TODAY IS THE BEST MONDAY EVER!
These are the words that my 4-year-old daughter uttered after having a half-day date with me last Monday. Because she had no school that day, we decided to have a “date”, which consisted of going to the bank, eating out, shopping, and buying some groceries.
Our day started with having breakfast at home. Then, at around 9 am, we headed to our first stop: the bank! I go to the bank once every two months to get my pay for my part-time teaching job, and I tagged Tala along this time. It was very timely since she was getting curious about how I exchange my paychecks to cash. So, I asked her to come with me so that she can see firsthand how it is done.
When we got to the bank, there were no other customers other than ourselves, which is usually the case that’s why I love going to this particular branch — a bonus that it’s the nearest branch to our home! Tala sat on the seat while I spoke with the teller on the counter. We waited for the cash for about 10 minutes, and every 2 minutes or so, Tala would say, “There’s nothing to do in here… I didn’t know banks are boring”. Haha! Yes, Tala, adults are boring! Kidding aside, yeah, people do serious and adulting tasks in banks, which are almost always boring for kids.
Ok, off to our second destination! The mall! We were supposed to go to Peace Book Center, which is a big bookstore with all sorts of school supplies and art materials, but Tala changed her mind and said that she did not want to buy a watercolor pen anymore (similar to what Anna her Teacher friend brought on their art date the previous day).
So, we decided to go to Chip Mong Megamall, which is just 7 minutes from home and 5 minutes from the bank. Our first stop in the mall: H&M! Tala loves window shopping there! She tried shoes on, and looked at different shirts and dresses that she said she would buy when it’s already on sale. (Good training, Nanay!) And my eyes are trained to look for on-sale racks, too! We found a pink long-sleeved top on sale, so we bought it! It was cold in the mall anyway so it was a good buy!
After about an hour at H&M, we decided to have lunch at Master Grill. Tala wanted to eat their crispy chicken and rice, but unfortunately, the restaurant was still closed at 10:30 am. So we decided to just eat fried chicken, spring rolls, and rice at the food court. Tala loved their crispy chicken so much!!!
What’s next after having lunch? More window shopping at Miniso and Kohnan Japan. These stores are similar to Daiso, which has anything and everything under the sun, like school supplies, cleaning supplies, makeup, snacks, and more! She bought a small drawing book and she’s so excited to use it at home.
Last stop is grocery time! Tala enjoyed pushing the carts — this mall just opened a few months ago so the wheels of carts are still smooth). We bought a lot of snacks for school! Yum!
We rode a tuktuk going home. When we got home, it was already 12:45 in the afternoon. We were just out for less than 4 hours and yet, Tala already felt that it’s the best Monday ever!
At that moment, I realized how thankful I am for having a part-time job that I can push aside for a day or two in case Tala needs me. And I am more thankful for the blessing of Emman’s stable job that can sustain us in our comfortable lives regardless if I work or not.
I know that Tala had more fun Mondays in the past, but I know this is one of the more meaningful ones. She feels that this Monday is the best Monday ever because she felt special during our “date”. I hope she will always remember this moment when we simply had fun together without needing to do extravagant things. Indeed, the best Monday ever for Nanay and Tala!
