Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Welcome, welcome, 2009

It's New Year's Eve. I dash into the office--right next to Munchkin's room--to check my email, my comments, my Bloglines. A compulsive reader, that's what I am, one little peek at the Internet before rejoining the small party downstairs.

I'm listening, too: listening to Munchkin lying in the dim of whatever hallway light filters through her half-closed door. She is turning the pages of a book. There was a fight to bring the book to bed, and another one to have the door left open, "no, Mom, two MORE minutes!" The paper pages slide against each other, emit a snapped note as a certain threshold of bend becomes the action of turning. She is muttering to herself, snatches of text.

So this last night of 2008 is the first night she wins the fight to read by herself just a little longer, and can I say? I'm happy to see this little bit of me in her.

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In a lot of ways, 2008, if you pardon the expression, REALLY SUCKED ASS. It's been, for me, an incredibly difficult year, where even the good changes put me through the ringer. I don't want to enumerate the reasons or even really think about why I'm so happy to see the tail end of this particular year, my year of being 35. I just want to look forward to what is to come.

I'm already editing my memories, trying to filter out the awful and hold tight to the sound of pages turning, the glow of a hallway light, the happy murmurings of a toddler who is building a private world out of books.

That's a keeper, I think.

11 comments:

moplans said...

Happy New Year Mimi

Melanie D. said...

I'll tell you what I tell each of my friends here, as they turn 35. Hey, at least you can run for president now. So you've got that going for you.
Seriously, I've got that same argument with my two-year old EVERY night. We argue about the light out. HOW MANY books he can keep in bed. How long he can keep his light on. As if he'll NEVER go to sleep. And tonight we've decided there is no bedtime for our little family party. It's 10:30 and they show no signs of slowing down. Do you suppose that they will at least sleep in tomorrow? Fat chance.
Happy New Year Mimi!!!

Patti said...

When I was a kid, I had that argument too. I usually lost - so I held my book up to the window in the dark, and read by the light of the streetlight a block away.

When I found out I needed glasses, I was afraid the eye doctor would tell my parents it was because I was reading in the dark when I was supposed to be asleep! :)

Happy New Year! May 2009 be better.

cinnamon gurl said...

Happy New Year!

Beck said...

I DID NOT KNOW THAT I AM OLDER THAN YOU. Weird!
I hope 2009 is WONDERFUL for you and your family.

Cheryl said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR MIMI! I'm with you, 2008 really sucked for us also, we toasted to not have another year like it and we're celebrating the fact that it's OVER!!!!
Here's wishing you, your little reader and Pychon a wonderful, wonderful 2009!!

Kyla said...

2008 did suck ass. Good riddance!

I'm glad to see 2009. Very glad.

ewe are here said...

Wishing you a joyous 2009 ... to you and your little reader.

crazymumma said...

yeh 2008 sorta sucked huh. For many of us I suspect.

she mumbles snatches of text huh?

sounds like a blogger. or a snort. academic.

Jenifer said...

I know what you mean about the reading. Papoosie Girl is eight now and bedtime reading is a huge part of her routine. She takes awhile to fall asleep anyway and the reading relaxes her, but when I go upstairs an hour past her "turn out the light time" and she is still reading because she is just at the good part - how can I say no.

She is just like me and I suspect you too.

kittenpie said...

happy new year - and new leaf. It was a year to behold for a lot of us in a lot of ways, this '08. I'm hoping for a calmer 2009, myself!