Having spent more time unemployed this past year than employed, I am thankful to be ending the year 2 months into a job that I can see myself working for a long time. To my surprise and relief, it has turned out that I really do like this job (and even some of my co-workers) now that I've had time to adjust to a whole new work routine. This is probably the first time in my life I have had a job that I didn't dread each day, and also the first time I've had a job where I don't get depressed over the thought of still working there years from now.
As my employment status has changed, so has my schedule. Time has been a roller coaster for me this year-- sometimes being so empty that I could scream from boredom, and other times so busy and hectic that I was nearly too busy to breathe! During my periods of unemployment, I had the opportunity to reconnect with some family and some friends from my past. Kaleb and I got to visit my grandparents almost weekly for a few months! My dear friend, Jack, has moved back to the States this year after working overseas for the last 5 years, and it has been so great to have him back around for visits! I've even gotten to know, perhaps for the first time, some old acquaintances from my elementary school days.
I've passed another year still single, my second complete calendar year. This year, as opposed to last, it feels right. I've had so much time to focus on Kaleb and myself, without worrying that a boyfriend might be feeling neglected or forgotten. I've become comfortable with my single lifestyle, and each passing day leaves me more and more convinced that "single" is the way I want to live the rest of my life!
Several of my friends hit the big "3-0" this year, and thankfully none of them have broken down and gone crazy yet. I turned 27 in September, though age-wise I don't feel any different than last year. My brother turned 21 and can now drink legally and in public. Kaleb celebrated his first birthday way back at the beginning of this year, and will be celebrating his second one week after the new year begins.
Though my life has been through a number of changes this year, I think that Kaleb is the one who has changed the most. I'm aware that all children change quickly when they're this young, but Kaleb's infancy seemed to have slipped away from me too quickly. He's still MY baby, of course, but he's not A baby any more. My baby has become a little boy. This year, he has grown about 6 inches taller and gained about 10 pounds. His diapers are 2 sizes larger. He started the year walking wobbly, but he can now run confidently. He can jump up into the air lifting both his feet off the floor and land back on his feet (for those of you who are not parents, this actually requires a great deal of coordination)! He can climb. He can feed himself with a spoon and a fork. The highchair is gone, and he now eats his meals at his very own small table. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable changes in Kaleb has been the rapid explosion of his verbal skills... he talks all the time! And I understand most of it! I'm fascinated at how eager he is to learn new things, and to be able to put a label on everything. He wants to know what sounds things make, and where they go when they aren't within his sight anymore. He talks about his friends and teachers at daycare and calls them by name. He loved animals and vehicles of all kinds and the produce section at the grocery store. He talks to everyone: family, his friends, my friends, strangers we encounter when we go places. He routinely impresses restaurant wait-staff by saying "thank you" when they bring things to our table. I could go on and on and on about the difference a year makes in toddlers... but those of you who are parents already know what it's like, and those of you who aren't parents might have a hard time understanding why I get so excited over the fact that Kaleb tries to count items all the time. "Two, free, five, eight, nine!" (Sure, he's missing a few still, but at least the ones he does know are in order!)
It certainly hasn't escaped my attention that Kaleb is growing and changing so fast, and there is nothing at all I can do to stop it or slow him down. However, none of it had really hit home until I started hunting for a picture for this blog. I thought I'd take a picture of Kaleb from January and put it beside a picture of him from the last few days. So, I did. And... wow! What a difference a year makes!
So, in just over an hour we will begin the last day of 2010. Tomorrow the plummer is coming to fix my dripping bathtub faucet. I need to do some laundry. Daycare will be closed, so Kaleb and I will be spending the day together at home. It'll all feel like just another ordinary day.
But the day after tomorrow is the start of a new year! I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store for Kaleb and me and our family and friends!
In closing, I'd like to send all my family and friends a blessing for the coming year. It's not something I wrote, but something I read and thought was wonderful and decided to repost here for everyone I know:
May peace break into your home and
May thieves come to steal your debt.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and
May laughter assault your lips.
May happiness slap you across the face and
May your tears be those of joy.
May the problems that you had forget your home address.
And may 2011 be your best year yet!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and share yours in return. Please remember that comments left of this blog are publicly visible. If you desire a private reply or wish to open a more lengthy dialogue, feel free to send me an email using the link/address in the bottom section of the page. Thanks!