A Day at the Mall

It's funny how a 5 1/2 month old baby can change the way I looked at malls - and change my shopping habits!

Tuesday, despite the typhoon, Lois and I, influenced by her Grand mama trooped to the mall. Grand mama and Grand papa (my parents-in-law) were celebrating their wedding anniversary, which coincided with Grand papa's official business in UP Diliman, so they visited us. The plan was to shop for the giveaways for Lois' ninongs and to finalize details with the reception venue, both for the upcoming baby dedication.

We were looking for mugs with teddy bear designs, but there were not so many items to choose from at Robinsons Pioneer, the mall nearest to us, so we decided to go to Makati. The sky was dark, the rain was pouring, the roads were flooded, but we were excited to be out shopping with Lois. We knew Daddy Poh would not approve of our action, so we got his permission while we were already on the road. Sneaky trick!

At the mall, it was very cold. The air-conditioning and wet weather combination was a chiller. I was always feeling Lois' forehead and neck to see if she's comfortable - I put on her a cotton creeper with high socks, so some parts of her legs were exposed - but she was fine, in fact, oblivious of the chill. She was well entertained with the new shapes, color and sounds all around her. From her stroller point of view, she was in wonderland, and our presence made it doubly fun because we seemed more than happy for her.

Logistically speaking, having Lois with us was not easy. With a huge stroller and two bags-full of Lois' stuff, going around was not my typical day at the mall, especially whenever we needed to take escalators. Oh what a challenge it is to catch those moving steps and not loose balance while making sure the stroller was ok. But yays and grand mama - and later on Ninang Chelle and Daddy Poh were of big help so everything turned out well.

Mall Rat
Lois obviously likes the toy section best. And I, I love EVERYTHING! I feel more childlike being surrounded with all those pretty stationeries, baby clothes, baby toys, baby shoes, clips, baby toiletries. Baby section is a wonderland. My Scrimpy attitude vapored in thin air as I swiped and swiped. Good thing the credit limit was almost maxxed out (I've used it to pay for Lois' baby dedication down payment). I only got to buy her a teether toy plus an over-all suit for her first costume party. In ordinary days, I plan ahead what I must buy and look around for the best item before I take it home. But after a long separation with the mall (last time I went shopping was 2 weeks before Lois came), I couldn't resist 'splurging'!


Spending Philosophy
You see, as the financial controller of the family, I make it a point to minimize all our expenses. We're paying for the condo unit; the newly purchased lot in Sta. Rosa, the insurance, utilities, food, yays salary, and the list is endless. And with our single-income set-up, I choose to be liquid as much as possible. Every centavo has to be well-spent. Only areas where spending is not an issue is when it comes to giving for God's work and helping others who are in great need. Tough times come when the expenses are more than our account balance, but God has always been on-time in providing for us. And I want Lois to grow up trusting God for all her needs. Living simply, yet living boldly for others.

New tricks
Lois can now roll over, one side. I would lay her in her tummy and seconds after, she would roll-over, with her head first. Daddy Poh and I would clap whenever she successfully does this in order to egg her on. And lately, she has been pushing her body with her arms. I'm so proud of Lois! It won't be long until she will start crawling and walking.

Jimmy Neutron, No More
Even Lois' hair has improved. They're no longer standing up - like Einstein's. Her hair now - long and down, makes her look girly. Her daddy calls her Oissy because she's so girlie cute. All of us are very much addicted to her sweet face and jolly disposition.