So she technically came home to us in 2015, but still... 2016..... what a year...
And holy cow - December felt like such a hot mess... I guess it started around Thanksgiving...
we had that holiday, and then a birthday party, a birthday brunch...
driving around to all the parties...
and then it was prepping for a trip to Texas, getting gifts exchanged with family (inlaws) (which we didn't do until after we got back) and getting gifts for secret santas at work, and seeing the Rockettes with my bestie Dee...
and making MistleToes with my MommyTribe and their babies...
And having our recently-divorced friend, Mr. Potato Head - remember the PotatoHeads?! - over almost every weekend...
We had started to set our alarm clocks a little later each morning, and snoozed "just one more time" too many times...
whew - 3 work days into the new year, and we've made it out of the house not even on time but EARLY each morning. I changed my alarm clock back to what it should be, and only snooze once or twice. (It also helps when Button cries out early each morning. For us to fix his blanket. Which is just at the foot of his bed..... -_-)
Yes, the sink is still filled with dirty dishes (and - um.. maybe some crusty dip from Sunday when the in-laws were over to exchange Christmas gifts...) and there is still a load of whites in the dryer that need to be folded before I start the laundry cycle all over again tomorrow night...
But. I made it to hot yoga last night, and I've made it to work early the past three mornings - in part because I've been picking out my clothes the night before!
2017 Goals so far?
1. Wash my coffee mug out each morning at work (I used to just rinse it... oh, every few days.... BLECH)
2. Pick out clothes (for kids AND for me!) the night before! NO MATTER WHAT!
Also - I recently saw this on another blog (thanks NSChica!) and wanted to do the same!
(Another andplusalso- as I read these questions for 2017, I wish I'd seen it for 2016! So for some of the answers, the 2015 response will be there as well in pink!)
1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?
parented 2 children?? lol really - learned how to balance work and making dinner and loving on my kids and letting unimportant things (ahem - dishes and laundry) fall to the wayside...
I also made my first article of clothing! I made Ms. Mack a poncho! (first edition - many revisions needed, like a zipper on the front - and I'll be attempting #2 out of fleece soon!)
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not sure I made a point to make any resolutions last year.... (goes back to read first 2016 posts...)
(oh yea - that's why - I was a little preoccupied with weigh-ins and boobs. ha)
I will make more for this year! first being the two mentioned above - washing my cup out daily at work, and picking out clothes the night before...
I also want to get more organized - I'll be buying (maybe tonight!) shelves and cube units for the kids' playroom in the basement...
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
We're not quite as close as "before" - but she's still in my "circle" of friends (her husband is in E's circle at least) - fBFF had her second baby (second boy) in July (on E's birthday!)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
E's great uncle (and our former neighbor (I guess what made us close)- we lived across from him in our first apartment) died in August...
5. What countries did you visit?
The country of Texas (lmao - E always gets a kick out of all the big Texas flags there - like, "why don't they fly the AMERICAN flag?!"
but really - first year in a while we didn't travel much - stayed in the 'States in 2016!
in 2015 - we went to Cancun! Button's first visit abroad (oh his passport photo is so funny....) and Ms. Mack was only 8 weeks along!
6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
a bigger kitchen and attached open-plan dining room... (hint - we may start house-hunting soon and I've started to make my wish-list!)
7. What moments from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I have to say, there are no big individual moments - but more overall experiences... like the experiences and friends I gained during the breastfeeding journey (and oh the moments nursing a little... when I wasn't freaking the f*ck out and popping her off and on and off and on, cursing and swearing, with tears running down, that she wasn't latching right and not getting enough..... sigh)
or the decorating I did the night before for a big Wonderland First Birthday Party, getting everything just-so... (just like I'll always remember hanging those red and white "Circus Tent" swathes of fabric throughout our entire garage 3.5 years ago for a Circus Bash...)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
hm. well there's the whole feeding a human with my body (WOOOT!) that required several months of hard work... and there's the whole buying a sewing machine and teaching myself to sew (with echoes of lessons from my mom when I was a tween years ago)
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't quite see it as a failure but definitely a part of my life that could use change/work - and that's probably the relationship with husband - just in the We just went from us three to us four, and if you felt like you took backseat all of a sudden to our first child, you probably feel like you just got pushed back even farther on the bench of priorities sense. Physical intimacy flew out the window so far (both during the pregnancy and in 2016 - probably due to the still-crazy hormones of nursing...) but I have to say, in the last few weeks it has already started to improve...
I also recently saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 where Tula's family is all, "You were a girlfriend before you were a mom!"
So that's good to keep in mind as we try to schedule dates (big annual friends' dinner this Saturday! time to get a sitter, get dressed/glitzed up and get our drink&dine on!)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I think I bought too much to sift through and label "the best"... but it wasn't a year we bought a house (2012) or a car (mine in 2014) or anything else major...
