Chapter 6,

March 15, 1999,

I woke up this morning and was so excited because today's my fifth birthday. I raced downstairs and sinabi "wow; Pokémon everywhere!" There were balloons with the characters faces on them from the TV ipakita and a big pile of presents sitting on the table. Dad wasn't up yet because he didn't expect me to be awake for at least another half an hour. I went into the living room and waited for him to wake up

I was amazed that dad was able to pull all this Pokémon stuff off because I wasn't into Pokémon until about a buwan nakaraan when I had come across an episode of the ipakita on TV. For the past three years now all that I had been interested in was superheroes and the bituin Wars movies, which made it easy on dad because he knew exactly what to get me for my birthday and Christmas. He sat through a couple episodes of Pokémon with me and I tried to explain the whole concept of the ipakita to him but; he never understood why I liked it so much.

Finally; dad came downstairs and sinabi "happy birthday AJ!" I hugged him and sinabi "thanks for the Pokémon party decorations daddy!" He sinabi "you're welcome; it took me forever to find them because I didn't know what I was looking for!" Grace followed behind him with Prince holding her hand and Paris in her other arm. Prince sinabi "it's my birthday!" Dad sinabi "no silly; it was your birthday last month!" Dad sinabi "come on AJ; I want you to see what gifts I got you!" I sinabi "I hope you got something that I will like because I know you always get the Pokémon characters names wrong!" He laughed and sinabi "I have a real strong feeling that you're going to like what I got you!"

We went into the kusina and sat at the mesa with my gifts on it. He grabbed the one off the tuktok and passed it to me. I ripped it open and sinabi "oh my gosh; you kept telling me that I wouldn't get a Game Boy until I was 10 years old!" I started to tear open the other presents and I got three different Pokémon games. I sinabi "thank you so much daddy; I pag-ibig you!" He sinabi "I pag-ibig you more! Now there are some rules that go along with that Game Boy! First of all, I don't want you playing that all araw long. segundo of all, if you don't listen to me that will be the first thing that I take away from you. Last of all, these games are small and you better not lose any of them because they're really expensive!" I sinabi "I'll try my best not to lose them!"

March 21, 1999,

I was sitting at the mesa in the kusina playing my game boy and dad was clearing the table. He sinabi "I want you to do something else, you can playing with it some madami tomorrow before you have to do your school work!" I ignored him and he sinabi "I know you can hear me.” I continued to play the game with my eyes pretty much glued to the screen and he sinabi "you better put that down!"

He walked over and took it out of my hands. I shot him a dirty look and sinabi "give it back!" He sinabi "don't talk to me like that; go play with your action figures or see what Prince is doing!" I tried to grab the game boy out of his hand and he put it on one of the high shelves that was mounted on the wall. I sinabi "as soon as you walk away I'm going to get a chair and grab it!" He sighed and sinabi "you better not because if you do I'm going to send you to your room and you won't be allowed to watch TV or do anything fun!" I laughed at him and sinabi "yeah right!" He sinabi with a serious look on his face "I'm not messing around and I don't think it's funny at all!"

I climbed on the chair and smiled as I reached for the Game Boy. He sinabi "you have three segundos to put that back up there before I put you on punishment." Putting me on punishment was the same thing as being grounded to other kids but dad didn't like the word grounded so he changed it to punishment!"

That didn't stop me from getting off the chair and as soon as he tried to take it from me I ran as fast as I could! He caught up to me though and took it out of my hands. I started laughing when he picked me up and sinabi "you're going to your room!" When we got to my bedroom door he opened it up and gently tossed me on my bed. I looked up at him with a shocked look on my face and asked "wait; am I really on punishment?" He sinabi as he looked at me "I told you I was serious!" I sinabi "I promise I won't do it again!" He sinabi "it's too late for that now!"

He shut the door behind him and Grace sinabi "for a five-year-old AJ is pretty strong! I'm glad that you can still carry her while she's trying to kick you because I know I can't do that anymore!" He sinabi "yeah I know; I'm just glad that she thought I was joking because she made a little bit easier on me. She's easy to carry when she's not flipping out but when she is It makes her feel 20 pounds heavier! I have no idea what I plan on doing when she is nine years old because if I keep doing that I'll end up pulling my back out!"

March 23, 1999,

Well; because of the stunt I pulled with the Game Boy a few days nakaraan I'm stuck up in my room doing absolutely nothing. The only thing that I've been allowed to do for days is school work; which is obviously not fun! I'm allowed to come downstairs to eat but that's about it and it's driving me crazy! I must've really hit a raw nerve with dad because he doesn't want to listen to me when I try to convince them that I'm sorry and that I won't do it again! The only thing that he has sinabi to me is that he would come and talk to me before he is going to let me off of my punishment!

