2014 has been the best (and most unusual) year of my life.

For all you who love true gossip, here are the juicy parts:

Our Golden Boy Cole has been busy as an eighth grader at Oakcrest Middle school in Encinitas. His skateboarding skills outshine his ability to do school assignments but that's okay, we love him so much and appreciate the leadership role he has taken in the family which includes daily clogging of toilets, gargantuan efforts to stall chores, soapless showers and the hoarding of Arizona iced tea in his bedroom. (Perhaps he’s auditioning for “Hoarders: Teen Edition.) His biggest accomplishments this year were parting (no pun intended) with his trademark golden long locks and honing in on the use of an alarm clock. In other Cole news, there was a three minute interval this summer wherein he grew four feet.

No shortage of good looks here....he hates the camera.

When you eat Hot Tamales or drink a Pepsi think of me. I have forsaken those venal pleasures in an effort to become more fit than many women twice my age! My first contest ended up in a paltry 9th place out of 8 or so competitors and a fake tan that any Oompa Loompa would envy. Banking and the world of other people's money is my day to day life but I haven't given up on sewing unsuccessfully (hey the machine looks good on the table though), baking, writing, photography, talking and anything that takes me away from housework. The reality show I was on was a bust as I realized it was anything but real. (You mean it's not a show about ME? I'm out!)

Demi has been a very busy little fifth grader at some school in (Oakpark? Park Tree? I dunno.) whose hobbies include countless selfies, video games, singing, smiling, being cute, and building a linear accelerator in her room. When she's not brushing her teeth or combing her hair, she has a twinkle in her eye and a slight professional head tilt for the camera. She recently gave up the hobby of eating corn thru picket fences and decided enough was enough! Braces were put on along with a four thousand dollar "thanks for doing business with us" receipt. Ouch. If my math is right, we paid somewhere close to eight hundred dollars per tooth. Let’s hope this works or we’re going straight to dentures. Cheers to your new smile, Darling!

Sulu, our faithful furry critter, lies motionless. The only way we know she’s not dead is that she moves when the cupboard opens. Her fur layers the apartment like volcanic ash and yet we love her still and the abusive relationship that her disdain makes possible.

And just like life likes to do, a curve ball came our way in the form of a family coup- the children's desire to live with their Father full time. After endless begging, moaning and groaning, I finally conceded realizing having them with me was doing more harm than good. I'm sure their father appreciates my sentiment and will enjoy making school lunches, enforcing bed times and being the tooth fairy.

Vaya con dios mis lovelies!

I love you and miss you.  But I know this is good for everyone. — I love you and miss you. But I know this is good for everyone.

So that's all the excitement for one year. Here's hoping for another amazing, thrilling, healthy year! Like Hans Christian Anderson once said,

"LIFE ITSELF IS THE MOST WONDERFUL FAIRY TALE."

Since every fairy tale abounds in heart ache and happiness, I must concur. I hope your tale and mine end in happily ever after.

Love and Aloha,

Stephanie, Cole, Demi and that furry thing we call “Sulu.”