A Look Back at 2019

Even though the majority of my writing is now located elsewhere, I haven't forgotten this relic of my past.

Since 2009 I have written on this blog, and since 2010, I have ended the year with a post looking back on the events that have happened in the last 12 months.

This blog will likely continue to be mostly neglected, with the majority of my writing going to my new platform (see below) but I don't want to let it completely disappear, if only as a tie to life back in 2009 when blogs were just beginning.

In my jar was much less this year.

There were no races, as I spent the year working out at my favorite small gym, without any extra motivation needed to continue to attend besides the financial commitment. But I was consistent with my three times a week workout, except for the health issues that came up throughout the year.

The jar had our invitation to my cousin's wedding, as well as tickets to a fun Hamilton sing along I did with a good friend. There is the ticket to the Pet Expo, as well as a ticket to the Orange County Fair.

The only other physical evidence of the events of the year was some documentation of our first family road trip to San Jose early in the year for Remington's travel hockey team.

These small physical relics of the year miss most of the most significant events of 2019, which was back up to 2013 levels of unexpected turns. 

First, February was a tumultuous month of sickness in our house with one after the other of us falling victim to the flu, complete with long duration of fevers, and a double bad flu for Remington and I with his turning into pneumonia, and mine turning into bronchitis, with a painful cough that lingered for weeks.

Then we had relative calm until May, when out of the blue, I had intense joint pain in multiple joints throughout my body. After several tests it was determined that I had an autoimmune condition, most likely Lupus.

As this is a chronic condition, I will be dealing with some level of symptoms of this for most of my life, and you can read more about my reactions and processing of this below too.

Then in June, we had a double whammy of stressful situations with our family. My brother started divorce proceedings, and the beginning of that was very unstable and caused a lot of anxiety for everyone involved. It is still ongoing, but will hopefully be fully resolved by the end of 2020.

Also in June, Blake's brother and sister in law had a scare when she unexpectedly went into labor at 6 months, which is obviously bad. The decision was to put her on 10 weeks of bed rest to give their baby the best chance of staying put, which eventually became inverted bed rest, and she wasn't even allowed to leave the bed for bathroom trips.

We decided to invite them to live with us when that happened, so that I, who wasn't working during the summer, could watch both of my kids and her two year old so that she could be able to follow doctor's orders.

So, from the start of July until the middle of September, our house was wild with 7 people living in it, but it truly was a great time of bonding for the family, and we are so happy to have helped in such a stressful time. She made it to 8 months before she went into labor again, and had their baby, my nephew in September, who thankfully only had to stay in NICU for a few days before getting to be home with his family, and he is doing great now.

The end of the year has been a bit smoother, with me starting a new job at an elementary school as an instructional assistant, but I am able to get off in time to get the kids from school, help with homework and get them to their many various activities.

Currently, Remington is playing both club roller hockey and recreation ice hockey. His club season is going great so far, with two first place 6u wins and one second place.

He is also doing martial arts and soccer (and yes, there is a sport every day of the week).

Grace is still doing parkour and tumbling, and loving both. She is up to a green rank (third level) in tumbling, which means they are starting to teach her how to do flips and back flips.

She is also doing soccer, and it sounds like she wants to continue soccer going forward as well as her parkour.

So overall life is full, and happy.

My writing at the end of 2019

As I mentioned above, my free time is mostly spent writing these days, having revived my earlier excitement for it on a much more lively platform, where I can see what people are reading, read comments, comment on others' writings and basically feel more a part of a community when I write.

I publish often over there, and am likely to continue, so you can join Medium and read everything I post, or I will try to do one of these sum ups when I can, and give you friend links, where you can read each article without being a paid member of the platform.

Part of the reason I am sharing all these with you is because they give you a deeper look at what my family has gone through this year, like my experience with my diagnosis, or what it was like having more people live with our family.

For the sake of time, these will not be aesthetically appealing, sorry.

Top ones about the year:
https://medium.com/the-ascent/when-life-throws-roadblocks-in-the-way-of-your-goals-495318bde35?source=friends_link&sk=7b4437f467810b0bd39b155e2a7ca083'

https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-become-a-i-volunteer-as-tribute-person-and-overcome-the-bystander-affect-3870021ec2?source=friends_link&sk=1278406e3f4a85171a25fb3d2bac2acb


https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/6-stages-of-processing-my-chronic-illness-to-eventual-acceptance-68272a4a71?source=friends_link&sk=d44926aa46a4253b93af3dd9b9601820


--------------------------------
School

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/what-one-thing-could-decrease-anxiety-and-improve-reading-at-your-childs-school-1de713db113c?source=friends_link&sk=e37ae7c71f361e07c92ccc8f052da0f1

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/the-best-gift-to-give-teachers-this-year-912d20dd623?source=friends_link&sk=5263e2138092350bd738b5010be91ab8

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/why-teaching-history-is-important-3a4c52c9908d?source=friends_link&sk=c43c8612b19de7cc94e932053626e247

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/its-time-to-ditch-the-archaic-idea-of-age-based-grade-levels-7f0494efddb4?source=friends_link&sk=29df10cfafcad3ede2dda75d10430a62

