Rate My Life Quiz

I took the quiz and here's my life rate. I've been tagged by Em and Val.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.8
Mind:	7.5
Body:	6.8
Spirit:	9.6
Friends/Family:	8
Love:	9.1
Finance:	6.3
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score is reasonably high. This means that you are on a good path. Continue doing what is working and set about to improve in areas which continue to lag. Do this starting today and you will begin to reap the benefits immediately.

Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is within a healthy zone. This means you have achieved a level of mental balance and harmony consistent with living a healthy, happy life. Continue doing what works, and keep your focus. In our fast-paced world, mental clutter is all too common. Be vigilant in maintaining healthy mental function.

Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have a rather good body score, which is an indication that you take care of yourself. There is room for improvement, however. Please keep doing what works. Eat right, exercise, reduce your stress, treat any illness. Doing these things will help ensure your body will be in good working order for a long time to come.


Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is dramatic. Continue on your path, do not stray. Continue to reap the rewards which your spirituality brings forth.

Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is quite healthy. You have a social network you can depend upon. Count your blessings, but never forget that these bonds need to be maintained. Keep your friends and family close.

Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is very high, which means you are in a very happy situation right now. Do all you can to keep it strong.

Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. Your finances are somewhat in the middle, neither bad or exceptional. Keep doing what works for you, and improve what doesn't. Focus on long-term financial stability as your goal.

A Measure of Elegance

People, most notably women have certain obsessions in life, very rarely do we see men or women become totally fixated on material things, to some degree collecting your object of desire is both addictive and exhilarating.

My husband is the perennial guy who loves electronics, right now that has to do with High Definition Video Camcorders and is salivating over the Canon XH A1, his argument is that it can be used to film the birth of our second baby but as I unfortunately told him, I do not want to be filmed screaming during my pregnancy in 1080p resolution LOL ;)

On my habits I tend to gravitate towards designer handbags, I was looking at this website a couple of nights ago and I remembered having purchased a similar bag, at the time of buying the bag I was thinking on whether to buy it or not, being a practical person I usually don't indulge on many things such as jewelry but my one failure is having a good bag.

The Gucci bag that I purchased last summer '06 has never ceased to amaze me because of its craftsmanship and the general look and quality. I love the color and of course the bag is very hard to be mistook for something else, now I know that some of you would say that some knock offs tend to look the same but in arguing I would say that you don't let your medical insurance agent handle the surgery, the surgeon does that job.



I bought that bag when I still had a full time job so in essence, it was money that I saved over from a time period of six months, so the decision to buy was not a spur of the moment but was a calculated thought of decision.



Right now I'm contemplating to buy a new bag from a different designer. I just don't know when but I will keep all of you posted =)

Aidan's Puzzle Map Video

Here's the videos of my son how he made the puzzle map of the United States of America...

I am unable to upload the videos in photobucket. So go to the link and you can watch his video's here and here .

Reminder:

You can only view the video's using windows internet explorer and (To play this file, you need to update your Real Networks or QuickTime media player).

8 Random Things About Aidan

I've been tagged by my friend EM so I decided to blog about the things that I have noticed about my son with regards to his attitude.

- At the age of 4yrs old he can read about three to four words and use the computer effectively..He can type in the computer all the sites that he wants to play. He can spell four to five letter words by typing it in the keyboard using a notepad.

- He hates boredom as when he gets tired of one thing he finds something else to arouse his interest.

- He likes to talk and laugh a lot before he sleeps, probably his way of unwinding the day.

- He loves to review his video recordings made in the camera phone before he sleeps, maybe he's fond of himself.

- He reminds you to put the seatbelt on and drive carefully in the car and read all the signs in the stores.

- He is sometimes possessive of his things when he's in a tantrum mode.

- He picks up at a tune really well and we would often find him humming a song.

- He loves to shop as in the grocery he picks his own stuff not based on the color or whether it is attractive but because he has tasted it before and see it on the PC or TV.

I'll post some of his videos when I learn how to upload the video in photobucket.

Proud Parents!

Me and my husband have never been prouder when my son scored high in his ESL test 25/30, as a background this test is administered to children who speak two languages at home, this is done to gauge the child readiness for school instruction.

He did very well in comprehension and in expressing himself, this I believe is important to a growing child as it breeds and nurtures the creative part of his brain.



It is also proves that even if we had stayed in the apartment for a long time and just did some basic home schooling he still turns out okay and hopefully this coming school year will be a good year for him in school.

It is a good thing that even though we are bilingual still we speak to my son in English. Its not that we don't want him to learn our native language but he will have time to learn that when he grows up.

My Philosophy in Life

Everything that we see around us revolves on certain principle or is governed by a certain philosophy, how we deal with one another is dictated by our experiences and beliefs.

I also have a belief system that I follow and it has helped me in ways that I cannot imagine, First is my firm philosophy on good family values, one should never sacrifice this as when you take out all your possessions and career etc, all of it boils down to the family , the reason we work hard and toil is to provide for our family.

Second is my belief in patience, I believe that all the things you wish for in life can be achieved with patience and resilience, no matter how hard you struggle there is always an end. But in achieving your goals you must not sacrifice other people in your path to success.

Valentines Affair

I know that it is a late post about Valentines day but it is still February =) So I decided to post this story of mine for my readers...

Valentines is big to the most couples as it is one day of the year that people who are dating get to receive the affections and chocolates or flowers as a signs of love.



