Blogging's glory days

I miss the kind of old-fashioned blogging I used to do. I stumbled across a blog that I'd kept for maybe 4 years -- pre- and post-mommyhood. I can't believe I used to write so personally and candidly back then... as if I were talking to friends.

These days though, you can't be too careful about what you post on the Internet because as they say, "the Internet is forever." Anyway, it's fun to read about how I would describe the details of my days, my trips, my plans, even my love life (yes, I used to have one of those). Here's a screenshot of something I wrote shortly after a breakup:

That made me laugh because that day that I'd wished for had come years ago, and I don't even remember writing that. Hilarious.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Of late, I'd been on a crazy Lisa Kleypas book frenzy. I'm a sucker for predictable romance novels where the hero is a brooding, hunky, muscled, rich man and the heroine is this gorgeous, curvy, blond-haired girl who's unaware of her own beauty. What can I say? I love fairy tales. :)

But I recently discovered this touching, atypical romance novel while looking for books to read on Amazon. I don't usually go for love stories that have unusual plots, but the description of Jojo Moyes' Me Before You sounded so interesting -- a girl who needed money takes a job as companion to a formerly outdoorsy, active man who's now a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair.

I loved the slow dance between the two characters, how they thought, and how they fell in love. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. It also made me think of Tin. This is definitely a book I'd want to read again.

Weekend hangover

It's already Wednesday and I still have a hangover from my weekend in Batangas. Someone please take me back to the beach!

In the company of the fit single people I work out with, I had an epiphany. In addition to all the qualities I would like in a guy, he also has to believe in fitness like I do. I realized that when I saw this post on instagram:

Not that I have big muscles like those gorgeous female CrossFit athletes you see on YouTube, but you get my drift. I don't like guys who smoke and lead a sedentary lifestyle. He doesn't have to do CrossFit, but he must be into physical activities -- running, cycling, BJJ, zumba, whatever. So thanks, CrossFit for ruining me and setting the bar even higher.

This makes me wish I could dance

I'm almost done watching Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, but I don't want it to end! I've seen several seasons of this show and Season 8 is easily my favorite so far. I love all of the Top 10 dancers and they always seem to be having such a good time. I also love that there are a couple of Filipinos in this season (Marko and Tadd).

This routine by Marko and Melanie is my favorite. I love the story and the acting. No surprise that it was choreographed by Nappytabs - they always come up with the coolest hip-hop routines.

This routine made me appreciate the song even more. It always makes me smile, makes me wish I could dance, and it makes me believe in love! I watch it every time I need a pick-me-upper.

Ako na lang

I stumbled upon this song by Ziya Quizon months ago while listening to the radio, and I think anyone who's ever liked a person who liked someone else would be able to relate. Such a cute, cute song.

Kung sino-sino pang tinatawagan mo, nandito lang naman ako

Kung saan-saan ka pa naghahanap, nandito lang naman ako

Joyeux Noël!

Every year just before Christmas, the family agrees on an outfit "theme." The year before it was blue; last year we wore floral print clothes; this year we wore purple. Even our decor had a hint of purple.

The sea of gifts shows just how big a family we are!

Traditionally, every family member gets busy in the morning of Christmas Eve to prepare for Noche Buena. This year we prepared ham, potato shrimp salad, chicken relleno, parsley rice, molo soup, charlotte russe, and fruit salad. When everything was set, we got ready for the 8:30 pm mass at the chapel just in front our house.

After the mass, we tried to have our annual family Christmas photo taken, but it was a tad too difficult coordinating a big family that includes a dog, a baby, and two little boys.

Our family (no in-laws and kids)

The entire family now

Following the "pictorial," it was now time to eat a little then have the Christmas family program, which is usually just a mishmash of performances by family members willing to look silly for a night. My niece played the guitar while my brother-in-law sang Wonderwall; the two boys sang and danced to Justin Bieber's Never Say Never; and Miguel did a reading of Si Inggolok at ang Planeta Pakaskas.

