2008 Meme

Did this last year, thought I'd do it again . . .

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Got paid to blog
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I resolved to create a 2nd revenue stream for our family. I did do that, and hope to make it grow this year. I also have a goal of organizing family pictures and writing letters to each of my kids.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A dear, IRL friend gave birth to her 2nd child, 1st daughter in September. A number of moms gave birth in my homeschool group -- 1 mom I know well had twins, another had a baby girl.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
B's mother died in April. That was a sad time, and I'm not sure if my husband has fully realized the loss yet. It's one of the reasons I'm focusing on creating a written legacy for my kids, though -- her death was sudden (less than 3 weeks from diagnosis to death) and she wanted to share so much that she was unable to do because she was in so much pain.

5. What countries did you visit?
none
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Money. More Quality Time with family.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No dates jump at me.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting to get paid for freelance writing, returning to training part-time, raising 3 healthy, happy children.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not earning enough money, worrying too much, losing my temper

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thank goodness

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Doll stroller for L. She LOVES pushing it around.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband, who has an amazingly positive attitude through everything

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The people who stole our truck in June. My brother's soon-to-be ex-wife.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, groceries, mortgages

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Is it sad that I can't think of something? Nothing really stands out as spectacular, but I am sure I was excited plenty throughout the year.
Although I DID get pretty excited being in front of a class again. I forgot how much I loved to teach, and while it's exhausting, it's also wonderfully satisfying to help others learn.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Huh. I have no idea.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) about the same; b) fatter; c) poorer ( I almost can't believe that we're poorer yet again, but we are. The economy has done a number on DH's job and his income is off by a staggering number from last year -- which was $30K less than the previous year.)

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

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

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent it quietly at home, with just us and my sister. It was a perfect day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Still am.
22. How many one-night stands?
None.
23. What was your favorite TV program?

can't name one.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.
25. What was the best book you read?
I mentioned last year that I should track my books this year, but I didn't. I can't think of a book that I would classify as the "best", but Redwall was an interesting read-aloud and my boys totally got into it. I imagine we'll be reading more of the series in 2009.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
didn't make one.

27. What did you want and get?
paid work

28. What did you want and not get?
I can't think of anything.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Mama Mia. I went to see it with my mom and my sister when my mom was in town and it was a great afternoon together. The movie was fun, and I like Meryl Streep.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 41 in November. I can't remember the day at all.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not stressing about paying for the basics.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Losing weight and unable to afford new clothes, then gaining all the weight back and hating my clothes.

33. What kept you sane?
snuggling with my husband

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
no clue

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
FOCA
36. Who did you miss?
my extended family. It's hard sometimes having family all over the country, and no feasible way to get together regularly.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I met some wonderful people this year, can't really narrow it down to one.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Positive perseverance will get you through anything.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

(Money Money by Abba)

So Long, 2008!!

Well, it was a whirlwind of a year and I'm looking forward to see what 2009 has in store for me and my family!

My children all grew in height, weight and smarts . . . my hubby and I grew more in love than before (who could've thought that was possible? But it is! I'm so enamored with this man it's almost embarrassing!) . . . I grew my career that had been pretty stagnant for the last few years.

There's lots to work on in 2009 . . . between business goals, financial goals, health goals, spiritual goals, and family goals. We're all up to the challenge, however!

Tonight, we're having a Wii Tournament (woo hoo! Wii Bowling! Wii Olympics! Wii Baseball!) and enjoying a fabulous spread of snack-y foods. I don't know how long we'll stay up, but if we're all awake at midnight we'll toast in the new year. If not, we'll toast it in tomorrow!

Tomorrow, we'll eat a lovely dinner on the new Radko Christmas plates I scored on clearance at Target today, and the holiday linens I scored on clearance at Cost Plus World Market. We'll have ham, mashed potatoes and green beans with sundaes for dessert.

After dinner, we'll write down our goals and resolutions for 2009 and seal them up with the Christmas ornaments.

We often leave our tree up until the Epiphany, but I think this year we'll take it down tomorrow, as well as the outdoor lights. I feel a need to have a clear slate for 2009, and I'd like some help putting it all away.

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and I look forward to an exciting 2009!

Reflections

Over at Simple Mom, there's a great post with questions helping journal the past year. There's even a handy PDF file you can download with the questions listed!

I find it very hard as I get older (or maybe it's just the number of kids) to find quiet reflection time. I hope to carve out some time this week to give this proper attention.

Getting Ready

One day before Christmas Eve, and I still have cookies to bake, grocery shopping to do, cards to address & mail, and gifts to wrap. And, yesterday I finally went to the doctor and found out I have walking pneumonia. Hmmm, I guess I really was feeling lousy!

At least all the gifts have been purchased . . . and they'll get wrapped tomorrow with help from my sister and hubby. Baking may have to wait until New Years. The cards can go out after Christmas. DH can go grocery shopping.

We'll still have a lovely Christmas.

And, I'll work on that balance issue I've been working on. Maybe in the new year I'll work it out.

Right now, I have a nap to take.

Cute L Things

She loves to write. On anything. And Everything. We have to hide all pens, markers and crayons from her creative force.

If you ask her to do something she doesn't want to do, she will look at you quite calmly, bring her finger to her lips and tell you to "Shhhhhh" I often get "Shhhhhh! Mom! Shhhhhhhh!"