We spent the night at home just ordered out and bought our food home, how romantic but what can I say, we are tying our belts a little to buy some furnitures for when we move to our new apartment. We just watched our favorite TV shows Lost and Eli Stone while eating our dinner.

I guess when you are married, Valentines gets to be more of a family affair but one thing I got out of it is a promise by my husband to buy me a new bag. I will keep you informed of the thing when I have it =).

Update!

Almost 6mos... Will update you more on the weekend...=)

What a unique award

Thanks sis for this award...I don't usually blog about awards or memes because I don't have that much blogging friends to pass it on...but this award has a unique message and I really need this... kaya cge na nga hahaha....

The contract says:

After serious and cautious consideration…your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2008! It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!


My Wish for You in 2008

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires! May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words …May 2008 be the best year of your life!

Here We Snow Again

This morning once again Kentucky received a nice couple of inches of snow/sleet/ice. Last night around 6pm we started receiving an icy mix but sometime after 8pm the ice turned to snow. Already received a couple of inches and it is still coming down, the current precipitation is freezing rain. If you thought that putting away those snow boots was a good idea, think again, apparently it's not yet time to take out your bikinis hahah...Hayyy snow starts to annoy us once again! My poor hubby went to work this morning without bringing his car and phoned me while waiting at the bus stop, complaining about his pants and socks that are soakin' wet. I told him to be patient because its more dangerous to drive with an icy and slippery road than to commute taking the bus. At least the bus drivers are more experienced to drive with this kind of weather.

Taken this morning from our patio..


The Clubhouse and the Pool

Snake - yeah I'm that

Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve. This could be taken metaphorically to mean that a Snake could never have a problem with his family starving because he is such a great mediator, making him good at business. Or it could mean that a Snake would be willing to sacrifice his possessions, something the Snake has a lot of, in order to pay for his family’s food. Any way it is interpreted is representative of the Snake’s character and is a measure of the value he puts on his material wealth. The Snake is keen and cunning, quite intelligent and wise.

THE SIGN OF THE SNAKE

The Snake is the intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animal Signs. They are attractive people who take cries with ease and do not become flustered easily. They are graceful people, exciting and dark at the same time.

Contemplative and private, the Snake is not outwardly emotional. He can appear cunning and reticent and works very modestly in the business environment. The Snake will plot and scheme to make certain things turn out exactly as they want them to. They are not great communicators and can become quite possessive when they set their minds on achieving the interest of a partner

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
Snakes have very few friends because thy are not outwardly emotional or open creatures. The friends they do make generally last a lifetime, even though peers may find it hard to relate to the Snake because he is withdrawn and secretive. Still, Snakes like social functions, in moderation, where they can gossip about the latest scandal or the newest news. If you stab a Snake in the back it is likely you will never be forgiven. In addition, you should prepare yourself for retaliation for the Snake always gets the last word.

THE SNAKE LOVER
Snakes are beautiful people who exhibit quite a sexual appeal. They are sleek and seductive and if they want you, will out a spell on you that won’t let you stop thinking about them. However, Snakes are quite prejudiced when choosing a partner and don’t just choose based on physical qualities. The Snake needs a partner who can appreciate his quirky sense of humor and his wacky way of handling situations, so generally, although quite beautiful and tempting to approach, the Snake does all the pursuing.

MARRIAGE
Because the Snake is so choosy, he can become jealous and obsessive about his partner. They can be a bit stand-offish with their mates, choosing to push away emotions rather than confront their feelings and insecurities. Once betrayed, you can bank on not ever being trusted by the Snake again as much as you can bet he will get even.

GEMINI SNAKE
These Snakes can talk their way out of anything, so a confrontation with them is a lost cause. They are well-educated and a bit amenable, making them quite intriguing.

Never Judge a Book by the Bindings

A couple of days ago I was lamenting the fact that my husband might have gotten cold, as cold as fresh sushi if there ever was such a thing haha, not the sushi because it is cold but the husband. It seems that this is one of those moments where I feel that I need the expertise of a Washington spin doctor as I cannot believe what I am about to say, " I made a mistake", that's right I made wrong assumption about my hubby's affections for me.

I was beating myself with my own stick when I wrote about how I think he likes playing his X-box than spending time with me, but it was totally not true as I have just spent a special pre-valentine weekend with him, and he is still the same person I fell in love with, I guess the pressures of work were getting to him as he mentioned to me and his release was to keep it in and blow away people in his Call of Duty 4 game.

I believe the lessons learned will be that I should be more patient and understanding and communicate because if I had kept my feelings to myself he would not have known that I was on the verge of exploding like a reactor. I also should mention that he read my blog and it may have awakened him to the problem before it got out of hand. Truly if one just communicates their needs instead of doing the age old tradition of guessing games then we would all be better off.

So people talk, communicate and continue with the love =)

Love Quote of the Day

"Love is good in feeling, even if you are always being hurt. It is better to be hurt by love than not loving at all".


I agree!

How I wish!!!

Take a look at these gorgeous Jimmy Choo Maddy Handbags. I fell in love with these purses and I tell you it's the color and style of the handbag that reeled me in first. The rich shade of these bags are great! It's not only perfect for spring but for all season. I love it! I wish I could have one of these handbags! (*drooling right now*).

When Your Man Gets Too Comfortable In a Marriage.

"Many people( yes both men and women) let themselves get comfortable in a relationship and stop trying so hard.

