2008 in a nutshell

I've seen this questionnaire floating around a few other blogs. I thought I'd write a deep retrospective of the year, but with the colds I'll take the easy road and just use this:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Gave birth to two babies at one time, duh!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn’t really make any for 2008. But I plan to set a couple goals for 2009.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Do I count? Then yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
There were many losses, but thankfully no one I was really close to.

5. What countries did you visit?
Sadly, I did not leave the US in 2008. But hopefully I’ll break away in 2009.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Some “me” time. And more will power to stick to my diet & exercise.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
2.13.08 – we gained two new tax deductions.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping two babies alive.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting back in shape (oh who am I kidding – not getting in shape in general!).

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing other than recovery from bedrest & c-section.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Granite countertops. (glorious!)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Hmm, I’ll nominate Tim. He has become quite a good daddy.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Can I nominate Tim again? Just kidding, can’t really think of anyone for this question.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bennett & Kendyll (in the form of medical bills, pampers, Similac, baby gap, gear, etc.)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My gift certificate for a massage for Xmas – I cannot wait to use it!!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
“Sexy Can I” by Ray J. Hey – no judgment!!! I have a funny story about Ray J from a few years ago . . . this coupled with the fact that our former nanny had this as her ring tone and I changed the lyrics and sang this song to Kendyll is why it will remind me of 2008.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Technically thinner, but feel fatter
c) richer or poorer? Even, I think

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eat

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With family, but sick. Better than last year, though, which was with family, but on bedrest.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes, with B&K

22. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office, with LOST a close 2nd.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No – hating people is bad (wait, didn't I say in an earlier post that I hate people?)!

24. What was the best book you read?
I didn’t get to read like I normally do on vacation this year, but Tim gave me a couple of books for Xmas so hopefully I can catch up!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
That B&K like my singing. No really -- they do!!

26. What did you want and get?
The granite countertops. If you had told me this time last year I’d have infant twins AND had gotten my countertops I would have told you that you were nuts!

27. What did you want and not get?
To win the lottery.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Um yeah, didn’t really see many films this year. We did just watch "Dark Knight" and the new Narnia movie and they were both pretty good.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 33. Tim brought home a red velvet ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery and invited our friend Jodi over to celebrate. It was a small gesture, but very lovely.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sleep. Seriously though, it was a pretty good year.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Black, brown & bland.

32. What kept you sane?
Having a husband who’s sense of humor is as sick (if not sicker) than mine.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Can’t think of anyone . . . how sad!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election in general – it was fun to watch the results come in.

35. Who did you miss?
I miss all our friends all over the place.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I gotta give a shout out to my new multiple mommy friends. I don’t know what I’d do without you --- especially Alicia, Marie and Debbie (although I knew you before, I know you so much better now!) as well as all of the support I’ve found through my online MoM friends.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don’t take your blessings for granted.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine".

Let me explain . . . R.E.M. is my favorite band of all time (little self disclosure here . .. I've actually been a member of their fan club!). I thought for sure that my life was over once I had kids. But it turns out it isn't over -- just different -- and I feel fine about that.

A Christmas Story

Sadly, I did not get to watch my all time favorite movie at all over Christmas. Oh well . . . there is always next year. You'd think with it running for 24 hours straight I'd actually get around to it. But I did hear it in the background (my dad & brother were watching it) . . . "daddy's gonna kill Ralphie", "I can't put my arms down" -- it is just as if I watched it myself. :-)

Highlights from our festivities:

- B & K take after big brother Tabasco -- they enjoyed eating the paper more than opening gifts (or even playing with what was inside).

- They received just the right amount of stuff. Although I assume everyone being nice to us since B & K's birthday is right around the corner.

- Everyone referenced how much nicer it was to have me helping out this year instead of being immobilized on bedrest on the couch (thanks guys! Just kidding!).

- Even though we were all a bunch of snot balls, everyone managed to make it through a meal without hurling. (already a step up from Thanksgiving).

- We have enough cookies in our house to feed a small nation. Seriously. I think I may never eat a cookie again (yeah right!).

