My reunion with Zayne

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It’s been quite a long time since I last posted about Zayne Mojica, my five-year- old ward here in Charlotte, North Carolina.

But last Monday, June 23, I was reunited with him after a three-month hiatus following some changes in my work schedule and circumstances. For those following my blog, you may recall that I was with Zayne since he was a year old.

Even if I wasn't with him I got informed about how he's doing from my daughter GG who took over babysitting duties from me. We would talk frequently about Zayne since he always has a special place in my heart.

On arriving at his home, my husband Ronnie said “look who's here” and a happy Zayne answered “Nanay (mother).” I hugged him and there was a brief moment of awkwardness before our eyes met and we smiled at each other.

I started he day by asking him “what do you want to do today babe?” and he didn't answer. In the old days, he would act indifferent every time we meet on Mondays. But this time he was all smiles.

He was still in his pajamas and was watching Disney Channel while eating Kellog's mini-wheats strawberry flavor and I sat at the floor not mentioning a word. Then I heard him say “Nanay I have a surprise for you.”

I was really surprised because he used my game of surprise every time we see each other; I have small or big things to remind him that he was in my thoughts even when I wasn't around.

It was my idea of showing people I care even if it is only a piece of “candy.” Usually when I say that I have a surprise for him, Zayne would close his eyes and when he opens them, he would see my small or big gift and he would kiss and hug me.

This time, he held my hand and told me to close my eyes as he led me to the other side of the living room. When he told me to open my eyes, I feigned surprise when he showed me his new helicopter made of Lego tiles and a new car.

“Wow this is new,” I told him and Zayne proudly answered that he got his gifts from his father and GG helped him assemble the Lego tiles into a helicopter.

“Get up Nanay I have another surprise for you. Close your eyes again,” Zayne said and as we climbed up the stairs he excitedly showed me his other new toys and clothes.

Simple gestures like teaching Zayne about appreciating the gifts given to him and of giving back fills me with a sense of fulfillment. 

It's showing the unexpected little things that often do matter. Anyone can give a grand gift but making it feel special to the recipient is something different altogether.

These simple gifts, these gestures of thoughtfulness and care go a long way towards building a happier, kinder and more optimistic Zayne as he continues on his life journey.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Visit and read her website at www.susanpalmes-dennis.simplesite.com. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Connecting with Zayne

Zayne in his disciple costume with cast mates.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I am presently occupied with another “job” that keeps me away from my little friend Zayne Mojica.

But I still see him a lot as he stays with my daughter GG. In fact today he is here with us. Even now, when we’ve spent quite a bit of time with each other, Zayne still feels shy and awkward towards me.

It would take 20 minutes before he warms up and approaches me. This is a late post because of my second job so let me tell you about the Holy Week presentation that I attended where Zayne played one of the Lord’s disciples.

The teacher read the stories in the Bible to the audience and the stories transported me back to the times when I read the Holy Book in my childhood. 

These are the Biblical stories of David and Goliath, Cain and Abel, Elijah being fed by ravens and the story of Daniel as well as Jesus of course. 

Teaching children the Word of God early helps prepare them in their journey in life. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” said Proverbs 22:6

It is so important to shape and guide children but as adults we help to shape the children in what they do even in early age. Children by nature believe what adults tell them anyway so this is the best time to teach them.

I remember when Zayne was three years old, I mentioned the name Jesus out of nowhere and he asked me “where is Jesus Nanay (mother)?”

I was taken aback with his question and it took me sometime to tell him that Jesus is “in heaven.”  I should have answered that Jesus is here with us always. 

I enjoyed the Holy Week play. Tomorrow Zayne goes back to school and I resume my other job. Hope you continue to enjoy my nanny stories and see you soon.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. 

She also has her own website at susanpalmes-dennis.simplesite.com. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis).

How Zayne took to swimming

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Today I'll tell you something about how Zayne Mojica learned swimming. As if you didn't know by now, Zayne is my five-year-old ward and best friend.

Zayne was already working the pool when he was three years old. He takes private swimming lessons and his daddy has a family pool. Now that he's five years old, he's doing well in his swimming class.

But his bath tub was his first pool and I have a separate story about this. As far as I can remember, he's always a water boy which means he's unafraid of the water. 

However Zayne is afraid of taking a bath in the late afternoon because it means he's going to bed. 

When he does land in his bath tub, he would play and swim in the water, splashing and spilling it in all directions so I usually prepare the rug or paper towels to wipe the floor tiles dry.

Since his considers the bath tub his pool I think his daddy placed toys and other objects there on the side so Zayne would enjoy bath time especially during summer.

On the side of the bath tub are cups and scoops for filling and dumping, boats and fish, sponges and cloths, bath crayons and paints, soaps and bubbles. 

There was a time when I nearly had a heart attack seeing the paint splashed all over the bath tub and wondered how I can clean it up, only to learn that it can easily be wiped away.