After months and years of surprises, flowers, chocolates and romantic candlelit dinners, its so hard to see all that end abruptly. Not only that, but you want the romance to blossom and grow, not just to continue as it was".

As I've mentioned about my blog in our 7th year Anniversary that those 7 years were all good and were blessed that we are still together but we have our own struggles and issues about some other things.


I'm noticing that my husband isn't doing certain things that he used to do before and I've mentioned to him so many times and talked about it but he hasn't come around. All he says is "sorry" and " I hear you", "I can't change overnight" etc...

I don't know if its just me being paranoid or because I'm 5mos pregnant and need some cuddles and caring, but he loves his X-Box more, now I'm not being jealous here! But he was really ignoring me. I told him that he has more affection with his X-box than ME.

I spoil him (cook, prepare his office clothes every morning, prepare his lunch & breakfast everyday, massage his back and feet) which I enjoy doing because I love him to death that I want to see him happy but then again I don't want to get the short end of the stick either. I hugged him when he comes home from work (mega lambing ako) to the point that I will see his reaction that he doesn't want me to hold him or hug him and he gets annoyed sometimes.... (*sobbing right now*) and he'll say ang bigat ko wag ako sumandal sa kanya ( wag kayo tatawa =). I just can't help it but vent this out, maybe one of the reason why I'm like this was because of my hormones or something but I don't know what to do....

I wonder if I should take a step back, but then I don't want to push him away and make him think that I don't want him. Don't get me wrong he is a good guy, I've known him for 13yrs and I adore him for being a breadwinner to our family but I want to nip this in the rear before it gets out of control.

The Apt Pupil

This coming Friday will be the start of a journey for my son, the path of enlightenment in the hallowed halls of school. His days of spending time looking at the TV and playing on the PC will be an afterthought, he will come to know the words " Time to sleep", " Wake up or you will miss the class".

On that day he will take his first exam, well not really but rather an aptitude test to determine his ability to communicate effectively in English, as he has two parents who are bilingual he needs to take this exam so that they can gauge his ability to understand instructions and converse with his peers and teachers.

I remember when I had to take those first days in school, here you are used to staying at home just relaxing, playing and general mischief and all of a sudden you are in school and doing homework. I know that my son is very enthusiastic about school and me and my husband have promised him that we will help in any way in molding him the right way in his schooling.

I hope that he passes the exam so that he does not have to go to a class with their emphasis solely on teaching children to speak English as a Second Language (ESL).

A new place called home

I believed I have talked about previously of our desire to move to a different area, only because of the need to find a safer place and a better school for my son. We have decided to visit a place which offers both things that we are looking for, this area is little bit off which means that my husband will be traveling farther to get to work but it should not be a problem as there is transportation readily available.



The place is also serviced by some of the better schools in the district and the area is near where most of the affluent people in the region reside, not that it matters but it means there are less people and more quiet.



The place also offered the best deals that we could find in fact it is not that big jump with regard to rent payments plus the amenities are excellent. The staff are friendly and very accommodating that they even allowed my son to take their picture, hopefully everything goes thru with the approval process and we will update you with more in the coming week.

Comeback Kid (Part II)

The reason that I took some time off from blogging and in general from being online all the time, was because I needed to concentrate my time and effort to study for the DMV written test. The title describes my dilemma as I had failed in the previous test that I took before my brief hiatus, I had just taken the test without reading the DMV Manual and just relied on taking practice exams online, while the practice exams provide you with the right mindset to taking the test it does not answer all the questions in the test itself.

I needed the time off because it seemed I had become glued to the TV and PC and I took it upon myself to really read up and prepare, and I am most proud that on my second try I was able to pass the written test, now I need to ready myself for the road test.

I am currently have a learners permit but my husband has to be with me in the vehicle when I go driving, to me it is very important because when I need to go do some stuff or go to the OB my husband would have to take off from work, also with the coming school year I most certainly would need to drive to bring and pick up my son in school.

So that is why I chose the title "Comeback Kid" as I had come from the depths of adversity, of failure to success, kinda of like winning the Superbowl.

The Comeback Kid

I wanted to tell everyone that I am back from my brief hiatus of writing, I have been busy for some personal stuff that I will talk about in more detail tomorrow.

I like the title "Comeback Kid" it reminds me so much of all those testosterone inspired man flicks like "Rocky" but more of that tomorrow, so for now Good Night.

Guessing Game

I know a lot of my friends and relatives are waiting for the announcement of the baby's gender, I would like to say that the odds are in favor of a girl but I have no idea as of yet, as per my last visit the OB did not perform a sonogram so we are still in the dark.

Some couples wait until the last minute to find out whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, I guess the anticipation and the thrill of not knowing is important to them. I on the other hand would like to know as early as possible so that I can get the right baby stuff and pick out the names and such.

So stay tuned, if you guys actually watch "Lost" and can wait that long for a new season then you can wait a bit more.

The Seven Year Itch

Following closely in the heels of my birthday was our seventh year anniversary, has it been that long, usually most problems and trials in marriages appear in the early years. I can say that there are some good years in a marriage and some that are not so good, I have been blessed with seven good years, while it is true that we still continue our struggles, I and my husband and we as a family are confident that we will overcome any obstacles that come our way.

We celebrated the day by helping out a couple of friends in their grocery shopping, you see they did not have a car so we volunteered our time to help them out with their food supplies. I had some cake to celebrate the occasion with my husband and son to which we enjoyed ourselves.



