BloggingDangerously

Happy New Year!

I am not going to lie to you.  2011 was a very good year for me.

My new job turned out to be every bit as FABULOUS as I'd hoped.  Yes, it was hard and sometimes it was challenging and maybe even a little bit terrifying but I did it and I'm SO FREAKING PROUD and happy!

My children have grown so much over the past year!  My oldest is 9, HOLY HELL, NINE!  He is reading books that I read in college and teaching me about history which is SO COOL!

My 7 year old played football this year and loved it.  He's channelling that unbridled energy into constructive things (instead of into destroying my house) and I can't wait to see where it takes him!

My 6 year old is learning to read and is running circles around boys 2 years older than she is.  I can't wait for her to start track in the spring and find books that she loves.

My 5 year old is smart, crazy smart and she's challenging us all with her observations.  I can't wait for her to start kindergarten and be able to learn at her own pace - instead of feeling like "my school is so SMALL!"

We had a wonderful trip to Acadia National Park this summer that I nearly ruined with worry over something I couldn't control.   (Ok, it was CRABS.) 

I travelled quite a bit for work this year.  I liked it.

After taking a year off, I started running again in the spring.  And then I fell off the wagon again this winter once the weather got cold and sunset started coming early.  Balance is a struggle.

And you guys... You have been with me through it all and I have loved every minute, every comment, every email, every tweet, every drunken bacchanalia.  Thank you for your support.  It means the world to me.

There were a few things that I didn't get to this year that I missed.  I was so wrapped up in being successful in my new job and so distracted by all the travel that I didn't plan as many family activities this year and didn't cook as much.

I was going to make a list of resolutions for 2012 but then my friend posted a link to this article called 12 Things Happy People Do Differently and I wanted to 1) Share it with you and 2) adjust my resolutions with an aim toward Happiness in 2012.

Please read the full article here.

1. Express Gratitude

I resolve to thank someone every day - and I don't mean thanking someone for holding a door open for me - I mean writing or calling or stopping to look someone in the eye to tell them, "Thank you for taking the time to make my day better.  I appreciate it."

2. Cultivate Optimism

I resolve to expect the best out of situations.  If it's a situation I can control, I will use my powers for good.  If it's a situation I can't control, I will call on all previously accrued good karma.  And I resolve to smile.  Nothing bad can happen if you're smiling, right?

3. Avoid over-thinking and social-comparison

In my affluent town it is hard to focus on what I have, rather than on what I don't have so I will AT LEAST resolve to remember that if you change places with someone - you get their troubles as well as their granite countertops.

4. Practice Acts of Kindness

I resolve to do 1 nice thing every day.  Sometimes I will see a woman who looks great and not say anything - and then I will chase her down the street to say, "I wanted to catch you to tell you that I LOVE your dress and I wasn't going to say anything but then I remembered, 'DAMN, I would want someone to tell me!'" I will do this more often until the restraining orders pile up.

On the days I don't leave my house I will put every scrap of waste in the recycling bin if it can be recycled instead of into the trash.

5. Nurture Social Relationships

Ok, this one is easy, TWITTER.

AND I resolve to keep in touch with old friends and not beat myself up over the fact that it is HARD to make new friends right now.

6. Develop Strategies for Coping

I'm guessing they don't mean Brigham's Coffee Icecream.  Okay, my plan is to overcome the initial panic of a bad situation with a 4 mile run - preferably in a Wonder Woman outfit.  Nothing seems as bad when you're exhausted and jacked up on endorphins.  Plus you can't eat icecream while you're running.   But you can enjoy it guilt free afterwards.

7. Learn to Forgive

When I'm driving I think that runners who wear all black at dusk are morons because, "Dont they know I can hardly see them?" But when I'm running after work I think, "Doesn't this black outfit make me look like a bad ass?"

My point? Most people aren't thinking about the world from other people's perspective.  I resolve to remember that most hurt feelings are accidental and that reacting defensively exacerbates the situation.  And I resolve to wear more neon clothing.

8. Increase Flow Experiences -

You'll have to read the article to understand what they mean by this but I resolve to put my iphone away more and let distraction into my life less.  I resolve to realize that I don't need to be at my computer 24 hours a day to meet every email and tweet as it arrives especially if it means that I can squeeze in more workouts and more time with my children.

9. Savor Life's Joys

I resolve to do more fun things with my family.  Even if I feel like I don't have time.

And I resolve to make time to CELEBRATE how lucky we are.

10. Commit to your Goals

I resolve to run 500 miles this year and to be a rock start at work.

11. Practice Spirituality

I'm not much for religion but I believe in karma.  I believe that the good you do comes back to you and that happy people spread happiness.  I resolve to let it radiate when I am happy and keep bad days to myself.

12. Take Care of your body

See that 500 miles thing...

I will work on the Diet Coke addiction in 2013.

Because I am going to need the caffeine to keep all of these resolutions.

Have a safe and wonderful New Year.  I can't wait to spend 2012 with you!

