Madrid Squad

The Big Day

   "Mama, Baba, look what I can do!" Noelle exclaimed proudly as she did a front flip on the trampoline with the aid of her brother.

   "Wow, sweetheart! That was great!" Kylie said encouragingly while Ruru let out a double thumbs up.

   "I can do it without help," Amir said as he did a front flip of his own.

   "Good job, Kuya!" Kylie encourages as Amir looked at his sister with a smug face.

   "You guys are getting really good at gymnastics. Next thing you know, you'll be doing the Olympics," Ruru smiled at them.

   "Baba, I can do a handstand all by myself," Noelle said proudly with her hands on her waist.

   "Well, I can handstand and walk with it too," says Amir.

   "Really? Show us nga," Kylie claps her hands together.

   Both of the kids did their individual handstands, as their parents watched with bright smiles. They couldn't help but chuckle at how Noelle was trying to walk in her handstand like her brother was doing. Their kids did compete with each other a lot, especially when it comes to gymnastics. They actually had to remind the kids consistently that they are a team and their supposed to build each other up because if they don't, the kids would just knock each other out trying to be 'better'.

   "It's unfair! Kuya's so much better than me!" Noelle exclaims pouting and crossing her arms together.

   Cutest brat ever.

   "That's because I've been doing gymnastics longer, Kikay. You'll get there," the doting kuya encouraged. This is what makes Kylie smile. Yeah, the two competed a lot but at the end of the day, Amir was this loving and protecting kuya to Noelle.

   "But I want to do tricks like you!" Noelle stomped her foot.

   "It's okay. Just keep practicing, right Mama?"

   "That's right, Kuya," Kylie nods.

   "See?" Amir patted his sister's shoulder.

   "But you'll help me Kuya ha?"

   "Of course, I will," he said zipping down the net of the trampoline to get down.

   "Kuya, you promise ha?" she said as Ruru helped her get down.

   "I promise nga."

   The three settled into the couch as they watched a Disney movie. Kylie wasn't there yet because she was in the kitchen preparing snacks. Noelle cuddled up to her father while Amir waited for his mother to get back.

   "Baba, I want earrings," Noelle blurts out.

   "You have clip-on earrings upstairs, sweetheart. Want me to go get them?" Ruru asked caressing her hair.

   "No, like real earrings."

   "But you'll have to get your ears pierced for that, Baby," he explains.

   "Okay, I'll get my ears pierced," she said nonchalantly.

   "Anak, you know it will hurt, right?" he tried scaring her and elbowed Amir to ride along. He really didn't want her to pierce her ears yet. For him, it was something the 'big girls' would do and his baby was far from being a 'big girl'. It's too soon.

   "I can do it, Baba," she said bravely.

   "Noelle, you know what happens when they pierce your ears?" Amir asked.

   "No," she shook her head.

   Ruru smirked," Well, it's not much. They just get a burning hot needle and they have to poke in your ears really hard so it gets through."