PinayHekmi Ponders

My blog has been so self-absorbed as of late. I’ve had some disturbing news lately and I’ve found the best way to take the focus off my worries is to turn my focus outward and spread some love hehe. So this is the best time for me to mention some lovely new mom blogs that I’ve discovered lately.

First, the mom blog roundup of all time, Pinoy Moms Network, is finally back up! Yes, I was quite worried it would do nothing but languish in cyber limbo but it’s been moved to a new server and hopefully, is back for good. Most of the new mom blogs I’ve discovered, I discovered through this website.

First up is Chateau of iMom Online. I don’t know what it is about her blog, but even though she is somewhat sporadic in her postings, because of computer problems and busy mom sched, I always come back again and again. I think it’s her 3 adorable kids, and my favorite posts, funny one-liners by her second daughter, VGood.

Second is Cookie, who writes from new domain, Scrooch Chronicles. I like the vacations she share, the little side trips in and around Manila. I love the attitude of her Adi, and the sassyness of her Gaby.

We now travel to Germany to visit Raquel. She’s busy being Homeworked but she still finds time to share her passion for gardening, teaching English to tiny students, her woes of disciplining two very beautiful but very headstrong daughter. I find her anecdotes sometimes reveal how parenting is approached in that corner of the world and it helps me learn. Thanks, Raquel!

And last but not least, we travel all the way back to the U.S. to Chicago, Illinois. Geri has recently lost I think 25 lbs. She’s truly an inspiration to any mom who thinks they can’t work full-time, eat right, raise a toddler, and maintain a good relationship with the husband. Of course I don’t know the inner workings of her household, but I read enough to think it’s all real, and all good. Kudos to you Geri, for losing your goal pounds. I know how difficult that is, so you deserve your success!

I feel better already. Sprinkle Sprinkle! (inside joke)

Guess what I’ve been doing lately? Pricing vacations again! As part of our great plan entailed me quitting work and taking on school expenses we definitely have to skip non-essentials. As much as my spirit would like to think visiting other countries is an essential, my husband doesn’t quite agree :). But I’m earning good money from blogging right now, and the proceeds is going to my “reward trip” coming 2010 probably. I’m gonna treat my husband and myself to a trip to Paris. Once, when I was at an age that still ended in “teen” I made a vow that before I turned 30, I would visit Paris. It will happen. Maybe a little after my 30th but it will definitely happen.

I love traveling though, and it has been hard to give up. We usually went on a major trip once a year, and if not, we always made little sidetrips across the U.S. Now that our budget is tight, I am really lusting after a vacation. I can plan a mini-trip across California, but I just feel guilty for even thinking about it. Although that slight guilt doesn’t stop me from visiting different websites pretend-booking vacations or looking up fun things to do. You know the type of pretend-booking I mean? It’s the one where you go the distance, do the flight calculations, add hotel, add extras etc. and then stop short of actually paying? Hehehehe…I always love those. In fact I was actually the trip coordinator for our group trip last year’s March to Italy. It’s actually a minor hobby of mine to pretend-book trips.

Have I pretend-booked my trip to Paris? You betcha. I’m going to book my apartment at a central arrondisement through Paristay.com. That’s right, I’m not going to book a hotel, even with their free breakfast. It’s much cheaper to book an apartment. I’ve compared and it will actually cost us an average of around $2500 per person to book a flight and hotel together, versus about $3000 total for TWO with an apartment rental. I’m looking forward to stepping to a local boulangerie and buying a baguette or croissant and jam and making our own tartine.

Oh Gosh, wishful thinking. I actually hurt with longing to get away now….in the meantime reality looms and Mina just pooped in her diaper. I’ve got to go but unfortunately not to a place I’d prefer hehe.

I had probably the most fun 4th of July weekend in a long time. It’s been a while since I’ve done the whole picnic/bbq/fireworks thing on Independence Day. My family’s Filipino and we don’t really do that. In fact, we never really did that unless you counted summer backyard bbqs a long time ago when we lived in Canada and didn’t have to worry about triple-digit temps like in Texas. So Friday was such a treat. We were at the beach with friends — again. I got to taste steaks on the grill done Sicilian style. Great conversation, topped off with sun, surf, and sunset, not to mention — finally after all these years– watching fireworks once the dark set in.

It was a long weekend, and of course what with parties, date nights, and other social engagements, I didn’t crack my textbook open till Saturday evening. Saturday and Sunday found me studying with hardly any breaks for a test today. I think I did all right. I am really surprised that school is so enjoyable this time around, and I really do feel like Hermione Granger a la Harry Potter. I have made kind of a resolve, shall I call it, to channel Hermione G. at school and when studying so I will make straight As. I was a decent student in the past but the fact that I failed Chemistry all those years ago still loom in the present.

In short, it was a fun and busy weekend. This weekend we hope to keep it a bit less hectic. It’s funny, when I wasn’t busy, I complained about being bored, and yet now that I am busy, it’s in the tip of my tongue to wish for more leisure time. But I won’t. I feel blessed, folks. I am just filled to the brim with the feeling that this is where I’m supposed to be and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. You can’t ask for more than that can’t you? Well, I guess you can but that would be greedy!

I don’t have any 4th of July pics to share so I’m sorry about that. But here’s Mina, she’d like to say hi:

I’m back to classes again. I’m on a summer session for Chemistry which means classes M-F, 8-9:30 am, plus labs on Mondays and Wednesdays for 3 hours. The schedule isn’t that bad, but I have jumbled feelings being back in school. My focus of course, is passing Chem with flying colors. I don’t want anything less than an A. In fact, I want to have all As if possible. Lofty goals huh? I’m very focused this time around though. I don’t have the luxury of being as young as I once was, with all these dreams of the glamorous life. All I want is a career in Nursing, and a career as a Mother. And honestly, motherhood comes first. That’s the career I want to excel in at any cost. But part of being a mom is being a good provider, to being a good example. So now instead of partying on weekends and flirting with boys on weeknights and gossiping on weekdays, I’m actually ahead of the coursework. Instead of checking out boys, I’m hanging onto my professor’s every word, every hint of something that may come up in exams.

Things is, among all this intense schoolwork concentration, I do notice the younger “kids” in my class. Ah to be 18 again. I would want to go back, but with all the life experiences I have now, the maturity I now possess. I think I would just soak it up so much more. I would enjoy it and appreciate it; the chance to have that freshness of mind, spirit and body.

I gravitate towards the older students like myself though. I just find more things in common with them. And a lot of them have the same drive I do, the same focus. I like that I’m in a mixed classroom. Bottom line, so far, I’m enjoying being back in the classroom, although I need to find a way to manage my stress. It was at an all time high yesterday. And here comes today, with me realizing there was no need for all that tension. I was so bitchy yesterday, sorry hubby.

I had a test this morning. I think I got an A.

EDITED TO ADD: I got my test back. 94.3%! Thanks everyone for the encouraging words!