2018: Year in Review
The nibblets watching their cousin play soccer.
1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
I learned how to use a Laser Cutter Machine. *cackle* And I bought and learned to use (still learning) a Tarot Deck. Oh! And I bleached part of my hair. I have died it before but never bleached it. It’s the underneath part and its fun.
2. Did anyone close to you die or give birth?
Not this year.
3. What countries did you visit?
Shaun and I stayed home this year with a few trips to the ocean. Instead we sent the boys off to Lummi Island with the rest of the family and then to Camp PDX with Auntie A.
4. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
Energy.
5. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
At the beginning of the year we had both boys at ER on the same night for completely unrelated reasons. Micah sprained the inside of his ankle bad enough that we had to get xrays to make sure it was not broken. Silas had a super nasty head cold and even though he was super hydrated he passed out (I caught him) and it took a few seconds for him to come too. Hello Circus. These are my monkeys. No doctor, we did not do this on purpose. Honestly nothing else sticks out. It was a chill year.
6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
This may sound super lame, but the school director and I created and implemented school houses for our middle school. I made house banners and painted signs for each classroom with the head of house, house name, and logo. I also painted a wall like stone for keeping track of the house points. We did a huge sorting ceremony that was epic fun and we do monthly competitions. It’s great!
7. What was your biggest failure?
I don’t think this is a failure so much as discovering a major flaw. In doing a lot of race related training I discovered I am racist against Native Americans. I have no idea why or how I formed my bias’s, but wow, do I ever have them. Working on it.
8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
My shoulder was angry at me the entire year. I started Phys. Therapy in the last month (December) cause insurance and doctors can be convoluted. I also went through this weird dip in my hormones that took us a few months to realize was the cause of some low end but never ending fatigue. Yay for adjustable hormone meds! Also, in the spring I had a sinus infection that took a 21 day round of antibiotics to finally kick. After, I got to go to a specialist and we broke all the cartilage in my face so the sinus’s can drain better. Fun stuff.
9. What was the best thing you bought?
We accidentally bought a spaceship. The Highlander was needing a LOT of money dumped into it and on the scale of gas mileage it was doing worse than that behemoth truck of Shaun’s. So we traded it in and got a super cheap Prius that was only 3 years old but had 75k miles on it. We figured it was a business car in its previous life. I am not sure I like it though. It makes weird noises when it shouldn’t and doesn’t make any noise at all when it should. Its tini and its wheels are not very grippy and the seat does not adjust right for my particularly odd preferences. So perhaps it’s not the best thing we bought, but it is the biggest.
10. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Silas: He moved up a level in refereeing this year and played a great season of soccer. He also is doing amazing in school. It is likely he will get straight A’s this semester.
Micah: He made it into Chamber Choir and got the part of Jester in the Madrigal Dinner. He also tried out for track and discovered he is a Hurtles guy.
Shaun: Shaun became a Scuba Diving Assistant Instructor. Kinda blows my mind.
11. Where did most of your money go?
A new roof that we put on ourselves. My mom helped too. Cause she is a bad ass like that.
12. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The art I did for school. I painted a huge Celtic knot on my classroom floor and I did art for the School Houses that we implemented.
13. What was your song for this year?
Noel Nouvulet. Been singing it since September on account of chaperoning the Chamber Choir retreat where they start learning all their Christmasey songs. I have been humming it non-stop for 4 freaking months!
14. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Anxiouser. Why is spell check saying that’s not a word. Its totally a word. I was that word!
15. Compared to this time last year, are you thinner or fatter?
Over all I gained 3 pounds. (But that was after a roller coaster of weight gain and loss when we were figuring out the hormone thing.) I have been holding steady at 171lbs.
16. Compared to this time last year, are you richer or poorer?
I feel richer. We were able to pay for a roof, scuba stuff and a down payment on the trip to Ireland we are taking the boys on next summer. And I have not felt like I need to be counting pennies. So I call that rich.
17. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Nothing. I like all our choices this year.
18. What do you wish you’d done less of?
What I said above.
19. How did you spend Christmas?
With the best white elephant exchange ever! It was fun to see what was a hit (A variety batch of Honey, cell charger and a car trunk organizer) and what flopped (I thought my mug was a sure thing! It said: “I am neither an early bird nor a night owl; but some form of permanently exhausted Pidgeon.” I thought it was hysterical! They’re loss.)
20. What was your favorite TV program?
We binged “The Good Place”. It was love at first “fork”.
21. What was the best book you read?
The last book of the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.
Also book 5 in the Lazarus Graphic Novels. A.Maz.Ing.
22. What was your greatest musical discovery?
No judgment! I discovered the genius that is Hamilton. In Silas’s 8th grade LA/GOV class they watched a youtube version where a bunch of artists drew to the soundtrack. He LOVED it (his choir sung My Shot last year in showcase) and was/is constantly singing different tracks. So we watched it and OH MY NICKERS ITS AMAZEBALLS!!! Also, I luved “God is a Woman” by Arianna Grande. I just wish that girl would enunciate.
23. What Podcast captured your attention this year?
Scene on Radio: “Seeing White” series. Damn.
24. What did you want and get?
I wanted a bunch of people to come to Shaun’s 40th birthday to surprise him and not only did all our important peeps come, but I actually pulled off the surprise bit!!! Nailed it.
25. What did you want and not get?
A patio. But that is OK because I was so stressed for no reason half the year (stupid hormone imbalance) that it would have pushed me into losing my mind.
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Black Panther lit me up. Ocean 8 cracked me up. Annihilation messed me up. And late to the game, watched Arrival. IT’S NOT TIME TRAVEL so I am allowed to like it. *glare*
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
40th – Just chilled. I counted Shaun’s as mine too in a way.
28. What’s one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A better written, more thought out last book to one of my favorite book series ever. Seriously Kevin, it was dripping with I-have-other-things-I-want-to-be-doing. *grumpy stare*
29. What kept you sane?
My husband and lots of board games.
30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This year I enjoyed everything Christen Bell and Dax Shepard.
31. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Holly shit does race matter. Its embarrassing that I am finally cluing in this late in the game but better late than never. I am continuing my race training as an educator into next year and probably forever.
32. Was there anything that surprised you?
Not that I can think of.
33. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I honestly can’t think of any. Honestly, the songs that pop into my head that capture this year don’t have any lyrics. Heptapod B from the Arrival soundtrack being the one that stands out most.
34. What am I grateful for?
My husband
Living close to family
My boys
Books
Good Board games
Our DM
Shaun finding Scuba Diving