My husband and I did not give ourselves any gifts to each other as we are preparing for the coming months that we will probably spend to move to another flat, furniture and the baby.

Statistically some marriages end in the seventh year to eight year because of the extended pressures on both husband and wife, I usually don't subscribe to such thinking because I know that even the best marriages come up on some rocky points now and then but if the couples have their act together then any obstacles that come their way will be easily overcome.

Marriage is like a good job, a fulfilling career, how often do we land on a job where the pay is just right, your coworkers are the best people to work with and you grow on the job itself. All of that is what marriage is and more, it can be its most unforgiving boss but also it is an accomplishment in comparable to becoming the head of your profession.

Thank you to everybody who have been touched and we have touched with our married lives.

13 Going on 30

I celebrated my birthday a week ago it was not a full pledged party, I guess when you get older
the big celebrations come once in a while as you are going thru your lives. My husband sent me
a birthday Ecard that I did not receive which he swore that he sent to me, oh well it is the thought
that counts.

As a family we did not go out we just had some pasta and ice cream, I would like to thank the people who remembered my special day and to those who conveniently forgot like my Mom, Sister and Brother, you will get yours (joke) and some friends.

I also received a box of flowers with a vase and chocolates (hmm valentine came early) but the surprise was well appreciated many thanks to my friend Chona.





In a nutshell I am now past the younger years of my life and I am now in my prime, my husband keeps telling me that now at this age I should think less of teen clothes and fashion and be more appropriate for my age. I guess he meant the transformation that Jen Gardner did in her movie "13 going on 30", I still feel that way sometimes but also feel that I have a lot to accomplish being a wife, mother and a woman.

Time for myself

I would like to take some time to tell everyone that I will be taking a hiatus from my writing, chatting and blogging as I need to attend to some stuff that I would like to get done, this of course does not mean that I will not be writing anymore but just wanted to take the opportunity to take some time off.

I have a couple of personal projects that demand my attention and these need to be taken care of as they are of paramount importance to me and my family.

I will only be online to check my email and check on social blogging websites once in a while, and if you want to send me a message I will of course answer in due course.

So hope to see you guys after February 1st, and happy blogging!

The reasons why I blog

I started blogging because I needed an avenue to voice and share my experiences to all of my friends and family, there is an immeasurable joy in writing and expressing your feelings to an audience, hopefully the stuff that I write will serve as an inspiration to other people. I also don't blog about everything or nothing only the stuff that I know will interest my readers and provide a bit of insight on memorable and joyous times in my personal life.

I also noticed that there are websites that help promote the blogger, in exchange for writing some articles and posting links to their sites the blogger gets paid a small amount (I actually would call it a stipend) of cash. I tried this for a while but really could not get into it as most of the time I was trying to promote a product that I never even tried. My husband who helped me in one of these instances was commenting on how he would feel bad if he recommended something to a good friend or family member a service that he never even used before. He has no qualms about writing to other people he does not know but to close relatives he has his misgivings about this.

He also said that if he was the reader of my blog and the reason that he was reading my stuff was because I came out as a sincere writer then by adding advertising in my writing then he would not even care to finish reading the article.

I don't mean to start a flame war with people who write and get paid but I just wanted to give my two cents out, the same reason that I don't watch F@x News is the same reason I will not write on something I haven't tried yet, by the way F@x News reports are canned and it is now what I would call objective journalism, there is nothing wrong with writing and getting paid to do it but if your opinions are taken as truth then you as the writer must have a sense of responsibility for your actions.

My son's best friend Whitey

I was taken aback by my son's remarks this morning, you see he has a stuffed dog that he got for free in a store. The puppy was colored white so he named it Whitey, but this morning he said that if he colored it black he would name it blackie or pinky if it were pink. He sleeps with this toy every night and I believe he talks to this toy and treats it like a real pet.



My husband is Ok with us having pets but I am a little apprehensive, you see I was the victim of a couple of dog bites when I was a teenager so the experience has left me a little scared of the prospect of having pets around.

I asked my husband what kind of dog he wanted and he said he was Ok with a Lab or Newfie both of course are breeds of dogs. The Lab or Labrador are good pets to have around a yard as they like to play and socialize with its master and the Newfie or Newfoundland is breed of water dog that is very loyal and makes a good companion.



I am not sure about Whitey on what breed he is as I believe he looks like Pomeranian but my son adores this puppy that he pretend plays with this pet talking to it and he also puts him to bed and he also gets to watch my son play the x-box. They say that there is a humanizing effect of animals on people because if a person could treat another animal so indifferently how more with other people. In ending I would rather see my son playing with animals than pretend play that he is a soldier or pirates.

For your viewing pleasure

I am writing this short blog on the merits of having the must have gadgets of any household, typically in society the wants outweigh the needs and never has this been more apparent in today's age. The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas showcases the latest devices that will be coming out on the market or already in stores, electronics plays a big deal in American way of life.

The TV has been a staple of the living room for decades and it is hard to find a house without one or two of these devices, in fact my husband's boss who has no kids has around 5 TV's in his house, dare I say overkill. The "Tele" as it is called in the UK has changed a lot, gone are the days where the back of the TV was huge and very cumbersome, also picture quality has improved to a great deal with 1080p resolution and screen sizes reaching up to whopping 52".

