Just the life of any other Rachel

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Months later

 I haven't posted since June.  I'm sure a lot has happened, but I don't remember any of it.

In October we went to Disneyland for 3 days. It was a long drive.  We got to LA in time for rush hour, which added a long time to the drive, maybe 1-2 hours.  I was surprised how crowded it was, during the middle of the week, and when you need to make reservations.  We stayed in a motel down the street, it was about a mile walk, which wasn't bad.  The weather was warm, then nice.  We went at the same time as Aaron's cousin and his family, so we met up with them a few times.  We couldn't get Bert on to any of the big rides.  Bron went on everything she was tall enough for. Bertram build a droid and a light saber.  My goal for the trip was to not turn down park things for being too expensive.  Buy the churro, eat the ice cream.

Bron is getting closer to being potty trained.  Two days in a row, she's pooped on the potty without any prompting from us.  She's getting pretty good about staying dry, as long as we remind her to pee. But she's staying dry at night.  Yesterday she had a lot of accidents, for some reason.  But prior to that, and today have been much better.  It will be interesting when she returns to school next week.  Hopefully she sticks with it.  I want her to be able to go to kindergarten in the fall, so she needs to be potty trained.  Plus she's 4, it's past time.  

Last week, I took the kids to the aquarium by myself, and without the stroller (a first for both).  The first half of the trip was fine.  Bron stayed dry the whole time.  But at some point, something unknown happened and Bronwyn started melting down.  Then she pulled Bert's hair (hard).  So he was crying and yelling.  So I sat with them in an alcove, physically restraining Bron, because she wanted to run away. They yelled and cried.  I laugh, then I cried a little.  It was all so ridiculous and overwhelming.  We gathered ourselves and saw a little more.  But Bron kept trying to run.  So I had to carry her, which was hard with her fighting me.  I put her on my shoulders, and she pulled my hair too.  I decided we'd had enough fun.  Then Bronwyn melted down because she didn't want to leave.  So I had to carry her up the hill screaming and crying.  I got everyone in the car and buckled.  Then I cried for a while.

We went back to the aquarium on Tuesday.  Aaron came this time.  It went a little better.  But it was so busy.  Everything was 3-4 people deep.  As an introvert, I am not good with crowds, so I was feelng antsy.  Bert did pretty well, but melted down again.  Less severely.   And Bert got to touch a stingray, which was his goal for both trips.  

We desperately need new flooring in our bedroom.  It's the only room with carpet and it's really low quality carpet.  It's been torn away from the wall, by the dog trying to dig out of the room.  It's stained, not plush, and is torn in several areas.  We went to Home Depot to look at wood and wood type flooring.  But got side tracked by how nice the carpet was. It was so plush and soft.  We decided to get carpet again.  But there was no one to help us.  So we went across the street to S&G carpets, and they were very helpful.  We're getting our new carpet installed on Monday.  Aaron painted the room and replaced the baseboards this week.  We changed from a purple to a grey blue.  It looks really nice, he did a great job.  But the floor around our sliding door needed repairs, because our in-laws like to avoid fixing things until it's absolutely necessary.  In the process of doing this, the shitty carpet got even more destroyed,  I can't wait for the new carpet, then our room will be done.  We got new nightstands earlier this year (ours didn't match before).  And our new lights came today.  It's weird to be able to buy things and not have to get the cheapest thing. Like, we can spend $200 on lamps, and it's ok.  I think we're strongly middle class now.

Year End Survey

 1. What did you do in 2021 that you'd never done before?
Bought carpet for our bedroom.  Got a tattoo

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made a resolution to read another 100 books.  I think I only read 20 something this year. My resolution for 2022 is to drink more water.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I can think of

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not that I can recall

5. What countries did you visit?
 Hahahaha. Covid says no

6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
For Covid to be over and done, once and for all

7. What days from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 8-10, we went to Disneyland

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making good financial decisions


9. What was your biggest failure?
Not exercising much

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.  Surprisingly, with nearly two years of covid no one in the family has gotten it.  But we're all vaccinated and boostered, so hopefully we will continue to be unaffected.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Disney related stuff

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The kids.  They have been very flexible.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The usual.  People who refuse to get vaccinated(for non-medical reasons)

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent.  And Disney, after that.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Disneyland.  I was also anxious because I wasn't sure how the kids would do, but overall, it was a good trip.

16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
Nothing I can think of.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? about the same
iii. richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercised

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Being depressed, not that I had a ton of control over that

20. How did you spend Christmas?
The usual.  With the in-laws

22. Did you fall in love in 2021?
no

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Ink Masters

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, just the same people

25. What was the best book you read?
I can't remember.  I read more of the books at the beginning of the year. 

26. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
Do podcasts count?  I've been mostly listening to podcasts

27. What did you want and get?
A vaccine

28. What did you want and not get?
Covid to go away

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I know I watched a few movies this year.  But nothing is springing to mind.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 38.  I can't remember what we did. 

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
No world-wide pandemic

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?
Comfy clothes

33. What kept you sane?
Anti-depressants

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one in particular

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Universal Health Care, paid parental leave

36. Who did you miss?
My mom and seester

37. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't meet people

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021:
If you want to do something, make it happen

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Everything's gonna be better next year.