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/to-promote-growth-mindset-in-schools-we-need-less-quantity-and-more-quality-assignments-6d20add9fd6c?source=friends_link&sk=af69fca0106017f9e2824e655c9e815c

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/family-style-meals-could-reduce-school-lunch-waste-948f53012d5?source=friends_link&sk=f640a76a74fea3ceed91ce51efe14be3

Fitness

https://medium.com/live-your-life-on-purpose/how-to-keep-motivation-going-by-placing-a-bet-5c630faf30a0?source=friends_link&sk=c001052b8a3cf7d119047e09e12a1621

https://medium.com/live-your-life-on-purpose/how-to-conquer-a-gym-workout-4269a288a078?source=friends_link&sk=42e26a8db4b65458970f73f7c1436abb

Poem
https://psiloveyou.xyz/decades-of-baked-bread-88a9109f042a?source=friends_link&sk=728bb2041423ce63bf681023435883bd

Parenting

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/with-some-kids-holidays-arent-just-cheerful-and-bright-a8da77cef8b3?source=friends_link&sk=0f8afc3b53de1685e8504fafb2adda43

https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/how-kids-can-make-you-a-late-person-65b5ce4377bd?source=friends_link&sk=6c0d0afe7f94b2cb09426d7f68138764

https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/how-a-lost-tooth-changed-the-holidays-for-our-family-forever-6575cb1b784b?source=friends_link&sk=7d17020614ff560b5e03d0fc9104cc75

https://psiloveyou.xyz/vision-versus-reality-im-not-the-parent-i-wanted-to-be-2d8a4d883247?source=friends_link&sk=9573fcf6ac5479c1db55f65d904f021b


https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/choose-to-live-the-life-less-recorded-8e520246e18?source=friends_link&sk=6790da27473bd19eb500bcf1e1c07f1c

https://psiloveyou.xyz/did-you-put-on-your-dragonscale-armor-what-i-teach-my-kids-about-bullies-80803d4cc689?source=friends_link&sk=9a3f9ac67f8c863d8e1090200498948b

Fiction
https://psiloveyou.xyz/the-last-morning-12ad1506f975?source=friends_link&sk=e402d81f55014ff89fee1ca1c5db1e70

https://psiloveyou.xyz/waiting-for-a-ring-fbae6144c7f8?source=friends_link&sk=cce65ec047ededd9469d2feba268b12b

https://psiloveyou.xyz/fast-food-in-space-a-mother-and-son-adventure-c63bd483cb1c?source=friends_link&sk=cf47113b904656a83a202ccada4befa4


Random

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/trump-is-impeached-news-from-both-sides-of-the-track-6852e82d4d16?source=friends_link&sk=2fc1ad25caf9a2bbc24b4633fda1d7df

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/the-response-missing-from-the-grandma-for-christmas-craiglist-ad-story-50e53c55ea57?source=friends_link&sk=b6d65965b06cd5f014fca89d6bb2b5a0

https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/what-your-infertile-friends-arent-telling-you-a5bd7d67c31a?source=friends_link&sk=60a8955322815f10a0d526d932678b23

https://medium.com/the-haven/all-clothes-shopping-is-not-created-equal-69cf9ada0cde?source=friends_link&sk=3192da6278a33ce41cc6066a4335055c

https://medium.com/swlh/the-power-of-the-written-word-f981f031e231?source=friends_link&sk=e392ccd3b09797ff02ac3de5516e38a1

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/a-surprisingly-simple-way-to-reduce-performance-anxiety-47e6ae5e5f7d?source=friends_link&sk=8ce3095608bf2130dece1d013faa2216

https://psiloveyou.xyz/my-relationship-with-rain-11d654ed3e4e?source=friends_link&sk=788e83b6a175c367b34a4d37ccb977c7

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/when-should-a-baby-use-a-spoon-d0d21591e2ec?source=friends_link&sk=fc94025e328ecab2bdc6574ed8fcddfd

https://medium.com/our-slices-of-life/how-i-went-from-failing-at-pasta-roni-to-hosting-thanksgiving-e3f1ff9be1bc?source=friends_link&sk=03031309f627e64f870bf5bec6d0c947

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/the-endangered-art-of-pick-up-sports-and-how-to-keep-them-from-becoming-extinct-333305da9bd7?source=friends_link&sk=17f28bec638e58344509ce0fc8d6b583

https://medium.com/swlh/the-best-thing-you-can-do-with-a-rare-condition-ac6a08aabc85?source=friends_link&sk=1a33b29efecb2bdb9c01c266a86017d9

Sigh, that was a lot of tedious work... and I didn't even put them all in by the end. But that is most of what I have written in the last few months, and likely going forward, I will just pick a few favorites to share friend links (aka ways to read them for free).

This year has definitely had its ups and downs, but overall, I think we grew stronger as a family because of the valleys, and appreciated the mountain's calm moments more.

The Best Thing you can do with a Health Condition

As many of you know, I am dealing with Lupus, and possibly Scleroderma in the future, as well as having a daughter with medical needs as well.

