Thursday, December 31, 2009

Year in Review

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

I had a beautiful baby girl, I started attending regular yoga classes, I started using wrinkle cream on my crow’s feet and found it necessary to dye my hair regularly because of all the GREY in it!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t ever really make new year’s resolutions… I just try to do better in life in general.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Just me, although my best friend will be having her first baby in a matter of weeks!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandpa on my mom’s side, both of my paternal grandparents, MC’s paternal grandmother.

5. What countries did you visit?

No other countries. We stuck very close to home this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

I would love to have some willpower this year to help me lose the muffin-top.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

February 28 because it was the day that my Grandpa Don passed away and it was also the day that ONO pooped on the potty for the first time. Those two events will be forever entwined in my memory. March 15 was the day that we lost my Grandma June, March 20 Grandpa Ray followed.

Ack! I’m such a downer! But honestly, I’m not about to throw myself off of a bridge over here. There was happiness in ‘09 too. See also: new baby.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I guess having a baby? Learning how to wrangle three kids? I think my biggest achievement of the year was just surviving, honestly.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I’ve had a few. See my previous “Regrets” post.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Just a couple of colds and a c-section.


11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our new car that we got when the baby was just a few weeks old. I love that we can line all three car seats next to each other on the middle bench seat, and still have room for cargo in the back.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My sister, who has dealt bravely with her son’s medical condition.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

All of those public figures that cheated on their wives with hookers/strippers/paid mistresses. Disgust and ew.

14. Where did most of your money go?

The usual… mortgage, groceries, medical bills from the birth.


15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Buying and then dressing my daughter in little girl clothes. Pink, pink, pink! I love it.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

That damn Slumdog Millionaire song. Or was that last year?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?

Tough one! a) I am happier in some ways, but also more overwhelmed and lonelier in other ways (can you even BE overwhelmed and lonely at the same time?) so I guess it’s a toss up on that one. b) Last year at this time I was about 5 months pregnant, but let’s face it folks, I still LOOK about five months pregnant now, so I guess it’s a toss up on this one too. c) Maybe slightly richer, although not RICH by any stretch.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Take walks by myself, listen to more music, read more books.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worry, eat junky foods, get down on myself.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Not travelling this year, thank goodness. I spent the holiday fawning love over my three little kids who probably didn’t even appreciate it!

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Ah yes, with a little girl named Camilla. And it was love at first sight.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

How I Met Your Mother is still probably my favorite show to watch.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No.

24. What was the best book you read?

People either love this one or hate it, but I loved The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

This is super dorky, but I loved the music from the TV show Glee.

26. What did you want and get?

A girl.

27. What did you want and not get?

I guess this means I am spoiled if I can’t think of a single thing.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Every movie that we’ve watched in the last couple of weeks (on DVD): Inglorious Basterds, 500 Days of Summer, Julie and Julia.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

My parents kicked me out of the house and away from my six-week old baby to go out to dinner with my husband. We had Mexican food, but mostly margaritas. I turned 28.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I would have lost all of this baby weight by JUST BREASTFEEDING and NOT EVEN TRYING AT ALL!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

All yoga pants all the time!

32. What kept you sane?

My mom, somewhat frequent visits to my in-laws city where they were more than happy to babysit so I could get a few things done (e.g. my hair).

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

I’m all hot and heavy for HIMYM’s Josh Radnor.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Don’t even get me started on inheritance taxes.

35. Who did you miss?

My sister, who lives entirely too far away from me.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Not technically our first meeting, but I am re-enamored with my family physician, who I have an awful lot in common with. I kinda want her to be my friend rather than my doctor.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

You can do a whole lot of things even when you’ve had very little sleep.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

My life would suck without you!

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2009 Regrets

I’ll say them this once and then I’m going to forget about ‘em and move on! At least that’s the plan.

* I wanted to write a letter to my grandpa when he was alive about what he meant to me, and to everybody else in the family. He was an awesome man and I wanted him to know that we knew it. I composed parts of the letter in my head, but never got them on paper. And then Grandpa’s illness went faster than we thought it would, so I never got to tell him. He passed in February. Regret.

*I didn’t visit my dad’s parents very often at the retirement home that they lived in. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to get to them, and the place they lived in was a hard place to visit with little kids. I should have made the effort. I should have at least called more often. They passed away in March. Regret, regret, regret.

