2013 in review

I've never done one of these year-in-review things, but I checked out a few other people's and I'm inspired to do one of my own on this rainy afternoon.  It's fun to look back at all the ups and downs, where we began and where we ended up.

January - After a fun Christmas and New Year in Massachusetts, our 2013 got off to a rough start.  Tim got the flu, was sick for several days, then got better just in time to leave for Afghanistan.  Yay.  And then Annie and I both got sick, and I felt like crap for basically an entire month.  I'd never been sick like that.  Even when I was mostly better, I still felt sore and tired and just 'blah' for awhile after that.

Feverish cheeks in full bloom

February - I started to emerge from my funk, do some organizing projects and 'fun mom' stuff like crafts with the kids and handmade valentines.  My workouts helped keep me in a good state of mind.  Tim and I got back in the habit of writing one long email "letter" a day, and that was something to look forward to.  It was hard adjusting to single parenting again, but I knew that better times would be coming in the spring when it got warmer and the family visits started.

March - That was a good month.  Everybody was healthy.  Delaney started playing soccer for the first time.  I got a new haircut and new dress that did wonders for my morale.  Tim and I celebrated six years of marriage on the 17th.  My sister-in-law Karen came to stay with us for Easter.  I had nothing to complain about that month.

April - I washed the car.  That's noteworthy because it might be the only time I did it while Tim was gone.  I wrangled Annie and Timmy at soccer games and practices.  Tim Sr came to visit for a few days.  I brought Timmy to a walk-a-thon at Delaney's school, and my heart melted at the sight of them walking around hand-in-hand, and I watched their friendship developing.  

May - Tim's mom came to visit for a few days, and we had the best ever sunset ride through downtown in a 'Cinderella coach'.  It is the standard by which all future carriage rides will be measured.  We also celebrated Annie's 4th birthday with a butterfly themed pool party at the Y.  Annie graduated from three-year-old preschool.  Tim hijacked my blog in order to give me and anyone else who cared to read, a very special message.  On Memorial Day, after I foolishly killed the car battery the night before, we made it to the beach for the first time of the season.  It was around this point in time that I decided I might be happy living in North Carolina for the rest of my life. 

June - Delaney had her last day of kindergarten, and we moms waited with water guns and lollipops at the bus stop that afternoon.  (You know it wasn't my idea, I'm not that fun.)  In Topsail Island, NC we shared a beachfront house with my mom, dad, a couple of my sisters, and a LOT of uninvited guests.  But we had the best time together.  Driving home after that week was over was such a letdown for me.  Then, on the 25th, my birthday, I got the best surprise: Tim would be coming home three weeks early, in July instead of August.  Oh, happy day!  I took the kids' hands and danced around the house that day.  

July - It was the best of times.  On July 4, we picnicked and watched fireworks with friends.  My sister Grace visited and we celebrated Delaney's 6th birthday -- which was actually a fiasco, but let's not focus on that part.  It was an ocean-themed pool party at the Y, and I ran out of helium for the balloons and forgot to bring cutlery.  I said I wasn't going to focus on that, right?  After that I was blessedly done with birthday parties for at least another year.  The girls did some swim lessons.  Our jellybean jar ran out of jellybeans, and on the 18th, we welcomed Tim home.  On the 25th Timmy turned 2 and had an especially happy birthday with Daddy there to celebrate with him.

August - We went to the beach a few times.  Tim rescued a couple of drowning kids one morning before the lifeguards had posted.  I got Timmy the 'little man' haircut he still sports today.  I thought I'd be heartbroken to see that mop go, but then I could see so much more of his face and he looked so handsome.  Right before school started back up we had our own family vacation in Emerald Isle, NC.  Tim and I became even more convinced that we'd like to retire in North Carolina and live on the beach.  We searched for homes online, but in that price range it's still just a dream.  Then Delaney started first grade and that was the end of an amazing summer.

September - Annie started three-day-a-week Pre-K.  We switched gears from summer to fall, which was a little painful for me after our eventful summer.  I had to forego my favorite Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning workouts because the times did not work out with preschool drop-off.  I used that as an excuse to slack off for the next three months.  Both girls started soccer at the Y.  Tim got orders to Parris Island, SC for July 2014.  We were both relieved to know where we are headed so many months in advance, and happy to know we'd be spending the next three or four years in the south and close to the beach.

October - Tim's parents came to visit for a few days and we celebrated Tim's birthday.  The kids did a Fun Run and we did a 10K (and did pretty well if we say so ourselves).  Tim dragged the girls out of bed so they could see the Red Sox win the World Series.  I just asked them if they remember and they don't.  We went trick-or-treating on Halloween.  For some reason I don't like Halloween and I'm always glad when it's over.  One of my eccentricities, I guess.  I could care less about it and I don't understand the fuss.  Also, I don't like having so many people come to my front porch when my potted mums have already turned brown.  

