It's so true what they say, as the kids get older, the years are going by quicker. I feel like I blink and it's a new year. I am very impressed with all we managed to do in 2015. It was a jam packed year, full of so many awesome adventures, new experiences and happy moments.
Without further ado, here is my annual recap:
Travel in 2015:
January: Orlando for a long weekend (the kids & me)
March: Gettysburg, PA (Jeff & Ian)
March: Richmond and Williamsburg (the kids & me with friends)
April: Orlando* for a long weekend
June: NYC (the kids & me with friends)
June: Cruise with Jeff's parents
July: Ian in CT visiting relatives
July: Kids in Orlando for 18 days, I was there for 5 of them.
August: Deep Creek Lake/ Wisp with Jeff
August: Ocean City, NJ for a week at the beach
October: Williamsburg for the weekend
October: Atlantic City, NJ for a family reunion
November: NYC*
November: Orlando and Cruise with my side of the family
December: Gaithersburg, MD for Matthew's Bar Mitzvah
December: Pennsylvania for family Hanukkah party
*Represents trips taken solo
We did the week at the beach again this year. It will forever be remembered as the year that Jeff and I (despite being the ones to pay for the beach house) didn't get a bedroom to sleep in. Oy! Never again I've promised Jeff. Other than this huge SNAFU, it was a great week. We will most likely go back again this summer and get the house right next to my cousins like we've done the past 2 summers.
In 2015, I feel fortunate to have spent as much time as I did with my family in Orlando. As of right now, I don't have any side trips planned to go down by myself. I'll have to see what I can do about that. I treasure the time I can spend with my parents. They won't be around forever and its important to me to see them as much as possible.
Ian and Samantha are doing great in school. Their teachers are amazing and the best suited for each of them. Even Samantha is enjoying going to school. What more can you ask for than that?
Sam has surprised us more than few times in the last few months with her ability to adapt to new environments and being social. It still brings a happy tear or two to my eye when I see how far she has come. The biggest shock of 2015 hands-down has to be Sam's desire to want to go to Camp Ramah / sleepaway camp. She will be going for 12 nights in August 2016.
Ian has decided to play the saxophone. I love listening to him practice. He has come far from that first day when we thought, "Uh-oh, what did we encourage him to do???" The other activity Ian is doing is Flag Football. He'd love to be able to play tackle football, but I can't see that happening anytime soon. Every time I see another story on the news about a high school student dying from getting hit too hard during a football game, I make sure Ian sees the story too.
Both kids have recently shown a natural talent for creative writing. It's pretty wild to read what they are working on (completely on their own, not because its a school project) and know that it came from them at 7 and 10 years of age. I am seriously blown away by what Ian is writing. He is that good. Who knows, maybe Ian will become a writer. Finally, the kids' school this year, is making sure that homework doesn't take over their home life. It has truly made a difference and is a refreshing change from the last 5 years. It's a nice change of pace to be able to have a life after school. And this has made it possible for Ian to work on writing -- just for fun. If you ask me, this is better than any homework they are being asked to do.
Both kids have shown an ability to carry conversations with adults. I love this! I love that we are raising kids who are not afraid to speak to adults. I love that when someone says to Ian, "How are you?" and he responds with, "Fine, thank you. How are you?". I love that the kids have eye contact with the adult they are speaking with. It makes me feel like Jeff and I are doing something right in the manners department.
Jeff has gotten into a great groove at work. He was picked to work on some major high-profile projects and did a wonderful job. There have been many times when he put in 2:00am / 4:00am / 6:00am conferences calls on the weekends, but none of us mind as it isn't stressing him out. I am so proud of him and what he is accomplishing.
Who knew this was the year that I'd get a new car? While it isn't the new Pilot I wanted (for the 3rd row seat), I did get a new CR-V with all the bells and whistles. I absolutely love the car and am enjoying all the new technology. It's awesome! I almost made it to the 200,000 miles I wanted to on the old CR-V. The car got traded in with 194,000 miles on it. No one can say I didn't drive it to the fullest it could go without getting into some major repairs.
