Goodbye 2011

It's time for the annual recap! A little late this time because I've been really tired and keep falling asleep before I finish, but 2011 has to be given it's due before the chapter is closed.

1. Where did you ring in 2011?

At home, just DD and I and the TV. And a tipple.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I had a general goal to try to love more, which I think I did, except in respect of my Christian walk. I think that has really taken a slump over the past year and is something I want to work on in the year ahead. I think I will make a couple more resolutions this year. It's a good way to get focused.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I gave birth! Little Naomi arrived in March to join our family. There was a bumper crop of babies this year, with Yvonne and Candice in Jan, Lyn in Feb, PF and Nish in May, Momo in Aug, my colleague HK in Sept, Grace in Dec. A dear friend also became a Mummy around the middle of the year through adoption and I am thrilled for their family.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No. I actually don't remember attending a funeral this year, which has to be some kind of record.

5. Did you know anybody who got married?

Only my dear sister this year.

6. What countries did you visit?

Only Sydney, Australia in Dec. I think this has been our lowest tally in YEARS.

7. Were you in school anytime this year?

Nope.

8. How did you earn your keep?

I didn't actually work much this year. I was on maternity from Mar to mid-Aug. Then at the end of Oct, I quit my part-time job as legal counsel position, to earn my keep as a SAHM with the support of my dear husband. Thankfully he's been appreciating the things I've been doing around the house so I've been earning it in that respect!

9. Did you have to go to the hospital?

Yes, to give birth. A good reason if there is any to go to the hospital.

10. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

To have better sleep. And more me time for myself and couple time with DD, doing adult things like catching a movie! We'll start with catching Wicked with the tickets my sis and BIL bought for us for Christmas.

11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Managing 2 kids all on my own when DD was at work, and my helper was on home leave. Everyone came out from it relatively unscathed!

12. What was your biggest failure?

My relationship with my Mum. I just can't seem to get it right with her, which is depressing.

13. What was the best thing you bought?

The iPad2? It has kept Noey occupied and gives me uninterrupted time to feed Naomi and put her to sleep when I really need it.

14. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Noey, for the positive way in which he took Meips' arrival. We thought it would be more difficult because he's really sticky to me and was rather negative before her birth, but he turned out to really love his little sister. Just not when she reaches for any of his toys. We'll work on that this year.

15. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Ah, this question. This year, it would be an ex-colleague who took offence at what I wrote last year in response to this question. I didn't name names, but she took it to refer to herself, and even more amazingly, chose to escalate the matter in the workplace. Thankfully nothing came of it. Friends were appalled and I was (slightly) depressed.

16. Where did most of your money go?

To baby stuff. Even though it's our 2nd time around, there's still stuff to get. Besides, she's a girl...

17. What did you get really excited about?

Noey starting school!

18. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Hark the Herald Angels Sing in Chinese (specifically 听啊！天使报佳音, which was the verse he sang). This was the song Noey danced to in his first ever school concert this year. Oh, and I think I Wanna Marry You by Bruno Mars, which was my sister's march out song for her wedding.

19. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

Much happier.

20. Thinner or fatter?

Thinner! I've really shed weight after birth this time, but my Mummy tummy still lingers.

21. Richer or poorer?

Poorer, I guess, since I no longer draw an income.

22. What do you wish you'd done more of?

I wish I cooked more. I miss my own cooking and my experiments in the kitchen.

23. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Same as last year -- I wish I'd spent less time fiddling with my iPhone. It's a bad habit that's getting worse. Oops.

24. How did you spend Christmas?

Church in the morning, lunch at Josh & Mich's place, and dinner at Uncle KW and Aunty SH's place. We also had Christmas Eve dinner at our place the night before.

25. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Yes, with my new baby girl. She is the cutest thing ever.

26. What was your favorite TV program?

Junior Masterchef. Those kids are amazing! Masterchef was good too. I watched a lot of cooking programmes this year.

27. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No, I choose not to hate anyone -- the feeling of hate, it eats you up.

