'Sup, blog? Been awhile, huh? Well, in the spirit of all the nostalgia that the New Year brings, I thought it fitting to jot down a few major milestones in the Carlson household. Now keep in mind that major is a relative term: these instances may not mean much to others but these are the moments I want to look back and remember. So, in no particular order, here are my top 10 memories from 2013:
1) Alex got a new job. Twice. Duh, we know he's hirable but this job shift was different. After working at two different places within months of each other, he decided to take a leap of faith and jumped ship once more. Now don't get me wrong, Alex is the kind of person who can get along with anyone he meets and somehow manages to excel wherever he is but his former employers really missed the mark with him. Meaning. That's what he's been searching for in his place of work and thank God he's found it! At his current job, he feels valued, he's never bored, and he truly believes in the work that he's doing. They said that a happy wife makes a happy life but I think this saying works with husbands too.
2) Oscar hit the 13-month marker and is doing okay. Like I said above, some of these milestones don't make sense to other people but for me, 13-months was the age I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis which meant, in my mind, that's when it would hit Oscar too. Ever since I was a young girl, I feared that my children would have this chronic disease but as of now, Oscar seems like the pinnacle of good health. Who knows what will happen in the future but in this moment, I am thankful for the health of my family.
3) I became an auntie! Although she had a somewhat scary entry into the world, Ruby and my brave sister Jenny are both doing well. I can't wait for her to become more mobile - she and Oscar are bound to get into some shenanigans.
4) Oscar has started talking! He has been gradually adding to his vocabulary but right now his repertoire includes Mama, Mama (which also means food/I want something - go figure) Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa (which sometimes becomes Bumpa), Bumpa (which also means truck?), yum-yum, yup, no/nah, doggie, puppy, hi, bye/buh-bye, uh-oh, and I swear he said "I love you" to me once *gush* It's really amazing to see him process the world around him and there are times where he's acting so independently, I forget that he's still my baby! Good thing we've got another one on the way because this big boy is growing up too quickly!
5) Alex's siblings moved away - Yes, that's right Uncle Mack and Auntie Madee are spread out across the nation (in Florida and California respectively). I'm so very proud of them both for taking risks and following their dreams - God only knows that I couldn't do it, especially on my own! I hope they find jobs they love and meet good friends to surround them. In the meantime, we miss them mucho!
6) I'm took a break from theatre. As a family we decided that a hiatus from directing at the high school was a good idea considering our already busy schedules and our growing family. Directing last year really took a toll on me; I would get home so late that I'd only get to see Oscar for about a half hour and it ended up being his before bed/tired/crabby time. On top of that, I had very little time to accomplish school work and our marriage ended up on the back-burner. Instead, I took on the role of co-head coach on the speech team which allows me to rehearse one day a week as opposed to the usual five. Alex and I also get to spend more time together which is another plus. The decision was a tough one but I'm very happy with the result.
7) Oscar is getting soooo smart! I'm sure that every parent says that but even our daycare lady can't help but comment on his growing intelligence. He's very quick at figuring out how things work and has even begun problem solving. For example, our daycare lady has a secret stash for toys that none of the other kids know about. Apparently, Oscar figured out the secret spot right away and ended up putting toys together to reach in and get out the toys he wanted. He's making tools?! Blows my mind.
8) Our speech team reached a staggering 74 members this year and that was after cutting several students from the team. We're overwhelmed with the amazing student interest and we hope to make this the best speech season yet! Last year we sent one kid to state - this year, who knows? :-)
9) I renewed my teaching license which means I've officially been teaching for five years. Not sure if this means I'm no longer a novice or what; I think I'll feel like the new kid on the block for the next 15 years but experience certainly helps. It definitely felt somewhat official to go through the paperwork - like, do I really want to sign on for another five years of this craziness? As one of my colleagues puts it, I'm a "lifer" meaning teaching was, is, and will continue to be my dream job. No matter how draining it can get, I love being in the classroom and I love working with young people.
10) We will soon be a family of five (dog included)! It's crazy to think that in the coming months there will be two little boys under our roof. I'm still getting used to saying "my boys" or "my sons." Blessings this big are hard to wrap your mind around but I look forward to getting to know this new little one and I'm even more excited for these cute brothers to become acquainted. They say the best gift you can give a child is a sibling - here's hoping they're right! In preparation for this new phase and stage of our lives, we're working on transitioning Oscar to his big boy room (pictures/details to come) and starting tomorrow, he will be pacifier free - that's his New Year's resolution. He currently only uses it to fall asleep but we can only have one baby in the house at a time so he's going to start the transition to big-boydom ASAP. Wish us luck!
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