I was sitting in my room filling out a worksheet when I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. My doorknob turned and dad stood there looking at me in complete silence. One thing he has definitely learned as a parent is how to make me feel guilty! Grace can't make me feel guilty but; just looking at dad after I've done something wrong makes my stomach turn! He definitely uses it to his advantage!

He came over and sat on my bed. I didn't say anything and just stared at him for a few minutes. He asked "so; have you been having fun up here sa pamamagitan ng yourself?" I sinabi "NO! I'm so bored!" He sinabi "that means that that was true punishment because you're supposed to be bored out of your mind!" He pulled out the chair I was sitting in and sinabi "come here; sit susunod to me!" I walked over and ended up sitting on his lap instead. I sinabi "I promise you that I really am sorry for not listening to!" He kissed the tuktok of my head and sinabi "I told you from the very beginning that I didn't want you playing Pokémon all day! You are getting to be very disrespectful to me and it's really starting to bother me!" I sinabi "I truly don't remember what I'm doing when I get that irritated and I understand why I got in trouble!" He smiled and sinabi "I know that and I also know that I can be a little annoying at times but; that's part of my job as a daddy!”

April 14, 1999,

For about five days now I've secretly been intimidated sa pamamagitan ng Prince! When I say that I don't mean that I'm scared of him but; I'm worried that he is almost too good! This is the first time that I've felt jealous of him since he has been born. Most of the time; I think he knows that he is better behaved than I am. I know he's only two years old but; I think he's trying to almost rub it in my face! Dad doesn't notice that lately he has been constantly comparing me to Prince. I know he means well but; it kind of has been making me feel like I am the bad child! I don't want to bring that to dad's attention now because I know he will feel awful about it!

I was sitting in the living room and Prince was in the play room. Dad was in the kusina putting some things away when I came in to the room and sat at the table. Prince came running in and sinabi "juice please daddy!" Dad reached for a bottle and Prince sinabi "no; I want Spiderman cup!" I sinabi "that's my cup; he's too little to use it." Dad poured the juice into the cup and passed it to Prince. Dad sinabi "Alanna; he is not a little baby anymore! If he doesn't want the baby bottle anymore; he doesn't have to use it! I wish you would've ibingiay up using bottles that easily! I remember that I had to argue with you about giving them up and you were screaming at the tuktok of your lungs!"

I looked at dad and sinabi "I'm sorry that I can't be as perfect as Prince is!" I ran upstairs and he sinabi "wait AJ I didn't mean…" He followed me upstairs and got to my room just-in-time for me to slam my door! He opened it up and I had curled myself into a ball on my bed. I wasn't crying but; I was really upset! He sinabi as he knelt down susunod to me "I didn't mean it like that AJ! What's wrong?" I looked up at him but; didn't say anything! Then out of nowhere; I sinabi "I am a bad kid!" Dad scooped me up and sat down on my bed. He sinabi "you're not a bad kid! I don't want to hear you ever say that again! Don't let anyone tell you that you are because you're not!" I sinabi "I never listen to you and I know I don't! I wish I would listen to you but; I just can't!"

Dad looked me in my eyes and sinabi "stop saying that!!! God made you exactly how you are supposed to be and I know that's never going to change! To me I couldn't have ended up with better kids if I picked them myself! I sinabi "all week long; the only thing you have talked about is Prince! AJ; look at Prince… Isn't he cute? You're so good Prince! I pag-ibig you Prince!" The look on his face sinabi it all! He asked "what do you mean? Give me an example!" I sinabi "said all right; like yesterday!" He asked "what happened yesterday?" I sinabi "well; you made me feel like I didn't even exist because you were spending so much time with him. I know that he listens to you better than I do and that bothers me!" Dad sinabi "oh; AJ if I had any idea I was doing that I would've stopped! I never want to make you feel like you aren't good enough! If you catch me doing that again all you have to do is remind me and I'll make sure not to say anything like that anymore!" He kissed me and sinabi "by the way… You'll always be perfect me! You don't have to try to be good enough… ever!"

April 28, 1999,

I'm so happy because one of dad's best mga kaibigan Mark Lester is coming for a visit all the way from the UK with his oldest son! His oldest son is from his nakaraan marriage and his name is Kyle. Kyle is only a few months older than I am and am excited to have someone to play with that is the same age as me! Mark has two other children with his current wife but; their only toddlers so they're not coming.

