Around the new year, I like to do a review of the year that has been. Often it’s the unremarkable (and sometimes funny) stuff I find in my day planner. I usually do it month by month, but this time I decided on a brand new way to bore the pants off the few of you who are reading this during the silly season! I wanted to name a thing a week that I did in 2014. That’s about 52 things. Except I was terrible at keeping up with my diary, so it’s a nice round 45.
Before you ask, yes. I am a maniac. A maniac who likes to preserve her memories. I’m also a sentimental fool. Even over the weird, insignificant stuff.
A memory hoarder, if you will.
Here goes…
1. I went for brunch with one of my best friends (we’ve known each other since we were 6). She told me she was pregnant. I was overjoyed. We took the Little Mister to the park across the road from the cafe and I drilled my friend with all sorts of excited questions. When she told me her due date, I flippantly joked, oh no! We’ll be away (in Japan) then! Tell that baby to wait! Of course I let her know I was totally joking and to pop him out way before we got home because no woman deserves to go over-due! Of course, fast forward and he was quite over due and made his appearance after we got home. I felt a bit bad for telling him to wait haha.
2. The Little Mister got his first ever passport this year. Have you ever got a 2 year old to pose for a passport photo? He kept leaning to one side and tilting his head. Or looking away. Or making overly animated facial expressions. Much credit to the photographer, who clicked away furiously, “We’ll get something!!!”
3. Everyone except the Little Mister got gastro. So that was fun. It was our first family outbreak of something. Isn’t that sweet? Is it bad that even though I was suffering from extreme discomfort during my turn with it (Mr Unprepared followed soon after), I kind of didn’t mind lying on the couch all day watching Sex and the City? Parenthood – lowering expectations of leisure time since 2011.
4. I tried to get a head start on packing our camper van before our camping trip in February. I went into list writing overdrive. It was really hard to pack with a 2 year old around. Still, I was grateful that once it was set up, there’d be less to do in 2015.
5. We took our camper van (purchased from my parents) on its maiden voyage (with us). We had a great camping trip and ate ourselves stupid, in between beach trips and brewery visits! Perfect. Oh, and I still can’t paddle board very well, but I pretended I could whenever people passed me in their boats or kayaks. I’m so excited to do it all again in 2015.
6. Made Valentine’s Day cupcakes. I don’t actually celebrate it, really, but I do celebrate excuses to bake. The Little Mister kept stealing the toppers and shoving his hands in the frosting.
7. My Gran turned 85. That’s pretty cool. I am so lucky to still have my mum’s parents with us. I am grateful every time we are given the privilege of spending quality time together. Especially as the Little Mister has a relationship with them he has a great chance of remembering. Very special.
8. We started toilet training. Oh my goodness. I had been nervous about this since the Little Mister was born, but I soon realised that you just give it a go. Trying it is so much less scary than overthinking it beforehand. We’ve had progress and setbacks all year, but each time he’s ready to take the next step, we just go with it. I am hoping that he will really shoot forward with it in 2015 and I have faith that he will.
9. I attempted to be one of those awesomely organised (I think that’s what my exact opposite doppelgänger from a parallel world would call her blog) people who writes up a strict meal plan each week/fortnight, in order to save money on groceries and resist impulse snacking. I don’t know when I stopped doing it, but I really must try harder again!
10. Mr Unprepared and I dressed up like old people for my friend’s 30th. It was the best fancy dress party I’ve ever been to. We even played lawn bowls. Also, I was so comfortable. Old people clothes are so comfortable.
11. We took our annual day trip to meet family friends for Easter. A definite highlight of every year for me. The Little Mister did his first ever easter egg hunt in our house. He was so happy because that was the first time he’d ever had chocolate for breakfast.
12. I turned 30. And like the freak that I am, I was excited about it. 30 has been wonderful and significant and full of stuff that has taught me so much about myself.
