I remember during a pre-wedding seminar we attended, husband (my fiancé then) and I were advised to have couple friends. They should be different from your friends when you were still single and dating, we were told. The purpose I can no longer recall. We do have couple friends now. We do things together, such as swimming, running and eating out. Like earlier today, we went out for dinner, and they accompanied us when we bought light bulbs and chief mounts. Even our kids enjoy their company when we hit the malls.

I’d like to think we also have “family” friends such as our MBAP/Bebots/Twitterafia group. Yes, initially, friendships were among us moms, but it extended to the husbands too, and now the kids. The group will be celebrating its 5th anniversary this November. Though, I’m still waiting for my husband and kids to “warm up”. Yeah, they’re still warming up even after 5 years! Hahaha.

I noticed that aside from some celebrities I follow in Instagram, I have 2 contacts in my Facebook who also went to different theme parks in Florida this month. Now I wonder if it’s an ongoing fad (about to go mainstream or probably about to die as I am now aware of it. haha.) or if it’s because of the newly opened (The Wizarding World of) Harry Potter in Univesal Orlando.

I must say, I was also inspired to check the airfares, hotel rates and vacation packages. I suddenly remembered a friend who was torn between buying one of those obx homes for sale and living with his friends in Florida. I wonder what decision he made, because I’m pretty sure he’ll offer my family to stay in his place if he knows we’re coming. Let me just find him on my FB contact list. Ha!

We have been looking for nice urban scrubs for sale, as our sending-off gift to a friend threw a despedida party because she will be going away for 2 years. She is going to work as a nurse abroad.

She took medicine in college (nursing as pre-med), and was a doctor in her province for more than 5 years now. As much as she loved working at the town hospital, and closed to her family, she said the pay wasn’t enough to send her siblings to college. Her aunt who sent her through college has passed away. My friend is the only hope of her siblings. It was a sad-happy party. There’s this sad feeling because we know we won’t be seeing her again soon but happy for her family and there’s this hope for her siblings to help their other relatives in need, someday. I hope and pray that Facebook and Skype can help them ease the sadness.

I met up with my two close, if not best friends yesterday. It was nice to reminisce about the old days. I’m so happy thinking that we’ve been friends for more than 16 years now. Funny that we hardly see each other these days but always feel the closeness when we’re together and just pick up where we left off.

We’re all mothers now. Gone are the days that we were whispering with each other giggling like little kids about boys and makeup. Now, it’s all about our husbands, kids and family stuff. We’re women now!

While Claire has 3 kids now, Sweet is 5 months pregnant today! She and her husband opted not to know the gender of their baby and just wait till the baby is born. I guess I will just have to wait for their baby girl announcements. Yup. Just looking at her tummy, my guess is that they’re having a baby girl. Just a guess.

We also met with Ate Marvi, who plays a big part in our bonding sessions (then and now) as she was the one who reminded us of our “naughtiness” in our college years.

*sigh* Don’t you just love having great friends?

Christmas is so much fun! I love that I was able to give gifts. What amazed me this year was I love (ok, some I just like, but at least not I hate) all the gifts I received!

They’re not as luxurious as Ferrari parts, some are so simple that I actually been meaning to buy for myself only I was too busy to. At least a friend or relative had done it for me, without me telling, or even hinting I need one.

Thanks everyone. It was really a Merry Christmas.

Friday: while I was working
– Mom called saying my brother was rushed to the ER of FEU hospital due to extreme stomach pain.
– I called mom and was told that my brother was under observation.
– Mom called saying they went home. Doctors said his white blood count was just low. That’s all.
– My other brother called and told me they rushed my brother to the Kidney Center. He was shivering and his fingers were bent hard and could not straighten them out. {panic}{panic}
– I called mom and was told that my brother was under observation.
– Doctors advised that my brother be admitted.
– I called mom and was told that they went home for some stuff. Dad was the one with my brother in the hospital.
– The youngest brother called. Our brother was in the Operating Room for Appendectomy {PANIC!!!}{PANIC!!!}
– I planned on going to the hospital once Mikee falls asleep. But what happened was, I fell asleep before Mikee. {BOOO!}

