First day of classes and I feel I am a graduate! Graduate of panic buying of school supplies at National bookstore, graduate of mommy “harassed state” on the first day of classes. Woohoo! I love the feeling that I am feeling relax at the start of the school year!

Somehow, I miss those days, but today also means my kids are grown-ups and won’t need much of mommy’s help. Families go through different developmental stages based on age of the oldest child. We are on Stage 5, the family with adolescent children. Next will be Stage 6, which is the Launching Center family.

I am somehow concerned, this stage is the time that children leave to establish their own households. It is also the period that we parents feel that other people in our children’s life are replacing us.

Finally the last two stages, Stage 7, the Family of middle years and Stage 8, the family in Retirement or older age. It might be a little scary, but the best way to overcome these fears is to prepare for it.  I am just beginning another journey, on to the next cycle!

All my children are grown-ups; I need not be an over eager mother anymore when classes resume this week. No more lots of school supply to provide, doing away with so many National bookstore trips to buy several types of pen, notebooks and papers.

Time flies so much, as I look back, I feel relaxed this school opening. The kids are independent in their school works. All I do is provide the resources needed to be an independent learner. They have their everyday routine and  all must practice autonomy as a student.That is a house rule.

This is the time of my life that I have to cherish; little by little my responsibilities are diminishing day by day. The secret lies in doing things that I like, neglect unfavorable situation for a while; anyway time will find its own solution.

My kids and I are all in school. We never stopped being students. As my Dad would always say, being a student is the most memorable times of your life! For the last 5 years I have been a teacher but I never stopped being a being student!

P.S

Care to read my new blog? www.alagangnars.com ( its about the student nurses’ concern about the BSN Policies and Standard under the new BSN curriculum CMO # 14 s. 2009)

I will also be a guest writer  at http://www.distanceeducationblog.com/

My thoughts on a Sunday would linger on

What food will I cook for the family today? I have to prepare at least 2 dishes for lunch.

What topics will I blog for today? Is about family , my career, or just anything that comes to my mind?

What will I prepare for Monday’s work? Yay! Its still summer vacation, off campus mode!

Will I just lazy around and watch old movies? I had time to watch “Sabrina” starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart last night with Roxanne. My favorite love story movie ever.

Reflecting…. About what lies ahead of me, I am about to reach my golden years in a year…..

Wishing I was 10 years younger, I have so many things that I would still like to do if given the time and opportunity

What I have to change in me for a better me? How to bring out the best in me?

Dreaming of a slender and beautiful me ….my youth if only I can bring back the times.

Asking myself if I am I happy or not? What makes me happy anyway?

Some emotional traumatic events in my life. Please don’t come back!

Having the time just for myself to think about wonderful memories!

Happy Sunday everyone!

We joined the Filipinas Stamp Collectors Club, Postal Heritage Walking Tour organized by Mr. Lawrence Chan, held every third Sunday of the month. The free walking tour made me appreciate, the glorious history of Manila as depicted in stamps.

One of the focus areas visited were the Metropolitan Museum, now undergoing repairs through the efforts of the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission chaired by Mayor Alfredo Lim.

The Postal Museum and Library, located within the Manila Central Post Office compound. It showcases the country’s rich collection of stamps, postal relics, stamp magazines and Philatelic Bulletin.It is opened Monday to Friday  (8am- 5pm). Contact person is Ms Nena De Guzman Tel # 527-00-96.

Another tour area is Aduana, popularly known as the Customs House in early years.

I also appreciated the presence of many statues in the Manila area, namely Andres Bonicacio at Liwasang Bonifacio, the Queen Isabel II Monument near the NPC building, statue of King Philip II in Plaza Espana infront of the Aduana buiding, Plaza Mexico with the life sized statue of President Adolfo Mateo of Mexico

Our last stop was Manila Cathedral, we as a family attended the Sunday mass.

It was memorable because, we had a complete family day in the sense we had a common time for each other, walking tour, Sunday mass and finally had dinner in one of our favorite restaurants.

Thank you to the Filipinas Stamp Collectors Club, most specially to Mr. Lawrence Chan, for making our family day meaningful, rich in heritage and family bonding.

The Filipinas Stamp Collectors Club, Postal Heritage Walking Tour is held every third Sunday of the month. You can contact Mr Lawrence Chan through his email at  l_rence_2006@yahoo.com.

If you are a stamp enthusiast or  fond of collecting anything from old records to old documents, you might also want to join their auction held at the Postal Museum and Library coinciding with the walking tour. No fees are collected.

I cannot ask for more in 2009, I didn’t ask so much or wished for more, I just moved on and do whatever is apt to do. I have traveled a long journey but at the end, it was a good journey with my kids at the center and me just behind.

You know how mummies are, they never got tired of talking about their children specially if they have achieved something through their own efforts.

First, we have so many bonding activities and likewise shared common interests. One secret that I can share with other mummies is that I am always interested in the things they do, I always try to be involved and be a cool mum. That’s the reason why I got into blogging, and now enjoying every bit of it. I would remind them, “ o bakit ka pa hindi nag blog? Or “ nag blog ka na ba?”, or a text message “ ma meron event sa Tuesday, mag register ba tayo?”