I woke up this morning and ran downstairs. Dad was sitting in the living room and I asked "when are they going to get here?" He sinabi "in a couple madami hours. Are you excited to see Kyle?" I sinabi "I can't wait to ipakita him my room; we haven't seen them since we traveled all the way to see them last year!" He sinabi "speaking of your room; you need to go clean it before they get here." I sinabi "why? It's not a mess!" He sinabi "if you don't think that room is a mess then you must be blind because it looks like a tornado destroyed it!" I sinabi "I hate cleaning my room! Do I really have to?" He sinabi "yes you do." I threw my hands up in the air and complained as I walked up the stairs."

It took me almost 3 hours to finish cleaning my room because I kept getting distracted sa pamamagitan ng the TV. Dad walked down the hallway and into my room. He stood there in shock then sinabi "wow; I don't think your room has been this clean since you are learning how to walk! I'm impressed! He hugged me and sinabi "Mark was just on the phone; they'll be here in about five minutes!" I sinabi "I'll get dressed for the araw so I'm ready when Kyle gets here!"

I quickly put on a pair of jeans and a Pokémon T-shirt. When I walked downstairs Mark and his son were just coming inside. Kyle was behind him and I sinabi "hi!" He ran up to me and sinabi "hi; I was so excited when I found out we were coming here for a whole week to see you guys!" I sinabi "I know; come on I want to ipakita you my room!" Dad smiled as I grab Kyle's hand and took him upstairs. Dad sinabi "that's the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Mark looked over at dad and jokingly asked "how much you want to bet the two of them will be married someday?" Dad chuckled and sinabi "that would be so funny if that actually played out that way!"

When we got to my bedroom, Kyle sinabi "wow; you have so many boys’ toys in here!" I sinabi "I don't like girly toys, my paborito thing is Pokémon!" He asked "do you like watching the Power Rangers on TV?" I sinabi "sometimes if it's on I will watch it! I like the blue Ranger the best!" He sinabi "I like the red one the most!" I asked "do you like Pokémon?" He sinabi "yeah; I like it when there is a gym battle on the show!" I pulled a big binder out of a drawer in my room and put it on the floor in front of Kyle. He opened it up and sinabi "you have so many of the Pokémon cards!"

Almost an oras later dad and Mark laughed as the two of us came running down the stairs. Mark sinabi "here comes the stampede!" We were having so much fun running around that our light up sneakers started having problems! I walked up to dad and sinabi "thank you so much daddy for letting my friend come visit me!" He sinabi "oh how sweet; you're welcome!" I sinabi "I want to have a sleepover downstairs with Kyle tonight; can we?" Dad sinabi "yeah that's fine; you guys can watch Disney pelikula in the living room on the flatscreen!" Kyle sinabi "wow; thanks Michael!"

Later on after we had dinner; Kyle and I got dressed in our pajamas. We went into the living room and there was a huge blanket spread out across the floor. Mark brought over a stack of DVDs and put them in front of the two of us. We went through them and picked out bituin Wars episode one. Dad sinabi "all right; don't stay up really late you guys!" Dad and Mark laughed out on the porch while they were talking to each other because they could hear the goofy conversations Kyle and I were having with each other! The funny thing was that we didn't think they could hear us!


May 8, 1999,

I came running downstairs and noticed that dad wasn't there. Grace sinabi "your dad's working on his new album so; he won't be back till dinnertime." It had been a long time since dad had left us with the nanny and I was really not looking pasulong to it. Grace and I are always butting heads because she doesn't let me do most of the things that dad lets me do. She doesn't want me to break anything or she doesn't want to have to punish me. That's why she doesn't let me do anything and it drives me nuts. Every time I go to go outside she's like "oh AJ; I don't want you to go outside! Wait for your dad to get back and you can go out with him!

I was in the play room most of the araw playing video games or watching TV because there was nothing better to do. I was bored out of my mind! I think the worst thing about being the oldest child is that I don't have any interest in doing the things that Prince and Paris do because they're younger than I am. sa pamamagitan ng the time dad gets tahanan I'm usually a ball of energy.

August 17, 1999,

I woke up this morning and could hear barking coming from downstairs. I hopped out of kama and put on my Spiderman slippers and walked down to the living room. I looked at dad and asked "did you hear that?" He sinabi "I didn't hear anything!" I heard the noise again and dad sinabi "I heard something that time!" The two us walked to the back door and there was a dog laying on the porch. The dog was a reddish colored golden retriever from what I could tell because he was so dirty and matted.

