Upward and Onward

2016 is only a few weeks old and already it's giving me a giant mental wedgie.

I don't even know what that is, but it kinda sounds like what I feel...disoriented, confused, reeling...

Between Christmas and the middle of January there are no less than 4 major celebrations that all combined together to pack a major wallop this year...

First, Christmas - wow, magical, love, goodwill...

Second, my birthday - wow, I'm old, no, like for real now, seriously this time, FO REALZ...

Third, New Years - ah, a whole new year, carpe annum, what am I doing with my life? goals, I need goals beyond mere survival of my young...

Fourth, Noah's birthday - wow, my youngest is getting big, no more baby, no more babies? hmmm...

Now that Noah's turned 3, and we don't really have any plans to have another baby, I feel like we've finally reached the next "stage" in family life.

I used to fantasize about this stage when Noah was just a few months old.

The long extended trips we could take.
The lack of diapers in the house.
The convenience of everyone eating the same food.
The freedom of not worrying about anybody's napping.
The verbal communication skills that would negate the need to scream like a banshee in my ear.
The big chunks of uninterrupted sleep, ahhhhhhhh.

We're not really there yet, but it's tantalizingly just around the corner...maybe by this Summer even...

2016, I have high hopes for you.