Love,

Kit

You Can't Fool Her...

I asked for a hot air popcorn popper for Christmas.  It is one of those items that I would probably not spend $25 on for myself but would LOVE to own and now I have one.

I also asked for a Roku box for Christmas because paying Comcast $5 every time the kids want to watch a movie really chafes.

My husband asked me if I wanted to go see Sherlock Holmes.  I said, "no." he looked disappointed.

"Do you?" I asked him.

"Sort of." he said.  I looked into it and found out that the one that's in theaters now is the sequel to the one that came out a couple of years ago.  Rather then pay $8/person PLUS a babysitter to go see a movie we might not like, I suggested we watch the first one on our new Roku box, with homemade popcorn and Amazon Instant Video/Prime streaming.

After 1 technical difficulty (Amazon prime on the Roku said that the move was $4.99 but I rented it on my computer for $0.99) we were ready to watch.

I moved to the kitchen to start the popcorn.  My husband went upstairs to tell the kids to be quiet for the 50th time.

The popcorn popped in no time.  Note: A few kernels go a LONG way.  My husband walked into the kitchen in time to help me catch the overflowing stream of popcorn.

I melted butter.

Then a shrill voice came from upstairs, "Is that POPCORN!?!?"

"No." I called back.

Shrill outdid shrill and a harpie's voice screeched back, "then why do I smell BUTTER!?!"

 

The Feudal System

My 6yo to my husband (in singsong): You're not the boss of me, You're not the boss of me, You might be the boss of you, but you're not the boss of me!

Me: Actually, he IS the boss of you.  He's not the boss of HIM, but he is the the boss of you.

Him(laughing) : Remember that Feudal system thing I explained to you yesterday...?

A Christmas Miracle

Just when I thought I might escape another Christmas unscathed, my daughter's friend introduced her to American Girl Dolls.

So both of my girls decided that they HAD to have one even though neither of them has spent much time playing with dolls in their lives.

And since it was really the only thing on both of their lists I bit the bullet and decided to get them.

But there's only one American Girl Doll store near us and it's 50 miles away so I had to plan to go there and I wasn't sure when it was going to be.

But then my Sister-in-law told me that she was going to go and "did I want her to pick up anything?"

HOORAY!

I had her get the dolls and a brush and some accessories.  She gave it to me about 2 weeks before Christmas.

5 days before Christmas I started wrapping and realized that instead of getting EACH girl a brush for each doll she had only gotten one brush.

I panicked.  What if I spent all of this RIDICULOUS amount of money and they started fighting Christmas morning about the brush?!?!  I would be SO disappointed.

I had a meeting in Boston on the Thursday before Christmas.  I figured I could finish my meeting then drive 30 miles west to the store and then 60 miles home.

Crazy? Yes, but I felt desperate.

But then I had a burst of sanity and realized that I was better than that - that I didn't want to be THAT mother who had to have the brush.  And more importantly, I didn't want my daughters to be those girls who needed everything to be perfect to be happy.

So I went home instead and had dinner with my family.

But on my way home I called my friend who knows EVERYONE and said, "Do you happen to know anyone who is going to the American Girl Doll store tomorrow?" and she said, "That is a TOTALLY random question and No, I do not."

So I explained why I had asked and we both complimented me for being sane enough not to drive to the store and then we hung up.

And I felt good about my decision even though I REALLY wanted that brush.

So when my friend called me back the next morning and said, "Guess what, I just bumped into my neighbor and her Mother-in-law is at the American Girl Doll Store RIGHT NOW and do you want a brush???" I was all, "FUCK YES!"

So she got it for me and I had to drive to her house and pick it up from her mailbox but I was SO HAPPY.  And when I told my sister - who I had previously whined to about the whole thing - she said, "It's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!" (and yes she was being sarcastic.)

But then this morning, when the kids were opening their presents, my youngest daughter didn't realize that her brush was in the bottom of her stocking so when I said, "Let's brush their hair." They could only find one brush.  I said, "Hm, I thought their were two."

And my older daughter, without missing a beat, said, "I think there's only one. That's okay, we can share."

 

 

Twas the Day Before #Wineparty

note: I can take no credit for this, Credit goes to  @rockstrmum09

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

'TWAS THE DAY BEFORE #WINEPARTY...

Twas the day before #wineparty and all through the house

Every creature was stirring and torturing the pet mouse

I started to think I could not give a care

Hoping someday when I called the babysitter would be there

When out of the distance I thought I did hear

A beep from the phone, the time was drawing near!

So I ran to the kitchen and made such a clatter

Then threw food at the kids didn’t quite see the matter!

Soon after it was time to tuck the kids in their bed

With all of the stress of the day surrounding my head

I poured my first glass and started to feel merry

Tweeted #wineparty to pop that much needed cherry

People gathered to talk about things like being done work

Or to bitch about others who acted like a jerk

I tweeted until I started to get a fuzzy sight

So to bed I went, delighted for a stress free goodnight!