2018 is approaching at astonishing speed! 2017 was a hell of a year in so many ways.

Politically, it was….well, it was bad. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought it could be, mainly because I have a dark imagination and have read a lot of dystopic fiction. I’m actually surprised at how non-despairing I am coming to the end of the year!

My attitude is decent in part because of the good things in my personal life. Those have made up for a lot of the big picture shit. Sure, life with a preschooler and toddler is far from easy. But the worst of the one to two kid transition is over. We had some great family trips. Most importantly, I felt like I could finally breathe again. Even if I haven’t managed to get any more sleep than I had been.

Throughout the year, my posts have chronicled the ups and downs, as well as offered some hard-learned advice.

Here were my top five most popular posts original to 2017 (leaving out the gift guides). Fortunately, they’re also some of my favorite!

• The 10 Things Parents Must Teach Gifted Children
• How To Stay Sane When You Travel with Kids
• Here’s What We Should Do About Phthalates in Mac and Cheese Instead of Food Shaming Parents
• How Moms Can Reduce the Mental Load that Leaves Us Sick and Tired
• Five Benefits of Having a Strong-Willed or Stubborn Kid

Here are a few more that weren’t quite as popular, but either people said meant a lot to them or I just personally liked:

• Our Creative Alternative to the Thanksgiving Myth
• How to Introduce Kids to Political Activism
• What You Don’t See
• My Post-Baby Bathing Suit
• The Bedtime Dance
• The Glorious Chaos of Biking with Kids to the Grocery Store
• How We Built a Raised Bed Children’s Garden
• The Difference Between Being a Kid on a Trip and Being with Your Kids on a Trip

If you missed them at the time, I also published articles in the Washington Post, Mamalode, Her View from Home, and Perfection Pending.

I hope everyone has a great New Years and is ready for 2018!