For the last two years, I have done year-end recaps. I like traditions, so here you go.

January – It took me 11 days into the new year before I got my mind right.

February – St. Valentine’s Day Catholic Cliff Notes taught my readers so much. And by so much, I mean nothing at all.

March – My little boy got to meet his favorite big star when Ree came to town.

April – I came out of the vegan closet then I went to the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop in Dayton and left with cheeks that were cramped and sore from laughing so much. We also said goodbye to our sweet dog, Blue and my husband fixed the microwave.

May – I responded to the numerous people who ask me for blogging advice. It’s cute how they think I know what I’m doing! And, I can’t forget the milestone my son hit.

June – I traveled to Seattle for BlogHer Food and I looked back at the days when my kids loved each other.

July – Things were exposed. I’ll leave it at that.

August – I got addicted to a new app and took a trip to NYC for BlogHer ’12.

September – We found out what my son would say if his dad died.

October – I rambled, and I reflected.

November – I attempted to blog every day, but failed. We lost my cousin and that was really the only thing that mattered.

December – I ended the year like I started it, by getting my mind right.

Bring it, 2013. I’m ready for you.

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Four years ago I was asked to speak at my church for fundraising purposes. We had created a committee who was in charge of acquiring funds to help integrate special needs children, like mine, into typical settings. I got up in front of three different masses, full of hundreds of people, told our story and then asked for money.

I had spent weeks writing my speech. Literally. Weeks. I wrote it, rewrote it, then rewrote it again. I practiced it, took stuff out, practiced more, added it back. I’ve seen dissertations take less time.

Since then I’ve done a lot of writing. Granted, it’s blog writing, but still.

This weekend I am talking again. This time at four masses. One of them is tomorrow and I JUST wrote my speech.

And, darn if I didn’t knock that sucker out in about 17 minutes.

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In the five years that I have been blogging, this site has received tens-of-thousands of comments. Often, the comments are better than the posts. Stop it, people! You’re going to put me out of a job!

But, if I lose my blogging gig at least I know of an industry desperately in need of new hires; spam writing.

For every one of your comments that gets posted, I get one that hits my spam folder. If these people had better writing techniques, maybe they wouldn’t get so unlucky. Let’s review, shall we?

Wow! This can be one particular of the most beneficial blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Magnificent. I am also an expert in this topic therefore I can understand your hard work.

The use of “wow” and “magnificent” are excellent choices, and I can overlook “particular of the most.” However, you lost me at “ever arrive across.”

I did want to ask where a green toy such as the one pictures of the dump truck can be bought? Thanks in advance for the help.

Is it one picture or are there pictures? “One pictures” is throwing me off and I can’t figure out which dump truck post with which you need help! It’s hard to decide between the ZERO dump trucks posts on this site. Note to self: More dump trucks.

A bestfriend plus i want to create any operating a blog web page, although you have no idea what type to use. We generally will certainly you should be adding unique equipment on the subject of in no way we end up needing the website to get interesting plus creative, an excellent simple structure..

Dude. Thank you for the double-period, because it reinforces that I was doubly-excited for that sentence to end.

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I am somewhere buried in a spreadsheet (or three) (okay, five), having brief breakdowns and not cleaning my house. If not for my mom, I doubt my kids would still be getting fed.

I, however, am a stress eater so I have been sustaining myself on bags of chips and cereal straight from the box. It’s not unusual, lately, for me to work well into the morning hours then sleep a few, only to get up and do it again. It’s like I’m a medical resident, only without the stethoscope.

This is my busy time. Like, walk-around-saying-there-aren’t-enough-hours-in-the-day-and-REALLY-MEANING-IT busy. Like, I’ve-seriously-considered-a-catheter busy.

Why would anyone beat themselves up like this? I do it because I love my job. I love what I do, with whom I do it and for whom I do it. I am passionate about what the internet can do for people. I know a lot of people scratch their heads and wonder why I work so much, but I scratch my head and wonder how they work at jobs they hate.

So, if you’ve emailed me, called me, or knocked on my door, there’s a reason why I haven’t answered. In a couple of weeks, things will calm down a little bit.

Until then, pass the chips.

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