Eddi's Confirmation

Eddi's Draft on Farewell Note for Year Book

the bed head

Waiting for his Bus going to St. Catherine for his gifted class

dropping off Eddi for his Ottawa Trip Feb/09

Overlooking the Falls

After our cherry picking trip last year at Niagara Falls

Helping out after the Bake Sale in PBS

Cherry Picking is easy

A quick pose at the Cherry farm

It was like yesterday when I first brought him to school. No sweat, he did not cry...he really is special, independent and very eager to learn. Many years have passed, his brother graduated last year and now it's his turn to receive a diploma. Graduation is such a sentimental event for me. I was not able to be in my elders sons elementary and high school graduation. It is tougher to see my youngest... our youngest to be almost 14 and graduating soon from his beloved Precious Blood School.

This is his draft last night and I was floored again of how amazing of a writer he is. This piece is never boring,intricately complex yet genuine and complete. Judge for yourselves.

Remember me, Eddi – with an “i”, not an “ie”. I was the kid who dressed up in the first thing I saw, the guy with bed hair, and the aggro-man. The gifted person who doesn't appear to be bright, the talkative yet shy dude, the sleepy boy – those are all me. I'm the lad who is great at being annoying, who avoids idiotic and fruitless chit-chats, and who doesn't hear a lot going outside of my head. I only ask you one thing – to remember me, because I'll remember all of you. To all those who aren't entering OCS next year, fare well; it was swell.

CHANGE is GOOD!

Eddo in the 2009 Car Show in Toronto

Eddi in his newly posterize bedroom side

one of our early summer walk 2 years ago

There are days that my kids and I seems to be in an uphill battle to prove who is wrong and who is right. They tell me, I am a drag and that a downer at times. Am I reacting my anger and frustrations to them in a negative way? Is there a real good 'anger' expressions that i haven't mastered or learned yet?

I thought I have learned what I can during these many years of being a single parent to these boys. I believe I have to reconsider new ways and tactics for us to have a middle ground of more peaceful and thrusting unit. I tend to be so mom and wants a quick response when I talk to them or ask anything.I realize I have to do some changes asap before we become embedded with searing anger and hidden hatred to each other. I thought raising boys should be partnered with some rougher disciplining and robust encouraging. I am right and yet I am wrong to assume they will just agree and learn from me.

They also want to see and feel the tender mom, the softer lady like mother with broader appreciation of their failings and frustrations. I have been toughened by my situation that I almost forgot I am a woman and my kids are turning into men.

I started to be gentler in the morning when i wake them up and sweeter when I come home from work. I have been controlling my tongue wagging sermon and giving them more sad look than anger face when I am upset. I have been waking them up more with delight rather than soldier style get-up-quick -or-you'll-be-late script in the morning. I surrender to any more frictions and ill feelings and irritating days of commanding my boys and myself. There is no winning in war when I am the only one waving the white flag. We are, all, in agreement that we will be more supportive, loving and trusting to each other. Yes, we may slipped once in a while but we remind each other if we are in that horrible unwelcome moment again i.e. Hey ! No fighting... just hugging. We are less defensive and less stressed.

Huh, if there is only an actual manual book for every individual mom, I might have escaped many tears and nervous breakdown. For now, this is what is working and hoping we can keep to it. They grow up day by day and will need a new kind of approach again. Until that day happens, I will bask in my family's greater acceptance and tolerance of each other's uniqueness and moody days. After all, not every one is blessed with four gifted boys.That makes me a very lucky mother, indeed.

Eddo is 15 and he looks great...

He wear his smart casual clothes so well. He looks so handsome and every inch a respectable great looking young man. Today he celebrates his 15th birthday.

I am so proud of him. He plays trumpet in his school and practices his keyboarding at home. He, likes his brother Eddi, never had a formal schooling in learning to play keyboard but plays them fairly well enough by just ears or just plain tinkering on it. I try to learn the trumpet with them..and boy oh boy...that is one great breathing exercise for me. He, also, have this limited edition Kiss electric guitar which he does not practice for some reason but when he did then he quickly learned to play some simple but good rock tunes.

Right now, am just thanking God for the wonderful talents that He blesses my kids with. I wish I can be as sharp again. Maybe i will...

A GRATEFUL CHILD is the greatest gift of all.....

He asked me if I think he is going to be a great dad someday (he hopes and wishes to be) and I think he will be.

Last week he thank me for upbringing him and his brother and the way he was taught what he learned in his almost 15 yrs in life. He is very grateful of all his good deeds and thoughts and mild mannered and non combative way of dealing with disagreements and problems. He is able to decipher others characters and manners to be that off putting and embarassing and totally different with him. Most of what he saw with other students or teens is very different in how he would have handled any situations. He is really thankful that he is not like those boys who are angry, disrespectful and hurtful to others.

I really wish he remained a mature, honest and patient person with loving, hopeful and charming disposition in life.

I just wish most kids will be inspired by his attitude towards life and all people. I am blessed with four boys and this boy blesses my life more with his constant gratitude for my role in his life...that, itself, is the greatest gift a child could have ever given to his parent or any person who tirelessly took care of him.