Category Archives: Yaya stories

the week-long break and our quest for a yaya

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Ramil and I are still right smack in the middle of our week-long break. Some of the reasons why I love being a teacher are the long breaks we'd usually get. Instead of getting just several days off for this week, we get the whole week. Yipee! School breaks for all saints' and all souls' day usually get me so excited because the next break will be Christmas, my favorite time of the year.
So anyway, we spent Saturday to Tuesday in my parents' house in Novaliches. We didn't really get to rest much because one of us would usually be dragging the whole family some place else. Arriving at our house in Antipolo last Tuesday night made us realize that we missed it a lot. Even Mateo expressed his joy by bouncing in his playpen upon noticing that he's finally home. Unfortunately, Ramil and I spent the whole of Wednesday and Thursday doing chores and trying to keep up with Mateo. Mateo's yaya left last Saturday so we didn't have anybody else to help us out.
She informed me last September that her older brother is asking her to go home because he's willing to finance her college studies. I asked her to wait until we're able to find a replacement before we finally let her go. Hence, we started our quest for another yaya. After asking around, we finally have a prospective yaya who will be available by November 20. So Cat will be coming back this Sunday and stay on for three more weeks until the new yaya arrives. I just pray that the new yaya will be good with Mateo.
So for three days now, it's just me, Ramil, and Mateo in our house. While we have managed without any househelp for the first five months since I gave birth to Mateo, having a 9-month-old baby is an altogether different ball game. It doesn't help at all that Mateo is acting like my extra appendage. His nap times would have us scurrying to finish chores. Despite staying home the whole day, I wasn't able to grab any paid opps. Ramil and I suddenly missed those times when it was just the two of us. Haha! Nevertheless, Mateo never fails to make us smile. We'd find ourselves having overwhelming feelings of love despite wanting to wring his neck just a few seconds ago. We'd find ourselves laughing our butts off regardless of the number of times we've knitted our eyebrows, wrinkled our foreheads, pursed our lips, or pulled our hairs. I never thought juggling the chores and Mateo between the two of us will be such a roller coaster of emotions. Oh, and it DOES NOT help thinking about the papers we're supposed to be checking nor about the test papers we're supposed to be making.
Now, did I say we're on a week-long break? ;)  

good times

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Life is good. There are days when you can't pinpoint one specific thing that makes you feel down and there are days when you can't pinpoint one specific thing that makes you feel up. I'm in the up. All the way up. 

I never thought that married life would be this good and that family life would be so much better. These days, I find myself not needing any reminders in an effort to make myself feel better. Waking up in the morning with Mateo smiling up at me and Ramil's arms around me are enough to make me feel grateful for the life I have now. 

We're still not that comfortable on the financial front but we still consider ourselves filthy rich just like before, if not more. Our days right now are filled with smiles and laughter, even if our minds are also sometimes filled with getting through to the next payday. I can't even remember the last time Ramil and I argued. We still have our usual bantering but that's what makes life with each other not boring. 

Everything is also okay, career-wise. I still consider myself a full-time SAHM, considering that I only leave the house for three hours to teach. I get to enjoy both, not wanting more or less time for each aspect of my life. Being a part-time teacher has also given me some me time, even though it's not really to pamper myself. Hehe! It has allowed me to miss Mateo everyday which, I think, is necessary for the impatient me not to feel burdened with him and with the house.

We have a good househelp/yaya with us. I can tell that she has fallen in love with Mateo too and that is a good thing. At least we know that she'll take good care of him when both Ramil and I are not around.

This does not mean I don't want anything more. Of course I do, I would love for things on the financial side to look up. But things are great right now and that's more than enough. Thank you Lord! 

nanny = chore-free

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For more than a week now, I've been chore-free. A big hurray! Mateo and I have never been happier and more relaxed. 
Although the yaya that we got is very young at 17, she seems very reliable and handles Mateo well. Right now, she mostly handles the chores – cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc. I still do the cooking since she doesn't know how to cook. With her arrival comes more patience for me. I enjoy cooking now since she does the cutting and cleaning up Wink. Most important of all, Mateo doesn't get on my nerves anymore. Even if he's in an especially fussy mood the whole day. 
When we started looking for a yaya, I told my mama that I want somebody young. So that I can train her on how I want things done. So far, training has been good. It's good that Cat, the yaya, has had experience with her 7-month-old cousin. In preparation for the start of school, we've been practicing my schedule when classes start. Since I would be away from home between 2 to 5 pm, this would be the time when I would let Cat look over Mateo. Once the clock strikes 2 pm, I give Mateo over to her and just observe how they are. So far, so good.  
I feel very lucky to have found a good one the first time. All I'm praying for is that she stays good or gets better. I feel better now about teaching part-time this coming schoolyear.