November - Annie scored two goals in her last soccer game.  Karen came to visit.  Tim and I went to the Birthday Ball.  We had a quiet Thanksgiving here in North Carolina.  I weaned Timmy and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  The girls started gymnastics.

December - A busy whirlwind of a month.  School Christmas stuff, Tim's unit Christmas stuff, Christmas shopping.  We baked a lot of cookies.  Delaney got pinkeye and I chopped off a lot of hair.  We watched Annie be an angel in the Christmas play.  And of course, we went to Ohio.  I took the girls to see Frozen the day after we got home (I waited so long for it to be at the movie theater on base!)  At the funny parts when everyone laughed, Annie laughed loudest of all and it was hilarious.  We loved that movie.  On New Year's Eve we celebrated with sushi for everyone, watching Man of Steel after the kids went to bed, and then bed for me at 10:30.

When I was looking back through my photos, it took me a few seconds to realize that Annie was not the one standing by herself in the front; she was the one right behind, looking at the camera and sucking on her own tongue.  And  I'd just been thinking, 'Oh, there's a photo where Annie isn't sucking on her tongue!'

I have to chuckle at this picture because this is not the way they normally play, and this is definitely not the way they usually LOOK when they play.  They were wearing their new clothes (right before we left for the movie) and showing off their new baby dolls and baby doll gear.  I was tickled because they looked like a couple of suburban moms out for a stroll.

What a year!  I don't see how we could top a year like that.  Look at all the things we did, and how much the kids grew.  I feel happy and grateful and more than a little wistful.    

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Ohio Part 3

It feels a little silly, doing the Christmas blog post in three installments, but I found it to be easier and a lot more enjoyable than one or two really long, rambling picture-heavy posts.

I woke up at around 8 when Mom came to the door and said that it sounded like the kids really wanted to be up.  I said, "Uh, well, Tim will take care of them," or something like that.  Then I thought he must be keeping them penned up until I came downstairs so he'd be sure that I'd gotten enough sleep.  Very nice of him.  Now I was wide awake, and excited for the kids to open their presents.

This year the girls sent lists to Santa that included things like a doll high chair, stroller, and crib.  (Along with a whole host of other random things like a "family of snakes" -- I think all of their inspiration came from a single catalog that was lost soon after.)  The dolls had me scratching my head since those girls haven't ever shown much interest in dolls.  But if they were going to go with a doll theme this Christmas, that was A-okay with me.  As a little girl I loved my dolls and playing pretend more than just about anything.  I was VERY excited about dolls and doll stuff for my girls.  One of the first things the girls opened was a set of coordinated Dollie & Me pajamas.  Then they each opened their very own American Doll Bitty Baby.  They seemed pleased, and they didn't wonder why Santa hadn't brought the crib, stroller, and whatever else they'd asked for (we knew that there would also be some things waiting under the tree at home).  They're good kids and they know that a wish list is just that -- a list of things they wish for but may or may not get.  They also got some other toys and books and stuffed animals.  I think Timmy's favorite present was his fire truck with lights and sounds. 

After opening presents, Mom made us all breakfast and then we spent the whole first half of that day just lazing around and letting the kids play with their new toys.  I put Annie and Timmy down for an early nap because early that afternoon we would go to my dad's brother Paul's house for an extended family Christmas celebration.  While they were sleeping, Grace brought my parents' dog Georgie over so that Delaney could give her a Christmas present that Tim had taken her out to buy with her own money.  It was a tennis ball.  Delaney was crazy about Georgie, but the day we arrived, Mom had Grace take her home with her for the next few days.  Annie was petrified of her.  She is a ferocious-looking little beast, isn't she?

After Annie and Timmy got up we got ready and headed out to my aunt and uncle's house.  We hadn't seen many of the relatives on my dad's side in a long while, so we spent the first several minutes meeting and greeting, and even introducing the kids to some of them.  After pointing out the kids to my uncle Mark and telling him their names and ages, he said, "Is that all?"  I laughed, "Yeah, that's all.  Isn't that enough?"  He deadpanned, "Not in this family."  Touche, Uncle Mark.

Grandma and I

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures.

I wanted to get a picture of Tim and me and the kids too, but Timmy started to flip out and I didn't want to force it.  Oh well.

Anna must kiss her 1000 times a day.

Sophie and Damien

Siblings Mark, Paul, Linda and my dad

After a couple hours, we, along with my siblings and parents, made our way back to Mom and Dad's.  Scotty and little Scotty came over (the girls were a little under the weather that day).  I started to feel a little sad again, knowing that would be the last I'd see of them for awhile.

