing but he has his own way of showing his affection and concern for us. In fact, he is Abraham’s facilitator. He was delegated all the asking tasks, especially when they wanted new toys or games because Abraham knows it’s hard for us turn down Lemuel. Why because, he asks so nicely and so naive you will feel bad if you deny him outright.
For his first communion preparation retreat three years ago, I wrote Lemuel a letter expressing how we love him and how he made our family happier by just being there. In the letter, I mentioned two incidents where he displayed extra ordinary caring traits and considerate behaviors, incidents worth retelling.
He was two years old and could barely say his sentences completely and clearly. I was standing on top of the kitchen sink arranging the pots and plates on the shelf overhead when he held my feet and said, “
baka huhulog ka Mommy” (
you might fall Mommy), as if he can hold my weight or prevent my fall.
When he was around four, Brack and I twice argued when we left the keys inside the house and had us locked-outside in the middle of the night for quite sometime. It didn’t happen until a few weeks later for the third time. Just before I started to nag Brack about leaving the keys again, Lemuel reached for his jumper’s chest pocket and handed me the house keys. He said he has been bringing the keys (the spare that stays on top of the fridge) in his pocket each week so we (Brack and I) won’t have to quarrel when we forgot the keys again. A gesture from a kid of four...and we never ever forgot the keys again.
Two years ago, he brought pride to the family when he was certified intellectually gifted by the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District). He will be going to magnet school this fall when he starts middle school. "
He excels in Math and very good in Arts, a course combining the two, like Architecture will suit him best," his teacher said.
Lemuel's "No Smoking" slogan poster was best for 2nd graders
His "Happy and Sad" faces in yellow and 3D was one of the best for 5th graders.
His first (of many) Fluency in Math Award
Lemuel wants to be a design engineer someday but he also makes good omelets. He made me a proud mother but there are times his challenge intimidates me. Like one evening he didn’t get my explanation and asked me, to explain again, in scientific way, why onions make us cry.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MM!!! (Keep it up baby, all the way to USC!)
Follow up news: We've got a champion! Today 4/13/2007 Lemuel went home with a ribbon, a framed certificate, a huge dictionary, and a Toys R Us gift card as best speller for 5th graders.