2015 for me has become one of my best years ever. Since September, I've really put a focus on my health. Between the boot-camp classes I do religiously 3 times each week and my 5:30am walks with my friend Tami, I feel like I've got a handle on this exercise thing. Additionally, I've given up dairy, grains, and sugar. It's clean eating all the way. I am far from the end result I'd like to see, but the baby steps I have been making are starting to pile up. It's a great feeling and I am really looking forward to 2016 to make even more progress.
I am loving my part-time jobs and am really enjoying the flexibility I
have. I even got a nice little raise from The Crazy Man about 2 months
ago. There's a funny story behind the raise, but let's just say that he was terrified I wasn't happy. It's pretty cool the schedule I have been able to work out and
still be available for the kids before and after school, and any school
holidays or sick days that come our way.
Last year at this time I wrote about Jeff not joining us in a lot of our activities outside the house. 2015 has seen a big change in this. We've been doing so much as a family and it's been really wonderful. In fact, each month, Jeff tries to find something for us all to do outside the house. It is awesome and I love it. The four of us rock! Go Team Toppall!
The biggest negative this past year has to be the kids fighting. OMG! They bicker over everything and anything. I am so done listening to them try to kill each other. They used to fight over who got to use their bathroom first for showers each day. So I came up with odd and even days. Every date that is an even number means that Ian gets to go first. Every date that is an odd day means that Sam gets to go first. If only every thing else could have a solution this easy.
Unfortunately the battle Sam has with getting dressed each morning before school is only mildly getting better. I tell her I won't make her breakfast until she comes downstairs dressed. Some mornings this causes a huge battle, other mornings she complies 100%. I'm guessing its all dependent on if she got a good night of sleep the night before.
Sam is still quick to explode, but I do believe her temper tantrums/meltdowns aren't as long lasting as before. Jeff feels all this stems from her being frustrated. It takes a lot of patience to work thru her anger and find the cause.
Another unfortunate situation is our plans for installing an irrigation system in our lawn never happened. However, with two of the trees gone, we've gotten more sunlight and the lawn is not looking half bad. Some of the best news I have to share is that I didn't rake one leaf this year. Jeff did them all with his lawn mower. What a great time saver! I could get used to this.
My wrap up wouldn't be complete without mentioning that the kids and I still desperately want a dog. It seems so hopeless that Jeff will ever be ready to jump back in. I feel this big void not having a four-legged member of the Toppall family. I have to say to myself every day (sometimes multiple times a day): I love Jeff more than I love the idea of having a dog. If I put it in that context, I can make it to another day. But when you've had as many dogs as I have my whole life, it baffles me that we have two kids and not a dog for them to love.
The year ahead in 2016:
I have some really wonderful plans coming up this year. I hate to even mention it in case it doesn't happen. So I will keep my mouth shut for the time being. :)
I am hoping that we can continue with installing recessed lighting in at least the kitchen and dining room. It has made such a difference in our downstairs family room. This is probably where we'd spend the first bit of extra money that comes our way.
In a bit of irony, we will be paying a good deal of money for someone to remove my 'renovation tree'. The tree is dying and at some point will probably fall. Jeff would like to have the tree professionally removed; I would like the tree to fall in the direction its leaning and get me a new kitchen. Jeff has won the argument on this one. I can't guarantee that either A. It will fall exactly where I need it, and B., we won't be home at the time and potentially die from the tree crashing in the house. While this is a chance I'm willing to take, Jeff is not.
I wish to continue pushing myself outside my comfort zone. I love spending time with friends and plan to do that as much as possible in 2016, getting my family included on my adventures. I really enjoy getting to hang-out with my kids. They are amazing people! Ian and I have been enjoying going to movies. It's wonderful that Ian is old enough to join me. He makes a great date. :)
My New Year's Wish:
To those reading this: I wish for the coming year to let us all enjoy the moment; savor our time spent with family and friends. May we have reason to smile and laugh not just at the big stuff, but the little stuff too.
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