Later 2011

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? 

Hmm, have a second child? 

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

I can't remember the end of 2010. That about sums up my year!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Besides me? Lots of people actually. We had so many friends have babies this year, which is either because we are just in that place in our lives or our friends really like to procreate.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandmother. It was an incredibly difficult time, but I know she is watching over all of us.

5. What countries did you visit?

England, Scotland (okay, the UK) and Belgium. This was a sad year for me for travel.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Sleep. Sleep. More time to workout. Sleep.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

April 5, Lila's birthday. June 16, the day we lost my grandma. September 24, Lee's accident.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

This answer will always be Lila and Finn. While some people may not want their biggest achievement to be their kids, I want nothing more. 

9. What was your biggest failure? 

Cleaning. Laundry. Cooking. All things I need to be better about doing.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Lee's new car probably. The first new car either of us have ever owned. I loved driving it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Lee. He found a good job, supported me 1000% during and after Lila's birth, and is the best dad and husband in the world. He has no idea. 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 

I don't have time to worry about other people's bad behavior.  

14. Where did most of your money go?
Besides everyday life it would have to be medical bills. This was the year of the medical bills.

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

Watching Finn excel at being a big brother. He really loves his sister. Sharing? Not so much. But he loves her and watching him with her makes my heart swell.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Inside These Lines by Trent Dabbs

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
(A) Happier
(B) Thinner, but only because I no longer have a baby inside of me.
(C) Same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Working out

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending time online. And I will, in fact, make it my goal to do that this year.

20. How did you spend Christmas?"Pretend Christmas" - The four of us, and my parents, at our house in Atlanta

Real Christmas - The four of us and Lee's family in the UK

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I fell in love with a redheaded girl, and more in love with a redheaded guy and a blonde boy. My heart grows bigger every day.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I watch the worst tv ever. Ever. But I did start watching The Walking Dead and really enjoy it.

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

I have spent too many years hating things or people. I refuse to waste my energy doing that anymore.

24. What was the best book you read?
I loved, loved, loved Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Trent Dabbs and Andrew Belle

26. What did you want and get?
For Lee to get a job, for Lila to be okay after her surgery and for Finn to listen better. 2 out of 3 isn't bad :)

27. What did you want and not get?
More money. More time in my day. Kids that sleep in past 6:30.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I really liked Crazy Stupid Love, but pretty much because Ryan Gosling is hotness personified.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 36 and I now officially feel old. Boo. We had a street party on Lee's birthday (the 10th) and it was awesome. I can't even remember what we did on my exact birthday.

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

More sleep.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
I have no fashion concept, so I guess in itself that is one.

32. What kept you sane?
Lee. My parents.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

See above. Ryan Gosling.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Marriage rights for all

35. Who did you miss?

My grandma. Friends who live far away.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

We became much closer to neighbors on our street and I am so grateful for that

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Always, always say I love you when you leave, even if you are mad

38. Give a song lyric that sums up your year:

You've got your mommy's eyes, you've got your daddy's hair, you're my little angel rocking in my rocking chair

-Sara Hickman, A Slice Of Heaven

 

Life In A Northern Town

After a busy morning of literally ripping through present after present, to the point where we had to actually take a break since Finn was completely unaware of what he was actually opening, only that he was opening, some of us enjoyed a nap (Lila), some of us enjoyed some play time (Finn) and the rest of us got ready for the beach.

The beach. In December. On Christmas Day. In Newcastle. In the North of England.

It was windy. It wasn't actually that cold, by the standards here, but the wind made it feel cold. But it was sunny, and full of families and dogs and kids enjoying it, showing that you don't need white sands and 90 degrees to play at the beach.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

We survived a flight to England, complete with 4 suitcases, 5 carry-ons, 2 car seats, a stroller, a baby, a preschooler and ourselves. I am tired rethinking about it.

We survived a trip to Belgium with 1 suitcase, 3 carry-ons, 1 stroller and a preschooler with a cold. I am a little less tired than the above trip, but tired none the less.

And now we wait on Santa, who will be coming in a day and a half, give or take, time with family, presents, presents and more presents.

It's been, despite a few not so good events, a pretty darn good year.

Week 36

Another week, another photo, more Pink Bear. Hey Pink Bear, I think this week shall be Peek-a-Boo Week!

What?!? You don't know Peek-a-Boo? It is my favorite game!

Watch, let me set you down on the floor for a minute...

And then I hide my face... 

And PEEK-A-BOO! Hahaha, it makes me laugh every time!

Um, how did you get up there? I am dumbfounded.

A head hug, thanks Pink Bear!

What mama? I don't know where Pink Bear went. Maybe she has moved on to Hide and Seek?

Ok, ok mama, I won't hide her any more

You make me laugh mama! Next week we can teach Pink Bear Pat-a-Cake!

