From the monthly archives:

December 2007

Year End Retrospection

by Marilyn on December 31, 2007

Ahh, this sort of post always crops up this time of year. I got this one from All & Sundry and just couldn’t resist. Of course, this was supposed to be posted yesterday morning but I forgot to finish it up Saturday night and set the post timestamp before we left for Elko yesterday. And then we got here and it was busy and there were wireless internet issues… so this is the first chance I’ve had to post it. Better late than never, right? :)

  1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?

    I put my child on the school bus and trusted that he would arrive back home safely at the end of the day. *gulp*

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

    Luckily, I didn’t make many resolutions last year so I didn’t have any that I really had to keep. Good thing to, because this was a rather unpredictable year. Will I make some this year? I think so.

  3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

    Yes, I knew several friends that had babies this year. Very exciting stuff! I love waiting to hear “the word”.

  4. Did anyone close to you die?

    I had to think about this one. I don’t think so. The years are all starting to run together but I think we were able to keep the Grim Reaper at bay this year.

  5. What countries did you visit?

    Yeah, that would be a big, fat zero.

  6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

    Peace. Peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of soul. I don’t want to have to worry about things that shouldn’t be mattering so much to me.

  7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

    July 7, when Liam turned one and I had to admit once and for all that he was no longer my little baby. July 26, when I went to Chicago for BlogHer (actually, that whole weekend should be on here). August 21, when I discovered I was going to have another baby. October 30, when I realized some hard truths about the state of things. December 28, when I found out this baby was in fact a girl. Strange that nothing before July really stands out, isn’t it?

  8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

    Getting pregnant with absolutely no medical intervention whatsoever. I never in a million years thought that could ever happen.

  9. What was your biggest failure?

    Touchy subject. I failed socially. I should be happy that I at least tried, but right now, I’m not. Maybe some day I’ll be glad for the efforts I made. I also failed professionally this year. I hope to change that in the new year.

  10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

    A little illness. No injury. Thank goodness for that, right??

  11. What was the best thing you bought?

    That would have to be the 3D ultrasound. Or the Xbox 360. Both, probably. Very good purchases. Not much else was purchased this year, sadly enough. Plane tickets to Chicago count, right? Though that awful flight back home probably negates whatever was good about that one. Gah.

  12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

    Kile’s. He’s been my rock.

  13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

    There were a few people who really surprised me with the way they acted and reacted to things. Appalled might be a bit on the dramatic side. Disappointed is better. And depressed is just about spot on.

  14. Where did most of your money go?

    Groceries. And GAS. OMG, the gas. And people wonder why we never come to visit them. Like we can even afford to drive across town half the time!

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

    There were a lot of things to get really excited about this year. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was thrilling. So was “Transformers” and going to the drive-in all the time. I got really excited about being pregnant too, and this dang ultrasound I had yesterday! What a way to end the year! And I was totally excited for Christmas this year. It was so fun to watch the boys get into it.

  16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

    There’s a few here. “Glamorous” by Fergie, “Paralyzer” by Finger Eleven and “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder. The last two were some of Harry’s most favorite songs ever and I have to admit, the boy has taste.

  17. Compared to this time last year, are you:? a) happier or sadder? ?b) thinner or fatter? ?c) richer or poorer?

    a) Happier B) I would say thinner, but being pregnant I fear I must say fatter and c) richer (NOW, if you would have asked a month ago I would have said poorer.

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

    Going to church (there were a few months where we didn’t go very much), doing activities with the family such as camping. Walking for exercise.

  19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

    Sitting around like a bump on a log. Which, interestingly enough, is what I’m doing right now. (Funny how that works) I’ve spent a lot of time online and a lot of that time was well spent but I know I did some serious slacking off this year too.

  20. How did you spend Christmas?

    We stayed home, just the four of us. We went out to a late lunch, early dinner on Christmas Eve followed by a candelight service at church and then driving around looking at Christmas lights before heading home. We had the boys open some gifts and after they went to bed, we set up for the morning. In the morning, we woke up pretty early and roused the boys. They spent the next hour or two opening gifts. We had breakfast, played with our goodies and Kile fixed us a fabulous dinner that we enjoyed here (and are still eating the leftovers from, thankyouverymuch).

  21. Did you fall in love in 2007?

    Yes, with my family. Again. Every day that goes by, I learn some way to love them more. It’s incredible.