In my article on Medium I talk about what I have done to give both my daughter and I the best future possible.

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/the-best-thing-you-can-do-with-a-rare-condition-ac6a08aabc85?source=friends_link&sk=1a33b29efecb2bdb9c01c266a86017d9

An Ethical Problem for Chidi

As I am home sick, I wrote another piece today as well.

This one deals with the ethical questions surrounding some interesting new research for a cure for Sickle Cell and other genetic diseases.

https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/an-ethical-problem-for-chidi-anagonye-d94b969aad60?sk=4c652ed57e3992a90018c374eb5afb7d

I don't have answers- just questions and hypotheticals on this one.

The Fine Line between Empathy and Pity

To anyone who follows this blog, I wrote another story on Medium titled The Fine Line between Empathy and Pity.

It basically talks about my thoughts on how to handle the news that someone you know is going through a health crisis or major life event, and my own personal experience of when I had my first flare, and how that diagnosis affected my family. I would love it if you would take a moment to read it.

My 35th birthday

I started this blog ten years ago, as crazy as that sounds. Any faithful followers can attest that for the most part it is a relic of the time before I got too busy for it, but it still remains here, and is still something I like to post on from time to time.

I have hopes that someday I will take the time to get all of my most significant blogs onto a google document or something that will feel less likely to eventually be erased from the internet, but that, like most things, isn't high enough priority to get done any time soon.

But these big birthdays feel like they should get a nod, if only a brief one.

The first birthday I wrote about on here was turning 25. I wrote about turning 30, as well as my birthday some other years, but not every year.

So here I am at 35.

It is a strange number to me. Significantly older than 34, on the track to 40. But I am more at peace about it than I expected I would be.

Here is the simple truth. Not written about on here, but at 25, I started trying to have kids, and build our family. It didn't happen right away, or as simple as that, but yes, ten years ago was when we, Blake and I, decided we were ready for kids.

I spent the end of my twenties becoming more and more desperate for those kids, and thinking about our future together, their sports, their activities, who they would grow up to be.

By 30, I did have part of that dream fulfilled, and looking back at pictures of turning 30 and seeing my two kids still so little did make me miss their little days. Yet, though there was lots of joy in taking care of my little baby and toddler... it has not been so long ago that  I have forgotten the tantrums, the potty training, the messes, the daily stress and grind of having two kids under 3 who constantly need you for everything. Those days were draining, exhausting and stressful. Precious too, and I am so thankful for all of the sweet memories I have from those times... but now is better.

Not just in a "enjoy the moment" kind of way, but in a truly, this age is better kind of way. Anyone who knows me knows that school age kids are really my sweet spot, and I LOVE seeing my kids thrive at their activities. I LOVE seeing their writing improve and when they figure out something difficult.

I love their relationship, and how most of the time they can play unsupervised, and get along and have lots of fun together.

My 25 year old self wanted this time. She wanted babies, yes, but more so she wanted the kid time.

I'm here.

I have what I hoped for- a good husband who loves me, and two beautiful kids who call me mom, who were excited to wish me happy birthday, who didn't want to let me go to work this morning.

Honestly, it is hard to imagine that, if you are going on the 5's, another birthday will top this one. By the time I am 40, this era will be past. I will be the parent of a 10 and 12 year old- two preteens. I'm guessing hormones and drama will abound. We will be heading into the time of junior high and high school. And I bet I'll look back on this birthday as such a sweet, awesome time with my kids.

The hardest thing is that I can't stop time. I can't stop them from continuing to grow up, and while I look forward to seeing who they become, it is so hard to not think of them as they are now- still my two primary grade kids.

As for the rest of my slice of life writing for the day- I am learning to de-prioritize goals for now.

Sounds strange right?

As a goal oriented person, there are always several ways that I am trying to improve myself- book goals, cleaning goals, sewing goals, learning a new language etc.

But as mentioned above, this time is short, and my life feels full enough with the kids, my job(s) and the necessities of keeping the house going. If I find free time between that, I want to read a relaxing book, not work through a difficult novel. If I find a few minutes on my phone, yes, these days, I typically pick instagram over my language app.

I will eventually have two grown kids. I will eventually retire. So I can eventually work  on those goals. I have enough stress in my life, and I am paring down my goals for now, so that I can allow myself to enjoy the life that I am living today.

Now, I head off to pick up my kids from school, because they are still young enough to need me to, and I am excited to see them.

New Year, New Writing Platform

I have been encouraged by my aunt, many times, to become a writer in a more real sense than just posting occasional blogs, and in 2019, I have decided to venture out and try.

There is a website, called Medium, where they allow people to publish, and I will get paid if enough people read my stories and like my stories, especially paying members to the site.

I don't imagine I will make a ton of money doing this, but it isn't primarily for money anyways, so I decided to try. I have written two articles so far, and if you follow my blog, I thought I would invite you to head over there, and see what I have written.

Here is my latest:
https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549/the-dark-underbelly-of-pinterest-96e8f8b438d5

And my profile:
https://medium.com/@lisaolsen_36549

Please feel free to share these links with anyone you think would enjoy reading what I wrote.