End of the year wrap-up - 2010 edition

It's been quite a year for my Toppall team and me.  Other than dealing with a massive weight gain (21 pounds) and saying good-bye to my first baby (Bailey), I have to say 2010 was pretty spectacular. 

I didn't expect to travel nearly as much as I did:

*January- Mexico for a friend's wedding,
*June - Orlando for my sister's graduation
*June - Martha's Vineyard for my cousin's wedding
*October - Girl's weekend at Chesapeake Beach
October - Lancaster for a family trip
November - FL for Thanksgiving, a week at the beach and 3 nights in Mexico with Jeff

I feel so fortunate to have been able to get away as much as I did.  * Represents trips taken solo. I definitely hit the husband lottery in Jeff's willingness to let me go, while he stayed behind and took care of the kids.  We discovered in October, traveling with the family was fun again. And in November, we hit a new milestone of being able to fly as a family again.

We lost a family member this year, our beloved Bailey.  There is still a pretty big hole in all our hearts over the loss of our four-legged friend.  I still think about him daily and Sam walks around saying, "New dog, daddy.  New dog, please".  Between me and you, I think by this time next year, I'll be blogging about the newest family member adjusting to our crazy family.

Ian has proven to be a math genius.  While away in November, there was one morning we both woke up early and I used that time to teach him how to multiply.  He got it.  Literally in minutes.  He is simply amazing and doesn't even use paper.  You can see him doing all the math in his head before he comes out with the correct answer.

Sam is in full swing of being 2 and is a girl through and through.  Between the need to change her clothes multiple times in a day, the persistence to do everything herself "My got it", and her overall fiestiness, it can only mean one thing, she is a force to be reckon with.  G-d help us all.

Jeff had a great year at work and we rejoiced when his security clearance came through.  This is something he had dreamt of getting for some time now, but needed a job/company that found it necessary.  I am still under gag order to write about him.  I love him dearly and will respect his wishes that I keep my mouth shut.

I, myself, came up with a New Year's Resolution experiment in 2010 and picked a small change I wanted to make each month.

*January - Give up soda
February - No snacking after 7:00pm
*March - Slow down on the activities, don't double-book and say yes to everything
*April - Take better care of my cuticles
May - "Bite my tongue", no picking on Jeff
June - No FB or email checking in the car
July - Same as June, but with hopes of actually succeeding
August - Work on diet, track everything I eat
*September - No longer be electronically connected all hours of the night
October - No credit use, use cash to pay for everything
*November - Take more video of the kids
*December - A random act of kindness each day

* Represents changes that are still occurring.  Yes, that's right -- it has been one entire year since I had soda.  Wow.  It feels good to know that I was able to give this up and stick with it.  Also, I am sleeping much better not reaching over in the middle of the night and checking email/FB on the iTouch.  I like this change and will continue to do that.  Lastly, as for the June/July change, I am much more conscience of when when I go to lift my blackberry and see what is going on with email/FB, and generally I do put it down unless I am in a parking lot with the car in park.  So that is good. 

As for the random act of kindness, I really got into the spirit of it and felt great. I will continue to do my best to help the world be a kinder, better place.  And in my response to March's change, I went in the complete opposite direction and got a bigger calendar.  I realized it was the small squares that was getting to me.  Now I have the biggest calendar I could find and it helps to have everything neatly written in each square.  I feel less overwhelmed by our schedule and can make it a point to say, "No, that day won't work for us. We already have stuff going on."

As I look towards 2011, I have some ideas/resolutions I'd like to embrace;

1. Travel as a family more.  Take long weekend trips (at least 3 times over the course of the year) and really enjoy spending time with the kids, exploring and seeing new things.

2. Continue focusing on my health and well-being.  In 2010, I really put myself at the top of my to-do list and made working-out and running a big priority in my life.  Each morning I made it to the gym, hit the trail for a run or competed in a race, I was better mentally prepared to handle the day and whatever that involved.  I got picked in the lottery system for this year's Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on April 3rd.  I am excited about training for this and hope that when the day of the race comes, I can do the 10 miles without passing out.  I've learned hydration is key!

3. Do something pretty spectacular this coming year as I turn 40.  I am not sure what that is yet, but I want to go beyond my comfort level and tackle something so unheard of for me....maybe it is fitness related (a marathon?), or eat at a restaurant by myself (totally freaked out at the thought of this), or embark on a volunteer opportunity for the needy/homeless/women in crisis.  I don't know what.  I am still thinking about this.  But I don't want this whole year to go by and not do something to commemorate my big 40th birthday milestone.  This will be like a birthday present to myself.

4. Oh, and I want to stick with Weight Watchers.  The revamped program is great.  I am back with new enthusiasm and I expect great things.  Each month (on the anniversary I joined - the 7th of December), I will update my weight loss results.  This is it people!  Every pound I say buh-bye to will be the last time I see it on my scale or theirs.

I wish all those who read my blog a very happy new year.  May 2011 bring you good health, much happiness and lots of love.  I hope you smile more than you frown, laugh more than you cry and see all the good there is out there.   "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world."