Saturday:
– Woke up at 7:30am and was so shocked to have fallen into deep sleep.
– The operation went well. Good thing that it was discovered that he had appendicitis just in time.
– We visited him (without Mikee of course).
– We fetched Mikee and went to Greenhills for some shopping. SHOPPED! (while the boys went to Time Zone)
– We later went to Trinoma to watch G.I. Joe. I did not enjoy the movie, but enjoyed Taters nachos. :p
– Mikee rode the carousel, and we played at the TimeZone (again) while waiting for the movie to start.
– We brought Mikee home. (I wish to stay too — my migraine was working overtime — but I promised hubby I’d go with him)
– Husband and I had a full body massage.

Sunday:
– Sunday mass
– brunch
– groceries
– heavy snack (rice, 3 dishes, siomai and soup) OMG!
– tried to rest but worked instead. tsk, tsk, tsk!
– party! (brother-in-law’s birthday celebration) Mikee and I decided to sleep at midnight… yet, I’m still up and blogging.

WHAT A WEEKEND!

The scheduled pizza get-together with friends last night happened but not at our place. We went to Brooklyn. At first, hubby and I were undecided whether to leave Mikee behind or not. After her sponge bath last night, I put her on her pajamas. When we were leaving, she was crying, almost pleading not to leave her. So after just a few minutes of that drama scene, she was wearing a polo shirt and pants, her gimmick outfit. Hahaha.

We ordered creamy pesto, spicy seafood pasta, another pasta I forgot what it is called (it has olive oil instead of cream sauce), spicy chicken and of course, pizza. Mikee loved the spicy chicken and pasta (with olive oil). Too bad I have no pictures to share. I wasn’t able to take any. I was busy eating and feeding Mikee.

But it was a fun night! Don’t you just love Sundays? A day for family and friends.

I just chatted with one friend who is working abroad. I heard her love life is in full bloom. We sort of reminisced the times that after work, we stay in a coffee shop for hours just to talk about trivial things, future plans and dreams. I was single and not dating anybody then. I remember we wanted to tour around Europe specifically France, Italy and Spain. All the others in the itinerary will just be a bonus. We even thought of enrolling for French, Italian or Spanish lessons. We even joked that one of us should date a Spanish guy just for the english to spanish interpreting.

Yeah, those were the days. It’s different now. We still want the same country to settle in. But this time, it’s no longer the shopping or barhopping we have in mind. Instead, good schools, environment safety and better opportunities for our children. After all, it’s all about the family now.

I heard that one of my guy friends got married. It quite shocked me. I am after all one of his close friends. And I can’t quite understand why he didn’t tell me. There’s no way I can ask him now. He is in Singapore and doesn’t seem to go online anymore. The odd thing was, I was exchanging text messages with his new wife just last month. We were even supposed to meet. But the wife joined him in Singapore. So no way to ask the wife now.

Although from what I’ve heard, the wedding took place in Singapore and he had no relative present at the ceremony.

No, I’m not mad. Just curious. Very curious.

While we were eating at the baptismal party, we suddenly decided we should go out for a swim since everybody is free for the weekend. Talk about spontaneity.

So we convinced one of our friends to ask permission from his dad to use their house and pool in Pansol for the weekend. He was at first hesitant saying his dad might not agree on a very short notice. Besides, the pool has no water yet. He said, if we asked the pool to have water, the pool will be ready by midnight. Anyway, his dad agreed.

So off we went!

But by midnight, the water was so hot! Quite expectedly, Mikee didn’t want to swim. She cried when daddy plunged in with her. The next morning, the water was still hot. Again, Mikee didn’t want to swim. But I honestly think if I can swim, Mikee will swim as well. But I don’t think my doctor will be very happy.

Oh well.

Anyway, Mikee woke up several times on our first night there. She was crying to see a different room. (Note: this is a ten-bedroom house with no one living there. The house helps have a different house on the lower part of the lot) But the freaky thing was, Mikee was pointing at someone/something at the foot of our beds while crying.

Yikes!