  22. What was your favorite TV program?

    This could be difficult. Probably “Heroes”, “Lost” and “Big Brother”. I know, I know. *hangs head in shame*

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

    I try not to hate anyone, period. It’s an unproductive emotion and is so strong. Sometimes, people toss around the word “hate” so easily. I don’t hate people (well, except the jerks that cut people off on the interstate) so I only have this rather lame non-answer.

  24. What was the best book you read?

    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. Hands down. No contest here. That book was quite possibly the best book I’ve read in the last ten years, even. It was really amazing. If you are not a Harry Potter fan, you are definitely missing out. The movies are only a fraction of the story and not even the better fraction.

  25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

    I don’t think I made any musical discoveries this year, but then, I don’t tend to explore a lot when it comes to music. I did watch “American Idol” tough, and sincerely enjoyed it.

  26. What did you want and get?

    Xbox 360 and Halo 3, a baby girl (it would appear!), a trip to BlogHer 2007, and probably countless other things that I can’t seem to think of at the moment.

  27. What did you want and not get?

    Friendships. I got some, don’t get me wrong, but not the ones I wanted or needed, unfortunately. It’s pretty hard to find those real “with you through the hard times” type friends, I’ve found, especially when you’re all grown up.

  28. What was your favorite film of this year?

    Probably “Transformers”. Not a critical success, but it was a heck of a lot of fun. Especially at the drive in. This movie had EVERYTHING in it and was just so much fun.

  29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

    Gah, I was 32. Can you believe that? I’m too young to be 32. Kile took me out to lunch at Red Lobster after we went to MOPS. For dinner, he made me a yummier than normal dinner. It was a pretty nice day, actually.

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

    A really close friendship, something I could count on. Being at home with kids all the time is amazingly isolating. Thank goodness I have this blog or else I would have fallen into a steep depression.

  31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

    Ha! Okay, seriously though I’ve been trying to apply some basic fashion principles to my every day wardrobe. It’s still pretty much “Walmart chic” but I try to wear pants that fit well and are long enough and smaller tops (instead of swallowing myself in oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts). Oh, and in the winter it’s “boots” and the summer is “flip flops”.

  32. What kept you sane?

    This blog. If I didn’t have this blog here to post things on, I think there were several times I very well might have burst open. I need this outlet in my life, and that has never been more apparent to me than it has been this year.

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

    That would probably have to be Clive Owen. I mean, come on, is there any one else who is worthy of my slobber? I think not.

  34. What political issue stirred you the most?

    I think you all know the answer to this one, but it was definitely “health care”. Then again, I’m a big fan of the whole “economy sucks” issue too. Because, you know, it does.

  35. Who did you miss?

    My friends from high school. Those betches were the best and I hate being so far from them. Being able to hang with them on a daily basis (or even weekly basis) would make my life so much richer.

  36. Who was the best new person you met?

    You know, I didn’t really meet anyone new this year. Not anyone who I really remember, at least. That’s something I’ll have to rectify here in the new year. Edited to add: Carrisa was kind enough to remind me that I met her (among other fabulous people) at BlogHer in Chicago this year! Duh, how could I forget??? I met her on Day 1 at breakfast which was a fabulous way to kick off the conference. I also met and got to hang with Shawna and she is so awesome that words can hardly describe how awesome she is. There were a lot of awesome people that I didn’t get to meet, which I’m pretty sad about, but there’s always next year.

  37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.

    Be careful with yourself. Don’t trust others with your heart, your family unless you are sure they won’t hurt you in return.  Don’t open up too much too soon.  Tread carefully when it comes to social situations and keep your cards close to your chest.  Sometimes it’s easier (and hurts less) to keep to yourself.

  38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

    “If you ain’t got no money take your broke ass home” - Glamorous by Fergie.

And that, as they say, is that. Have a Happy New Year, everyone. Don’t get too plastered tonight (but enjoy some champagne for me, will you?).

Get the word out:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Kirtsy
  • TwitThis
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!

You Need to Read - December 29

by Marilyn on December 29, 2007

Welcome to the last YNTR for the year!  It’s so weird that 2007 is nearly over.  I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas this week (those of you that celebrate it, of course) and are recovering from the chaos/letdown/hangover/rich food nicely enough.  Right now, I’m watching my son play the Xbox 360 that we waited for over a year to purchase and finally hunted down at Best Buy last night after Sam’s Club apparently had tags on the shelf for items they no longer had in stock (because, you know, THAT made sense).  He’s playing a Monster Jam game and it’s making me a little motion sick so I am compiling this post instead. You know, at least until Kile and I get our turn at the Xbox to play some more Halo 3 (word is: rules so far).