A Pretend Christmas

We celebrated Christmas early this year, with my parents, since we are spending two weeks in England (and Belgium and Scotland, with this blog being brought to you direct from Brussels) and Finn kept calling it a pretend Christmas.

Call it what you want, these kids did well on 'Christmas' morning, and this was definitely the first year where Finn got crazy excited over gifts. Well, most gifts. The clothes, sleeping bag and suitcase didn't excite him near as much as they excited me.

Parents Of The Year

Finn has figured out how to buckle the top part of his car seat himself, which helps me out tremendously when I have to also get Lila in the car. Our usual routine when leaving the house goes something like this:

-Come on, Finn, let's go!
-Wait mommy, I have to park every single of my 278 cars and fire engines before we can leave
-Finn, come on. We are late. Again.
-Almost done mommy, 234 left!
-FINN. Let's go. Wait, where are your boots?
-I don't want those boots. I want my red boots. Where are my red boots? Ooh mommy look, can we read a book?
(Oh my God, we are always late - only this I just say to myself)

So by the time I get him in the car and get her in the car I am pretty much ready to go. Which is how one day I let him buckle his top buckle, closed the door, and pulled out of the garage, to be met with his declaration that "MOMMY I'M NOT BUCKLED IN!"

The kid doesn't realize yet that most other kids wouldn't actually tell their parents this. But fortunately he knows no different, so I came to a halt, finished buckling him, and we were on our way.

Now this is his favorite story to tell people, interspersed only with the time I fell down the stairs and lay at the bottom crying Jesus, Oh my God, and he certainly likes to tell that one to everyone, only Jesus is Cheezit and I don't want to correct him because it is too cute.

So on Saturday Lee and I took him to see Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer at a local puppet theatre, while Lila stayed home with my parents. Finn brought up the story about how I forgot to buckle him in, again, but apparently Lee had never heard it.

Lee then said to me "Well, now I don't feel so bad about that time I left him in the car when I went into Chick-fil-A"

Hahaha, wait, what?

Yeah, apparently a couple of years ago Lee went to CFA to get some lunch, Finn had fallen asleep, Lee got out, locked the car, went inside, got in line, and only then realized that Finn was still in the car. He ran right back out and got him, but decided it was best not to share this with me. I agreed.

We clearly will not be winning any parent of the year awards anytime soon, but at least we can (fortunately) laugh at them now.

8 Months

My sweet Lila-girl,

8 months. 8 months of smiles, of tears, of cuddles and kisses. 8 months of love for your brother, smiles for your daddy, clinginess with your mama. I say it every month in these letters, I mention it every day to your daddy, I think it every second in my head - how did we get here? How is your first year of life flying by so quickly that I hardly remember how small you once were. How is it that we are slowly creeping up on the end of the baby years in our house?

You are, in a nutshell, my conundrum. Sometimes I wonder if you are happy, when you hardly crack a smile for days. Other times you smile at the mere sound of a voice, you crawl quickly to whoever you love that enters the room, you laugh at every thing your big brother does. You want our food, you reach for it, and then you refuse to actually eat. You hate being confined in the car seat but you love being confined on me, in the ergo. I think you would spend all day in the ergo if I let you.

Your crawling is amazing, you can move faster than ever, speeding across the floor to get the one speck of dirt I somehow missed. You love to grab the cats tail, eat your brothers puzzle pieces, and dance to music. You kick your legs when something excites you and your tears are free to flow when you are unhappy. You say mamamama, and you are working on dada. Finn is working on big brother, although I am sure that will take a little longer.

You still have just two teeth, your hair is getting longer and you have eyelashes that should be illegal. You are fascinated when I put on makeup, and I can't wait for the day you get into it and come to see me with red rosy cheeks and lipstick all over your face.

We have a big adventure coming up, your first Christmas, your first trip to the UK. You have been a good traveler so far, we hope it will continue, so don't let us down! I know in the blink of an eye you will be walking, talking, fighting with your brother, growing up.

But you will always be my little girl.

Happy 8 months moonpie, we love you to the moon and back

Love,
Mama

Week 34

Oh mamamama. Do you mean it is that time again? Let me finish my book before we start, okay?

Wait, can't I play with my green blocks first too? No? Okay fine.

Come here Pink Bear, let's get this over with.  

But first I will eat you! Nom nom nom! Nothing is safe around my mouth!

Hahaha, just kidding mama, I was just playing. Pink Bear likes it! I promise!

Look! Nice Pink bear! I will pet your head! 

There we go, did you get enough? Are we done?

Huh? More?

I will just sit and smile and pretend like we are all done!

See? Pink Bear has turned her back to me, and it would be SO much more fun to pull the cat's tail anyway. Can we do weekly Kimball-cat pictures instead?