Enough of the song and dance about the TV and may I present " For your viewing pleasure", our 32" LCD TV by Samsung that we loaned via Bill Me Later without using plastic card. The reason that we bought this TV was because we had moved to this apartment from Jersey about a year and a half ago and we survived without the TV, we basically lived a very humble lifestyle and watched our favorite shows in the PC, after they had been aired. We also decided to buy one because of the xbox 360 that husband's co-workers gave him for Christmas.



Now that we have this TV the next options would be the HTS (Home Entertainment System) and the Blu Ray player, suffice it to say these would have to wait hopefully not another 15 months, also my husband would like to have another TV but slightly larger so thats all for now folks.

Tagged by Em

1. How you do forecast your 2008? good vibes
2. What color do you like most? pink and purple
3. If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one? I would say I love him too much and don't take for granted my feelings.
4. Where is the place that you want to go the most? Europe with my family.
5. Which part of you that you hate the most? My hair coz I have a lot of hair LOL!
6. When you encounter a sad moment, what would you do? I try to make it happy.
7. What are you afraid to lose the most? Family...same tayo Em mauna din ako bago sila hehehe...
8. If you win $1 million, what would you do? Donate half of it to Charity, Tour Europe, and buy all the things my family needs.
9. What do you loved the most last year (2007)? Our 2007 Honda CR-V and DisneyWorld.
10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you. Blogger, friendly, good mom.
11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half? Not to play too much games and give me more affection.
12. Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most? Nothing so far.
13. Which type of person do you hate the most? I hate LIARS.
14. What is your ambition? To be the best Mother to my children and to be a good wife.
15. If you had one wish what would you wish for? I wish that my family is always safe and healthy...
16. How did you celebrate new year? We went to our Indian friend, eat and watch the balldrop in NY till 3am.
17. Name one of your body part your hubby or boyfriend tells you he adores. He said " my face " ewan ko siguro sa birthmark ko hehehe...
18. It is already 2008, do you have a new year’s resolution? Just read my blog " what to look out for in 2008".
19. What do you look forward to in 2008? The arrival of my second baby and new apartment and a lot more.
20. What is the only thing you've done in 2007 that you wish won't happen again on 2008? I wish not to spend too much money and save more...

8 things to look out for in 2008

And so this is Christmas and what have you done, another year over a new one just began.....

The song is very appropriate looking back at the year about to close, we as a family have a lot to be thankful for, we were able to accomplish a lot of things:

a.) Go on holiday together - since I have never been to Disney it was both a dream come true for me and my son.

b.) Having a car- in our long stay in the states we finally have a car that we can call our own.

c.) Growing up - seeing our son grow up and interact with other kids.

It seems like a short list but I am not a true believer of the " New Years Resolution", I mean why would you make a long list of 20 things to do when you can only really promise to do 5 at most. I am not talking about those lists were you promise yourself a trip to the Bahamas, diving with sharks in South Africa etc. I am thinking about the tangible everyday stuff that we do.

For the coming year I am expecting the following and hoping to do each in turn:

1.) Getting my driver's license

2.) Celebrating our 7th year wedding anniversary

3.) Moving to a bigger and better place.

4.) Preparing for a bigger family with our second child.

5.) Reuniting with my in-laws

6.) My son going to school for Kindergarten

7.) Getting our papers approved

8.) Paying off all our debts.

It is not an exhaustive list just some stuff that I know will make a major impact in our lives this coming year, through all the blessings that we received there is only one above us who we will
always be thankful for, Almighty God.

Hoping that the coming year bring you good fortune and the blessings of God.

The right to bear arms

Under the Second Amendment of the U.S. constitution " A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Has never been more important to me than a fortnight ago.

I am talking about self protection and preservation, a couple of days ago one of our neighbors was coming home to celebrate Christmas with her family she was just getting out of her car when a man assaulted her at gun point and demanded her purse, the man also asked for her keys and decided to take her car as well, the time of this incident was around 9:30 pm in the parking area of the apartment complex, they lived just a couple of doors from our place.

My hubby relayed this news to me after coming home and seeing our neighbors from other apartments talking about the incident, what got me mad was that our apartment complex had not sent out letter talking about these events.

I talked it over with my husband and we decided that it would be best to look for a different place when our lease is over, before we heard about this incident we were undecided if we wanted to continue our lease but now we are more than willing to leave and look for a better place.

I would argue that sometimes even if the area looks peaceful one cannot be too sure of the surroundings and people in general. This brings me to the point of my hubby probably going overboard with the idea of buying (in his words):

a.) A handgun - Well technically not a handgun but I guess this one will scare the lights out of anybody.

b.) A Taser - great for stopping the occasional cow, bull or aggressive date.


c.) A Wakashi Blade - this will be for close quarters combat, old school but very effective.



I am not a stranger to guns as my father had a couple and my hubby is not new to them because in his mind he assumes that playing Call of Duty qualifies him as an expert. Needless to say I guess this curtails my hubby's night outs with his friends.

In closing I will always remember this view from our living room:

The Pool, Clubhouse and Tennis Court

Joyeux Noel

We woke up late on Christmas day as we had spent the previous night with some friends celebrating and catching up on each others respective lives, we saw no need to wake up early
because we had already gone to Church on Christmas Eve.

I enjoyed the company of my family as it was a holiday and my hubby cooked lunch for me and it was a welcome sight to actually see him trying to avoid being hit by bubbling oil from the pan, he looked silly at best but as he was determined to eat, he braved the occasional hazards of cooking.

We did not have any gifts for each other this Christmas as we opted to prioritize some of the stuff that we needed for the apartment and the coming of our second child. My husband did get his wish of getting a game console (Many thanks to his co workers) and my son got a couple of things including a bicycle.