There aren’t many posts this week, but like I said last week, I expected that.  Still, more people were posting this week than I expected so that was pretty nice.  I appreciate having something to read during the “slow times”.  Remember, just because I don’t comment, doesn’t mean I don’t read about a bazillion blogs.  I’m just a really awful commenter.  Anyhow, enough about me.  On to the awesome posts I caught over the last week!

  • Perceptions…” from Crunchy Carpets. I could have written this post myself a couple years ago.  Shoot, I think I did write this post, at least in my head if nothing else.  Christmas is hard when you’ve lost someone, especially the first Christmas.  And since her loss was so recent she’s still reeling.  So she does what she must.
  • Holiday Homicide” from Petroville.  This post CRACKED.  ME.  UP.  Mostly because I totally understood how she felt.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE lobster.  And fresh lobster is my idea of heaven.  But I wouldn’t want to have to kill the poor things myself.  Seriously?  I love the picture of them in the box, claws raised to the heavens.  Classic.
  • Wishing again that our babies would come with manuals” from Kerflop.  I definitely know where she’s coming from with this one.  I have a son that’s very much the same way about a lot of things.  It’s boggling, it’s frustrating and it’s so sad to watch one of your children struggle with their emotions like this.  I wish there were manuals too.
  • The Story of the Best Christmas EVAH” from misszoot.  I’m so happy she got her whole family there for Christmas this year.  I’ve seen in years past where she’s been sad to have her son away visiting with his father over the holidays and just trying to imagine how hard that would be.  So I lived a little vicariously through her this week as she “SQUEE”‘d with excitement over her best Christmas EVAH.
  • Merry Christmas, Baby, Maybe” from amalah.  Oh god, I hope so.  I have fingers and toes crossed for her.  Let the obsessive refreshing begin!
  • Letter from my son” from sweet | salty.  This was a heartbreaking post from Kate (aren’t a lot of them, come to think of it?).  As I said above, the Christmas season, especially the first, is especially hard.  They may be better off, but what about us?
  • I’m Going To Request That He Change His Birthday To June.  Maybe I’ll Have Money For A Gift” from Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper.  This gal is hysterical.  I love the phone conversation with her mother, particularly the bit about the rubber boobie.

So that’s it for now.  I’m going out of town tomorrow but I will still be scouting for more fabulous posts to feature.  As always, if I’m missing something drop me a line and let me know!

Get the word out:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Kirtsy
  • TwitThis
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!

Reeling still, a little bit

by Marilyn on December 29, 2007

I’m sure it’s normal to doubt. I mean, logically, I can look at those pictures and say, “That there is a girl.”  But in my heart I go, “Okay, right, seriously now?” I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop here.  Sure, I bought an adorable outfit (on clearance!) at Kohl’s yesterday.  But I didn’t buy 10 outfits.  I have no interest in pink car seats or be-flowered strollers.

It seems a little unreal, to be honest.  I feel like it’s “other people” who have girls.  I don’t have girls.  That’s just not how it works around here.  I’m the one who has boys (cute, adorable, edible boys).

It’s silly.  I mean, haven’t I been saying all along that I thought this baby was a girl?  Shouldn’t I be enjoying feelings feelings of vindication instead of nagging doubt?  Gah.  I’m so weird sometimes.

I’m going to do my best to just “go with it”.  When people ask me what I’m having, I’m going to say girl.  I’ll go ahead and plan as though it is a girl.  And it is.  I know it is.  But still.

(the YNTR for this week will be up later; no worries, I haven’t forgotten!)

Get the word out:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Kirtsy
  • TwitThis
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!

Girl Gear!

by Marilyn on December 28, 2007

If you’ve been eyeballing my Twitter over there on the top-righthand side, then you saw my staggered announcement around 2pm this afternoon: We are INDEED having a girl!  First off, I was just impressed simply to get a look.  A “beyond a doubt” look too, as it would happen.  See, the sonographer first saw this:

Girl Gear!