Finally a picture of all the siblings

And Delaney with one of her favorite Santa presents, Chesty Jr

After they'd all left except Grace, and we'd gotten the kids to bed, we watched It's a Wonderful Life.  I'd been wanting Tim to see it for years, but had never been able to catch it on TV.  I felt like I was seeing it for the first time, noticing so many things I'd missed all the other times.  I love that movie.  

We left the next morning around 7:30, then came back 15 minutes later for my sunglasses, then left again.  Tim drove the first half of the trip, and I took the wheel somewhere in the mountains in West Virginia so he could have a nap.  We had just topped off the gas tank and coaxed two scared little girls into using the bathrooms in a cruddy gas station bathroom with REALLY loud hand dryers.  I was annoyed by how much time we had spent there and I wanted to see how far we could go without stopping again.  The answer: all the way home.  Nobody needed the bathroom, we had plenty of gas, and I was eager to make up for the lost time spent backtracking to pick up my sunglasses.  Also, this was easy driving.  The only part that was a little unnerving was keeping up with the flow of traffic that was going 75 up and down winding mountain roads.  Other than that it was easy-peasy.  At last we were on that last long stretch of highway before home, and Tim was telling me how he wanted me to position the car in the driveway.

"I'm glad you brought that up because I would have forgotten and just driven it into the garage."  We had a rooftop carrier.  Tim turned to me and said, "Do not park in the garage.  Do NOT park in the garage."  I said, "You'll have to remind me again."  "Do not park in the garage."   Then the kids took up the chant:  "Do not park in the garage!  Do not park in the garage!"  They did this for the next seven minutes, all the way home.  And I did not park in the garage.  I wonder how many people have forgotten about their rooftop carriers and just driven into the garage?  It would be easy to do if you're a person accustomed to parking in the garage.  We got home at 7, so it took 11 hours from the time I got my sunglasses.  Not bad.

Inside the house, a big surprise waited.  Santa had left some presents here too, and there were lots of gifts from family in Massachusetts.  We have some lucky kids!  We Skyped with Tim's parents so they could see them opening everything up.  It was another flurry of wrapping paper, and then pajamas, prayers and bedtime for the kiddos.  Tim and I unloaded and unpacked as much as we could before we too fell into bed exhausted.  

That's it.  Another wonderful Christmas in the books.  And a new year right around the corner.  I can't wait to see what it holds for us.

Christmas in Ohio Part 2

On Christmas Eve we went to Mass at 3:30.  Another thing I miss about Cincinnati is that there's a Mass starting every half hour somewhere.  So many options!  Where we live, we get three lousy choices every week and we have to make the best of it.  The church we went to was close enough to hit a rock with from my parents' house, and we left at a little after 3.  Even still we had a hard time finding parking, and we stood in the back.  But that was OK because we had left Timmy with Mom and Dad.

After that we collected Timmy and went to Scotty and Faith's house for the family Christmas Eve celebration.  Faith led the kids in a game of Christmas carol charades (which Delaney was very good at despite never having played charades before), we had a delicious turkey dinner, and exchanged presents.

At some point we rounded up all the kids, put them on the couch, and took a series of spectacularly awful pictures of them.  We had to do it.  It's not often we get all the cousins together.  Every photo was so bad that it was hard to decide which ones to use for this post.  I thought about making a collage, but then they would all be smaller and it would be harder to see some of the facial expressions.  So I had to narrow it down to the best (worst?) three.  Almostt all the kids age 4 and over were smiling.  That's something.

Left to right: A very ticked off Scotty III (3), Aspen (8), Delaney (6), Jaden (5 - until the 26th!), Annie (4), Damien (15 mos), Timmy III (2), Rosemary (9 mos), John Paul (2), Roman (7), Miles (7)

Dad fake crying at John Paul -- love it!

A few hours later, we put some very excited and tired kids to bed.  They all went to sleep downstairs with Tim, and I enjoyed a very quiet night of sleep in the girls' room alone.  The reason for this was, after a couple nights of sleeping in the same room with Timmy, I found out he is a very loud sleeper.  He sighs, he moans, he mumbles, he whimpers.  One morning at 5:30, he yodeled.  Another morning, he cried, "Daddy, don't eat my trucks!"  I needed a break and a decent night's sleep -- this was on the 23rd, I believe.  So I took Delaney's bed upstairs and she went downstairs and slept on the air mattress.  Annie was a quiet sleeper, as quiet as a mouse.  But I guess she thought she was missing out on some fun downstairs with her dad and brother and sister.  So, after final preparations for Christmas morning, I had the upstairs room all to myself and I enjoyed a very restful night of sleep unbroken by the many mouth noises of Timmy.

Delaney reading the last story in the Advent story book