2009

I found this on Jennie's blog and, well, I am copying her. I think it's a neat-o idea.

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

I turned myself into the strange and oft-misunderstood creature known as a Working Mother. And man, was THAT an adventure. 

Nobody was more surprised than I to discover that I like working.  There, I said it.  I LIKE TO WORK AND I DO NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT.  Arriving at my desk each day is an honest to God RELIEF.  It is thrilling to know that Claire is being well cared for and is happy napping and stealing toys with that mean older kid named William (really, he should be moved into the next classroom) while I am solving Advertising Issues of Great Importance.  It is even more thrilling to get PAID for this and sometimes people also say I'm good at my job.

Being employed and having something that is mine to own independently and be successful at makes me a better mother.

And I swear on the Great Pumpkin that nobody is ever going to make me feel bad about that.

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

I don't recall making any resolutions last year.  I say "Pah!" to resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I don't think so.  My circle was pretty baby'd out in 2008 so, you know, we took a breather in '09.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My Grammie died - my maternal great grandmother.

5. What countries did you visit?

Mexico.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you didn't have in 2009?

More sleep.  More time for me. 

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

Truthfully, this year is a blur.  Claire grew up so freaking fast it was like every time I turned around, there she was performing another small miracle.  Plus, it's kind of tough to take note of dates when you have a person who didn't learn how to sleep through the night until, oh, SEPTEMBER.

I'm glad I took a lot of pictures.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

Dudes, I made it a whole year as a working mom and I didn't land in the looney bin, divorced or unemployed.  WOO!

9. What was your biggest failure?

I forgot to make time for myself this year.  I didn't not spend time on projects for me or on my relationships with my friends.  I didn't get a pedicure, get my hair cut more than once or plan any social events.  I didn't start or finish any personal projects and it left me feeling pretty frustrated by Thanksgiving.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had The Mother Of All Sinus Infections and it brought this entire family to a grinding halt.  I was in complete denial until one morning I was playing with Claire on the floor and I started crying because my head hurt so badly.

That's when I wised up and made Chris drive me to my doctor. 24 hours and a Z-pack later I felt MUCH better. 

Lesson learned: A martyred mother is a bad mother.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Why, this little old MacBook!  I swear to you, I was not a computery person until I had this darling little diva in my hands.  I LOVE my MacBook. For pictures and movies alone it is worth every dime.  It has been nice to have my very own computer that is more badass than all ten or fifty that Chris has.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Chris. His patience with me this year was unbelievable.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Nancy Pelosi. I don't believe any further explanation is required.

14. Where did most of your money go?

TAXES.

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

The trip we took with my entire family to Maui.  It was awesome to spend so much time with them while Claire was still pretty little.  She's a champion traveler too, so I'm sure we'll do it again.  I mean really, baby beach pictures are awesome.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

Black Eyed Peas, I Got A Feeling

While I was in California and with Natalie, I was horrified to discover that I hadn't listened to the radio in months and I was completely out of touch.  This was a song Natalie thought was funny because of the line, "Mazel Tov."  I don't know, just the dry way they say it in the song was really, really funny to us.  We spent four days trolling the radio for this song just so we could say, "Mazel Tov," wink and throw up gang signs to each other, while we laughed hysterically.

You had to be there I guess.

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

Happier: Yes.  It's weird, but with kids in your life, things just seem to get better all the time.

Thinner: Maybe a little bit? Probably not much.  I dunno, I got rid of all my clothes so I can't play the comparison game any more.

Maybe I'm a little bit richer, but I'm about to be poorer once this house business goes down.

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

I wish I'd seen my friends more.

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

Buying fresh produce and letting it slowly rot in the vegetable bin.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Oh HO is this a story.  I spent the morning cleaning my house and packing and then we went to the airport to go to Houston but the runway was icy and we couldn't leave.  So we left and thought we'd eat lunch somewhere (the sun was out and it was well on its way to non-icy) but OOPS it's Christmas and everything is closed.

We came home and ate a FROZEN PIZZA.

Eventually we got to Houston and had a lovely time, lots of pie and I even saw a college friend after dinner, but this will always be the year we ate DiGiorno on Christmas Day.

Yeah.  Classy.

21. Did you fall in love with 2009?

If it's possible to fall in love many times over again with your spouse and child, then yes.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Chuck.  On man, I love that show.

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

There are a handful of people out there that I simply don't care to spend my time with anymore.  That is, one or both of us have outgrown the friendship in a passive, non-hostile way. 

But hate?  Nah.

24. What was the best book you read?

I really, really, really liked The Year of Living Biblically.  This dude lives an entire year trying to follow the Bible as literally as possible and, well, if you've ever opened up the Old Testament then you know there's some wacky stuff going on.  It's funny but inspiring in a weird sort of way.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I'm so un-cool.  I don't think I discovered anything musical this year, let alone something to be called "greatest."

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted a healthy family, but we always seemed to be getting sick this year.  Being sick with a sick baby and sick husband is hard.  Haaaaaaard in a whiny, first world, I don't want to spend my vacation days hopped up on DayQuil kind of way.

But in the end, we are healthy.  We're healthy beyond measure and I am so, so, so thankful for that.

27. What did you want and not get?

A top-10 ranking for Texas A&M.  Honestly, if it happens before I die I'm good.

28. What was your favorite film of 2009?

I am lame and I did not see many movies this year.  That said, I (along with every frat boy in America) enjoyed The Hangover quite a bit.

Mike Tyson.  A tiger.  FOR REALS?

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

I turned 30 this year.  THREE-OH!  My mom baby sat and Chris took us and my best friend to a fantastic meal.  It was low key and nice.

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

If my house had sold within 24 hours of going on market.  Man, that would have been awesome.

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

"Is this something the baby can throw up on and it's ok?  Yes?  And it's machine washable?  But it makes me look frumpy and shapeless?  And it costs too much?  Hmmm.  All right, I'll buy it."

32. What kept you sane?

My iPhone.  That sounds so, so, so stupid but let's talk after YOU'VE been up at 1 and maybe 4 am for several months, night after night, nursing a baby in the dark for 20 minutes at a time.  I had my little 2g iPhone there and all of my internet friends to keep me company.

And, you know, the preshus baybee was there too.  That's nice.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

Health Care.  It frustrates me because it is so obviously, so painfully broken but the "solutions" they seem to be cooking up are such non-solutions.  It's great that there is a national conversation about it.  People who took it for granted are understanding the true cost and how the system works.  I love that.

But the way our leadership is approaching it is very wrong.

34. Who did you miss?

My best friend Courtney and her daughter.  She's only 2 months older than Claire and I think it would have been very fun for us to have lived closer together this year.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

The entire Blathering group.  I love the internet.

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

When I am old I will never say "I wish I did more laundry, I wish I had kept the floors cleaner, I wish I had spent more time scrubbing baseboards."  The little shit?  It's little for a reason.  It's that big picture stuff that you need to spend time and attention on right now.

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

Mazel Tov.

Comments

[Courtney]

#34: seeing those girls together the other day made me wish they didn't have to be long distance BFF's... TOO CUTE!

(ps. #29, my best, yummiest dinner of 2009!!)

[Mel]

I adore this post. IT is awesome! You are awesome. I love your attitude about working and being a mother and just being a human being in general. (oh, and love the bit about nancy pelosi--I am pretty sure she bites the heads off of bats when the sun goes down)

Cheers to you and hoping your 2010 is awesome and filled with LINEN CLOSETS! :)

(can I make a new years resolution to see you more often? that would be divine!)

[Natalie]

Mazel Tov!