MEComposing

I believe I've said many times that there is a thrill-seeker in me, in the sense that I wanted to bungee jump, parasail and hang glide before I get married. Didn't get to do those things before getting hitched but I still want to.

However, it is really a lot different when you've found the great love of your life, and have children with him. I didn't want to climb up a mountain because it rained and I didn't trust my husband's balance will keep him safe. I didn't want to go on a sightseeing tour on board a tricycle over a great distance because my kids will be with us. I could stand on top of a worn lighthouse without fretting, only because I know my son is safe in the ground.

It's so hard to be a daredevil and just enjoy even some of the not-so dangerous things (like riding a boat) when your heart is outside you.

Seriously, when I look back to my college years... I can very well see how insufferable I was. I was arrogant, tactless, annoying, loud, and maybe a lot of times unkind. But the weirdest thing was, I had friends.

Last Christmas, we met up because Bhing was vacationing in London. That must be the first time we 5 were complete for 15 years! Yes, we lost touch. I fell in with another peer group from our class and saw them more often in the past decade and a half than my own peer group.

But now, I guess we're a little more back in each other's lives (especially since my son fell in love with my friend's daughter and vice versa, and Facebook keeps us connected). And again, sorry for the lack of eloquence, but it was so weird how my college friends would tell hubs how very particular I was, how very hard to please. Nothing like old friends to show you how much, or little, you've grown and changed over the years. Hehe.

This time, though, I hope we all really stay in touch.

I am super happy to share the news that my sister is now professionally employed in Detroit. I try not to imagine my baby sister (who cares if she's 25 years old already) driving in the snow though because I would worry all the time. Still, it's such a blessing to have her professional life start, finally.

And yes, now I need not worry about who's going to help my Mom pay bills.

She's a nurse and hopefully, more promising jobs await her.

A friend who has migrated to the US is a doctor, on the other hand, and I know she's pursuing a medical teaching course with a company that's teaching doctors various skills. They have the option to study consultant interview course, medical management course, and teach the teacher course). Well, maybe my sister can be trained in similar ways so she can someday teach new nurses the basics of newborn care, palliative care, etc.

I'd love for my sister to work in a hospital like my friend Jet, and work with NICU babies. I just know she'd be the same as Jet, holding those babies with more care and love that, even if the babies were born to druggie moms, they'd still get some love from the nurse that first took care of them. But all in good time. My sister is right where she should be to learn best... I'm sure she can move on to greater things when she's ready.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Do the school run :)

 2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not come up with any last year, won't be making any for the new one either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
We were close once, so yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
Only HK/China.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Materially, our own home.
Personally, more dates and loving-loving with hubs.
Maternally, more patience and zeal to homeschool my boys.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 21 - I lost my engagement and wedding ring.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Embracing more Waldorf ideas :)

9. What was your biggest failure?
Mismanaging my time and energies, which affected my parenting a lot.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Illness, yes... allergies and a lump scare.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Books!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Yakee... for being so well-liked in school.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine... I had a harder time adjusting to the increased demands on ME and I wasn't gentle a lot of times.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our HK trip with my in laws.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner (kasi this time last year, I just gave birth)
iii. richer or poorer? poorer (materially)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
More writing, digiscrapping and just being still with my boys. Also, more travel?

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Staying up late and eating sweets (but oh well)

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Nothing special planned... we're just going to in laws.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Yes... with Yakee, as I watched him unfold into an older brother... with Yamee, for developing into an entire individual... with hubs, for working harder to provide for us and bond with the boys... with St. Michael Playhouse/Waldorf... and our allergologist :D

22. Who got together and who broke up?
Old HS friends got together and broke up.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Grey's is a killer this season but I also fell in love with Modern Family, Game of Thrones and all the baking-related shows (Top Chef Just Desserts, Cake Boss, Fabulous Cakes)

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I can't think of anyone.

25. What was the best book you read this 2011?
Have a Little Faith by MItch Albom... I guess you could say, it pushed me to have more faith than I ever did.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Can't think of anything.

27. What did you want and got?
Healthy boys :)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
An old one... 3 idiots. Next is HP:DH II of course!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34 and I did nothing special :)

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Our own house... or my sister coming home for Christmas.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Haha.. I discovered convertible, multiway wear and bent on overhauling my wardrobe to have more of those, and just accessorize! Is that a concept?

32. What kept you sane?
Hubs... for being constant, gentle, unconditionally loving.
My internet friends... they're the only adult conversations I get.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Who played Khal Drogo? Haha.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Sadly, I am ambivalent and indifferent to most.

35. Who did you miss?
My sister. Pyro.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm...maybe Sigrid Perez, for having 8 kids and still managing to further her advocacies.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
I've always known it but it's been super reinforced this year: my marriage is the most important relationship in the family.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"and as the years go by
our friendship will never die
you see it's our destiny
for you've got a friend in me"

Yup. I think this is probably me at my overall thinnest, which was in college, because the commute to PNU from our house was taking a toll on me. Yup again, it's only travel to and from Taft, basically, but that was already FAR for me since I walked to school most of my life.

This was taken when I was 18 years old... at the graduation rites of our batch of volunteer peer counselors for the Foundation for Adolescent Development, Inc.

I was so thin, no? I couldn;t help but cringe when I first saw this pic again. I did not have meat at all! Gosh.

And though I am very much overweight now, there really is some sort of acceptance of these curves and bulges now... and a lack of desire to be that thin again.

I will be happy with a maximum of 20-25 pounds lost... very doable if only i'd stick to a healthy diet and regular exercise. To reach my weight here, I would have to lose around fifty pounds.

No, thanks!

As I was discussing her moving options with my sister, we got to talking about Illinois movers and how Illinois Moving Companies seem to have the best packages in the US.

You see, there is an offer from a relative to help my sister out, but this is all the way in Texas. She's in Detroit now. And she wants to move to Florida (I am assumming the boyfriend is there). I really don't care where she moves so long as it's not a deader zone than Michigan. I have been encouraging her to accept any job offer, even those that are so far from her nursing degree and licence, like dog walker or receptionist... even maybe a shop employee. I even told her my former manager worked as a cashier at a grocery when she first migrated in the US, and to think they had ships and breeding horses here in the Philippines. That's dignity of labor... and any job will allow her to learn more about the culture of her adopted country. She's been there 3 years and has not been exposed to much... only the drama offered by our relatives.

So really, I want her to move.

Moving To Illinois is also an option, but she doesn't know anyone from there but loved the windy city of Chicago when she visited some 2 years ago. Plus, it also has all four seasons but don't quite get as frigid as Detroit.

Some sign on where she should go would be most welcome, Lord. I just want her gone from Detroit... and living a better life (where she's self-realizing and self-reliant).

One of the things you think about if and when you're already super rich is... will you get your own driver or still drive yourself?

Now that a personal auto transport is not the monopoly of the rich anymore, and it's really very convenient for families to have their own auto transport to ferry them to and fro school runs as well as go on road trips with, the need for a driver suddenly becomes a question... even for the middle class.

After all, not all women drive... or feel compelled to learn. And most moms also work now so they can't really be the ones doing the ferrying too.

But then... a friend's driver impregnated their nanny. The next driver again had dalliances with the next nanny. I'm not sure I like to invite such possibilities.

Plus, I like the conversations we have during a car ride. Also not sure if I want someone else listening in on those.

Still, I'd really love to have my own auto transport someday. Even a cheapie Jazz or Getz will do :)