One of the beautiful things about having a blog is that all these memories are documented forever. As I looked over this year's posts, I laughed and I cried....so much has changed yet so many things have stayed the same.
I also never imagined how many wonderful people I would meet simply through blogging. Many of you have ridden this crazy, wild roller coaster called life right along with me. Not one minute have I ever felt alone or misunderstood and I'm so very grateful for the friendships I have formed in the blogging community.
So here are some of the highlights of 2009 ...
January 2009 - I started off the year with a Getting to Know You post, where I revealed that I was still bitter about my mom refusing to buy me an Easy Bake Oven when I was a child. I also began writing about some of the funny things the kids said. I shared the top 10 white lies I tell my kids, along with confirming that there is nothing wrong with eating cake while watching The Biggest Loser.
February 2009 - This month was filled with lots of memorable moments...like the 6 major discoveries I made in 72 hours, as well as taking all the kids to the pediatrician's office by myself. Then there was the list I made about the top 10 things my kids will never hear me say.
March 2009 - I discovered that Beer Day really does exist. We also celebrated Garrett and Landon's 2nd birthday, where I marveled at the fact that I survived the first 2 years with 2 sets of twins, 3 years old and under. I made some more confessions, including why my kids would need therapy when they're older . Cole cracked his head open and I pondered thoughts about marriage. This is the month when I finally figured out that Tim's idea of supervising the children vastly differed from mine.
April 2009 - This month started off with a bang, when I turned the BIG 4-0 on April Fool's Day. I enjoyed laughing at the expense of the people who ended up on my blog via a Google search. Bella shoved a seashell in her ear after being told not to, of course. The kids informed me that I'm bossy AND old. As much as I didn't want to, I felt it was important to talk to my kids about how to stay safe in an unsafe world after little Sandra Cantu went missing here in Northern CA.
May 2009 - More thoughts on motherhood, as I compared it to a ride at Disneyland called Tower of Terror. Cole shared his feelings about not wanting to grow up, which makes me sob like a baby every time I read it. Just for kicks, I put together a video called Tantrum Torture for those people who wonder why mothers drink. Last but not least, I finally cracked the communication code between husbands and wives.
June 2009 - Lots of milestones happened this month. Garrett and Landon transitioned from cribs to toddler beds. After a couple sleepless nights spent chasing them back into their beds, I came up with several humorous ways to make the transition successful. Cole and Bella graduated from preschool, as I cried my way through the ceremony. Tim got a lesson on what it feels like to be ignored when speaking. And after a particularly rough day with the kids, I considered auctioning them off on E-Bay (Buy 2, Get 2 free).
July 2009 - We celebrated Tim's 41st birthday. To kill time one day, I took the kids to Petsmart and ended up bringing 2 hermit crabs home with us. There were more odd google searches. We took a road trip and also went on vacation (which I referred to as a change in routine in another environment because there is no such thing as a "vacation" with the kids). I wrote a memo to the bosses (aka my kids) after realizing I was getting a raw deal. And we discovered that Bella had shark teeth.
August 2009 - While some people renew their vows, we renegotiated our marriage contract in honor of our 7th anniversary. Bella lost her first tooth, which was caught on video. I shared that there is a moral lesson in every situation, something always to be learned, probably the hard way. And we made some upgrades on our home.
September 2009 - Cole and Bella started kindergarten, even though I was in denial. Garrett and Landon taught me about the world according to a toddler, while I desperately tried to find some balance in my life. I got my day in the spotlight as a featured blogger at SITS, finally figured out how to deal with the kids' constant whining and signed Bella up for Daisies.
October 2009 - Cole and Bella celebrated their 5th birthday and I discovered my inner Betty Crocker when a friend and I made their birthday cakes. This was also the first of a funny series called An Interview with the Experts (the experts being the kids, of course). Tim wrote an informative post about what every wife should know about her husband, which left me wondering why he doesn't just start his own blog on behalf of all the misunderstood men in the universe. And we can't forget what went down at the pumpkin patch and Halloween - lessons learned past and present.
November 2009 - Two additional installments of An Interview with the Experts were posted, courtesy of my smart-ass kids. After Garrett announced he was done with diapers, the post Potty Training 101, According to a Toddler was born. Still struggling with how to balance it all, I had to laugh at the irony of motherhood, as I tried to find time to work on my book.
December 2009 - I wrote about the most awkward ultrasound I had ever had in my lifetime, which now, looking back, is actually quite hysterical and I FINALLY found that balance of motherhood through irretrievable moments. My head was filled with fleeting thoughts at times, which led to random posts. Lastly, I whined about feeling like a walking encyclopedia, due to making weak attempts at satisfying my children's curiosity about life and other things.
That's the entire year of 2009, in a nutshell. Thanks for sharing it with me!
Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!!
