Massage day of my toddler.

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My child has had a recurring fever for a few days now, and I've also noticed that he keeps putting his fingers in his mouth because his teeth haven't fully come in yet. I think his gums are itchy due to teething.

So, I decided to have him get a traditional massage first, since he kept tripping and falling no matter what he was doing—which isn't surprising given that, at 23 months old, he's incredibly active: climbing here, jumping there, and constantly running around. Here in the province, it's common practice to give children a massage, especially when they have recurring fevers.

Before we left, we had breakfast —a dish my husband cooked using grated chayote. He chopped it small and sauteed it with garlic, tomatoes, and onions, then added egg. Have you ever tried this? We also had fried eggplant with egg—my absolute favourite breakfast dish, lol. I didn't take a picture of it, though, because it didn't look very appetising, lol..

My child and I are here walking along the rice paddy dikes, and the dogs are racing to walk ahead of him, which makes him happy.

His father caught up with us as we walked along the rice paddy dikes; it was hot because the sun was beating down, so he carried him to our parked motorcycle, as we still had a ten-minute ride to the traditional healer's house.

To reach the traditional healer's house, we had to walk along the rice paddy dikes and pass by other people's homes; the same applied to the path leading to our own house. Upon arrival, he immediately began massaging my son while he was being held by his father. he noted that he had an injury near his buttocks caused by frequently falling down in a sitting position. He massaged the area for several minutes; my son was well-behaved, though he was on the verge of crying by the time he finished—perhaps because the massage took a while and he was wondering what was going on,hehe.

These are the various statues found inside the traditional healer's treatment area. We have had my toddler treated here several times, and he always recovers; in fact, before taking him for a medical check-up, we usually have him treated by this healer first—this kind of treatment is a common practice in our area. One of the things I appreciate about this healer is that he doesn't charge a high fee or dictate the price; instead, you simply pay whatever amount you afford to give, and I am the one placing the money on his altar. Which is I give fifty pesos.

Is there a traditional healer in your area, too?