Which, I don’t know, I was taking her word for it.  She explained the whole “hamburger” thing to me, and I’d heard it before, but when you’ve already had three boys, you tend to be skeptical.  Still, she was positive.  And I got a little excited.  We got some great pictures of the baby in 3D, like this one:

Cutie Pie

I mean, COME ON, is that adorable?  I know I’m biased and everything but sheesh.  I want to eat this child already.  Still, we asked her if we could have another look at the goods and she was more than happy to comply.  And we got this shot, which made us feel a whole lot better about the “girl” thing:

More Girl Gear

Mostly because, hey, those the “three lines” that everyone is always talking about.  You know, the three lines that we have NEVER seen before.  It was then that I think I truly relaxed about it.

So yeah.  It’s a girl!   Afterward, we stumbled over to Kohl’s (still in shock, mind you), where I’m not embarrassed to tell you that I promptly purchased a wee girly outfit.  Because, DUDE.  It’s time.

If you’d like to see more pictures from the ultrasound, head on over to my flickr where I have the full batch up (at least the ones I captured from the DVD they gave me because I was too lazy to scan the prints they made me).  And if anyone out there is on the fence about whether or not they should get a 3D ultrasound, DO IT.  It’s so worth it and that’s not just the gender talking.  Trust me on this one.

Get the word out:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Kirtsy
  • TwitThis
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!

Big day ahead

by Marilyn on December 28, 2007

It is merely 8:30 (I’ve been up for about an hour but that’s neither here nor there), but the day is already stretching like a never-ending parade of consumerism.  This is our “shopping day”.  We got a sizable chunk of Christmas money this year and today is the day we get to spend a good portion of it.  Lest you think we’re the types to walk into a store and just go nuts, I want to let you know we’ve spent the last week compiling a list of wants and needs and paring it down to the bare-bones “must haves” and prioritizing each potential purchase.  We are cheap, remember?  And we want to get the most bang for our buck here.  Plus, we want to save at least half of the money we received.

We’ve done some shopping before now, a little on Wednesday and a little more yesterday.  That was more spending gift cards and the like though (though not all of them quite yet), since our bank put a hold on this deposit for several days since it was rather… ahem… large.

So today we are going to finally purchase our Xbox 360.  This is a purchase we have put off for so long that frankly, I’m quite impressed.  I felt for sure that we would cave in when Halo 3 came out on September 25th.  But we didn’t, we held firm.  And today is finally the day.  The last couple of days we scouted around town for the best deal we could find on the system and game and I think we’ve found a winner.  This way we won’t have to run all around town today pricing things out.  See how efficient we are??  I imagine tonight there will be much playing of Halo 3 going on.

I’m also going to get a vision exam and hopefully FINALLY order my new glasses!  WEE!  I need new glasses so bad it makes the mind boggle.  Every single stinkin’ time I’ve gotten my eyes checked in recent years (and there have only truthfully been a few times) I’ve gone for the contacts instead.  This is because I used to wear contacts all the time and NEVER wore glasses.  And I hate wearing glasses.  I would much rather wear contacts but for some reason, my eyes are just resistant to them anymore and they are never comfortable in my eyes anymore.  BAH.  This time, I’m going to resist.  I’m going to order glasses.  I’ll settle for anything that is remotely comfortable and helps me see better though it’d be a bonus if they’re cute as hell.

I’m getting my haircut done today as well.  It had to be rescheduled from yesterday which was probably for the best but makes today even fuller.  My appointment is at 11am and I’m trying out the salon in Ulta for a change.  I’m excited to see what it’s like and hope I walk away with a fantastic haircut.  I’m hoping for long layers or something of the sort, as I’d like to keep my longish hair.  The other day I picked up some hair dye and a highlighting kit which hopefully Kile will help me do here in the next day or two (before we go to Elko).  I want to get my hair cut first so we can better see where to place the highlights.  Perhaps with the glasses and the new hairdo, I’ll look like a new woman.  Ya think? :)

And how can we forget the ultrasound? (1:30pm, PST!!)  I’m trying not to think about it right now.  I’m glad I have so many other things to occupy my mind and keep me distracted today.  I will have my cell phone on me though and will be sure to Twitter any news as soon as I have it.  Shoot, even if there is NO news, I will still Twitter it.  Because that’s just how I roll.

In the meantime, I’m going to go chug some water (want to be all nice and hydrated!), take a shower, and pester my boys about when we’re going to blow this popsicle stand.

Get the word out:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Kirtsy
  • TwitThis
  • del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!