13. The Little Mister got his final molars and my goodness were they a bitch. The kid screamed all night, every night for weeks. I don’t want to scare anyone, but they were worse than his COLLECTIVE teething experience right up until then. Oh holy hell. We were very tired, all 3 of us. I was reminded of what it’s like to have a newborn and it was great contraception. Since then, the lack of teething has been AMAZING. You don’t realise just how much teething consumes your life in those first few years until it’s gone. So how long until the bloody things start falling out? 😛
14. I nearly went insane planning our trip to Korea and Japan. I had massive DAILY to do lists for MONTHS. It took me so long because having the Little Mister made it really difficult to coordinate. I could only do what he could handle, daily. But I did it. I got there. I beat my overwhelm and I survived to actually go on the holiday! Definitely a win.
15. We attended Mr Unprepared’s cousin’s wedding. It was BEAUTIFUL.
16. During the year I dreamed about my late Nana a lot (she passed away in 2013). Her presence in my dreams has brought so much comfort in times when I’ve doubted myself. I look forward to her visits.
17. We left for our massive month long trip to Singapore, Korea and Japan. HOW NERVE WRACKING AND EXCITING.
18. I went shopping on Orchard Road with my mum in Singapore. Something we’d talked about doing ‘one day’ for a long time.
19. Korea was beautiful and overwhelming and full of people who thought the Little Mister was some kind of celebrity.
20. I visited the place I was born for the first time since I was adopted at the age of 5 months. Gosh, it was emotional. All these feelings jumped up and I felt very…bruised. It was very confusing at first! I felt happy because I was there and it was an awesome place (hello – they even sold cocktails in little plastic bags and you could drink on the streets – ON THE STREETS), but I felt exhausted and sad at the same time. I name this as one of the defining moments of my life so far. It’s up there with graduating from university, falling pregnant, having a baby, getting married. Big stuff. I made peace with a lot of things on that trip. Like I said, HUGE.
21. I had one of the weirdest pedicures ever. It was in a hotel in Busan (where I was born in Korea). The guy didn’t speak a lick of English and we communicated by pointing at things and looking at each other like we were both aliens. That was just the part where we tried to set up an appointment! I sat down and picked out the colour I’d like my nails. The guy got excited and suggested something else by showing me a photo of nail art in his phone. I agreed – why not. He then put a table in front of me and climbed underneath it. He was shy and didn’t want me looking at him? Who knows. When it was finished, he took a photo of his handiwork, shoved my thongs (flip flops) back on and embarrassed, he shoved me out the door because he didn’t know how to say goodbye or thank you to me. Hilarious.
22. Japan was one of those places I have always wanted to visit. I LOVED it. Sadly, we didn’t have as much time there as we might have liked, but we got to have a taste of Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto. The people – so orderly, polite and COOL. I drooled over the way the women wore their clothes. I’m not talking about the stereotypical cosplay stuff or the Harajuku girls (although they were fascinating too), but just the every day women walking down the streets. So effortlessly stylish. Oh, I wish I’d bought all their fashion magazines before I left. The food. The sights. TAKE ME BACK.
23. While in Japan, we visited Hiroshima. Wow. Do it once in your lifetime. Please.
24. We had a crazy flight back home from Singapore (where we’d stopped over on our way back from Japan). The Little Mister was so restless, despite normally being a great flyer. The flight attendants were so smitten with him. He went to the back of the plane with them and received extra ice cream (just great for keeping him calm and rested – not haha). He was given gifts galore. Oh, boy. We were glad it was the final leg of the holiday.
25. We set up the Little Mister’s ‘big boy room’. I painted a feature wall. Mr Unprepared assembled flat pack after flat pack of furniture. Finally it was ready and our little boy had moved in. He is still really proud of it to this day. I’m so glad he likes it and it’s so much easier now that he has a full sized single bed. Big milestone!
26. My Dad turned 60. We celebrated by having dinner at a local Japanese restaurant. We all missed the Japanese food SO MUCH.
