Year in Review — 2009

Let me preface this by saying that prior to last year, I had a private blog, not a public one. I have been doing this year in review in the private blog for several years and decided to move it here this year. Though I haven’t completely abandoned my private blog, I virtually have. It’s for a different purpose and this one more accurately reflects where I am with my life. Tomorrow, I plan to post my goals for 2010. We’ll see how accommodating the crazy drivers in this area are.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Started using Twitter and Facebook. I can’t believe the difference those two tools have made in my life.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I did not keep the majority of my resolutions. I expected to be far healthier and far less distracted by my kids than I actually was. I have some goals for this year that I hope to achieve. We’ll see how I do.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My buddy and writing partner, Nomi — to twins!
4. Did anyone close to you die? For once, my family didn’t suffer a loss.
5. What countries did you visit? None.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? More patience with my kids.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? October 20. The date of my daughter’s cranial reconstructive surgery.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Making the decision to homeschool our kids. It’s obviously the start of a long process, but the fact that we researched, made decisions, and yet have been flexible enough to change as what we thought would work didn’t has been a huge accomplishment.
9. What was your biggest failure? It’s weird; I’m thinking about this and I’m not 100% sure that I can identify one. I guess not recognizing sooner that I was in a downward spiral and then when I did, not being willing to talk about it as fast as I should have.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The usual assortment of colds, flus, sprains, aches, and pains, but nothing that required surgery or other massive intervention.
11. What was the best thing you bought? A yellow sundress from Eddie Bauer. I haven’t actually gotten to wear it yet, but it is very, very pretty and I’m looking forward to wearing it at Easter this year. Also? Things for the Mac and the iPod Touch and the printable chore lists from Motivated Moms. Oh, and my “big car” — I completely forgot about it. That’s embarrassing.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Some of my blogging friends, most specifically: Mommy Melee. She’s one tough, smart cookie and we should all be glad to have her advocating for the rest of us.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some bloggers who find their bliss in others’ pain. I cannot believe the number of trollish comments that people get on really painful topics. It is seriously unreal to me and why I avoided public blogging for so very long.
14. Where did most of your money go? Bills. My new car. Katie’s surgery.
15. What did you get really excited about? Katie’s first Christmas that actually meant anything. She was just over a month old last Christmas, so she basically didn’t get anything about it. This time, she was at least vaguely interested in everything.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009? “Love Your Love the Most” Eric Church
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Happier. I’m learning to accept that I can’t change things or will people to be different than they are. I have to work on setting my limits and enforcing them.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I had been more active and that I could have taken B to more cool activities.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Screwed around on the Internet. Blogging, interacting is one thing, but spending time just pointlessly surfing has to stop.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Sick. Ben, Katie, and I all contracted some sort of monster illness and were sick for the holiday. It was actually fun because there were virtually no expectations.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? With fancy chocolate, excellent crystalized ginger, and new ideas. Yes.
22. Think of something important to mention. Before we speak we should consider three points: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? (This comes from Simplicity Parenting which I will be talking a lot more about in the near future).
23. How many one-night stands? None.
24. What was your favorite TV program? Top Chef: Masters
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone. I dislike a number of people, but I don’t hate anyone.
26. What was the best book you read? Hmmm. Non-fiction: Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. The book is rocking my world and I’m going to be talking A LOT about it over the next few months. True Compass: A Memoir. He really had a huge impact on the world as I know it. It’s fun to read his recollections of things (I will NEVER get the image of the president of the United States running across a field and climbing a fence to escape his father out of my head). Fiction: The Graveyard Book So yeah, this would be the best. I read a lot of Lisa Kleypas’s historical romances this year and loved them.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Eric Church.
28. What did you want and get? Katie’s tag for my Mommy Tag necklace.
29. What did you want and not get?My front hall painted. I know we’re going to get to it, but it’s reaching serious joke proportions when the paint is almost five years old :).
30. What was your favorite film of this year? I’m a Netflix chick; I don’t go to theaters, so . . . August Rush.
31. What did you do on your birthday? Took care of the kids while P tried to take care of his parents..
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Finishing more of the projects that I started.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Jeans and t-shirts. Not exactly inspiring on any level.
34. What kept you sane? Keeping my gratitude journal.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? George Clooney. I’m sorry, the man is gorgeous.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Health care reform.
37. Who do you miss? My grandmother. It’s so weird to still feel this way, but watching a Vikings game and wanting to call her and then remembering she’s been gone for almost nine years. Geez, it still hits the gut HARD.
38. Who was the best new person you met? Oh, my. I’ve met so many new people this year. I think I have to settle for a top three, and those top three are: Katie, Momsomniac, and Adrienne. But know that there are so many more both on Twitter and on the blogs who have made such a huge impact on my life this year. I literally can’t list you all because I’d run out of room. I’m thinking I need to update my blogroll. Seriously.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Test everything you want to say with these three words: True. Kind. Necessary. If what you want to say passes all three, then say it.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“I’m alive . . . and well.” Kenny Chesney w/Dave Matthews.