Giggles and Raspberries: 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Year in review... sort of

I can't possibly remember everything that happened this year, but here's my attempt:

I moved to P42 at work. And then moved back.

My system crashed at the end of January. Consultants and brilliant IT guys got it back up and running, but the damage has been done and it has left a bad taste in the mouth of the entire department.

Peanut made his first pee pee on the potty on January 3, 2009. Meatball made his first pee pee on the potty on Marcy 25, 2009. We are still trying to get the hang of it. Peanut is more amenable to the whole process while Meatball no longer wants anything to do with the toilet.

We fought a lot.

Boys went from saying a few words here and there to making entire sentences that actually make sense. They are amazing. Our latest feat: playing Go Fish. They are pretty good considering their ages.

We visited Florida which was fine.... It wasn't stupendous, and I won't be going back to Orlando until the boys are definitely old enough to completely rock it on every ride at every park in the whole city. The beach at New Smyrna was beautiful, though.

Gus died.

Karlo's wife took the kids and moved back to Louisiana, so he moved into the basement. The best roommate ever since he was NEVER here.

Little Bro drove in the demolition derby - the first one that I've seen in years. It was fun, but would have been great if toddlers didn't get so cranky around bed time.

Spent time with a cousin that I haven't seen in years and years and years. Nice guy - thank goodness.

Tried to stop swearing. Still working on it.

Fought some more.

Lost weight, gained weight, lost weight, gained weight.

Fed ducks, slid down slides, ran around like crazy people.

Went camping and fishing where Peanut proved to be a pretty good caster. Meatball is happy to throw rocks. The three of us enjoy chipmunk hunting while Bub catches dinner.

Ran the Wasatch Back Relay with a bunch of strangers and a co-worker. It was amazing, and I love relays. What a blast!

Continued to run with co-worker Carol. She is such a dedicated (stubborn) runner and a good example for me to follow.

Struggled to make ends meet - big time. Continues today.

Hosted a fabulous party in August with almost everyone from the old gang. People came in from Alaska, California, New York and all over Utah. It was fantastic! It was soooooo much fun to see so many people that had been missing from my life for so long. Loved it and love them all.

Ran - sort of - the Mesa Falls marathon with Little Bro. His knees were bugging him, so he had to drop at mile ten. It was HARD for him, and I felt awful for continuing.

Went to Yellowstone as part of the trip to Mesa Falls. Lesson to Mommies: scenery and grazing wildlife are NOT exciting for toddlers.

Loved relays so much that co-worker Carol and I did another on in October in Vegas. I spent four days away from the boys. It was awful. However, met up with Vasey and Nik who couldn't make the aforementioned big party. We had a blast. Danced a lot; drank a goodly share of beers, and stayed up until past the wee hours of the morning. Spent a LOT of money. Missed the boys. Fought with Bub. Long weekend.

After a short stay in Louisiana, Karlo and Rowy spend a little over a month here while getting everything ready for the big move. We miss them (with the exception of the biting....)

Took a vacation to Lake Tahoe which would have been oodles of fun if we had actually made it TO Lake Tahoe. The weather didn't cooperate, so we were STUCK in Fernley, NV. God bless the people in Fernley for not slitting their own wrists out of boredom. FYI - being snowed into a hotel room for two days is sheer torture for two toddlers. Not a postcard event for the mommies, either.

Baked 58 loaves of bread to give away at Christmas time, and it was barely enough. Poppy seed, zucchini, banana, pumpkin, and cranberry. Secretly, I loved it, and I can hardly wait for next year because I found the coolest recipe...

Applied for a pilot MBA program at Westminster and was accepted. Holy crap! Everything changes now.

Love my pantry. Especially now that it's clean, clean, clean! Oh, my holy orgniazation. I love it. It looks beautiful. Love the uber-healthy pears, tomatoes, salsa, jam, pickles, apricots, and spaghetti sauce that I canned by myself. I know, I know - get a handcart and start crossing the prairies.... Oh, if only they wouldn't stone me for making passes at the other sister wives.

Still fighting but determined to figure out what the *#@^ our problem is.

In the end, even though Bub is unemployed, I am grateful that she is home and taking care of our boys. Pocketbook couldn't be leaner, but those boys want for nothing. She's a great mom, and I'm jealous that it's not me. Someone has to insure the family, though. Thank you, backwards-assed-state of Utah.

I actually sent holiday cards this year. Yeah for me! I continue to refuse to send generic messages via Facebook.... I vow to do my part to keep the USPS limping along by sending cards. Yes, cards. Thanks cards, birthday cards, romance cards (I'm sure that you saw the pattern emerging above), just-because-you-rock cards. It's a lost art, the card...

The boys graduated to big boy beds. Nice and sad all at the same time.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas pics

So, I was totally going to download pictures of the holidays (Halloween through New Year), but I can't find the cord that connects to the camera. Of course. I finally have three minutes - after spending 30 minutes deleting pictures that Peanut took - and I can't find the cord. BLAST!

So, instead, I'll treat you to Christmas pictures courtesy of the Meatball and the Peanut. Uncle Norris, in Washington state, send them the indestructible-kid-cameras for Christmas. This is good and good - really, I tried to think of a bad, but there isn't one. It's good because Meatball LOVES to take pictures. It's good because Peanut will finally stand still long enough to have a picture take of him instead of trying to see the screen of the camera all of the time. We have gone through a lot of batteries, though..... I've deleted a lot of pictures of the carpet and the wall and the carpet and the chairs and the fridge and the carpet, but some of the pictures are actually pretty good.

So, without further delay, I give to you Christmas '09 from the perspective of two 2-year olds.....

Peanut self portrait

Momma Bub making breakfast, photo by Peanut

Mommy K, photo by Peanut

Relaxin' in new Cowboys shirt after the loot has been unwrapped, Peanut self portrait

By far, the more prolific photographer, Meatball has a whole thematic element to his photos. I present to you: his feet.

Bare

Booted

Booted with snow

This next theme could be called "goofy grandparents":

Grandpa

Grandma

Papa

Nana

And, now, a lesson in perspectives:

Finally, the best moms in the world:

Momma Bub reading the instructions to one of our MANY battery operated toys (the toy manufacturers and battery companies are in cahoots!)

Mommy K

Big Boy Beds!

Papa and Nana gave the boys their Big Boy Beds! Since we were in SLC for Christmas Eve and most of the morning, they had time to disassemble the cribs and put the beds together. The boys were very surprised when we got home. After jumping on them for a few minutes, it was bedtime. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the first night in the big beds.

Christmas Morning Part 1

We spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Santa found us - thank goodness!

Here is Bub with a Barbra Streisand book. It doesn't take much to make her happy.

Meatball close up - not sure why.

Meatball with his new camera, courtesy of Uncle Norris. He took 300+ pictures on Christmas day alone.

Peanut with his camera.

Happy little Peanut in his Dallas Cowboys t-shirt.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Morning part 2

After leaving Grandma and Grandpa's house, we stopped at Papa and Nana's house. Nana hand made some GREAT sweaters for the boys. They are so cute and warm!