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
hm. I've seen answers say their big-sibling kids because they were such great big-siblings.. except Button almost dislocated Ms. Mack's arm once, so.....
lol
but really, he adapted to losing his only-child-status very well (could have something to do with sharing time with two other dogs pre-Ms. Mack!)
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
towards the end of the year, E's adopted sister (19yo) scared us all when she told someone she thought of hurting herself... she was hospitalized briefly, and then came to stay with us for about a week... I honestly do not believe she's at risk of self-harm, but has now begun acting out - skipping school, left her sister at their joint-job without a ride home, got into a minor car accident when she let a boy (unlicensed!) drive her (FIL's) car...
It's debatable if she'll graduate high school, and I really really wish she would - you need a diploma to get so many places....
(2015 was the year ex-BIL left SIL - he ruled that year for being despicable...)
14. Where did most of your money go?
LuLaRoe.... (lmao) just my personal money... of course most of our joint money goes to our mortgage and daycare costs...
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My parents' visit in July - and I had most of the week off - I love having them love on my kids!
16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
happier - I'm sleeping through the night! LOL
b) thinner or fatter?
totally thinner... less than 2 weeks PP versus 1 year PP and working out regularly =P
c) richer or poorer
hm probably neither - probably have just about the same amount of $$ in the bank...
17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
more blogging! I used to blog at least a few times a week, and I just discovered I only blogged a few times (if that) per month in 2016... I love having the memories/stories to look back on and read, and I can obviously tell I was much busier than before - but still...
18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
personal shopping... I definitely love to shop, and can tell I get into "shopping moods" where I buy and buy. and then can be in NotTheMood and can load a shopping card - "Window Shop" if you will - and then abandon the whole cart... but how much personal money I could have saved on stuff that I really didn't need...
19. How did you spend Christmas?
with my family in Texas!!! (talk about an epic post coming.... but first, must post about Mack's bday party!)
2015? also with my family who came up from Texas to see little miss, but more importantly - spend it with little miss cuddled up on me...
20. Did you fall in love in 2016?
Absolutely - with my daughter... I try to find reason behind why she's so much more tied to me than Button is (she nursed 12+ months and he only nursed 5 weeks? or I had a much longer actual maternity leave with her (we were literally together 24/7) than with him ?) but she is. She's my little bug, my shadow who will toddle around after me when we get home from work/daycare and who only wants to see my face (and boobs lol) first thing in the morning as she stands up and peers over her crib rails...
21. What was your favorite TV program?
OH-MAI-GAWD I read Outlander and then got addicted to the show on Starz (like, binge-watched 4 hours worth at 11pm one night...)
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is such a strong word, and no - I don't hate anyone now that I didn't last year... (some people have gotten on my nerves, that's for sure! lol)
23. What did you want and get?
There's not much I need or want - and if it's something like going out with friends for a relaxing drink, or finally getting a haircut (after almost a year!), or even a pair of shoes I like - I usually get it for myself. so - lots. I wanted to get my hair cut before our Texas trip and I sure crammed it in...
24. What did you want and not get?
more like what did I want to do and not get to? lol - finishing (crocheting) Ms. Mack's quilt... (need cream-colored yarn!)
ooo - I wanted Cinchers to take off and make money - but then I got booted from the BuySellTrade LLR group for selling non-LuLa. LOL whatever
25. What was your favorite film this year?
I can't even remember what movies I've seen - it's usually months/years after they hit the theaters... I saw Girl on the Train with E at a fancy-ass dine-in theater, so it was more the ambiance AND the actual movie that made it my favorite...
26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31 this year in August (agh) and honestly just had to go look at my personal calendar to remember what I did to celebrate lol... the night before my actual birthday was my date with E - a fancy dinner which was over by 7:30 (lmao oh my how times have changed) so we ended up going to a local Anthony's CoalFirePizza to have some drinks on their patio... I think we were headed home by 9pm... so lame...
The actual day was at my IL's for their other daughter's high school graduation party (I'm sure blended in with birthday cake and gifts...)
2015 was spent with friends at a wonderful dessert/drinks restaurant, in a fabulous backless dress - with a little half-baked-bump along for the ride...
27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
(Well, just check out my Wardrobe Wednesdays!) but really - mostly nursing tanks and cardigans (which worked best with skirts!)
and in 2015, it was the year of unbuttoned pants, stretch tanks, and maternity clothes... =P
Honestly? being able to have a glass of wine at night after the kids went to bed - whether I folded laundry while drinking it or sat on my ass and read... lol
29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
no words....
30. What political issue stirred you the most?
oh gosh - probably like most people answering this question, it was the
Gosh, you were such a cute pregnant lady. I was not! Here's to another great year!
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