With the happenings of New Year still lingering in the air, I came across my end of 2009 post: The 2009 Highlights of my life and I wondered why I did not do the same last year. Was I too busy to reflect and write down my thoughts for the year that was? And since I remember now, I guess it is but right that I sit down and give myself a moment to travel back in time. Here are the 2011 Highlights of my life
1. Padma joins the family
I now share January with my bunsoy- Padma. She was born the day after my 33rd birthday. Oh, having a new baby around brings tremendous happiness to our household. Like my other kids, I absolutely adore her! Before she was born, I thought I wanted a baby boy for a change, but having another girl is not bad- in fact, I am elated! I am able to transcend my ‘kakiyan’ to my girls. They are my gifts, my joy, my life. They make me whole. They make me dream big. Everything I do- may they be little or monumental steps- all of these are for them.
2. Being a Working Breastfeeding Mom
Who would have thought that it was possible to be a full time working and breastfeeding mom? Until now, I am still overwhelmed at having to accomplish such a magnificent feat. For almost a year now, I have and continue to breastfeed my daughter purely… no formula, no anything! This is a new and remarkable achievement for me and I believe I deserve a pat on the back. I vow to share my amazing adventure to other pregnant momma’s out there. Breastfeeding is the best!
3. My Growing Bag Collection
Times are hard and money is scarce but it is definitely not a sin to indulge! I love bags and being a good mom and a hardworking person, I truly deserve some luxury in my life. Hence this year, I add to my meager bag collection my Dooney tote, Longchamps, Tory tote, and my much-coveted Louis Vuitton Alma Multicolore Noir (my 4th LV)
4. Preschoolville’s Second Year
Our other baby- Preschoolville Learning Center, continues to grow! On our second year of operations, we’ve had a 100% increase in enrollment! I say, not bad… not bad, at all! With God’s help, we look forward to bigger leaps this 2012.
5. Moving Out From My Parent’s House
It’s been actually more than a year since me and my husband finally decided to rent our own place and so far, it’s been OK. The transition was actually the most challenging part- the first few months, my husband and I would constantly fight. It was a struggle really. It was like he took advantage of our newfound independence and saw it as an opportunity to party and drink with his friends often. This, plus the fact that I was very pregnant, made me nuts! I would nag all day and all night and we’d end up hating each other- I was mad at him for drinking and he would be mad at me for not understanding. Our constant quarreling eventually lessened the moment we moved into a new house. Here, we tried our best to understand each other’s side and thankfully, it’s been so much better since.
6. Scammed!
This year, I had the misfortune of being lulled into an absurd deal. A friend of mine persuaded me to loan money to her and in a week’s time, she promised me that she would return the money plus a huge interest! Despite my hubby and mom’s blatant disapproval, I followed my faulty gut and gave it a go. To my dismay, it was an epic fail. Who would have thought that the phrase “too good to be true” would become a horrible reality for me?
7. Apple Galore
With the purchase of hubby’s MacBook Pro, the kids’ iPad, my iPhone, and just recently, my daughter’s iPod, Apple is becoming a familiar household name. My hubby’s adoration over all things Apple started way back 1996 I guess. I remembered going to their place then and wondering what the brand name of their weird looking PC was. With much reverence, he mentioned the word Macintosh which, at that time, made me recall red, plump apples… yum. And to my surprise, using their Mac was as easy as ABC. Back in highschool, MS DOS was alien to me. You can just imagine how impressed I was with that new invention haha. That’s why my husband’s love for all things MAC is fairly grounded. His next goal: reward himself with a 21.5 inch iMac.
8. Out of Town Trips
Our meager finances last year prompted us to postpone our dream HK and SG vacations for the meantime. But I believe that wherever you are, for as long as you are with the loves of your life, you’d still have absolute joy and contentment. Talk about consoling myself haha. No seriously, our lost airplane rides was compensated with several short but fun out of town trips in Morong, Bagac, and Pilar Bataan, Subic, and Tagaytay. Well, as I’ve said, regardless of the distance, they are still time well spent with the family. That’s all that matters, really.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish this post if I don’t stop now. Anyways, I can always edit if ever I remember more of my 2011 highlights. And yes, like all of you, I pray for a better 2012. Amidst the heartaches and failures there are still so many things to love and be grateful for. With this I close and save this post. Happy new year to all of you!


“Is it full?” is a popular science experiment that we do to enrich our discussions about the concept of full or empty. For this activity, the teacher usually prepares a glass, some pebbles, sand, and water. As the different items are poured into the glass, the students are asked if the glass is full. Usually, they would say ‘yes’, then end up being amazed because the glass apparently is not full as other items such as the sand and water can still fit inside.