Now when he does take a bath he doesn't want to use the shampoo because the liquid easily stings his eyes just like most adults. I also have trouble soaping him because he's so frenetic.

A typical dialogue between us goes this way:

Zayne: Nanay (Mother), Come we soap (places the baby bubble bath liquid on the water)

Me: Okay

Zayne: (When I try to soap him up) I do it- I can do it.

Then he soaks himself in the water, which means he's done soaping himself up.

I have to be creative in persuading him to soap himself up by cutting a deal with him; I would shampoo and soap him up and after that, we play race, tag or hide and seek. He would usually be fine with it.

I try to bathe him fast otherwise he would throw a tantrum and he would really make a mess of the bathroom. I ready the rug in case he really spills water over the bathtub. Otherwise he can really swim in his bathtub. 

By the time he was five, Zayne has outgrown his bath tub and is now comfortable taking the shower. In the school pool, I noticed that he's making progress making friends with the other boys in the class.

There are four boys in his swimming class, a 30-minute session once a week. I think Zayne is ahead of the boys. It is said that swimming lessons provide the child with many benefits such as socializing.

It's also a sensational learning experience for your child. As Zayne, my young scientist friend splashes, and giggles, he's observing the cause and effect, experimenting with the water and studying what floats and what sinks.

It is fascinating to see Zayne, my young friend, now floating on the pool and it reminded me how I learned to swim in the riverbank of my native Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental, northern Mindanao in the Philippines. 

Back then, I just waded deep into the river and swam through the waters as if  swimming was and always had been a part of my being.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.  You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Running with Zayne

My daughter GG, Zayne at the center when he was still a toddler and me at a playground.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

You thought I’ve forgotten all about Zayne Mojica, my ward and little best friend with all the other blogs I’ve written about. It’s just that we’ve been busy running for a race that I forgot to update you about his story and mine.

Well, today I’d be talking about running through the eyes of a child, specifically Zayne’s eyes. Nearly everyday, Zayne and I have to run inside the second floor of his family’s house.

The house is carpeted so there are no worries about any stone, dirt or sharp object that may hurt our feet. As to how we race, it goes something like this.

Usually it would be him who’d say “we have to do a race Nanay (mother).”
Like any other games with him, I treat this race like a game. When he runs I would run. You can just imagine me trying to keep up with him, lightning fast as he is.

It starts with the usual “ready, on your mark, get set, go” or “let’s start our engines.”  There are times when I would pretend that I am panting and out of breath and he would ask me if I’m all right.

“You need a booster Nanay,” he would say.  “Oh yeah--okay pretend I got the booster,” I’d reply. “Come on, you can do it,” he would say. This is the usual dialogue between us. 

In running or playing games with any kids, I learned some basic truths.

1. Play when he plays. Meaning if he runs, run with him. Times like this the child thinks you are a child.

With Zayne I taught him little moral values while running and there are times when he would cry when I run ahead of him.  While he’s energetic due to the sweets he eats, I can still outrun him when I want too.

I would tell him ”Don’t cry baby, there are times when you run you lose- not all the time you win. In life, baby, sometimes you win sometimes you lose- but remember it is how we run that makes us win.”

I think he gets my point because he would tell me “okay you win nanay.”

2. Teaching children moral values would help you develop their moral compass in life. You can shape how they would look at the world and behave towards others. And learning these lessons early would shape their character.

While it seems impossible to explain the importance of winning or losing in life, showing your children how good morals affect others can be a great influence on them.

As a nanny who takes the role of guiding her ward seriously in the absence of his parents, it’s my duty to teach morals to Zayne and other children to help transform into capable, responsible and mature adults in society.

My daughter GG and Zayne. 

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.  You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Zayne's sweet side

Zayne finishing a sketch 

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It's when you're not feeling okay that you would know how kind and caring some people would be. Especially if it comes from a child. 

In the past few days I’ve been under the weather with coughing and a runny nose. My primary doctor said it is a sinus infection. Whatever, it brings me down and I don't like it.

A week before that, Zayne was sick with cough and colds and he went to the doctor for treatment. For those reading this blog for the first time, Zayne Mojica is my five-year-old ward and is the hero of “My Nanny Stories.”

We’ve been together for four summers now and his doctor told me that Zayne's coughing was caused by a virus. 

Me showing Zayne's name and part of his schoolwork

Since it wasn't the flu I took care of him just the same, keeping my distance and always covering my nose when I sneeze or cough as part of Sanitation 101. 

But yesterday I was coughing so hard that I wet my pants. 

This is the sweet part—Zayne went near me and twice rubbed my back and said “I'm sorry I gave you my cough and cold.”

I was surprised and I replied “No, baby—this is mine, not yours.”  Zayne said “It's mine and I know you don't like it.”

My gosh, it was so sweet of him. The little boy who drives me crazy at times is quite tender and sweet. I actually noticed that quality since he was two years old.

