Reading everyone’s pop culture top ten lists of the year has led to my reflection of the highlights of my own year so here I have gone ahead and longwindedly listed them in absolutely no logical (or readable!) order.
1. Keaton stopped sucking: This one was huge as the previous year was dominated by soul-sucking screams and the resulting PTSD. 2009 was the year where we got to get to know and love this awesome little guy and were able to be so much more mobile due to his improved demeanor. Based on 2008 we were honestly afraid this would never happen but lo and behold Keaton shed his crappy cocoon and grew into a less screamy butterfly or if you prefer the frog metaphor; he went from a thrashing little poliwog and grew some damn legs that allowed us to get out of the house and out into the living breathing world.
2. I started this blog: This has been such a great outlet for me to help make sense of life. And by Make Sense, I mostly mean it has helped me learn to laugh at all the shit that typically makes a person want to cry or hole themselves up with a box of cookies and a bottle of whisky. Like wash cloths in the toilet, poop tracked all over the carpet and long blond hair hidden under the couch. Oh fine I still cried at that last one but still, making fun of the great hair debacle of Aught Nine helped me cope.
3. My sister Emily got married and Snoreface caught the bouquet: This picture is why I love my family so much. Only WE could make a spectacle of a quick, simple courthouse ceremony.
4. The DCFI: Poor Deps has been a good sport this year over all the ribbing he’s taken. The world needs more people who can laugh at themselves and who can deal with really crappy sister-in-laws.
5. Hernando & my DSLR camera: The addition of these two things which are practically members of the family now, have made all the difference in documenting all our hijinks.
6. TV shows: Bill and I spend more time than probably is recommended by the FDA sitting in front of the TV or computer catching up on all the TV shows we’ve missed out on in the last few years. It started after season 5 of Lost wrapped up and we were jonesing for something to fill the void so we used Netflix, Hulu and our local library to watch Battlestar Galactica, Freaks and Geeks, The Wire, The Office, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, True Blood, Dexter, and now we’re currently watching season one of Mad Men. We also got hooked on Glee in real live TV time. It’s been fun to catch up on what’s what in TV-land, since besides Lost, we haven’t gotten engrossed in a show since Friends and ER‘s heyday.
7. CV 09: Cold and rainy? Yes. But so much fun. Bill and I are in charge of making the memories and traditions for our kids and these trips are so integral to that. I really feel like we are giving them an experience that, if not included in their long-term memory, will create a relationship and a solid framework of love for their extended family. Plus we get to drink a lot.
8. Moments with Rowan: It’s hard to get one on one time with Rowan now that she’s in preschool and so many activities but we stole some special moments this past year that will always be highlights including the 4th of July, taking her to her first play- Cinderella at the Children’s Theatre, reading her the Little House books, her first movie in a theater: Up and her first dance recital.
9. The Children’s Museum: This membership has saved us this year. I mean, what’s not to love about a place your kids get to go nuts just exploring and being themselves? It’s not in a super convenient location for us and you have to make sure to wash hands or use sanitizer otherwise you’re almost guaranteed to pick up a cold virus but totally worth it for us.
10. Bed and Breakfasts: I hate hotels. HATE. I can NOT sleep in them and I never feel comfortable or safe. Bed and breakfasts on the other hand, are so calming and, I don’t know… fancy? Or something? I feel like a real live grown up when we go. We had a phenomenal time at both we stayed at this year; they do wonders for a marriage that needs a little TLC.
11. Dr. Horrible. I’m so late to the party on this one but never-the-less it’s still one of the highlights of my year. (The hammer…is my penis. What’s not to love, I ask you?)
12. Rockband Parties: Jen and the DCFI struck gold this year if Gold means buying a gaming system and games that attract your rowdy family in droves and pretty much guarantees you will be volunteered to host every get together from now until the end of time. Yes. Then they are super, super rich.
13. Getting rid of the DAMNED TEA POT. 
This horrible teapot was given to my brother at his 1996 wedding and it was so god awful that it has been bequeathed to the next poor soul to get married as a “HAHA SUCKER!” gift. He had it for less than two months as Jen married the DCFI in September of that same year and they housed the atrocity until Emily married in August of 2002. In 2004 it was “gifted” to Bill and I and we waited patiently for Snoreface and her boyfriend Vince to get engaged so we could hold out hope of freeing up some cupboard space. Life and the teapot had different plans however, which ended in Emily’s first marriage and began in her second, so at Keaton’s birthday party I got to give it back to her and I gotta tell you, it felt so good to give it back to the ass sister that gave it to me. Emily immediately threatened to hog-tie Vince and drag him at knife point to the jewelry store to force the purchase of a diamond ring for Snoreface. Vince went ahead and took a picture of the teapot to keep on his phone as a reminder of juuuust what he would be getting into if he officially joined this family. I’m thinking Emily and Giacomo will have the teapot for a while longer now.
And a shortlist of the things that were not so Awesomesauce? Of course I have that! What kind of pessimistic asshole do you take me for?
1. All the dead celebrities. I mean, better them than me but there were a few weeks there when I was scared to check my yahoo headlines because they just kept dropping like flies. Let’s stay away from the prescription drugs this year, Hollywood.
2.Purple. Sand.: I think I’ve said enough.
3. The year of the Puking: The Stomach flu has graced us three times this year and in my memory that has NEVER happened so that better mean it takes a nice, loooooong break from our household in 2010. DO YOU HEAR THAT, STOMACH FLU? Don’t make me glove slap you.
4. Keeping up with exercise: I did great in the summer when I could get outside but when the weather didn’t cooperate and once the temp dropped so did my desire to work out. I tried to do the 30 Day Shred twice this year, the first time I think I gave up after 6 days and the second I made it to 17 before I swore off that Michaels bitch. If I don’t start exercising I may have to curb my olive and fancy cheese habit and NOBODY WANTS THAT.
5. Ripping my toenail off: That really fucking hurt.
5. Training Luna: Poor, poor Luna. Next year is your year, dog. Maybe. I mean, yes! It will be! Probably. Aw, crap at the very least I’ll vow to buy you more treats… deal?
6. Swine Flu: This wreaked so much havoc in my household from mid-September until mid-November. No, we never got it- that’s not the point! The point is all of us were sick no less than 48 times during those two months and every time we fell ill we lived in a state of germ-filled panic that it was the fricken swine flu. Which it never was.
I think that’s it. 2009 was not so terrible to us, and we’d like to keep that lack of terribleness going strong through 2010. And so from all of us here at casa de Gunterhausen we wish you and your family a very safe and very happy new year filled with fluttering daisy petals and unicorn butts. And some strong liquor.
And I just updated the numbering. 7 does not come after 5. Clearly 2009 continued to be a bad year for Christy and numbers like the preivous 28 before it. Good luck, 2010!
My super kaduper life 