Dead Reckoning

Originating with Linda at All & Sundry.

Here are mine from years past:
2006
2007
2008
2009

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? I had a baby! And I started cardio bootcamp classes at the gym and surprised myself by loving them.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
 Last year, I said: "For 2010, I'm keeping it simple. I just want to be the best wife, mother, and friend I can be." I guess I did an okay job with that. For 2011, there are things I hope that will happen (like finding a new full-time job) that are somewhat out of my control and things that I hope to do that I probably don't need a resolution for (like being a good mom), so I've decided to make one main goal for the year and leave it at that. I want 2011 to be the year of the Great Decluttering, in my house, my professional life, and maybe my personal life, too.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
 One of my message board friends had a lovely little boy in June.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
 My friend Danger's brother passed away.

5. What countries did you visit? None

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? Job security

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 15


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
 After coming very, very close to not being able to breastfeed at all, I'm extremely proud that I have been able to nurse Nico for almost a year now. It was a lot of very hard work, but it was worth it.

9. What was your biggest failure? Even before my hours were cut at work, I was pretty jaded. I shouldn't have let the bullshit interfere with the parts of my job that I love, but I did.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I can't decide if I should say "Just a C-section" or "OMG a freaking C-section!"

11. What was the best thing you bought? Maybe Nico's Little People barn. It cost me $2 for the barn and $15 for the replacement animals and he has played with it every day since I gave it to him.

12. Where did most of your money go? Other than the mortgage, our biggest expense was probably the bundle of hospital bills from Nico's birth.

13. What did you get really excited about? Finally getting to meet our kid

14. What song will always remind you of 2010? Anything from Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? So much happier.
– thinner or fatter? Thinner, but only because at this time last year I was epically pregnant. I'm fatter than I've ever been while not pregnant.
– richer or poorer? Poorer, for certain.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
 Exercised, commented on blogs

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
 Watched TV

18. How did you spend Christmas? We visited MB's family the weekend before Christmas, had Christmas Eve dinner with my mom's extended family, and then spent Christmas Day with my parents and sister at their house. It was really nice.

19. What was your favorite TV program? Burn Notice, I think. Or Deadliest Catch.

20. What were your favorite books of the year? Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson, Room by Emma Donoghue (whole 2010 book list here)



21. What was your favorite music from this year?
 Mumford & Sons, hands down

22. What were your favorite films of the year? I can only think of two movies I saw in the theater, and I enjoyed them both - Inception and Legend of the Guardians in 3D

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I had friends over for cake and Chinese checkers, and I turned 29.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Suddenly coming into a lot of money and adopting a new life as a stay-at-home mom

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? maternity-clothes-way-after-the-baby chic

26. What kept you sane? friends (especially online friends), lots of TV on DVD, naps with my kid

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. I may not be a perfect mother, but I'm a good one.