Early evening we decided to go out and watch a movie (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), all in all it was an amazing film, with enough information that piqued the interest of the viewer and some moderately good piece of action to whet the appetite. My son did not like the film while my husband was 50/50 as he said "It sort of resembles an Indiana Jones movie/ mystery novel".

Since we are on the topic of history, did you know that contrary to popular belief, Christ may not have been born on December 25 because if it was that time of month, the bible narrative of shepherds tending their sheep would be incorrect as at that time it would have been too cold, also Dec. 25 coincided with the annual festival of the sun in the Roman religion before it Rome adopted Christianity as its official religion. Constantine the great adopted most of the pagan religions and placed Christian religious observance on the same dates. (According to my hubby)

So that is how we spent our Christmas day, it was a time well spent with family.

Expecting the Unexpected

On my second visit to my OB-GYN and Perinatologist, I was given the news that I was doing okay with my pregnancy, currently on my 13th week the baby was doing fine and I should just watch my weight because apparently I have gained 5 pounds in one month, so I guess it is imperative that I cut back on my carbs and have more protein in my diet. This is the same thing my hubby is doing as he is now seriously (with a capital S) going to the gym, I hope he is not doing this to impress other girls but to stay healthy.

I also had a second peek at the baby by my specialist when they did a sonogram, and the most amazing thing happened, the baby nodded its head and waved its hand. This was a surprising turn of events but unfortunately my hubby was not there to witness this as he was with my son and they had gone to get some breakfast at mickey Ds.



Well thats all I have in terms of an update, the following pictures are from that sonogram.

My two cents and one peso.

HAY BUHAY AMERICA TALAGA

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas
kapag
nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng
pera. Ang totoo, madami
kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang
gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo.
Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card
para
magka-credit history ka,
kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang
utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga
kano . Pag wala kang credit card, ibig
sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse
ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili
ng kotse sa America
maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim
ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang
jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America .

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa
America . Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho
kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang
pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit
card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at
iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa
kapitbahay kase busy din sila
maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka
ng picture mo sa Disneyland, Seaworld,
Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba
pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan
mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+
para
makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na
naman
ang 10 hours na sweldo mong
pinangbayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo
kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo,
malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero
dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America.
Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa
presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin.
Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas
$1.00 sa America , ang isang pakete ng
sigarilyo sa pilipinas P40.00, sa
America $ 6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na
P10,000 sa Pilipinas, sa America
$1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase
ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang
totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago
mong
kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang
bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig
sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse
mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa
America . Lalo na mga nurses, mahirap
maging normal na manggagawa sa
Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho.
Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa
pagkain mo. Pero ganun
din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America .
Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang
sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo
ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka
sa
ibang bansa.

Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis
mo sa bansang
pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang
mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot
ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako
naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang
buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.


*************************************************************************************

The following comments are in no way demeaning but are just a response to the above observations that were emailed to me by other people.

First of all the description of Filipino life in the states as based on these observations hold some measure of truthfulness. I tend to agree that our fellow kababayans have a "Hollywood misconception" of life here, this mainly because the media paints such a rosy picture of life here that people instantly equate America with the land of milk and honey.

The facts are clear that in America one can better oneself to certain degrees and variances, allowing for a certain period of adjustment and hardship, let us be frank unless you came to America already with money (which would be the case if you were a croney of past or present administrations) then usually you started life just like every other immigrant who came to this land, down at the bottom.

The measure of your success here is measured by your ability to improve your situation by hard work, I agree with the comments that money in the states is not picked off a tree or found on the wayside it is made with sweat and sometimes tears. I remember that it took us about a couple of years to adjust to the brutal realities of life in America but the things that we went through made us push harder to succeed.

I also agree that most if not all material possessions in the states are either a lease or loan, as nobody unless they already have money, can afford to pay cash, which is not bad in itself but because the economy functions on credit, your history in paying off those debts counts as much as having the ability to pay them.

I am not saying you can't live a frugal life in America and have a lot of spare change but at one time in your life you had to go thru growing pains here in the states. I would like to end by saying that if somebody tells you that so and so have got it good in the states think about the sacrifices those people make in working their a## off!

The Night Before Christmas

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for 4 adults and one notoriously upbeat child." My husband had come home from work at around 3:30 in the afternoon, and after doing some preparation we proceeded to church for the Christmas Eve mass.

We had left the apartment early as we correctly assumed that there would be a lot of people going to church at 5:30 pm there was of course another service at around 11:00 pm but this would mean that people having had dinner with friends and relatives and having imbibed a few drinks would be willing to get up and go to for ministry. The parking lot was madness with vehicles parked in unlikely positions, the inside of the church was also jam packed with people and to top it off, Aidan chose that moment to sleep, poor hubby had to carry him during the whole mass, thank goodness he started going to the gym as he was not fatigued by the experience.

One of my hubby's friends, Venkat, called up to say that he was starting on his way to our apartment, and the call came at the right time as mass had just ended and we where on our way back to the apartment. Once we got home we wasted no time in setting up the settings and cooking the food we were serving our guests.

I can safely say that my cooking was more than satisfying to my hubby's friends, I can of course
never compare my food to the creations of Emeril or a Wolfgang Puck but it if satisfied two people then I am at least satisfied with my efforts.


