Time really flies, doesn’t it? Today marks the start of the last month of the year. There’s a lot on my mind about what I want to do and dream of doing, but I’ve realized something important: living fully in the present matters more than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Living for today feels more meaningful than just living for tomorrow. So, live for today and repeat that mindset tomorrow.
This morning, the kids and I woke up without their mum around since, as I mentioned yesterday, she’s away on a school trip. She’s expected back around 8:30 PM. We stayed home today, unlike most Sundays when we’d usually go to church. Rex wasn’t feeling too well, he had a slight fever, a cough, and a bit of a cold. Luckily, we still had some of his meds from the last time he was sick, so I gave him those. We watched an online church service instead. I listened to the two-hour sermon while Rex napped, and Rez and Eiona kept themselves entertained with puzzles. Typical kids, right? As long as they weren’t too noisy, I just let them be.
For breakfast, we kept it simple, bread with peanut butter and some papaya. It was enough to fill us up. While waiting for lunch to arrive, Rez and Eiona kept playing with their toys, and Rex slept through the morning.
Lunch was soy sauce chicken, fish with sauce, and white rice. As usual, Eiona stuck to just the soy sauce chicken. Thankfully, Rex woke up in time to eat. To encourage them to finish their food, I promised Rex and Rez some PS5 time if they cleared their plates—including the onions they normally avoid. I sweetened the deal with extra playtime if they ate all the onions. And guess what? They did it! Rez, who usually picks out the onions, admitted they were sweet and tasty. Success! Even Rex, despite not having much appetite, managed to finish his meal, onions and all. I’m so proud of them.
I kept my promise. The kids dove straight into their screens and games while I stepped outside to clean our car and truck. Thankfully, it didn’t rain, so I could vacuum and tidy up properly. The inside of the car was unbelievably messy—I couldn’t imagine driving to work tomorrow in that state. The truck, which hasn’t been used in a while, was covered in dust, especially the roof and hood, where the cats like to hang out. Two hours later, both vehicles were spotless.
Afterward, I got the kids to pause their games for some physical activity. Rez and Rex helped wipe down the car interior while Eiona zoomed around on her scooter.
The weather was dry but not too hot. In the afternoon, I watered our vegetables and plants, picking a ripe papaya while I was at it. The kids stayed indoors, watching TV, while Eiona got creative, decorating the wall with stickers. She was so proud of her work and kept calling me to take pictures and send them to her mum.
It didn’t rain at all today, which was a big change from yesterday’s chilly weather. Once the chores were done—cleaning the kitchen, sweeping, washing clothes, ironing school uniforms—I finally had time to sit and relax. The kids kept themselves busy playing carrom and puzzles, laughing the whole time.
Their mum got home around 9:30 PM to a clean house and everything already taken care of. All she had to do was shower and unwind. Eiona was over the moon to see her, acting like she hadn’t seen her mum in forever—even though it had only been a day.
