Day 340 (Friday, 12/31): The Year in Review

2010 was a pretty quiet year for the Lovejoy-Fordham Alliance, and so appropriately we had a quiet New Year's Eve. LB and I read some books in the evening, and for dinner we had something a little special: some homemade veggie chili that had been simmering in the crock-pot all day.
Tom and I celebrated with some mojitos featuring mint from our garden,
and LB dug into her special cranberry cornbread muffin.
During dinner Tom and I reflected on some of 2010 highlights:

-We had four family trips: San Francisco, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Portland. And I also went to DC and spent my first night away from LB.
-We had two visits from Auntie Heidi.
-We enjoyed the company of lots of old friends and made some new friends. We helped some of those friends welcome new babies.
-LB had her first weekend away.
-We took LB to swim class.
-We purchased a second car.
-The Alliance was introduced to the Wiggles and Sesame Street.
-Australia got kicked out in the early stages of the World Cup.
-We moved.
-LB was weaned and moved into her own room.
-I taught four classes.
-I turned in my first job application.
-I started the blog.
-We had a few sick days.
-We had lots of trips to the library and the park.
-Tom and I learned lots about being parents, and we worked to help LB grow from a baby into a toddler. And we've got a lot more to learn.

We asked LB about her 2010 highlight, and she vigorously shook her head "no," so the biggest 2010 event in her life must have been the growing ability to articulate her desires.

2010 was definitely a monumental year for her. She learned to roll over, pull herself up, to stand up, to crawl, to walk, to run. She's working on jumping. She learned lots of signs, and she learned to say lots of words. She learned how to draw and to glue. She learned how to turn the pages of her books and to wash herself with a washcloth. She learned to throw a tantrum. She started daycare and learned how to make new friends. She learned to eat finger foods, to eat with a fork and a spoon. She met her Aussie aunties, uncles, and cousin and her Canadian uncle. She gave up the boob and the bottle. She discovered her belly button. She met and fell in love with Spiney. She learned how to give hugs and kisses and to make funny faces. She learned how to tickle. She learned how to make other people laugh. She learned how to dance.