I ran out the door and dad sinabi "wait; you don't know whether he is mean or not. I don't want him to bite you!" The dog got up and dad slowly walked backwards with his hand on my shoulder. I asked "how did he get in here anyway?" The dog walked up to dad and started licking his hand and I sinabi "I think he likes you!" Dad sinabi "he looks like he's only about a taon old! I got down on my knees and he started to lick my face. I looked at dad and I think he knew what was about to ask him. He sinabi "if we keep him you're going to have to help me take care of him." I sinabi "I will; he can be my dog!" Dad smiled and sinabi "all right let's get him inside and clean him up because he's a mess!"

He followed us upstairs and to our surprise just jumped in the bathtub with his tail wagging. I got a T-shirt and swim trunks on so I could help give him a bath. Dad sinabi "so what do you want to name him?" I sinabi "Drake!" He sinabi "that's a cool name!" After patong lalaki was all clean he jumped out of the tub and shook himself dry. I sinabi "thanks for letting me keep him daddy!" He sinabi "you're welcome!" I still have patong lalaki today plus the other two Aso Jackson and Kenya. We used to have a dog named shadow when I was a newborn baby but, he passed away the araw after my third birthday.


September 3, 1999,

I think patong lalaki is getting used to living here with us. He usually lays susunod to me in kama every night but this morning I was woken up sa pamamagitan ng the sound of dad saying "gross; I can't believe you would lick my face!" I jumped out of kama and ran into dad's bedroom. patong lalaki was casually laying on the kama and dad was wiping his mouth with a washcloth. I started laughing and sinabi "what… He just loves you!" Dad chuckled and sinabi "I just didn't expect for a dog's tongue to be the first thing I see when I opened my eyes in the morning!"

patong lalaki jumped off the kama and I chased him down the stairs. Dad was about to come down with us when Prince yelled "daddy" from his bedroom. Dad sinabi “hang on AJ; stay up here until I get Prince out of his room. Then I'll make you something to eat." I walked back upstairs and followed dad into Prince's room. Dad had just gotten rid of Prince's kuna last week and I'm glad because since then Prince doesn't seem so perfect compared to me. He's definitely in his terrible twos now! They're nothing like they were with me but, it does make me look little bit better behaved now.

After breakfast all of us went into the living room to spend time together because dad has been working on his new album lately. This is the first time we will be able to spend the whole araw with him since the beginning of the week and I'm so excited! I sinabi "I'm so happy your tahanan all araw today daddy!" He sat down on the floor susunod to Prince and I. He sinabi "I can't wait spend time with you guys… I actually have a surprise to tell you!" I asked "what?" He sinabi "I sent Grace on a vacation to see her family so; it's just going to be the 4 of us for the susunod two weeks!" I asked "but don't you need to work?" He sinabi "I really needed to take a break and I really miss you guys when I'm working on the new CD!" I sinabi as I climbed onto his back "yes; two weeks with just you!"

Most two-year-olds like Prince go through a biting phase; thankfully I missed out on that phase because I was too busy kicking people when I was his age! Prince is definitely now a biter but; I'm hoping now that dad is going to be the only adult here watching us for the susunod two weeks that he will be able to break Prince of that habit!



September 4, 1999,

I woke up this morning to Paris jumping up and down on my kama saying "AJ!" I opened my eyes and dad, Prince, and Paris were in my room. I asked "what are we going to do today daddy?" He sinabi "anything you want; within reason of course, nothing too crazy!" I got up and dad sinabi "guess what I'm going to make for breakfast!" I asked "what?" He asked "what's your paborito thing that I cook every once in a while?" I sinabi "chocolate chip pancakes!!!" He sinabi "Yes!!! After I change Prince and Paris's diapers you can help me make the pancakes!"

I was about to walk out of the room and go downstairs when dad sinabi "hang on; I don't want you to go down there yet because I have the stove heating up! I don't want you to fall sa pamamagitan ng accident and get burned! Come with me; it's only going to take a few minutes!" I followed him as he carried Prince and Paris into Prince's bedroom. Dad sat down on the floor and I passed him the wipes. He looked at Prince and sinabi "you know what Prince? I think you're getting too old for diapers." Prince playfully sinabi "no, no, no!" Dad chuckled and sinabi as he tickled him "yes, yes, yes! Maybe we'll start working on getting rid of them this week!"