*I haven’t taken very good care of myself physically lately. I don’t eat right and exercise has been sporadic. I have put myself on the backest of the back burners. Regret.

*Sometimes I let myself get mired down in the work part of being a mom and haven’t fully appreciated the fun parts of being a mom. Regret.

*I haven’t kept the kids’ baby books up-to-date. Regret.

*I know I didn’t take nearly enough pictures or videos of the kids this year. Regret.

*I’ve said “regret” so many times that I am having a hard time spelling it correctly. Regreat.

I feel better now! Feel free to leave any regrets of yours in the comment section…it’s cathartic! Be anonymous if you need to. =)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Photo Outtakes

Ok! Are we excited to get our picture taken? Are we pumped? Are we…. oh my.

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Are you holding your sister? Hold on tight! She’s slipping! She’s…

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OH COME ON!

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Clothes change! We’re fresh, we’re ready, we’re…hmmm.

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Let’s take five, everyone!

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… Aaaaand, let’s end the shoot with a glamour shot! Thanks ONO!

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas prep

I always like to see what other people are buying, so I thought I would share some of the things that will be under our Christmas tree this year.

The boys will be getting:

*Personalized bean bags from The Land of Nod. ED’s in red, ONO’s in orange.

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* A basketball hoop (we’ll be setting it up indoors… a decision I may soon regret???)

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* A ball bin (you know, for all the balls that will be flying around my house).

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* They love their jammies right now, so they’re each getting a couple of pairs of Hannas. I don’t usually spend that much on pajamas, but these are really nice. Special occasion, and all that…

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In addition, almost-four-year-old ONO will get:

*This race track… he has been wanting a car race track very badly, so I randomly chose this one (60% off might have had something to do with it), and I have no idea if it will be good or not.

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Two-year-old ED will get also get:

*stacking blocks/shape sorter.

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*pizza play set

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Baby CJ is all of 6 months old now, so she really doesn’t need to get anything. HOWEVER!  How could I resist…

*This thing. Surely she will learn to crawl soon, right?

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*Personalized jewelry box for all of her jewels hair clips. Isn’t every little girl required to have one of these boxes with the spinning ballerina?

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

He’s not sad, that’s just his face

I’m thankful for warm patches of winter sun…

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… and a wrinkly dog to giggle at with.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Partying with Mister Ed

These last couple of weeks have been stressful in the extreme for my sister and her family. In the space of a few days, my three-year-old nephew fell and bonked his head, was diagnosed with having a tumor in his brain, was whisked to surgery, and is now recovering at home. 

It was a blessing in disguise, as the tumor probably wouldn’t have been detected for years, had he not given himself a mild concussion when he fell from the top of their pool table. The surgery was successful, the tumor was benign. It was the best case scenario, if you had to be in that particular scenario. But still. Brain surgery.

It kind of boggles my mind and makes me hug my babies tighter.

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In the middle of all that, my second son turned two. I came thisclose to cancelling his birthday party because it was right after we had heard about nephew’s diagnosis and nobody in the family felt like celebrating anything. But how can you cancel a little kid’s birthday party?

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(Can you tell that’s supposed to be Wubbzy on the cake? Oh, and that is ED’s real name, even though we do call him “Mister Ed” around the house a little too often.)

I’m SO glad we didn’t cancel, because ED’s face pretty much looked like this the whole night:

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Kind of a mixture of happiness and surprise and a tiny  bit of horror that so much attention was on him. He’s kind of a lone wolf... better in one-on-one situations than with big groups of people. But he truly did have a wonderful party, regardless of the other stuff going on.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween Round-up

OMG. Today.

Today is requiring massive amounts of candy for medicinal value. Today started at 4:30 am (fracking time change).

Anyway…

007 (3) Baby was an elephant for halloween. I really liked the silky pink ears and softness of the bunting. But the trunk looked really very pen1s-like in real life. I tried to take it off the headpiece and just pass off the outfit as a mouse or something, but it was too firmly attached. Decided just to roll with it instead.

024 Baby here with her Great-Grandma. Love this picture.

026 (3) Child 2 dressed as a boxer. I knew he wouldn’t tolerate anything too costume-y so this did the trick. I’m sure he’s pointing to his brother and saying “I want what he has”.

029 (2)Big brother was dressed as Superman, of course!