In a child's eyes, one finds sympathy and caring. One afternoon, Zayne looked at me and said “Don't be sad, nanay (mother).” I replied “no, I am not sad baby.” 

It taught me this lesson: The purest form of empathy come from kids. 

Zayne during a class presentation

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. 



You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

Zayne and his medicines

Zayne at play with other kids

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

THERE are good days and bad days with my five-year-old ward Zayne Mojica. Of course, you know him as the hero in My Nanny Stories. 

The rough days are when he's got a cold or fever because of an infection in his ears due to his love for swimming in either the family pool or in his swimming class.

But one thing good about Zayne is he doesn't have any problem taking his medicines so long as it's colorful. If it isn't colored, he needs some cajoling to take it. 

He would just take it in either small or big tablespoons. When Zayne is sick he doesn't need to be persuaded a lot to take them unlike other kids whom you have to sweet talk into taking them.

I have some stories to tell about this. In the US, medicine bottles are hard to open though there are directions on how to open them. 

Usually when Zayne is sick I give him a lot of attention. If he's playing with the Kindle I've got to sit down and be interested in what he's playing otherwise he would stop doing it. 

Actually, even if he is not sick or feeling okay when he plays I play with him but more so when he is sick. He doesn't want to be rubbed or touched. As a rule I think Americans are like that, they consider being rubbed or touched as an intrusion or violation of their privacy. 

You see Filipino mothers have a habit of rubbing the backs of our kids as a sign of love and communication. I think American mothers also do that though not as frequently. 

 I think there is a clinical explanation to a mother rubbing her child's back; it's to warm them up. So I avoid doing that with Zayne. I only do that when he's sick but when I do, he would hesitate and say “don't touch me.”

Now at five years old, Zayne participating in a school program

But his coughs would persist and I would insist on rubbing his back. 

Eventually he ended up on my lap viewing his Kindle, playing with a toy or watching the TV and there are times when he would sleep while I rubbed his back.

I usually used Vicks Vapor Rub. Yes, they also have it here in the US. Vicks Vapor Rub makes me remember my own Nanay (mother).

To my mind Zayne needs tender loving care through my ministrations. When he is really sick I would put him in bed and he wants me to lay beside him.

I tried to sing him a lullaby but he would stop me---I think I am out of tune but there are times he would just hum to himself also. I would just tap his behind like I usually do to my children when they were little.

I pretend I am asleep and snore a little. I knew he is making some movements and checking on me too---he would get up and go to the counter top to get the cough medicines to try to open it.

Of course he couldn't open them since even I find it hard to open. “Waking up”, I asked him why he's opening the medicine bottles. You can't open them Zayne, I told him. Yes I can, he said. 

“Why?,” I asked him. “I want to get well fast,” Zayne replied. Lesson learned; Zayne knows the medicines would make him well. Of course it helps that US medicines are flavored for kids.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. 


You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )

'My name is Ela'

Zayne with my daughter Gg

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

My ward Zayne Mojica wants to change his name to Ella. I couldn't understand why he keeps on insisting that his name is Ella. 

I told him “Zayne, your name is Zayne.” I asked him where he got the name Ela and he replied “Ella as in elephant.” I guess he got it from “show and tell” in class but he looked dead serious that he wanted to be called Ella.

Then it occurred to me that afternoon that I asked him to practice writing his name. His name is Zayne so he has to learn how to write Zayne. 

I told him to write Z first by making a straight line then going down to the center until it reached the bottom where he has to draw another small line to make a Z.

There were times that I guided his hand in writing the letters that make up his name. He is easily bored doing this and I couldn't insist because that would start another word war between him and me. 

By that he would just scream “you are not my friend anymore.” I don't have the time to engage in that word war and so I would wait patiently until he gets interested enough to resume writing.

He would write the A above and Y above the line to complete his name. I can sense that he's laboring on it. But actually he started early learning to write his name when he was two years old with my daughter Gg as his teacher. 

My concerns on his difficulties in writing his name finally came true when a note from his teacher Sha came with the words “Try harder Zayne.” So the people around Zayne had to try harder teaching him to write his name.

After that teacher's note, I had to guide him in writing his name and trace the letters Z A Y N E. That was the time when he said that his name is Ella. 

He asked how Ella is written and indeed it was easy for him to write Ella instead of Zayne even though it was either ascending or descending

Teaching children how to write the letters of the alphabet is very important to their growth in writing and reading for their future.

Children can start learning to write as early as two to years years old. It is important to teach them slowly, at their own pace. Providing encouragement and a positive attitude are always best in helping children learn their letters in a healthy manner.

For more information on this, read http://www.ehow.com/how_4914074_teach-children-write-letters.html#ixzz2uwYJAJMq.


(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. This page will serve as a venue for news and discussion on Filipino communities in the Carolinas. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063. )