I was hanging out at the DLSU-Canlubang school cafeteria while writing this blog entry last week, drenched in the aroma of french fries, pizza and stiir-fry noodles while waiting for Kyla to complete her admission test for grade one. I almost finished reading the new book I brought with me (Twisted 8 ½) and suppressing the craving for fries. For my own good, I decided to stay away from food until noon. At 10 am, the shrill bell sounded off and I thought this must be break time for the grade schoolers.

True enough the kids poured in and I watch them in amazement. It reminded me of my school days in Stella Maris College. There were kids toting their lunch bags and curiously I conspicuously tried to snoop what kids are into these days for ‘baon’. I noticed that although it was mid morning break, some kids had rice and chicken. Amazingly, the cafeteria has plenty of gastronomic choices to offer too. I wondered how much allowance would be decent for a grade school kids nowadays?

This is quite new to me as Kevin's sojourn into school world was a different experience altogether. Until recently Kyla went to a preschool near our village. The school was great and they even took Kevin for SPED. I thought the curriculum today was way too advanced but then it was thirty years ago when I went to preschool ... Our dilemma came when it was time for Kyla to enter first grade. I thought she needed to experience going into a big campus, just like how it was for me, which is pretty much the real world.

And so as I sat in the cafeteria and waiting while she took her entrace exams, I couldn’t help but think that my little baby is no longer a baby and her life in the real world is about to begin. Until then, she will always be a baby to me.