She's still nursing before bed, but when she's done, she will quickly scootch off the bed, run to the door, pull it closed behind her and run off. I've turned it into a "Kiss Daddy Goodnight" routine so after she kisses him it's back to bed.

Speaking of bed, she has learned to climb out of her crib. She came out of our room last night rubbing her head and telling me "boom" I knew it was a matter of time, because she is my monkey.

She climbs on EVERYTHING. She will move anything to give her an advantage of height and see how high she can climb. We often find her standing on the table or the kitchen island if she's been out of sight for a few moments. Last night, DH found her standing on the stove. She will scale the pantry shelves. I'm not sure how to channel that skill right now, but I'm working on it. (And also looking for an extra long baby gate to keep her out of the kitchen)

And that's her in a nutshell!

T G I F

I am so glad this week is over for me, and I can breathe a bit!

• I had a number of regular writing deadlines this week, as well as a deadline for the first part of a new project that I didn't want to lose. I met all my deadlines, with just a few hours to spare.
  
• I taught a new class on Wednesday (which went really well, thank you!). There were 19 students and they kept me hopping ALL day. For some settings, 19 may not seem like a lot, but when you're teaching a Level 2 Excel class, there is quite a bit of one-on-one help that is necessary.
  
• DH was gone Saturday, Sunday & Monday doing a side job out of town, so I didn't have any help with child care and L has become a climbing monkey so I have to *see* her at all times or she gets into trouble.
  
• So, there have been many late nights as I try to get things done and write coherently after the kids are in bed. (and, yes, I do believe I can write coherently. This post, however, is just a stream of consciousness and therefore may not be coherent.)
  
• L got horribly sick around 3AM Thursday morning, so my plans to get up early and write disappeared. I also spent a good portion of the day holding the poor, sick babe. It seems like it was just a 24 hour bug, though, as she was pretty chipper this evening.
  
• I don't have any more deadlines until Monday, so I am about to fall into bed.
• Tomorrow (well, today actually, since it's after 1AM) is cleaning and baking and maybe some wrapping. Saturday we'll decorate our tree (that I put up last weekend.) Oh, and DH & I are going out again! To a wedding reception this time.
  
• Sunday DH leaves again for 2 days, so actually, I better do some work on Saturday so I don't fall behind before next week even begins.

I still haven't found the right balance, but I keep trying. I'm hoping to spend the next few days getting caught up around the house, and working on yet another schedule to keep things going smoothly and allowing me to sleep 8 hours a night. The 4 or 5 I've been getting lately just isn't cutting it for me.

I know I can make it work. I just haven't quite found the optimum plan to make it all work smoothly. Everything is getting done, except for enough sleep and some household chores. With a bit more tweaking, I am confident that it'll happen.

FREE SHIPPING DAY!

Have you heard about Free Shipping Day?

Tomorrow, over 200 online merchants are offering free shipping, with a promise to be delivered by Christmas. How great is that?

Home Depot Giveaway

Home Depot must have had a nice chunk of advertising money set aside for bloggers to give away gift cards this year. I think I've entered a dozen giveaways for Home Depot gift cards in the last couple weeks (but haven't won yet)!

Head on over to Mommies with Cents for her $100 Home Depot gift card giveaway. Since I'm not winning any of these . . . maybe one of my readers will!

Or, maybe by blogging I'll get some good karma and win! Our not-quite-closed in patio really needs some attention!

Love Your Veggies!

My husband doesn't like vegetables. Well, that's not exactly true. He likes corn on the cob (which is actually a grain, and not a vegetable) and french style green beans from a can. He pushes anything else around on his plate and won't eat it.

Maybe if his mom let him dip his vegetables in ranch dressing when he was a kid, he might eat more of them today. Hidden Valley was inspired by a study that found kids ate 23% more vegetables when they were served with ranch dressing. They created an entire campaign to help parents and kids eat more vegetables, and enjoy eating them.

Please check out the site as it is full of great information, activities for kids, kid-friendly recipes, and an exciting contest!

They are holding a contest right now looking for Veggie Champions! Ten moms will win the chance to visit Chicago for a 2 days retreat where they will learn about planting, harvesting, and cooking vegetables. In addition, they will be given $5000 in order to start or maintain a community garden back in their hometown.

The entry will take some effort and thought, because they want to know about you, a garden that inspires you, what you would do with the five thousand dollars, and more. All the details can be found here.

C attended a preschool that had a wonderful garden in the back where the kids were able to help plant and harvest different crops. It was a great experience for him, and I wonder how that little garden could grow with a grant like this.

If you enter, let me know! If you win, have a great time in Chicago and tell me about your plans!

Thanks to Mom Central and Hidden Valley for letting me know about this contest so I could share it with my readers!

Money Saving Monday #9

Today my tip is simple. Don't look, don't buy. What you don't know you're missing won't hurt you.

I love outdoor Christmas decorations. I get lots of pleasure looking at outdoor displays and have enjoyed having one of the most decorated homes in the neighborhood in years past.

Time has taken its toll on a number of our decorations, but our budget just isn't able to replace anything this year. Which also means that we're not able to add anything new.

So, I've been avoiding the outdoor decoration aisle when shopping this year. I know there are probably some new cute things that would look great in my yard . . . but I'm not going to miss what I don't know is there.

Our yard still is lit up. We have a few inflatables. It's probably the most subdued it has been since we moved in 7 years ago, but there are still lights. I comfort myself with the fact that there are still lights. And that I haven't spent money we can't afford to spend.

Maybe next year!