It's a good thing you can't see me right now. Because all of that is true. Every single last word.
Right. So that was the world's most long-winded way of saying thank you, thank you, and thank you again for being here with me this year...and what a year it was! From my first ever blog post, to house hunting and owning, celebrating my baby's first birthday and my big girl's first day of school, and of course the mind-blowing stories about Nissa running away from home and Inara getting a baby wrap named after her. What an amazing year, indeed.
I thought it would be fun to put together a selection of my favorite posts of this past year, for all of you that are feeling a bit nostalgic (like me) at the end of 2010. It was so neat to go back and read through everything we've been through this year, and I'm so looking forward to what the new year has in store for us. I hope that this will be just the start of many more amazing stories that are waiting to be told.
I hope that everyone has a fantastic new year, one that is filled with happiness and hope and the promise of infinite possibilities for all of us. It's going to be the very best 2011 ever, friends. I can feel it in my bones!
I'll see you on the flip side - I'll see you next year!
Hello, World...Now Please Pass the Manti-Perspirant
"In the midst of all this pathetic self-involvement, the tragedy of the earthquake struck Haiti and it made me take a step back for just a second. In the middle of diaper changes I realized that I needed to say something about it, and that I wanted people to hear me. Too many times us Mamas don't get heard. We don't get the chance to say that we are smart, caring, and involved in the world around us. That we can make a difference. And so I posted about Haiti, took a very deep (caffeine-laced) breath and hit Publish, and then I did the unthinkable. I shared my post...eeeeeeek!"
This Post Is Full Of Poop
"Inara, can you please lean forward a little?" and then she said: "Like this, Mama? And don't forget to tell me to spread my legs WIDE, just like my Daddy always tells me to do!"
How To Teach Your Kid To Hate The Olympics
"I just want to STOP! I DON'T LIKE the Olympics! And I DO NOT LIKE CANADA! I don't WANT to be a Canadian ANYMORE!!!"
Wanna Know What We Did This Weekend?
"I really think that buying your first house is a lot like having a baby. There's the nervous time where you're not sure if it's actually going to happen, the waiting around expectantly, and then the moment you will never forget as long as you live - The Moment Your Offer Is Accepted - which is a lot like giving birth (It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a colonial! It's a foursquare! Oh my frog, it's OURS!)."
Constance McMillen And A Community Gone Mad
"This is not the world I want for my children, for your children, or for our future leaders. This hatred, this seething undercurrent of discrimination that people think is normal is anything but. It's vile and it needs to stop."
Surly Girl
"I can SO see her in there now, listening to her angsty Rainbow Brite records, chugging back big swigs of water, wearing her badass bike helmet and glove, and mulling over the unfairness of the world in general.
Sometimes it's so hard to be a four year old."
Because You Asked Me About Ramadan...
"Childhoods are funny things. Even when we don't realize it's happening - and even if we can't look back and say that it was all roses - there are certain memories, etched on a soul with sunlight and laughter, that are ours alone to smile about all those years later. For me, Ramadan is one of those times."
Surely My Brain Could Be Put To Better Use.
"I can't leave the house without schmutz on my shirt but I can Blame It On The Rain.
I can't exercise without pulling a cramp but I'm still Gonna Make You Sweat.
I can't compliment my husband without telling him that he's Pretty Fly For a White Guy."
The Night Before EidHashanah
"We might wear hijabs and our men might have beardsBut we’re not evil people, you have nothing to fear.
So what if we don’t have friends in high places,
We’ve got lots of oil to fuel your NASCAR races!"
You are a child of the universe, No less than the trees and the stars; You have a right to be here.
"Tell your children today that you love them. Tell them that you have loved them since the day they were born. Tell them that they are perfect and beautiful and full of wonder and possibility and hope and love. Tell them that their love can transform the world."
Wearever After.
"Wearing Inara allowed her to trust me again. I spoke to her in hushed tones while she lay against me, no matter what hospital we were in and what procedure we were undergoing. I told her that I loved her and that I was sorry. I begged her to trust me again and I promised her that I would never leave her alone in pain and confusion. I promised to keep her close to me so that she could learn that her Mama was safe."
To Key Or Not To Key...
"You must fix this. Now." I whispered - because when I'm really REALLY mad, I go beyond the yelling stage. I go right to Homicidal Whispering. That's how you know I'm serious.
Get Your (Harry Potter) Geek On!
"Nekkid making-out apparitions have flawless skin. Jealous.
The Talk (sort of). "Mama, when I grow up and have babies and live here with you forever, I'm going to need your van, okay? Because I really need to get out sometime. I just wanted you to know that. Oh, and I love you and thanks for the van."
And my favorite picture of this past year - one that embodies exactly how you guys make me feel:
Thanks for all the love and support! Happy New Year!