I went on my first business trip since Milo was born and I survived. I pumped breast milk in an airplane bathroom, but I survived. We all did. Jason was Super Dad (with some help from Super Granny). Lucy was amazingly helpful and cooperative, and Milo was a peach, I am told.

While everything went very smoothly without me, I think they missed me. When I went into Milo’s room to feed him at 2 a.m. he gave me the biggest grinningest “GUH” ever. Lucy kept wanting to sit or lie down next to me all tonight, stroking my arm. She even told me I was beautiful, which kind of made me want to cry. And Jason’s been shmoopy too. I should leave more often if I’m going to get this kind of welcome home.

Learn Portuguese? Write novel? Be more organized? ACHIEVE WILDEST DREAMS?

Have made and flubbed all those.

This year, my new year’s resolution is to Be Happier. I will undoubtedly be discussing this in greater detail in some overly wordy and sentimental tome, but until then, I can only say, I am off to a good start. Why? Because I got a phone call from Pie on a Sunday afternoon.

“Come over for spaghetti!”
“But we are going to Annabelle’s birthday and we won’t be able to bring anything and we don’t have any pajamas and I think we better go home.”
“Why? It’s just spaghetti. Frank is bringing some guitars and I have the cello and I already made the spaghetti and come over!”

So we did. After a perfect birthday party WITH A CLOWN AND BALLOON ANIMALS AND WINE, (thank you, Annabelle), we had a perfectly low key dinner with some of our dearest friends. Who played the cello and the guitar to some Avett Brothers songs (beautifully, but perhaps imperfectly?). And to think, I almost said no, because it wasn’t just right. But I said yes, because Pie always says yes (for which I give her endless grief).

Resolved: greedily, mercilessly seek out those things that make you happy and DO THEM. But it might take some sussing out and seeking before you realize what they are.