So I have decided to start to track that also. I found this great app for my iPhone called Gratitude! (itunes link). Each day you write down a few things you are greatful for and you can rate the day with 1 -5 stars and add a picture. I’ve been reading that if you spend more time seeing the good, then you will be more positive. I figure it can’t hurt. Since I am doing Project 365, I am adding that daily picture to each day. I’m going to add in there whether my mood was good, bad or ugly and whether the sun was out.

I know I must suffer from Seasonal affective disorder a bit. My Mom and I have talked about this often. We lived most of our lives in Wisconsin and the winters are just cold and long and dreary. Each winter, we would get depressed, gain weight and life just seemed dreary, but then Spring comes and once again you are alive. There are so many festivals and activies all summer long in Wisconsin and we figure it is because everyone celebrates all summer long because we hibernate all winter long. So, I wonder if you live in Miami, are you happier all year long? We visited Miami about a month ago and everyone was just so happy and nice. And it wasn’t just because we were staying in a nice hotel and they had to. We unfortunately spent 2 days at the hospital and they were all nice there too (and they didn’t have to be nice). Everyone had a great attitude and life seemed so layed back. I know when I retire, I am heading to the beach where it’s warm all year. I am really beginning to understand the retirees who head South for the winter.

So, how is your mood affected by the season, weather, sun?

So we have more is more? What to do??????

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next
year? … No , I did not. Didn’t make any this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? … No

4. Did anyone close to you die? … No

5. What countries did you visit? … None

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? … more time with family.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? … none

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? … started to quit smoking.

9. What was your biggest failure? … I didn’t do all I planned to do.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? … no

11. What was the best thing you bought? … my laptop.

14. Where did most of your money go? … god only knows

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? … my iPhone for my birthday…total shock

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? … any have no idea

21. How did you be spend Christmas? … .At Steph’s house on Christmas Eve and Michele’s after Christmas.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008? … no

24. What was your favorite TV program? … Boston Legal

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? … Hate is strong, dislike…yes.

26. What was the best book you read? … Blogging for Dummies

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? … none

28. What did you want and get? … A nice place for Steph and Gavin to live and I got it.

29. What did you want and not get? … wanted to buy a very cute property in the country but the market crashed.

30. What was your favourite film of this year? … can’t remember any that stick out.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? … I turned 62 and I don’t remember what I did.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? …If I had lost some weight.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? …  t-shirt and jeans or comfy pants.

34. What kept you sane? … my dogs

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? … Did or do. Did….Elvis Presley. Do…..none

36. What political issue stirred you the most? … the whole election

37. Who did you miss? … My parents

38. Who was the best new person you met? … Anjie

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008: … Less is More

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: … ????

41. Did you meet any online friends in person: … No

42. Did you take any vacations in 2008: … No

43. What is your blogging goal for 2009: … to blog daily or at least  more often.

Looking back……all in all it was a very uneventful year.

I’m glad that you liked the movie “Bedtime Story“. You can take an entire family ,no matter what the ages, and everyone can enjoy it. Even grandparents. LOL

I just realized that I don’t have to do the after Christmas cleanup this year. I didn’t put up any decorations since we went to Steph’s house on Christmas eve  and Michele’s house after . We just decided it was too much work for just the 2 of us. I should get a little table top tree for years like this. I do miss Grandma and Michele in the house at Christmas  to get me into the mood. So once again ….less is  more. 

Not much else going on here. It rained this morning and made me feel dreary but then sun came out late this afternoon. My moods really depend on the weather much of the time.  I don’t know if that if very normal or not.

So, now I feel like I live with Dr. Gregory House. He has become a part of my nightly routine. And whenever something hurts or I have a twinge, I imagine the blood flowing through that part of my body or I can hear Dr. House saying that “everybody lies.”

So I found this little quiz and this is the House character most like me. I’m not really sure it fits me completely. I’ve never “strayed” and I definitely do not have a tendency to stray. I’m not sure I can comfort people who are obnoxious…I think I’m more of the ignore it and they’ll go away kind. But I am a loyal friend.

This year all 4 of my kids are going to school. DS 1 in 7th grade (2nd year of middle school), DD 2 in 4th grade at a brand new grade school (just built and opening this year, we didn’t move), DS 3 is starting Kindergarten (1/2 days in the AM) and DD 4 is starting preschool (3 days/week in the PM). I will not get any time alone, but for most of the day, I will have only 1 child at home. That is quite a break from the 4+friends I’ve had all summer.

Because of the new grade school opening in our neighborhood, my 2 grade school kids are going to a brand new school. It’ so new, they don’t even get a playground yet (don’t get me started on that one). I’m hoping that everyone has a great start. In the past few years, at least one (sometimes more) of my kids have had rough starts. They miss Mom. I didn’t think I was that great a Mom to warrant being missed, but I guess I am. It really is tough on me to just leave them in the classroom when they are in tears. It breaks my heart. I’d like to just take them home with me and never let them go, but I know that isn’t what is good for them. I have to let them go. They always do fine. And it usually isn’t the child that I think will have a problem. For instance, I think it would be my preschooler since it’s the first year she’s going to be in school and away from me, but it’ll probably be one of my older kids.

So, we are enjoying are last week of freedom summer. And then we’ll end the week with a birthday celebration…MINE!!!

7:15p – Demi comes on and plays for 25-30 min. Of course when she leaves she says "do you want to see the Jonas Brothers?" and then NOTHING.

8pm – Kids are bored, want something to eat.

8:15pm When are they coming on? The band stuff is already there.

8:30pm Mom, the ticket says 7pm, it’s 8:30

8:45pm Jonas Jonas Jonas Jonas (sang by 22,000 screaming tweens)

9:00pm Lights out, screams, smoke, fire, lasers, lights, more screaming, more lights, more fire, more smoke, lots of bangs and poofs and lights and lasers and screaming and then the band comes on and the dancers and the back-up singers and finally…out of the floor rise the Jonas Brothers. I didn’t think the screaming could get any louder, but it did. This was the Burnin’ Up tour so there was a lot of fire and smoke.

They were really good. They really played the audience well, got all the shakes and moves down and the looks. There were 2 huge screens so we could see their faces pretty well. My DD’s friend had seen Hannah Montana and said this concert was better.

They played for a good hour and 20-30 min and then we bolted to try to beat the crowds out. No such luck. We got to the car at 10:38 and at 11:51 I had moved a grand total of about 10 feet from my parking spot. We did finally get out of the parking lot at Midnight and home at 12:22.

All in all, it was a great concert and I’d do it again. If you get the opportunity to take your kids to a Jonas Brothers, go ahead, you’ll enjoy it too.

I am taking my oldest son (12 yrs), my oldest daugther (9 yrs) and her best friend. For my kids it is their first concert so I’m excited to see them experience this. I remember my first concert, although it was really my parent’s concert. It was John Denver. My first concert that was for me was Rick Springfield. He will always hold a special place in my heart since he was my first! (wink wink) That is how my daughter will feel about Nick (her favorite Jonas brother).

And to put me in the spirit of the concert, I’ve been listening to the Jonas Brothers on iTunes this morning. Here is my favorite Jonas Brothers song right now (and I just love the video too):

Tomorrow I will add some of the pictures we take. I’m sure they will look tiny, but for my 9 yr old it will be perfect.

Who was your first?

I love this show and I’ve really missed it. I have all the episodes on my iPod (except last 4 cuz that’s when NBC pulled them from iTunes) and I watch them all the time. I can’t wait until the new season starts in Sept.