WanderWoMom’s #FamFirstAtSM

Summer is quite different for our little family this year. We are separated with each other for a whole month. In fact, as of this writing, my son and I are still away, in a vacation – out of the country, while my husband was left in Manila.

My whole family (parents, siblings, my son and I) left for America, as a retirement treat of my mom to us. My husband can’t join us for now because he couldn’t get a vacation leave as long as a month’s time from his job.

He is very understanding with me. He knows how much I wanted to have this trip. He knows how much I needed this trip. Even though it would make him sad, he still allowed us to leave him for a month.

It has been 21 days of walking around different cities, famous spots and food trips, hopping from museum to museums to museums and theme parks to theme parks, flying from one state to another. As of these moment, we are also parent-less, as they flew back to Manila, because of my grandmother’s emergency. It’s the first time I am mommy-less abroad too (Yes, even if I am 30 years old – I need my mom!). My wish for two decades has came true – I was finally reunited with my father whom I haven’t seen or the last 26 years of my life.

It has been fun but a tough journey. Even though I might have some help from my mom or siblings, it is only me whom my son wants to attend to him. It can be frustrating when he doesn’t want to eat and he hasn’t eaten anything for hours or when he throws a tantrum because he wants to do something and I don’t allow him or when he is very sleepy already and he doesn’t want to take nap. Let alone when he is already hAngry (given that I’ve given him food but he doesn’t want to take). But at the end of the day, when I see the smile he has on the pictures I took of him, or when he laughs or gives me a hug and a kiss and I realize how much he needs me when he said he only wants me. I may be super tired but when he says, “Mommy, you’re my best friend!” and kisses and hugs me – it melts me. So bad. Tired as I may be, it will all be gone.

Rewind to the few days before we left Manila. Of course, there’s only one place where my little family spent it together – ONLY SM! We live right next door to SM East Ortigas, so in short – there’s no other place to be (well, if not SMEO, it’s SM Megamall-and I practically grew up going to that SM Supermall)! We ate at our favorite restaurants – Pan Cake House, Kuya J’s and Max’s. We shopped for my pasalubongs and clothes for my son to wear at SM Department Store (We are really loyal to SM Kids Fashion, check my son’s Instagram account – @coco.marcus for proof!). And to cap off our bonding before we flew – Coco and his dada played and earned lots of tickets at Tom’s World. Coco is always at his happiest whenever he is there with his dada.

You actually don’t have to spend a great amount of money to have fun with your family. No need to travel far. You just have to go to the right place and savor each and every second you spend it together. For us, it will always be at SM, true enough, it got it all for us – movies, games, personal care, food, grocery, etc. What more are you looking for? I never entered an SM that isn’t family friendly – breastfeeding rooms that I was able to maximize when Coco was still breastfeeding, rest room with little urinals and diaper changing table, not to mention the friendly and accommodating staffs who has helped me whenever Coco and I goes to SM alone.

My Coco and I may have gone from airport to airport but there will always be no place like home. We look forward to going home to my husband/his dada in a few days time. He has already planned activities for us to do, and you don’t have to ask me where we will go, you know the answer by heart. And I whisper: SM! Home is where our heart it, and I can’t wait to see again, the excitement of my son’s face whenever we mention to him that we will be going to SM. #ReunionAtItsFinest Can’t wait to post our Super Summer at SM pictures soon!

For more updates about SM Supermalls’ fun family activities and events, visit http://www.smsupermalls.com and follow its official social media pages on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/smsupermalls), Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/smsupermalls) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/supermoms_official/) get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through Viber (https://chats.viber.com/SMsupermalls) and Snapchat. You may share your Super Summer moments inside the SM Supermalls by posting your photos on social media and adding the hashtag #SuperSummerAtSM2017.