27. I attended the hens night of one of my best friends. It was a close group made up of her gorgeous sister in law and a bunch of us old high school friends. It was a big deal and we even stayed in a hotel in the city overnight! We drank shots and saw strippers and danced…we were very classy of course (haha). It was one of those nights where we went home and gushed to each other online that we loved each other so much and shared terrible photos via Messenger for hours. I felt young again (until the fatigue set in of course)!
28. My love of online grocery shopping was revived. Sometimes it was just easier. It was like remembering an old friend. Oh hello. I loved you when I had a newborn and I love you now I have an almost 3 year old who is quite awful when he is having a growth spurt.
29. Got the dog vaccinated. The Little Mister came along (he loves riding in the car when the dogs are in the back – gives him the giggles). We weighed him there at the same time as the dog. Happens every year. Mum of the year.
30. We were invited by the Little Mister’s school to attend an information day and a tour for kindy 2016. This gave me a heart attack because it was a sign that he is growing up. It was kind of funny, because we went to an interview for him while he was still 2! I was assured that his behaviour in the interview would not affect his chances of being accepted haha. He coloured in under the principal’s desk and played with her calculator. It was such a relief that he got a place! Now I get to be in denial for another year before sh*t gets real!
31. We went to a Play School concert. A highlight of the Little Mister’s life so far. Although, he remembers the car park more than the actual concert, because I lost my car…it might have taken half an hour to find it? Not my finest moment haha. Every time I park in an undercover parking complex, he looks at me hopefully and says, “Playschool concert?”
32. We went to a local agricultural show. So fun sharing it with the Little Mister. He got a balloon which bopped us all in the head. We had ice cream. A Peppa Pig show bag was acquired.
33. I started my Christmas shopping in October. Oh boy, I was smug. Sadly, plans kept changing (which resulted in gift lists following suit) so my smugness quickly dissipated, but that’s a whoooooole other story!
34. We toured day care centres (OK so we only looked at two) for the first time. The first one left me feeling nervous and unsure (I just figured that’s how any parent feels before leaving their kids for the first time), but the second one just made me feel happy. The Little Mister starts one day a week next year! I’m actually excited for him. I think he’ll be happy there. He had a play on the day we checked it out and I signed up on the spot. He didn’t want to go home! One day a week will get him used to me leaving him (before 3 full days the next year at school) and I will get one day a week to GSD (Get Shit Done).
35. My brother did some valuable baby sitting this year. I’ve been really grateful he’s been there to help fill a gap between now and day care starting. I think it’s really helped the Little Mister’s bond with him. So nice to see.
36. Reached the 12 years together milestone with Mr Unprepared.
37. Mr Unprepared took on a promotion at work. Proud of him for doing what makes him happier – it’s different from what he did for so long and it took courage but he did the best thing for him, finally. Yes.
38. Melbourne Cup day was spent at a friend’s house. There were toddlers and babies everywhere but we dressed up a little and had a good day! Life has changed! Oh, and I wore a bird in my hair. Not a real one like my Tasmanian aunty once did, but I made a little effort haha.
39. The Little Mister had his annual family birthday party. He was very excited and now thinks any gathering we attend is a party for him. I made a cupcake train I saw on Pinterest and wrote him a letter (sure he can’t read yet – minor detail).
34. I attended about four baby showers in 2014. SO MANY BABIES.
41. My mothers group had a hens night for one of our friends. Mother’s groups are wild. Just saying. I might have found myself dancing in a local night club at 2am. WTF. Blisters for days. Best night ever.
42. Celebrated 7 years of marriage.
43. The Little Mister went up a level in swimming lessons. Now he goes in without a parent and has to take turns with a couple of other children and listen to his teacher more. It took about 4 lessons for him to understand this, but we’re making progress. It was a big adjustment and a little nerve wracking for all of us!
44. Attended the local community Carols by Candlelight evening. For the first time in his whole life, the Little Mister was able to stay for the actual carols. It’s a big deal when your toddler can stay out after dark without losing the plot haha.
45. I bought a diary for 2015. Buying a diary for the next year is my favourite thing to do. I’m a stationery nerd.
So, how was your 2014? Tell me about the highlights, the milestones and the stuff you survived x
