I spent the day with Sunny, as we both had today off. I rarely get to do this—it was fun.
She woke up well after I dropped Jane off at school* and we watched a little Nick Jr. and had dry Cheerios and pretended to be turtles with the laundry hampers I was supposed to use for the three loads I had to finish or risk several of us going to work or school naked tomorrow.**
After lunch at Sunny’s favorite restaurant—they have dinosaur chicken nuggets, waffle fries, and a decent adult menu, too—we watched Disney’s Princess and the Frog, by which I mean she watched it while I watched something completely different on my laptop with headphones.***
We spent the rest of the afternoon “flopping on the bed,” which is a game—half aerobics, half pro-wrestling—that she invented back when she was younger and it didn’t hurt so much for her to bounce on the mattress and land an elbow drop to Mommy’s spleen, but she’s far more susceptible to psychological tickle-fingers , so it all evens out. We also gave the cat a brushing and zapped pinkies with the static.
Not a bad way to spend our last hours of holiday freedom.
And then her Daddy came home and I was immediately abandoned. I dragged my squashed spleen over to my laptop, breathed for a bit and thought about 2011 for a while—you know, for the sake of Auld Lang Syne, and also because I remembered I needed a blog post.^
This was one hell of a year, y’all, for all kinds of reasons.
I started to list ’em out, but I already have a blog archive, off to the left there, and a decent search engine. It’s pretty much all there, and I’ve left bits and pieces of the rest on most of your blogs as well.
So I’m going to spare you all that and skip to the end (you’re welcome).
There have been moments of upset and one patch of depression, sure, but the lows weren’t as low as they might have been—and the highs? They soared.
And the main reason for this? You all.
Those of you who comment, those who just land and like, those of you who send me e-mails and poems and bracelets and oh, mercy, the videos.
Those of you who have taken the time over the past twelve months to tell me (or show me) that I’m not wasting mine.
Thank you so much. And thanks in advance for 2012—it’s going to be a blast.
Have a virtual hero cookie—you deserve it! And don’t forget to tell me which one you chose!
_______________________________
*It started snowing halfway there and she suddenly realized she didn’t have mittens or a hat. So I handed over the gloves she gave me for Christmas (the cirrrrcle of liiiiife) and my second favorite red felted cloche hat. All came back, although the jet pin on the hat had mysteriously transferred itself to Jane’s jacket during the course of the day.
**And baby, it’s suddenly waaaay too cold outside for that. I have no idea what’s going on with the weather (as if I ever have a clue) It was 50F on Sunday—my husband took the kids out the hit baseballs at the park—and here it is 22 out, with a thin coating of indifferent snowflakes. No wonder my sinuses are vibrating like tympani.
*** Yes. This different, second season division. And all I have to say about this at the moment is SQUEE. I repeat, with all due dignity, SQUEE. And to the person who made it possible, thank you again for saving everyone from the terror of my Brando impression.
^I swear I’m going to think it’s Monday all week. Heaven help me if I have to date something without the magic of autofill . . .
Earful of Cider 
Okay, what is your secret to be able to sit next to her while she’s watching a movie but be “allowed” to do something else? The second I pull out a book or start writing, my son immediately starts asking me questions or does this running commentary until I close up what I’m doing and he goes back to quiet.
I can sit and stare out the window undisturbed but so much as a gander toward something that interests me…it’s like they have some futuristic sixth sense. Tips, please.
It sounds like a sweet day where you could devote so much time and love to just one of the kids. I love days like that. Cheers to all of the wonderful things headed your way in 2012.
And I’m going with Green Lantern because, well, it kills me that he looks like Cartman. Ha!
When my children watch the tube, I could set fireworks off behind them and as long as they could hear the show/movie/commercial, they wouldn’t even know. And even then, they would only ask me to stop, please, Mommy, without bothering to turn and look.
So try being a neglectful mother and plugging your kids into the idiot box a couple hours every day . . . Seriously, though, they only get an hour or less a day, except on holidays or for family movie time, so they tend to be more absorbed than other kids. It’s a theory.
You do know that Green Lantern only looks like Cartman while in cookie form? Otherwise, he’s even more yummy. 🙂
You have helped me more than you know, Sarah. There were moments, I remember them clearly, when all I wanted to do was throw in the bucket but then you were there, steadfast and bright, and I felt like I could keep it going. Thank YOU. I owe you more than you know.
And I will repeat “more than you know” until the cows come home!
You’ve helped me, too, MSB—you slogged through that thing of mine earlier
this (drat)last year, and I can’t tell you how much that meant to me (more than you know 😉 )Top left because she looks like she’s rocking a tiara. I love your posts Sarah and MSB is spot on “steadfast and bright.” Thank you.
Hi, Downith—I knew that cookie seemed familiar!
(and aww, shucks—thank you for classing the place up, Duchess)
Here’s to 2012, which could not get here fast enough! Thank goodness it’s been so much fun around these parts …. and I’m going with the Wonder Woman cookie, because when I was about 12, I luxuriated in fantasy TV shows like Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, and The Six Million Dollar Man. Linda Carter and Lindsay Wagner were so smart, so pretty, and so tough!!
Will you split Wonder Woman with me, Teri? I mean, she’s wearing hooker boots and lingerie. It’s my look.
Patriotic bustiers and hooker boots for everybody!
Salud, Teri!
Good choice! I loved Wonder Woman as a kid . . . of course, now when I think of Linda Carter managing to run in that costume in those high-heeled boots without killing herself or causing an incident, I know how much of a wonder she was. 😀
It’s Tuesday and I’m convinced it’s Wednesday since I was off work yesterday. Instead of my brain doing the normal thing and thinking today is Monday, it gets all confused, jumps ahead an extra day and decides that since we’re on an advanced workweek schedule, then today is Wednesday instead of Tuesday. Do you follow? If not, that’s understandable. In fact, it might bode well for your own sanity.
I actually did follow that, Laura, so at least we’re not alone in our confusion.
I’ve convinced it’s either Monday or Wednesday, because it can’t possible be Tuesday. It just . . . can’t.
When school is in session, I barely make time to make two blog posts in a week. I don’t read anything that’s not written by a tween. And when school’s not in session, I spend every possible minute with Jon. I try to read and write as much as possible. But your blog is the only blog I ever make it to outside of mine and I’m always so happy I do because you have a knack for catching the tender/hilarious/unique moments in life that is so read-able and enjoyable to be made a part of.
2012 is going to rock. Just like 2011.
Also, superheroes are sort of my thing, so your cookies are PERFECT. And I picked Batman, of course. Because he’s the best.
So are you, Lisa.
Thanks for everything. There’s no way I could have make it this far without your support and encouragement—and musical education!