We spent the night talking about stuff and to our surprise, Venkat gave Aidan a bicycle for a Christmas gift, it is a very good gift because it would at least give Aidan a chance to play outside when the weather permits, and with supervision.







Aidan also opened our gift to him which was a Buzz Light Year Train set, it consists of 4 boxcars and about 14 ft. of tracks which you can configure to whatever shape you want, unfortunately there was not battery included for the trains so we would need to purchase them later.








Christmas eve was spent with friends and family, we got to enjoy the look of Aidan opening his gifts but the only thing is that when we asked Aidan if Santa gave him the gifts, he replied "No it was you Mommy", it looks like there will be no fooling this kid when he grows up.

So to everyone out there let us wish you all the love and warmth that friends and family bring together in this time of year.

A pleasant surprise

Saturday came bright and early when I was woken up by a loud noise from the front door, as I was curious I went out of the room and found my husband holding a package in his arms. It was a gift given by my friend, Marilen. I asked my husband to open it and was surprised and delighted at the contents, this package salvaged what would have been the previous nights anxiety.

You see I had spent the night in a dismal way as my husband had come home late from his department Christmas party. I wanted to tuck myself in early for the night but because he was not home yet, I had to wait for him to come home.

So long story short he comes home and quite pleased with himself started recounting the days events and afterward we proceeded to sleep.

I was very surprised to see the gift basket because it was unexpected and I could really feel the spirit of the season. I am sucker for surprises because I still am a kid at heart and I feel that when I give something to someone and I see the expressions on their faces, I feel good.

Thank You Mare for this gift!

Miracle of Miracles - As my husband would say!

"Wonder of wonder, miracles miracles..." the lines of this song come from the "The fiddler on the roof", a young Jewish man sings about the good fortune that falls him and lands him the affections of a girl.

Oliver said:

"My situation of course had nothing to do with the affections of another girl, you see I already have one, my wife". But the reason he remembered that particular song was because he received a gift from his coworkers for Christmas. He has been languishing at the fact that most if not all of his friends at work have an Xbox 360 and he was saving his money to buy it and of course even wishing that he would get it for Christmas, but owing to the fact that there are other important things that need to be bought, he was not putting this on top of his list.

But low and behold, when he came home last night he had an Xbox 360 bundle that was bought by his coworkers for him and he was so happy that I believe the shock of the events had a profound effect upon him. Like he said "I never believed that all of my hard work in helping out people at work will impress upon them to grant my wish this Christmas".

Seeing him that way made me happy for him because his wish came true, I should also note that I was responsible for selling his old Xbox before :)

It's a wonderful life

Christmas is truly a time of rejoicing and happiness, in the Christian world the time of advent marks the period of the coming of the messiah. In the movie "It's a wonderful life" George Bailey played by James Stewart encounters personal problems that force to contemplate taking his life, he is shown by an angel what life would be like if he were not around, in the end people who he has been there for at one time in his life save him from his problems.

For me Christmas is a time of giving, just like the townsfolk who helped George Bailey, it is the one
part of the year that people are more generous with themselves, where the cost of giving is set aside for the greater feeling of having given something without expecting something in return. During this holiday let us show the gift of giving to those who in need who have none indeed.I wrote this because my friend EM, who tagged me wanted to find out what Christmas meant for me.

Thanks for the Christmas puppy gift Em!

My Wish-list This Christmas '07

Samsung LCD TV 52 inches
TomTom GO 720 Portable GPS

MacBook Pro 17inch

Another Approval

I know I spoke about a way to earn some extra cash on the side of my
previous posts, with the popularity of blogs and journals becoming
mainstream on the net, advertisers have found a way to leverage this
market.Bloggerwave is a website were in you can get paid to write about your life experiences with different products and services.

Bloggerwave allows you to choose the postings that interest you and then choose to answer them. If you are the kind of person who writes constantly to blog why not leverage the power of your writing skills
and get paid in the process. I am unable to provide more information
of a technical nature but I would like you to go see for yourself, Bloggerwave.

Many thanks to EM for encouraging me to visit this site.

Coming to America

Emillie asked me about this question, "What was the hardest in migrating to
the states that wanted me to return to the Philippines."
I guess some of the reasons that would make me go back would be:

1. Getting paid a mediocre salary
2. Having a bomb blow up while shopping - really exciting :)
3. Commuting to and from work while inhaling the smog and pollution in manila.

But all kidding aside, the country is beautiful and the people are
very friendly, there is a lot of history and culture that one can
honestly say is truly good. Migrating to America was more a change in
lifestyle than it was a change in environment for us, while some
people immigrate here truly start from scratch we were fortunate enough that my husband's
cousin and her friends were there to help us get settled in and
provide comfort and help in times of need.

I could truly say that the first three years in the states was hard on
our part as we had to move from one place to another because of the
job market, we had lived in Connecticut for a year and my hubby found
a job in Jersey and initially we wanted to stay where we were but
because we could not see each other only during the weekends when he
would come home, we decided to move down to New Jersey.

I had the opportunity to live with different people and adjust our way
of thinking with regards to being "tough". In the Philippines it is
easy to blame your surroundings for your own lack of progress but
there is no excuse for that here in America, as doors do open but it
will be up to you to take advantage of them.

So going back to that question, what was the hardest thing that I
experienced that made me want to go back to the Philippines?
Loneliness, if I probably had come here without any family or relative
to talk to then I would have returned back home.

Thank you to all the people who have been a part of our lives here in
the states.

