For the first time this year, I'm on a vacation leave. 5 days away from work and that's all I need - at least for now.

I usually take a leave at the same time school opens so I can be with my daughter on her first day in school. But this year, Cae, a 5th grader, said that she can be on her own now. So okey, I just helped her get ready for school last Monday. We just promised to have lunch together with her friends. But an hour later, she calls home and says there are no classes. Storm signal #1. So we just stayed home. The following day, I had a meeting so I wasn't able to go to her school again. I don't know when we can have that lunch together. She's quite at ease with her classmates now, so I don't think she needs a Mommy anymore to follow her around.

So what do I do now? In the morning, I can catch a few more winks after she and her dad leave for school and office. My maid is back so I don't worry myself anymore with the laundry and keeping the house clean. I sip coffee and puff Marlboro lights like there's no tomorrow. I chat with my friends and officemates late in the morning. I sleep again after lunch. I watch TV, play some music CDs, text my friends, and read magazines. Cae comes home around 5pm. I prepare her merienda while she watches TV or play badminton with my cousin. I do her hair and keep her company while she picks out which pair of earrings she will wear the next day. She just had her earlobes re-pierced so she's having a grand time trying on my earrings. I prepare dinner and wait for Alex to come home. Or surf the net while at it. Basically, that's what keeps me occupied all day. Basically the same except for the "work" part . At least, for now, I can afford not to think of deadlines, memos, projects and pressure. I can forget about work-related stress for now. Something we often take for granted but what we really really need. Thank God for vacation leaves...