Odd years are good years....edited version.

I don't know why, but in my own personal numerology I've always had a thing for odd numbers, and double numbers, so 2011, ending in a double odd...I'm expecting good things. Literally expecting as it turns out. In my eternally optimistic little mind as I read through the glossy brochure advertising the benefits of theIUD I had selected as my "let's not be surprised again, shall we?" birth control method, I simply looked at the large number under the "effectiveness" rating and thought to myself:"Wow! What a big number." As it turns out, any number less than 100 is not that big. As with any pregnancy, it boils down to a simple either or equation. Either it works or it doesn't. Either you're pregnant or you're not. I am, as it turns out. And really how could I not be? It is an odd year after all. 2007 began the Epoch of the Destroyer. 2009 brought us the beginning of Ragnarbaby's Reign, a title which he is going to have to give up to his younger sibling at some point, and now in 2011, of course, why not? Let's have another one! Which means some slight alterations to my 2011 plans. 1. Plan, and do activities with my children, all of them. 2. Write more, watch less. Unless I'm breastfeeding a newborn. Nothing gets you through those first awkward weeks of breastfeeding like a lot of mindless television. 3. Buy music, lullabyes mostly. 4. Do a pull-up. 5. Subscribe to a magazine. My "Mothering" subscription finally ran out.... maybe I'll re-up. 6. Schedule "studio time." HA! 7. Publish three knitting patterns. A baby hat, some longies and a diaperwrap maybe? 8. Eat something I've never eaten before. 9. Make curtains for the living room, so that the neighbor's can't see us walking around in our pajama's day after day. 10. Reupholster the goddamn dining room chairs. On second thought, why bother, they'll be covered in spit up. 11. Yell less. Yes, a very good idea. 12. Journal. 13. Get more involved with "the farm." Things that don't involve much bending. 14. Plant something in the planter boxes on the back porch. 15. Cook with Isis. Or maybe just ask Isis to cook. 16. Go camping...or not. Maybe send the boys out camping with Manimal. 17. Make time to spin. Or not. 18. Make something out of wood. Or not. 19. Read a book that someone else recommended...as long as it doesn't require more than 2 braincells because that's all I can find while under the influence of "mommy brain." 20. Write letters to my mother...hysterical letters. 21. Brush and floss. 22. Make a household budget...make sure it includes money for a maid service. 23. Put some money out of each paycheck into a savings account...so that we have money for diapers. 24. Shop local. 25. Keep up with the push-ups. 26. Drink less...because you're pregnant! 27. Take the kids for nature walks...or waddles. 28. Figure out a way to get both of the little ones on the bike...nope. Don't bother with the bike for another couple of years. 29. Visit someone out of state (not my parents)...sooner rather than later. 30. List something for sale on Etsy. 31. Keep in touch with my brother. 32. Hang closet rods. 33. Give presents. 34. Be deliberate about sugar. 35. Get a tattoo. 36. Clear off the top of my dresser. 37. Settle Ragnarbaby into a "big boy" bed, also known as "making room for the new small human." 38. Get camera fixed...since grandma and grandpa will murder me if they don't get regular photo updates of their new grandchild. 39. Get better at taking pictures. 40. Sing...lullabyes. 41. Balance the bank account. 42. Go to a concert. 43. Weave. 44. Get in shape a round shape. Become a Warrior Fertility Goddess. 45. Use the phone to keep in touch with far away people. 46. Laundry. Don't let it eat the house. 47. Practice swimming. 48. Preserve food. 49. Chore schedule...make one. Make sure it involves everyone else doing all the chores. 50. Go to an improving lecture. 51. Explore the idea of writing for a local news outlet...perhaps a "Women with stupid numbers of children" advice column. 52. Try to appreciate the "boyness" of my boys...and hope like hell that this one is a girl. 53. Write the birth stories, both of them. Or rather, all three of them. 54. Try to be less bossy...no, try to sound less bossy while still organizing everyone else to do the things that I am unable to do. 55. Practice jumping rope...nope. Don't. 56. Clutter....just don't do it. 57. Be serious about "stuff," what I need, what I want and what I can do without, and remember that babies really prefer to play with plastic bags and electrical cords and there is no reason to fill the house with plastic crap. 58. Experiment with savory pies. 59. "Run" (or walk really fast) a 5K. Or waddle one. 60. Continue with book binding experiments. 61. Clear out the backyard enough that I'm not worried about the kids playing out there. 62. Mural a wall in the house...maybe not. 63. Eat more fish...but not too much. 64. Make some kind of shoe...a baby shoe? 65. Read a non-fiction book that is not about gardening or food, or about other people's ideas of how to raise children. 66. Read with the first born. 67. House friendly knitting storage...think of something. Or just shove it in a closet and take it back out in two years. 68. Dance. 69. Do more gleaning with the food bank folks, but bring a nice sturdy stool. 70. Go to a play, take one of the kids if possible. 71. Install kitchen drawers or engineer having them installed by someone else, and also shelves and other organizing infrastructure. 72. Go to art openings, at least once in awhile. 73. Cook outside. 74. Send birthday cards. 75. Invite people over for Sunday Brunch...and them make them cook it. 76. Buy a sewing pattern from an independent designer. 77. Trade or sell unused craft supplies. 78. Make a tool kit for the house so I don't have to borrow a hammer from Manimal every time I want to hang a picture. 79. Make a sewing kit for the house so I don't have to run to the studio for every minor repair. 80. Find out more about curing leather. 81. Make a monthly meal planner and make sure it includes a lot of "freezeable" things. 82. Make a stuffed animal toy for Ragnarbaby. 83. Eat local meat. Lot's of it. Making babies requires protein. 84. Take the boys to a parade. 85. Host an out of town guest, before September. 86. Find "sweet tooth" stuff that's not 100% bad for you. 87. Dry clothes in the air instead of in the dryer....this might involve rigging a clothesline. 88. Keep 0n working on the "mostly plants" part of Micheal Pollan's food advice. 89. Keep track of my blood pressure. 90. Wear more dresses...empire waistlines might be a good idea. 91. Beg, borrow or steal to acquire a pair of really awesome boots, because I'm going to need all the help I can get feeling beautiful and kick ass. 92. Use human powered transportation whenever possible...preferably powered by a human that is not me. Maybe we can get Manimal a rickshaw. 93. Get a calcium supplement and remember to take it, and hell, why not throw some pre-natal vitamins on the list. 94. Buy flowers for myself whenever I feel like it, even if I can't exactly afford it...and also whatever the hell else I want that's just for me. 95. Draw portraits of my children...all of them. 96. Make "mixed CD's" for friends, and hope that they make me some in return. 97. Forage. 98. Knit from the stash. 99. Try not to buy anything new (with reasonable exceptions like art and underwear). 100. Have a garage sale...before September.

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