We all went downstairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed a stepstool and dragged it over to the stove so I could help dad make pancakes. Prince and Paris were in dad's eyesight playing in the play room and watching a movie. He sinabi "I'll do the stuff with the spatula just because I don't want you to get hurt but; you can put the tsokolate chips in and help me figure out how big to make the pancakes okay?" I sinabi "okay! I'm going to put a lot of tsokolate chips in them!" He sinabi "okay then!" When it was my turn to put them in I dumped the whole entire bag into the one batch of pancakes. Dad sinabi "oh my gosh! All of us are going to have a sugar rush… But that's okay! It's daddy's rules for the two weeks so; if you want to go crazy you can!" I sinabi "I thought that Grace goes sa pamamagitan ng your rules when you aren't here?" He sinabi "she does but; I know she can be really strict specifically with you when I'm not here!" I sinabi "yeah she can be; I know she is trying to keep me from getting into trouble or getting hurt but, she can take it a little too far sometimes!" Dad sinabi "well she loves you and she know you can be better behaved than you are most of the time; am I right?" I sinabi "I guess I can try a little bit madami to listen to her!" He sinabi "maybe if you showed her that you can listen to her she would let you do some of the stuff that I let you do when I'm here!"

Dad brought our plates to the mesa and put Prince and Paris in their highchairs. He cut their pagkain and when he got to me I asked "can I cut it myself?" sa pamamagitan ng the look on his face I don't think he wanted to let me but; I think he knew that I'm growing up and that there's nothing he can do to stop that from happening!" He passed me a kutsilyo and sinabi "be careful!!!" I struggled for the first few minutos and he sinabi "here; let me ipakita you how to cut it! You're freaking me out; you come so close to cutting your finger!" He took the plate and started to cut the pancakes and if I didn't tell him to stop I think you would of cut the entire thing without giving me the chance to try again. After watching him, I easily cut the last few pieces on my plate and he took a sigh of relief!

September 5, 1999,

We were watching TV in the living room when I sinabi "daddy; I'm bored! Can we do something?" He asked "what did you have in mind?" I sinabi "slip and slide!" He sinabi "I’ll tell you what; after I put Prince and Paris down for their nap because they're too young to use that the two of us can!" I asked "but what if one of them wakes up and wants you! You'll be outside with me so you won't be able to hear them!" He sinabi "every once in a while I'll go inside and check on them to see if they are awake."

After lunch, dad put Prince and Paris down for their nap. I was outside playing with patong lalaki when he started dragging the slip and slide across the lawn. He hooked up the hose and water started to spray everywhere. I ran down the side but; was having some trouble with sticking to the plastic. I looked at dad and sinabi "this thing isn't slippery enough!" He ran inside and came back out with something in his hand. He sinabi "cooking oil should make it slippery enough AJ!" He poured a small amount onto the plastic part of the slide but, all the oil began to pour out really fast and before we knew it the slide was drenched.

Before he could stop me, I ran down the slide and when I went down on my stomach towards the end I shot halfway across the yard because it was so slippery. Dad was worried that my knees had gotten hurt and walked up to me. He asked "are you okay Alanna?" I lifted my head off the ground and started laughing because there were damo stains all over my face. Dad couldn't help but laugh to because of how hilarious I thought it was!" Then all of a sudden we both look over our shoulders and we see patong lalaki coming right towards us because he was sniffing the slide. Dad, the dog, and I ended up piled on tuktok of each other with the two of us laughing our butts off!


September 10, 1999,

Grace will be back from her vacation in a couple madami days and dad will be back in the studio working on his new album. Dad is trying to spend as much time with us before he has to start working again! I don't know why he calls this a break because he's probably working twice as hard taking care of the three of us sa pamamagitan ng himself than he ever would standing in a sound booth recording a song! Now that Prince is talking really well, he likes to try and get me in trouble; which you all know I don't need any help with that! I'm just waiting for dad to catch Prince in the act of doing something he doesn't approve of!

Prince, Paris, and I were playing in the play room when dad decided to come in and spend time with us. I climbed into his lap and Prince must've been jealous because he decided to hit me. Dad looked at him and sinabi "that wasn't very nice at all! Say you're sorry to AJ! We don't hit in this house!" I sinabi "it's okay; he doesn't have to apologize!" Dad sinabi "yes he does!" Prince sinabi "I'm sorry" and gave me a hug!

The thing that kind of bothered me is that Prince just apologized and moved on. When I do something wrong I don't just admit it, I drag it out as long as possible. I was kind of hoping that Prince would get into some serious trouble; just as payback for all the times that I've gotten in trouble for something that he did!