- B & K had their first taste of Grandma Z's homemade from scratch Italian wedding soup last night. They ate the tiny noodles and shredded chicken and LOVED it (OK, this one may seem random, but with us both still feeling a little under the weather we decided to heat up the soup Mom brought down. Normally we eat the soup on Xmas eve, but this year we waited a few days . . . but it is still technically part of the "festivities").

We snapped a ton of pictures, but my favorites happen to be these. This is Xmas morning, just before B&K's breakfast. Kendyll has taken to sucking on her paci again . . . Bennett uses his as a teether and hasn't really put one in his mouth the "right" way in ages. But as we snapped a few Xmas morning pics, here is what unfolded -- priceless!

Well at least someone is feeling better . . .

B & K want you all to know they are feeling a lot better. We went back to the pedi yesterday and they now both have ear infections, but after two days of antibiotics they are smiling and happy again (even Bennett, who on top of all this sickness has managed to start cutting two more teeth!).

Mommy & Daddy on the other hand -- yeah, we're not so hot. We both started to feel sick late last week and pretty much have only left the couch to tend to B&K (and to take them to the dr yesterday). Hopefully we'll be back to 100% by New Year's.

I promise to post pictures & put an update on our Xmas festivities up here later this week. Maybe when I stop coughing up my lungs and can actually type without wiping my nose every two seconds. :-)

Are we nuts?!?!

This one is for my good friend and fellow twin mommy, Alicia. She & I had lunch earlier this week and we were talking about our up-coming Xmas festivities. I told her we planned to bring B&K to our favorite upscale steakhouse for Xmas eve dinner and I'm pretty sure she thought we were off our rocker. ;-) Well, I'm very proud to report that B&K are so on the mend that we not only made it to Xmas eve mass, but we also made it to our dinner. And they were little angels throughout both events. They are now snuggled in bed waiting for Santa to arrive while we are getting ready to watch the ND bowl game. Woo-hoo! Photo evidence of our dinner adventure. :-)

Merry Xmas again to everyone! B& K are "Seacrest OUT!". :-)

Our Savior

No, I'm not talking about that guy. I'm talking about "Baby Einstein" DVDs!! Lauren had them on constant rotation yesterday and we took to popping one in today. B & K are on the mend, but the DVDs are pretty much the only thing that will keep them occupied (and quiet) while awake. Here are a few pics of them chilling on the couch with Tim's little brother, Archie (his parent's dog) and Tabasco on the floor.

We hope that everyone has a safe and joyous Christmas!! Special love & shout outs to our family & friends all over the place -- we miss you all!!

How we roll . . .

Good grief, as my “Charlie Brown” would say! Why is it every time we look forward to something we are disappointed (see Vacation and Thanksgiving)? As Tim put it this morning “that is just how we roll”. We had a decent weekend . . . we took B&K on an adventure on Saturday. We purchased new booster seats to bring with us for restaurant eating – this way we know they are secure and that they will have a seat (I always have this great fear that we’ll get to a restaurant and they will only have one high chair available -- weird, I know). Anyhoo, they loved sitting up, chewed a bunch of Puffs and we called our lunch adventure a success. Then we were off to shop and then headed home to wrap up some gifts. On Sunday it was balls-ass cold in Ohio and we decided to keep the babies holed up all day. Plus Kendyll had developed a nasty cough and Bennett would chime in with his version every so often. A LONG sleepless Sunday night led us into Monday when we decided to take both babies in to the pedi. Bennett was diagnosed with a slight case of bronchiolitis and Kendyll has it much worse (borderline RSV). NICE. K was tortured with a lovely breathing treatment in the pedi’s office and we were sent off with a play at home version as well. She is also on a steroid to help her lungs. Last night wasn’t much better as Bennett has now caught up to Kendyll and we’ve started the breathing treatments on him too (he’ll get his own batch of the steroids today as well). Fun times in our house.

So looks like we are in for another rough holiday. I’m trying not to complain too much because I realize there are many others out there who are worse off than us. It just sucks . . . maybe we’ll learn not to look forward to things.

Regardless, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get on again before the holiday, but hopefully everyone will be on the mend by then.

We've got spirit, yet we do . . .

Time to pimp yet another football team. This time it is MY turn . . . GO STEELERS!!! :)

Note: Sorry for the lack of smiles . . . I think they both may be coming down with a cold - lovely!