It’s time to look back at 2018 before too much of 2019 has gone past and I forget all about it.

It was a busy year! And I definitely didn’t blog enough, especially at the end of the year, where I had to rely too much on Instagram posts for my recaps. I’ll try to fix that for 2019. But my mantra for this year is “stop trying to do everything” which I’m afraid might turn into “turn into a lazy blob” so 2020’s mantra might need to revolve around moderation. We’ll see. Anyhoo, onto the year’s recap:

January

I turned 43. Had a nice day.

It (sorta, not really, but close enough for the boys) snowed!

But the best part of January was going with Steph to see My Favorite Murder live. What a fantastic night that was. Eeeek!!! The best part, of course:

 

Meeting and hugging the hosts of the show, Karen and Georgia, and getting a picture. Eeek! So fun.

And then, at the end of January, Linus said something to me that would change the course of the entire year. He said, “Mama, I think I want to play soccer again.” 

February

A very, very busy month, as it turned out.

I signed Linus up for recreational soccer for the spring. It had just started, and the other two didn’t want to play. Not until they went to one of his games, and then they begged me to sign them up.

So soccer started.

But before that, Mardi Gras happened. The boys and I decided at the last minute (due to their short but intense Pixar obsession) to be characters from Pixar movies. We drove around on Lundi Gras trying to buy the bits and pieces we needed for our various costumes without me having to sew anything – this is important – and managed to cobble together this:

Well, the lady at Joann’s said something that made me want to take up sewing, so a few days later, I did, and well, you know where that led.

The first thing I made:

Also in February, Linus and I were on the news, and I made a bunch more things (not well – I hadn’t really heard of finishing seams yet.)

March

Mostly I sewed. I didn’t blog about much else, really. But definitely more successful makes, like this:

and I got a serger, which I love and also kind of hate a tiny bit, but mostly love. And my friend Robyn had her baby Sabine, and I made a tiny outfit as soon as I got my serger and it was totally not great, but Robyn’s a good friend and didn’t mind.

Also, I am now realizing I never blogged about when George and Oliver and Linus shaved their heads for St. Baldrick’s! Maybe because I was so shocked by George’s appearance, I couldn’t bear it. (Sorry, dear.) Oliver and Linus decided at the last minute to go short (not all the way) and they raised about $100 each, which was sweet. George…well, as I said before, I’ve never seen him without facial hair, so it was a bit of a shock. I couldn’t really look at him until his beard started growing back. It was too weird. That said, I hope he does it again this year. For the kids.

April

More sewing. More soccer.

I went to Singapore! That was a biggie.

I killed myself to finish a “marathon” at Orangetheory and got a too-small shirt for it. Woot!

May

I took part in, and completed, Me Made May – that is, I wore at least one item of clothing that I made, every day in May (and documented it.)

20 years since my dad died.

Went to my 25th high school reunion. Dang I’m old.

The boys finished fourth grade.

June

The boys played summer soccer. Of course.

I sewed lots of hats.

Linus and Miles filmed a scene for Claws! (Miles even had a line!)

I went to Portland and spoke at a conference! (And bought fabric, duh.)

July

It was hot. More soccer.

George and I saw the movie Three Identical Strangers and I cried.

I started sewing a skirt.

Celebrated 10 years blogging on WordPress!

Aunt Jenny and fam came to visit!

I broke a tooth, also. That’s not fun. I am now missing another tooth and can’t say “th”s very well.

August

Competitive soccer started up. (Cha-ching!)

My van broke down.

Fifth grade also started.

I made two dresses (with pockets!)

September

More soccer. And I sewed more! Are you surprised?

Ellie came to visit! That was so fun. We had a great girls’ day. I made her pants.

The boys had their first soccer tournament and their team won! (I mean, their division.)

I went to Orlando for the Grand Meetup at the end of the month, and came home in

October

just in time to take the boys to their first out of town tournament in Pensacola. (Yeah, that’s right, I flew home from Florida, then turned around and drove back to Florida.) Champs again!

(And that is literally all I blogged about in October besides the fact that I cleaned my desk off.)

But I was a ref for Halloween (the boys were SHOCKER soccer players.)

and George got a tattoo in honor of Gareth so it wasn’t totally uneventful. (Note: “the boys” here are not my children but the guys from the pub. In case you are confused.)

Mercifully, we had the last game of the fall soccer season.

November

My lemon tree died, I found out I have extra bones in my foot, but not tuberculosis.

I was in Real Simple!!!

We went on another family cruise for Thanksgiving!

December

Hosted the boys’ massive sleepover. Definitely not again, and I mean it this time.

They turned 11!

Went to Nashville for work.

Started my sabbatical!

Started rocking babies.

Sewed like crazy.

Christmas was lovely.

New Year’s was quiet(ish.)

The end.

Goals for 2019? Fewer Instagram posts in my year-end recap. For shame.