28. What was the best book you read?

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. What a controversy there was around this book! It was a good, easy read, and it made me think a lot about the way I was brought up and how I want to parent my kids.

29. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Hi-5? I realise it's actually pretty good!

30. What did you want and get?

A beautiful, healthy baby girl.

31. What did you want and not get?

A Stokke highchair. DD is dead set against getting one because of it's "ridiculous price" (I quote).

32. What were your favorite films of this year?

I watched Crazy, Stupid, Love and Foster on the flight back from Sydney in December, both of which I enjoyed. If not, it was another unmemorable year at the movies.

33. What did you do on your birthday?

Japanese lunch with Audrey followed by a pedicure treat, and dinner at Salt with DD, my sis and BIL.

34. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

Maternity Wear transitioning to Nursing Wear. I got quite sick of the loose clothes though, and towards the end of the year, started moving back to my old casual chic style. I am planning a wardrobe revamp in 2012.

35. What kept you sane?

Playdates and Girls Days/Nights Out with girlfriends. It helped to be around good company, even when the kids were around. Of course, it was better without kids!

36. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Chen Show Mao. Haha!

37. What political issue stirred you the most?

The General Elections from the sidelines, and the Presidential Elections from a more involved point of view. It was an interesting year.

38. Who did you miss?

I miss my old helper. I wish she didn't have to go home.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

Good friends are to be treasured. While it takes effort to keep a relationship going, with good friends, it is well worth it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Layin’ there in bed listenin’
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It won’t be like this for long
One day we'll look back laughin’
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
'Cause it won't be like this for long

~ Darius Rucker, It won't be like this for long.

How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (excellent)?

I'll rate 2011 a 7. The bright spot in the year was the our little Miss Naomi's arrival. That's what saves this year from being a 6.  As much as we love her, it doesn't detract from the fact that it's been a tiring year, going through all the newborn madness again. My helper went on a month's home leave and then had to go home permanently, leaving me scrambling to find a replacement and re-train someone new. DD also had a more demanding year in the office, which didn't help. My father went back to work and my mother couldn't cope with both kids, so DD and I took the decision to have me stop work. It was only after that that my year took an upswing.

Seeing both Noey and Naomi grow has been the best part about being home. Noey has grown so much this year, he is almost unrecognisable from the baby I knew at the start of the year. He started school in the middle of the year and that was one of the big turning points in his life. It took him a month before he stopped crying when I dropped him off, but it was the start of him being more independent. He now plays with other children and has his own friends. And he's full of funny observations and creative stories. Oh, and he's reading now too. When he's not being whingey, I really enjoy his company. Little Meips, well, she's really becoming her own little person. And what a stubborn, loud little girl with attitude she's turning out to be. I foresee trouble for us when she grows up

DD and I, we have good periods and not-so-good periods. It's not been bad really, but quite often we're both doing our own thing at home, co-existing rather than spending time together. I think we need a better balance between unwinding on own own and being together. We also need to get out more!

With family, well, let's just say that things could be better. I need a lot of prayer on this.

Speaking of prayer, my spiritual life took a nosedive this year. Perhaps that's why everything has seemed so difficult. I need the Lord's help to bring me back on track.

On the work front, I'm happy to have left. I realise that my personal limit seems to be about 5 years at one job, judging from, my past 2 jobs! I think that is a decent length of time before it becomes time to move on. I haven't decided when I will go back to work yet, but it should be sometime next year. In the meantime, I've thrown myself into my current role of being at home full-time. I'm trying to organise the home a little better, decorate, run errands, look after the children and involve them in activities, and improve our meals. In 2012, I aim to improve my cooking, in particular my Chinese food. DD is eagerly looking forward to that.

With friends, I think I've reached the stage where I rarely make new friends anymore. Instead, it was more of keeping up with the old. I'm glad I managed to do that fairly well this year, despite having a new baby. Friends keep me afloat. I need and crave the interaction. That's what makes all the difference, especially when I now am no longer able to "escape" to the office. In this respect, I am in a good place, and 2012 looks promising too.

Whew.

And with that, it's into the new year we go!