Best and Worst of 2010

'Tis the season for best and worst lists, don't you think? And while it may seem a bit cliché, I have never claimed that I am above being cliché.  Indeed, cliché completes me.

Best of 2010, in no particular order:
+Long periods of harmony with the boys, which after the summer of 2010 I thought to be impossible. These days of kumbaya have given me renewed hope in the peace and prosperity of my future and for that, I am thankful.

+The success of the garden. Though I claimed that I'd be happy with a 50% turnout, the truth is I would have been a bit disappointed, so the fact that over half of the things I planted actually turned into something edible was a huge gift to me. It felt really empowering to grow my own food to feed my family. And, the first gift of my garden was one of the best signs I've ever received.

+Deciding to challenge myself physically by joining Death by Beth, the class at the healthclub 2 days a week. It's like bringing the realities of high school PE class home again without the uncomfortable naked locker episodes. When is the last time you were in a sprint contest and ran as hard and fast as you could? When is the last time you worked out so hard that you felt nauseous? I know, it was the same for me.

+Jack starting to actually love to read. Although Jack has always been a top reader skill-wise in his class, he hasn't shown a great desire to read unless it was required, until recently. The key has been finding books that he is interested in, which has been a lot of Star Wars, Scooby Doo, etc. He actually told me recently that he loved to read even more than play his DS. While the truth of this statement is questionable as he is a pleaser by nature and knows I like to hear certain things, the fact that he willingly chooses reading as his leisure activity sometimes is incredibly encouraging. This coming from the child who would go to the library and bring home a paper grocery sack full of books and read them all before they were due as often as I could when I was little. It makes my heart happy.

+Luke's success in preschool. I have been so concerned about Luke's fitting in socially in school settings which required a certain decorum, of which I had not seen Luke demonstrate yet. In fact, I went to talk to the teachers before school started just to give them a heads up about his nature and encourage them to be firm and simplistic in their requests of him to better allow him to succeed. And, the best thing has happened. They tell me that they think I was crazy and wonder why I even came in. That is exactly what I hoped might happen in the best outcome. That they wouldn't see what I was talking about at all, and wonder why I even came in ahead of time. Success=he is fitting in seamlessly in his last year of preschool and I couldn't be happier.

+Vacation 2010 Outer Banks, NC. So much fun, need I say more.

+Sledding. I realized that simply watching your children fly down those sledding hills elicits the deepest most natural laughs straight from your belly and it feels so good. Plus, I love to sled myself. There is nothing like feeling like a kid again instead of an adult with all of the laundry, dishwasher unloading and butt wiping that adulthood entails. Who wouldn't rather go sledding with your kids than do household chores? And, the best part is, this is right in our backyard. This is one of those hidden gems that I didn't even realize we'd enjoy when we bought the house.

+Date nights. We have probably done the best we've ever done since kids this year with our date nights. It helps that we were invited into a monthly card club with 11 other couples, so that pretty much guarantees one night out per month, and often, we fit in another night for the two of us. Despite the fact that we've had to take out a small home equity loan to finance all of the babysitters, it is so worth it. One of the best investments in our marriage. And that time that Rob planned it all himself for my birthday ROCKED! Heavy hints from the grandstands sweetie.

+The people and culture in Iowa has been so simple, down to earth and inclusive, allowing us to more easily build a network of friends around us than anywhere else. I've yet to meet a pretentious person from Iowa, and that is saying a lot. No focus is put on home or the amount of posessions owned, but rather on family and friends. It is real, it is easy, and it is a breath of fresh air. {Not saying I don't like a bit of wildness in my life because I do. Crazy kooky friends are equally welcome.}

+And finally, the realization that we have such a strong network of friends and family around the country that I truly feel that no matter where we would land, I would always feel that strength and stability supporting me. So, although building a life where you live with friends is so important, it is such a relief knowing that no matter where we are we always have our rocks.

Whew. Composing this list has taken me an hour and a half. And I already had it all written up. So you see the speed of my internet connection. Which will probably make my worst list. Or at least it should. But nonetheless, this has taken me way too long, and it's quite possible my children have burnt small dead spots into their corneas from the amount of Wii they've just played while I have been working on this. So, my point is, you will have to tune in later because frankly I just don't have it in me right now to add the worst list. See you later.