We Decided To Get This!

I noticed a change in my husband the past couple of weeks, He usually
has a lot of interests and I could say it jumps from one week to
another, this could be a digital camera, a gaming console or a high
end workstation to indulge in his 3D Hobbies. This week though he
seems to be focused on sport bikes, thats right folks a 33 year old man
missed his calling as motorcycle daredevil. I notice these things
from looking at the websites that he visits, ie. snooping. I asked
him about at dinner and he mentioned the coolness factor of riding
one,
knowing my husband he expects the best and for him the best would be a Ducati.

Ducati is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer that some consider one of
the best out there, some give it the moniker of " The Ferrari of
sport bikes". It is both a thrill to ride and eye candy at the same
time, being the wife that I was before any such pursuit I asked my
husband about the consequences of getting and riding a motorcycle.

You see I noticed while surfing the net that there are usually a lot
of fatalities regarding motorcycle riders, that is not too say that
they are caused by the riders themselves but rather by other people on
the road. So I suggested that he have a talk with a couple of his
friends about
the things he needed before he decides to ride.

1. Take the http://www.msf-usa.org/ riders course.
2. Buy protective riding gear
3. Get Life Insurance

My husband went surfing for life insurance policies on the net and he
found out this website that helps you to decide the right policy
geared for you. Advantage Term Life gives you the option
comparing insurance policies among the various service providers here
in the country, it is as simple as comparing apples and oranges. He
filled out a form and submitted it and got a response back, needless
to say doing it this way is very comfortable and easy compared to
buying a house.

So armed with the three things he needed to reason out with me in
getting a bike, he proceeded to explain all three. He could have made
a good lawyer as he presented his case with gusto even showing me the
insurance quotes that he got from Advantage Term Life and how affordable they are and provide good coverage.
All was good until I asked how much the Ducati would cost? and lets just say that
the only motorcycle that he would ever ride would be on his Xbox 360.

Save on Insurance Premiums and get your quote today for all of your insurance needs.

Getting Sick Over HealthCare

I was browsing my favorite video store one fine afternoon and I came
upon a documentary about health care in the United States,
up to this point I have never actually given any thought to the
differences in health care in America, to cut the story short the
movie was informative at the same time a rude awakening.

In the movie people with good jobs and a normal life were placed in
situations where their health was affected to a major degree
that hospital bills and medical expenses drove their lives upside
down. I surfed the web to try to find out if there was a way to
actually save on medical bills but without compromising your health
and I found the following website for Medical Insurance Quotes. The site
was pretty straightforward asking you to fill information which will
take you to a recommended health care provider.

You can compare this to getting a quote for car insurance, we know how
badly we take care of our car so shouldn't we do the
same to our health. I looked at the site because I wanted to save a
little bit of money and still have the necessary health
plan for myself as I am carrying my second child. I know that until we
have universal health care or at the very least pay lower
bills for health plans then Advantage Healthcare Quote is a better alternative to what is currently out in the market.

Get Paid Online

Making money online is the best way to earn extra income. Many moms are turning to this popular alternative in order to bring in some extra cash and at the same time they can spend more time with their children. So When I heard about Blogsvertise I signed up immediately. There's no harm in trying. At first I had my doubts, you can never be too sure about things on the net. First of all you have your regular purveyors of spam, second your friendly neighborhood pedophiles and weirdos and lastly the people who actually go to the trouble of inventing sites solely for the purpose of having you part with your credit card, of course two weeks later you have a check for that Gucci bag except that you did not buy it...

I was a little bit apprehensive but my friend Em told me about this and vouched for this and so here I am.
I love the way Blogsvertise is built, the functionality and ease of use are second to none, mind you I am not a true techie, but the site is so easy to use, you will in no time be able to blog about topics that you hold dear to your heart.

I always feel that having my thoughts written down at the end of the day provides some closure to my everyday activities, as much as I love talking with friends about various topics that interest mothers like me never really caught on until now. Try out Blogsvertise and see how it could help you out and have some fun in the process.

Life's Unexpected Detours

Me and my husband have so many plans for the coming year 2008. We even plan on going back to Disney Orlando next fall, buy a new LCD TV, try the extreme sport of Parasailling, and might buy a house before my in-laws get here but all of these plans were postponed because I got pregnant but God has plans for me and my family so I will not complain about it, I will just embrace any detours that come my way. I will let God guide me in every step of the way. Maybe this new blessing will bring more joy and happiness to my growing family. Or he might give me the ultimate wish that I've been waiting for our "GC".

I always ask this question to myself - What has life in store for me next year and I got my answer =).

Be Careful What You Wish For, You Just Might Get It!

I always tell my husband to plan our next baby but he refuses and tell me that he's not ready yet for another child. But when I learned that I'm pregnant just few weeks ago, I had no idea what to do. I have mixed emotions; worrying that It's to early to get pregnant or is it the right time to have a second child, so many questions popped into my head. My first child will be turning 5yrs old next June. Some other say that the timing is okay because they have 5yrs gap. Some other friends are asking me if I'm happy, excited or scared. I told them that this is what I really want to have a baby now but because it was unplanned I don't know if I'm ready.

Being a mom for about 4 and half years now I think I can manage to have two children. I just need to read some parenting books and talk to other mothers who have two children so I can do better and be a good one.

I'm on my first trimester of pregnancy. I'm doing good so far and will keep you updated.

weirdness of marie my sister.....
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