Happy New Year!

Yes, I know it’s already January 3, and yes, we’ve been seeing New Year-related posts on all the social media for days now. No need to point out that I’m not first (but maybe I’m last, so in a way I’m winning something).

I’m not ready to go back to regularly scheduled life, and posting anything here seems like such a regularly scheduled thing to do. I have loved being on break. Granted, the kids have made me banana-pants a few (thousand) times, and I’m getting a little tired of my husband’s face, but… it’s still be fantastic to be together and not have a schedule.

With each year, a little more melancholy seeps into the magic of the holidays. Not that I’m doing my best Debbie Downer impersonation or anything… it’s simply that I know. I know how fleeting it all is. While I don’t wallow in that thought, it is present. Along with all the fun, all the joy, I feel the passing of time almost physically. That knowledge rumbles around inside me, it whispers, Hold on to this, remember it, because things change. The older I get, the older my boys get, the more aware I am.

So, the melancholy. But just a tad. Enough that the end of our winter break will be met with a mixed up, grab bag of emotions. Much like the ending of one year, and the beginning of a new one. I’m not typically a resolution person; nor am I incredibly sentimental (Not withstanding the occasional mushiness. See above.). Yet, I kind of wanted to do a wrap-up post this year.

What follows are links to six seven of my favorite posts from 2012. I wanted to pick six, because I like an even number. In the end, though, I tacked on a post from last January since it’s about a big milestone. (The observant may notice an eighth link, but it’s only there to serve as reference).

Overall, I’m blogging less frequently these days, but with no less appreciation for the medium. I’m thankful to those still hanging around, reading my posts. I wish all of you a blessed 2013. And with that…

My Seven Favorites

A major milestone, Some Thoughts on Our 15 Years Together.

One of my favorite people this year was not a person, nor was he real. Meet Meemo, in You’re Not the Boss of My Imagination.

A wrap up of something that brought me immense joy this year, participating in Listen To Your Mother. Read about it in Nose Hairs and Words.

It’s true, I’m an old soul. And therefore, Early Bird Dinners Rock.

I felt a little ragged in the early summer, and wanted badly to have a total meltdown. Instead, I dreamed up The Risk-Free Quarter-to-Mid-Life Crisis.

This one just makes me smile. It’s good to laugh at yourself now and then (or every day, many times), which I did in Puzzling.

What started as a half sarcastic, half heartfelt look at embracing life with kids, became so much more to me. This one’s about Letting Go.

One final thank you for reading Wonder, Friend. Happy New Year to you all!