So Many Things...So Little Time

Yes, hello and welcome to 2013. Happy New Year blah blah and all the other niceties people exchange at this time of year. At the end of the year, every media outlet tries to capture an entire year of newsworthy events into a half-hour show (unless you're NBC and you give Hoda and Kathy Lee way too much time to gab).  Every family (except for mine this year) tries to capture every milestone or not-so-newsworthy event into a typed form letter mailed to everyone on their Christmas list.

I used to do that.  I used to take joy out of sharing the ups and downs, the funnys and not-so-funnys, the happiness and heartbreaks.  This was my moment to write, to brag about my family.  This year?  Not so much.

There is too much stuff to sort through when trying to determine what makes a Christmas letter, a 1/2 hour special, or even a blog.  Determining the rankings of pivotal events and highlights of one person's year - let alone a child's, a husband's and two dogs' - becomes more of a chore, a job with no pay.  And like in any medium, there is minimal space.  Try cutting an entire magazine spread into a 600 word column with just enough space for a 2x2in picture.  What can you truly capture?

So, thankfully, my blog, my wonderful blog - that I fail to update on a regular basis and that has only 3 followers - can be as long or short as I want it to be.  2012?  Let's begin.

January - was going to move to Kalamazoo, Michigan - for no real reason, just to get away from certain people.  We did not.

February - Union employees went on strike embarking me on a 4-month down spiral of health, home time and happiness.  Happy f'n Valentine's Day to you all too.

March - Official strike begins in Michigan and I am hammered in the media.  Voo-doo dolls made of me hung around picket signs.  Self-esteem shot to hell.  Begin the journey of officially becoming Eli's parents, not just legal guardians.

April - Strike still going.  Humor is waning.  Third time getting massive pneumonia, but opted out of Red Cross insurance and Blue Cross Blue Shield won't cover my treatments because I had a 'pre-existing condition' (PNEUMONIA).  $3,000 lesson learned.

May - Strike is over!  Strike is over!  Monica can breathe easy.  But, Rick and Monica begin wondering if we need to move back to Missouri.

June - It's official!  Eli Joseph Moore legally becomes Eli Joseph Stoneking.  Monica puts in her 2-month notice and Rick and Monica begin their job search in Missouri.

July - The 4th of July!  Dad and Eli and Kaeli and KoKo move back to Kansas City for good.  They stay  with Rick's Mom and Step-dad (another book could be devoted to that situation) until Mom finishes her job.  THEN Monica heads back to Michigan sans family to put the house on the market, paint (the entire freakin' house per our fired realtors' suggestion - termination comes later), put down new flooring, continue job search all while finishing her job.

August - Monica goes back to Kansas City and reunites with her boys and girls and also stays with Rick's Mom and Step-Dad while resuming the job search.  To avoid shooting herself in the brain...Monica stays with her parents' at the end of August until she returns to Michigan (there was no logic in that decision as there is no lesser of two evils on that front).  Monica also fights with movers when negotiating for the best price.

September - Monica travels back to Michigan with Eli to finish out her contract work with the Red Cross.  Again, not completely thought through as Eli's former daycare would not take him for those two weeks.  With the help of the wonderful Cumberworths and Rita Olive (and my 'Lil Priscilla) Eli was well taken care of.  Nothing like celebrating your birthday alone in a crappy hotel room (my birthdays have always sucked). Movers are a no-show.  Monica fights to get reimbursed.  Rick comes up to Michigan to help move our crap by renting a U-Haul and becoming a certified truck driver.

October - YEAH!  No staying at the parentals'.  We move into a temporary townhome (still way too close to the parents...but further away than their BASEMENT!).  We are able to celebrate Eli's 3rd birthday in style...on a TRAIN with a special party and family members.  Then, as frugal as Monica is...made Eli be a conductor for Halloween.

November - Monica starts her first day at her new job which entails a lot of traveling throughout the state of KANSAS.  The job is tough, the pay is good.  But, gives a new appreciation to the beauty of Michigan.  Still trying to sell the house in Michigan.  Drop the price per suggestion of our fired Realtors.  Then we survive Thanksgiving with two sets of grandparents and can't wait to return to normal and have our own Stoneking holiday.

December - Happy Birthday Rick! (and Baby Jesus)  Eli shows his true 3-year-old self while trying to shoot a promo with Grandpa and other kids.  Rick and Monica are learning that the 'Twos' aren't so terrible. The 'Threes' are totally AWESOME.  Love hearing "I don't wanna."  "No ."  And full-body temper tantrums are all the rage.  Got to fire our incompetent realtors who didn't know the difference between promoting a property and 'placing an ad in the poorly-read newspaper'.  (But, they DID know the difference between a pond and a 'wet land area'). Now we have a fantastic realtor and were able to close out the year on that note.  Then we celebrated New Year's Eve by going to bed at 9.

Happy New Year Everyone!