2011 In Review: Survey Form

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Traveled on an airplane with a toddler by myself.  Took a cab from an airport with a toddler, by myself.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 
I did and I didn't.  I lost more weight, but I gained some of it back.  We didn't save as much money as I wanted to, though we did save some.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup.  Many of my friends in fact.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Our family has been blessed with good health of late.  A fact for which I am eternally grateful.

5. What countries did you visit?
US of A

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Hmmm ... a great place to take G that burns off excess energy while stimulating his brain.  That doesn't cost $85 a month.  You know who you are $85 a month place.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
G's 18m well visit that turned into something else and got us in touch with the wonderful specialists at Medical City Children's.  December 7th.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 
See #1.

9. What was your biggest failure?
December 7th.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.  We have been blessed.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I think I bought this at the beginning of 2011, but the video monitor for G.  It's such a nice to have, especially for a child with G's tummy issues.  I could see if he was just crying or crying and vomiting or when his leg got stuck in the slats.  Which happened.  Twice.

12. Where did most of your money go? 
G.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
G learning his body parts.  And saying all of his farm animals.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011? 
Hmmm.  Probably anything by Florence and the Machine.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder?
I live a blessed life.  It'd be ridiculous to be sadder.

Older or wiser?
Older and wiser.  Especially if you have gastro questions.  I'm your gal.

Thinner or fatter?
I was thinner.  Then I quit breast feeding.  Now I'm about the same.  I need to get back to the workouts.

Richer or poorer?
Richer.  G is a great little boy and his sweet personality makes us very rich indeed!  But ... his eating habits are making me poor, poor, poor!  But in a good way.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I pretty much do all that I want to do.  But I wish I'd read more.  I wanted to read 50 books this year and I only got to 34ish.  That's what happens when you have a small person.

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

Cleaning up of vomit.  Though I guess than we'd be living in squalor which wouldn't have been good.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents here at the house and with my brother.  It was very quiet and nice.

19. What was your favorite TV program?
Once Upon a Time

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 
Nope.  I spend way too much time worrying about who hates me, not the other way around.

23. What was the best book you read? 
Hmmm ... I really enjoyed The Night Circus, but was it the best?  The Book Theif was awesome.  I liked the Map of True Places.  It'd be easier to tell you the worst book I read this year: True Believer, Nicolas Sparks.  Or This Lullabye, Sarah Dessen.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery? 
Florence and the Machine and one other one that I'm not thinking of.  Christina Perri maybe?

25. What did you want and get? 
A DSLR

26. What did you want and not get? 
A magically bigger house that doesn't require me to move or stress about selling a house.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
I only saw like 4, and one of them was a Twilight Movie which is in a category all by itself so it doesn't count, so I'd say Moneyball.  Which I really liked.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 
We went out for a nice dinner, and I got a sparkler on a cupcake.  And Nunya.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 
If we could just skip over the events of December 7th.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
SAHM sheik

31. What kept you sane? 
Wine, my husband, my son's early bedtime and his overall greatness.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm not into that sort of thing much.  And I'm falling off the news wagon as it's just. so. depressing. 

33. What issue stirred you the most? 
debt ceiling, spending bills, overall US debt

34. Who did you miss? 
my sister.  So I made her fly out here.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmmm.  Don't know.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011: 

Nothing is worse than sick children.  Nothing.  And I don't even have one.  But I'm now around a few doctors who are around sick children, and I'm just more aware of them.  This year was a good year for the folks calling and wanting money from me.  A 'la St. Jude, I gave thanks for the healthy kids in my life and gave money to those that are not.  And I'm so, very, very, very grateful for the high quality of care we get here.

In short ... 2011 was a great year for the H household.  My husband worked his tail off.  G has done well - with a few hiccups - and I show him and his animal sounds off all the time now.  He's my favorite little side kick.  Today he was a whiner but I still wouldn't send him away.  He's awesome and I love him to pieces.  Any year that he is in is a gift and I'm grateful.  Hard to be down when I have a great husband, suberb kid, and we're about to go on vacation tomorrow.  :)  Oh yeah, be jealous.