Rocking out

Miguel reading his book

After all that, it was finally time to open the gifts, which of course made the kids bounce with excitement.

Total chaos

When all that were done and the kids were busy playing with their toys, it was time for the mamas to unwind.

Mango margarita - cheers!

Now the countdown to 2012 begins!

Mini rant

As a single person, one of the most annoying comments I get about my status is, "Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Well, why the heck not? Boyfriends, especially the good kind, don't grow on trees after all. And it's not like I'm not trying to meet new people and do new things.

Whatever God's plans are for me and my son, I know it will be for my good. He knows what He's doing.

Source

Celebrating life

I hear it being said so often that it's become one of the most overused cliches about life. But if there's anything that Tin's death has taught me, it's exactly this cliche: Life is short. We blow off invitations to parties and gatherings because we always think that there will be time for all that when our schedules are not too full anymore. But our schedules never do clear up. Our work load never does lighten. And we never get to go to parties, lunches, coffee dates, and reunions. I used to be guilty of this, but since I realized how finite we all are, I've made a conscious effort to not let moments just pass me by without appreciating them.

Today is my son's 6th birthday. Sixth! It doesn't seem like such a long time ago when I was sipping a tall coffee jelly in the recovery room as a reward after having given birth to an 8 lbs 12 oz baby through lamaze (whew!). And now, here he is, little Mr. Marunong. In a few more years he won't let me hug and kiss him in public anymore, so I'm taking advantage of this time to do all that. There are times when I just want to take a mental snapshot of a moment we're having together and store it in my album of memories. I never want to forget.

The Angry Birds cookie pops from Shoppersville were much appreciated

Be free, bestie

Last Monday, Tin went to sleep and never woke up again. She died peacefully, quietly, and I felt that's the way she wanted it. She hated to worry the people around her, especially her family. Rest in peace now, Tin. I will never forget everything you've done for me, and everything you were to me.

From left to right: me, Tin, Pebbles, Net, and Joe

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. - Revelation 21:4

Waging war against breast cancer

This one's for my best friend who has stage 4 breast cancer.

The last time I visited her was sometime in June, and she looked great -- nice skin color, pink lips, healthy-looking hair -- she even had the energy to make little jokes. Her mom told me that they were about to start radiation and chemo therapy and I'd had such high hopes that she'd be able to pull through.

I hadn't been able to visit her until today and I was shocked at the change during that one month that I hadn't seen her. She looked shrunken and tired, and her beautiful, shiny long hair was gone. She had on a breathing apparatus and she couldn't talk but she would nod or speak with her eyes when she responded. I had to stop myself from crying when I approached her, and now that I'm writing about it I have to stop the tears again.

There are moments during certain days when I remember her and I feel like giving in and bursting into tears. I'm having such a hard time dealing with it, accepting it. It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem possible that someone as young as her could suffer from something so horrible. She just got married barely two years ago and they were trying to have a baby. It's unfair. She's such a good person - one of the best people I know.

Despite everything though, her spirit remains intact. There's been an outpouring of prayers, love and support for her and her family. That won't stop until she gets stronger and better. I'm hopeful. God is faithful and nothing is impossible with Him.

Source

"I'm never going to be average."

I read Baby Blues in the paper everyday and I've even subscribed to its RSS link so I can read the ones I liked again. This is one of my favorites.

Source

How to be Alone

Single people are not always miserable as some think they must be and this poignant video of the poet Tanya Davis reading her piece How to be Alone is a reminder of that. Somewhere there she says "... lonely is a freedom that breathes easy and weightless, and lonely is healing if you make it," and I couldn't agree more.

This video definitely deserve to go viral, if it hasn't yet.

A happy Valentine's Day

One of my son's new interests is writing. He and his cousin like exchanging "letters" written on scratch paper. They write things like, "Let's play" and "Gusto mo mag slurpee?"

Yesterday, Miguel went out of our bedroom then slid this under the door:

Yes, he's sweet like that. :)

Happy Valentine's Day -- whether you're married, single, in a relationship, or whatever your relationship status is!