the year in review

2008 was certainly not a banner year, but here is a quickie recap of the good, bad and the ugly.

Good stuff:
• Ethan learning to say "please" and "thank you"
• Birthday trip to Colorado
• Ann Arbor 10-year college reunion and Spartan win
• Summer concerts in Millennium Park
• Labor Day Vacation in Michigan with family
• Ethan learning how to ride his tricycle
• Finding my other half

Good Change: Obama being elected President
Good Movie: The Dark Knight (Christian Bale on an IMAX screen...)
Good Show: Broken Social Scene with Yeasayer at the Metro
Good Read: Run by Ann Patchett
Good way to procrastinate: Facebook Scrabble
Good Deal: $10 yoga at Nature Yoga on Tuesday nights followed by $2 pints at the Easy Bar across the street (counterproductive? yes, but you can't pass up a deal)
Greatest thing since sliced bread: iPhone (here an app, there an app, everywhere an app, app)

Good Music:
• The Midnight Organ Fight: Frightened Rabbit
• Spirit If: BSS ft. Kevin Drew
• We Brave Beestings and All: Thao
• In Rainbows: Radiohead
• For Emma: Bon Iver
• Walk it Off: Tapes N' Tapes
• Everything that Happens Today: Brian Eno & David Byrne

Bad stuff:
• Buying a house, then losing the house
• Losing my job
• Unemployment
• Outbreak of grey hair
• Molting lips

Just plain ugly: Divorce

holidays on ice

It seems as if the holiday season came and went in a blink of an eye. The weather here in Chicago has been snowy, icy and uncomfortably cold; though we seem to be going through a bit of a heat wave presently with all of the precipitation and potential flooding. I suppose I wouldn't have it any other way, what else would we talk about? Misery loves company. Though I do find myself day dreaming about the days when I can throw Ethan in a t-shirt and shorts and enjoy the park and other outdoor activities.

Anyway, we had a white Christmas. Ethan made out like a bandit in both the wardrobe and toy department. He had so many presents, that we had to space it out over the course of a few days, he was beginning to show signs of present-fatigue.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas, filled with new family and amazing amounts of warmth and generosity.

The favorite present was a 100-piece wooden train set, which took awhile to set up and in the end didn't quite fit together completely. But Ethan loved it and also received a train whistle and wind up train set sent from his uncle and auntie on the east coast.

Overall, a really nice holiday as we continue to adjust to all the changes. But am feeling content and am banking for good things to come about this new year.

change of address

We are now moved and settled in. The first couple of days were a bit frosty, there was no heat and a delay until the gas people could come out, but I am now defrosted and happy to have a place to call home again.

I can remember when I could move all of my stuff in one car load, it now requires a 30 foot truck with 2 strapping men. I did a quick count and came up with 20 places that I have lived since I was 18, which is a lot of crossed out lines in an address book. But this will be home for at least awhile, my desire to move is rivaled only by a blow to the head.

Ethan has his own room complete with a new big boy bed, a change from his crib. The transition was not as smooth as I hoped and I ended up spending a good part of the night in the bed with him, thankfully the IKEA bed did not break into pieces. It is getting a little bit better every night but still not quite as easy as throwing him into the crib was.

We got a Christmas tree this weekend and it is my first as an adult, and I can't help but to smile every time I look over at the twinkling lights and rather random assortment of ornaments. Ethan had an interesting method of hanging multiple ornaments on the same branch. We also hosted a little cookie party with Ethan's BFF from school, the cookies got cut out, baked and frosted and decorated liberally. So far a warm and happy start to the holiday season.

wish lists

This past weekend, I went with my mom friend to take our little men to see Santa Claus over in Roscoe Village during Winter Fest. It started off on the wrong foot, with the sighting of a six foot tall reindeer. Most kids adore these mythical creatures that come to life in the form of a costumed adult, but for some reason, anything that moves covered in fake fur scares the bejesus out of him, including the Easter bunny and tickle me Elmo. Anyway, Ethan managed to avoid any further reindeer sightings by closing his eyes tightly whenever our paths crossed, perhaps a method that I will take up when there is someone or something I do not want to be bothered with.

We found Santa in a hair salon of all places and Ethan was swept up into Santa's lap with nary a cry or whimper. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he whispered, "reindeer." And that was that, off the lap he went and we left with candy cane in hand. I was kind of hoping for some insight into what he wanted to find under the tree come Christmas day, but think that the reindeer was far too great a distraction. And just like the Easter bunny incident from last spring (where any bunny was deemed bad), anything reindeer-related is now "scary," which makes for some tough holiday activities.

On my wish list for this year, a little peace of mind would be a welcome change of pace. I am moving this weekend, if all goes well, and I am looking forward to having a permanent residence and having all of my stuff in one spot again. Ethan is coming to live with me, which I am incredibly happy about, no more long commutes to the house and no more fist to cuffs with Mike either. Not that it was ever too awful but I think it will be easier for both of us not to have to deal with one another.

As the holidays draw closer, I can't help but to feel a little bit sad that I will not be going home to Michigan nor am I going to Providence to hang with my brother and his family. I am feeling like this transition phase is not yet over, the tailspin from this summer has just slowed to a stop and I am feeling a little bit disoriented. I never thought that I would be unemployed this long, nor did I ever realize how difficult and stressful all of this was going to be. I can hear concern in my mom's voice and see it on my dad's face, and I can't help feeling like I have let a lot of people down. But I suppose now that I have hit the proverbial bottom, I have nowhere to go but up. My holiday wish would be for a fresh start and perhaps a lovely holiday for my little boy to remember.