2011-2012

Goodbye 2011. Alas, we hardly knew ye.

You were a good year... I might nearly even say, A Great One. You flew under the radar a bit, forced into the shadow of your audacious older sibling, who ushered in a new baby and a new puppy. Within months of each other. WHAT was 2010 on, anyway? I mean, really.

Josh got in shape in 2011. And I cooked. And I ate. A lot. Then I started this blog because I wanted to remember some of the recipes.

We spent a couple of weeks on a farm in Vermont, with some of our dearest friends, which were quite possibly my happiest times. We cooked and ate and drank and laughed until we cried. We yelled at the kids to stay away from the electric fences.

Thanks, 2011. Simple and easy, understated joy. That was you, my friend.

Travels also saw us home to Texas, where we always enjoy ourselves immensely. It was a hot, dry, tree-killing summer in the north east Texas country, but it was beautiful, too. And the peaches were glorious. The peach ice cream was even better. And that dinner with my parents at the winery was fantastic!

Further south, our good old Houston was so full of loving family, it very nearly made me want to drop everything we've got goin' here and move right on back. Even though it is a four-day drive from Vermont.

Josh and I left the kids overnight for the first time ever when we visited NYC for my 30th birthday. (Oh yeah, I turned 30, too. But I won't hold that against you, 2011.) As is good and right and true to our inner gourmands... we basically ate our way from Penn Station to Central Park and back again. At least we walked. Anthony Bourdain's joint, Chef Ramsay's, pizza, coffee, falafel, macaroons from the Plaza Hotel and everything in between. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. We also saw a really fun show!

Back on the home front, one kid left kindergarten in the dust and quickly began smokin' through 1st grade; one is laying waste to his last year of pre-k. The youngest started walking, and hasn't stopped since. All of them bravely sampling a variety of interesting foods along the way, and thinking no less of me when I snuck beets and walnuts and pears into their pancakes*.

So, now what? 2011 was pretty great. And maybe there's not a whole lot I want to change in 2012...

Then again. I've already said that at least one resolution is to include the kids more in the things I like to do, like cooking. They love to help, and as much as it slows a person down (and as "special" as the cookies look when they do), I know it's important to let them. I am going to let them help more.

Well, hello there.

Other than that... I'll spare you all of my great hopes involving the treadmill and that stinky, lonely yoga mat. All of my 2012 resolutions can be boiled down to two sentences:

I resolve to do all the stuff I know I should. And not to do the stuff I know I shouldn't.

Should I elaborate?

I know that I should exercise. I know that I shouldn't carb-load every meal. I know I should put down the laptop and read to my toddler...

...Okay, I'm back. Where was I?

I know I should smile more. I know I should get down on the floor and really play with the kids more. I know I should relax, worry less and maintain perspective because, deep down, I know what is important. I should write more letters. I should spend less money. I should take the dogs on more walks. I should finish the book I'm writing and I should let someone else read it. I hear that's an important step in the publication process.

I know that I should not spend so much time on Facebook. That I should not expect the kids to get along all the time. I should not clean the house obsessively before people come over. I shouldn't scowl when I concentrate because it's causing a wrinkle. I shouldn't sweat the small stuff. And I shouldn't yell at the puppy so much, especially now that the baby is starting to imitate me... Whoops.

So. You know. I resolve to be the mom/wife/friend/writer/dog owner/person, that I know I ought to be in 2012.

Totally doable.

Cheers, readers! Both of you! And Happy New Year! I wish you LOTS of good food shared with good people in 2012.

*Believe it or not, the 6 year old has been begging me to make these again. They're really quite good.

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