Another year, another round up list of all the ins and outs, the bigs and smalls of the past 12 months. Never easy to compile, but I always love the end result.
- Traveled to Washington D.C. on 36 hour notice to lobby for the first time ever as sexual assault survivor, fighting against the SCOTUS nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. It was one of the most intimidating roller coasters I have ever been on, but I am proud and honored to have done the work of speaking out and standing up for myself and all others impacted by sexual violence.
- Said “goodbye” to my two remaining grandparents, Cliff and Gert. Although 89 years makes for a remarkably long life, I still wasn’t prepared to see either of them go. Same for Ben’s grandma, Louise, who also passed this year.
- Made it to the One Year mark of breastfeeding with Baby No.5. All five made it at least twelve months and WA is still going!
- Did 30 minutes of yoga every day for five straight months, even with a mostly broken toe.
- Mostly broke one of my toes.
- Became the (mostly) sole source of holding of Wilson Ann for five months, too, who turned Velcro-lite mid-summer(she could be put down at home as long as extra people weren’t in the house and she’d also go to Ben). She’s better-ish now.
- Took the plunge and got my “mother’s tattoo” of five flowers for five babies on my left forearm. Love. It.
- Began teaching online for Bellevue University – one class in the fall term and two in the current, winter term.
- Taught a three-week (three credit hour) summer lecture for CCC.
- Took myself (and some of my best girls) to see Nahko in Nebraska – TWICE!
- Took my three oldest babies to their first ever “rock show” – OK Go doing their Live Video Tour at the gorgeous Holland Center in Omaha. I loved it as much as they did (and now my kids will forever have a warped perception of concerts because they all got to go on stage for the encore to dance/jump with the band!)
- Read 71+ books. One of them was just shy of 1,000 pages.
- Joined a THIRD book club (to read the 1,000 pagers)! LOL
- Wrote 47+ blog posts.
- Sent my fourth baby off to his first day of preschool.
- Kept Grounded Sky alive via Prenatal Yoga classes taught throughout the year.
- Survived a whole semester of the morning routine of in-out-in-out-in-out that is our to school, to speech, to preschool, to home run with just me and all five children.
- Committed to staying in this house by coming up with projects that could be done here instead of continuing the house hunt.
- CHOPPED OFF ALL MY HAIR. Funny that it took me this far in the list to remember it; I must finally be over the trauma of it all! LOL! Donating 9″ and 12″ chunks was amazing and while the general public loved the cut, I am much, much happier with the below the ear length style I’ve managed to reach since the initial cut in January.
- Learned how much I love Golden Milk Lattes. So much so that I had to learn how to make them myself!
- Picked up an almost (week)nightly routine of watching The Rachel Maddow Show with Ben. Rarely do we miss one.
- Started using blue light blocking glasses when I am on the computer/my phone for extended periods of time. I think they help my eyes (and brain) feel less frantic by the end of the day, and they seem more effective than just the “night” setting on my phone/dimming my screen.
- Started a house plant collection. I am ending 2018 with three. Here’s hoping I can say at least the same (or better) by the end of 2019!
- Made four trips to SoDak. Before children, that wouldn’t have been an impressive number, but in recent years, one or two trips a year was usually it. Two of those were to Yankton, one to Pierre, and one to the Black Hills. That’s big travel for us, and some of it included vacation moments, but it was all, unfortunately, funeral related.
- Learned to drink black coffee. JUST KIDDING. That may never happen, but I’m completely out of ideas, so we’ll chuck this one on here as a goal-ish for the future. 😉
Cheers and here’s to all the big and small in your lives as well!
The Modern Maiasaura 