Second, Dianne and Jeric fared very well in their school and other endeavor, Dianne graduating and eventually became an RN, Jeric’s Brinknotes won as best podcast in the Philippine Blog Awards and he is doing very well at UPOU. My youngest Roxanne is 15, she into campus journalism and adept in using IMAC.

Me, I am into a lot of things, very busy but thats the way it is. I just have to deal with my premenopausal symptoms.

I welcome year 2010, it’s a good life, starting the long journey again, but this time, I’ll make sure it’s a light journey; I am leaving excess baggage behind.

What is in the minds of Filipino children? Are Filipino kids ready to be independent? A simple task  for 100 kids , what are they going to do with 500 pesos on hand?

One hundred school age children were gathered and were made to choose from a makeshift shopping paradise with extensive range of toys, school supplies, and snacks and other options like a charity box where they can donate the money or the alternative for them to save the money they received.

As they were making their choices, their parents were asked the question “ What do you think your child would purchase? “More than 50 % of the mothers expected their kids to buy toys and snacks, with the belief that they were too young for responsible decisions.

The result …. Ninety-nine out of one hundred children saved most of their money. Many donated to charity. Half of them purchased items for school. One child indeed spent all of his money on food and toys – but to give as gifts to his brothers and sisters.

To learn more, watch Tang’s “Do you know kids?” social experiment video by logging on to http://www.knowkids.org.ph/ and share the surprise!

Looking back….

I used to give my kids their “baon” everyday during their school age years. I try to give them more than enough but not to the point of being luxurious. As I looked back and reflect about this experiment, based on my own experience, my kids really learned how to save and prioritize on how they would spend their money. As I would always asked if they would have peso bills to change my 100 or 500 peso bill, they would have the money. There was never a time when their wallets were empty. This proved that they saving money.

Now that they are grown ups, their “baon” is on a weekly basis, again a little over than the usual but not luxurious and outcome is they don’t ask for extra money to spend on other school needs or money for out of school activities. Fairly they have learned to manage their money wisely.

They have applied for their ATM’s and we are experimenting if they will be beneficial for them and me.

Again, know about the Filipino kid independence, log to http://www.knowkids.org.ph/

There was no Halloween party for this year to attend, but I got amazed with the way some establishments celebrated this Halloween, This is in particular one of the banks I patronize, Chinabank, 5th Avenue branch., Caloocan City The bank transformed in one big macabre settings. Bank employees serving you with their outfits! Scary !

Department stores, have their usual trick or treat for kids. My youngest nephew had his day in one of the SM malls. So many amenities for kids these days!

My ultimate event this Halloween This is It movie of Michael Jackson. Who’s gonna beat the King of Thriller anyway? You don’t get scared but you get to swoon him and be entertained.

What do you do with your life when you are in midlife?  I have to make things happen, restore balance in my life and re- invent or re reframe myself. I am letting go of a phase of my life wherein I have to do what is in order, but now, do what I enjoy and like.

Before I have to do things because I have to, for someone else. Now I want to do things because I enjoy doing it and it gives me fulfillment and contentment. With these I am embracing a new life, my looks and my health becomes my responsibility.

For the past 5 years  I have gone through these changes:

I have shifted my work from public practice to private practice. I worked in a totally different environment and this gave me a new challenge and lots of opportunities..

I have involved myself into activities that my children do get involved in, in the end I am becoming a cool mom.  I blog, do facebook , follow them on twitter, watch the latest movies and concerts , updated my celphone and now I am using IMAC.

70 % of my work involves dealing with the young ones (Academe). I have change the way I look; I became aware of what’s new in fashion, thanks to my kids.

I may have disappointments and goals that have not been accomplished. But I am taking my time….

I have been reading books about perimenopause to learn how I will be able to prepare myself for the natural change that I am about to undergo in the next few years. Since my foremost inconvenient feeling is the “hot flushes” , I have gathered the following information which I can share with some who are also in this situation.

Top five things to do to relieve myself from perimenopausal symptoms

• Take Vitamin E  (400- 800 I. U per day),Vitamin C (500 mg) and B-complex vitamins
• Avoiding hot baths and hot drinks
• Eat more vegetables and fruits
• Modification of my lifestyle, do only what I like and prioritize my activities
• Do a make over of myself, i.e change in the way I look

I am one of those who is experiencing perimenopausal symptoms. It’s a little disgusting because, after all these years your body is telling you, hey there is going to be changes, I hope change for the better and not for the worst.

Perimenopause is the transition years before your actual menopausal period ( when your menstruation stopped coming every month). The main cause of these changes is the diminution of what makes us a woman, our precious hormones, estrogen and progesterone.

Some changes that I have experienced are menstrual period changes, hot flushes, reduced stamina, mood swings and irritability.

Of all these changes, the hot flashes are so unpleasant . After taking a shower in the morning, there is sort of a bad feeling or an aura I cannot understand, I had to pause and sit in front of an electric fan even if I am in an air conditioned room. Hot flushes would come my way and profuse sweating follows.

This has been my dilemma every morning after I had my shower. During the night even in an air-conditioned room, my profuse sweating would awaken me and eventually disturbed my sleep.

I can do nothing this is bound to happen. No woman is exempted.