Ahhh, 2008.

It was an interesting year, to be sure. For my family, it was something I would describe as a “bridge” year in which not a whole lot happened, and we’re just sort of waiting for the right time to institute some big changes. Which may or may not even be in 2009.

Interestingly enough, the older I get, the less relevant New Year’s seems to be. Don’t get me wrong, I only need the flimsiest of excuses to eat, drink, and be merry. But maybe it is because I have a young child, and so I find myself marking the passage of time with the developments in his physical and mental abilities, rather than by the Roman Calendar.

Sure, 2008 was the year of the worst stock market crash since the 1930’s, but it was also the year the Munchkin discovered he is a natural at baseball! George W. Bush did indeed get a shoe thrown at him, but the Munchkin won a writing award at school! And so this is how it goes. I wonder if it ever stops?

But whether you look back fondly on 2008, or can’t wait for it to be over already, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year!

Unless you were drinking too much eggnog over the holidays, you are probably aware that the Duggar family of Arkansas gave birth to their 18th child.

Ok, I get it.

I get it that each child is a miracle, each child brings joy to the family, I agree with all that. I am certainly not one to say that an 18th child has any less value than the first, or even the 10th.

However, I am curious to know how they find the time to parent all of the children.

Or maybe they don’t, and that’s the secret of their success.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never watched their show on TLC, nor do I plan to. I’ve never understood people with their own kids who fanatically watch shows about someone else’s kids. I mean, my own child is plenty of entertainment, I don’t need a stranger’s offspring to provide it for me.

But really, is it the older kids who parent the ones in the middle, whilst mom deals with the newborns and toddlers? And it seems that there have been a lot of newborns in there, so I imagine the older kids are quite busy.

Oh, and did I mention they homeschool all of the kids? And that they declared their house was a church so they would not have to pay taxes on it? Or that the older girls cook the meals and wear only dresses? Not to mention the fact that they have a waaaay nicer kitchen than mine.

Dang, maybe there is some logic to this whole two-dozen kid thing after all.

According to Buzzfeed, this video got only second place in Gizmodo’s contest. All I can say is, if a moving and beautiful video of the history of the world in Lego, complete in under five minutes, is second to (the no doubt delightful in and of itself) Train to Catch, I wouldn’t want to be one of the judges defending that decision at the Pearly Gates. Or even at the local pub.

Which is a far likelier location for the likes of him and me both, I’m guessing!

Weltraffer from Jesus Diaz on Vimeo.

It’s no wonder, really.

Last week (and doesn’t that seem oh so far away?) I asked if you think parents should “go without” your own trendy things in order for your kids to have them if money was tight. A full fifty percent said it sent the wrong message.

Today I want to know about your New Year’s resolutions. Or, lackthereof.

Did Santa bring you what YOU wanted this year? I’m guessing that Santa brought not a few of you cheap bathrobes, whatever makeup kits the drugstore had by the till, and that old, dream-shattering standby, slipper socks. But I’m not bitter…

Meanwhile, the adorable sprogs have difficulty posing for pictures, obscured as they are behind the vast and varied mound of life-size, robotic Godzillas, body-function-focused dolls, GI Joe Dream Foxhole with sandbag accessories, and the very last four Bratz dolls in your part of the state, not that we’re counting but Sally got eight presents, seven of them from us.

Well, they say Christmas is for children, but they don’t say you can’t get a gift the whole family will enjoy. Unfortunately, they also don’t tell you where to get the $60,000 for this eye-popping extravaganza: a life-sized portrait of the happy family, in Lego from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Gift Book.

The item description includes the following caveat regarding your would-be blockheads: “Just make sure you have the rights to their likenesses; we’re not here to judge.” In addition to concerns about rights of publicity, the fine print notes, “LEGO and the brick configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group. The Life-Size Replicas are not affiliated with or endorsed by the LEGO Group..” all you need now is USD $60,000 per sculpture plus shipping — and a full-time nanny to make sure that Junior doesn’t dismantle the artwork during playtime. On the other hand, the reconfigurable nature of the sculptures could come in handy in the case of a post-holiday breakup.

Oh, SNAP!

You know, nothing makes you feel quite as bad as seeing something you bought for Christmas on sale the day after. But, how can you explain to your kindergartener that Santa needed to get the toys on sale? Perhaps these toys can be for a birthday, or for friends, but snap them up, because they are at a great price.

Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel Save almost sixty percent on this great easel by one of my favorite toy brands.

Playskool Dream Town Sweet Lily Castle with Dress Up A cute little playhouse, which has the added advantage of being easily set up and taken down. It even comes with a frog prince!

MEGA Brands Struxx ROBOTRIXX Build your creation and have it come to life! Meanwhile, save over seventy percent off the original price!

High School Musical 3 – Sing along microphone She can sing along to songs from the movie, or on her own. Either way, it’s a steal at at $9.99.

Barbie Girls 1GB MP3 Player She can sotre up to 240 songs on this special 1GB model, and you pay less than fifteen bucks!

EyeClops BioniCam This very cool toy was $79.99 before the holidays, and now you can buy it for less than $20.00!

U-Dance No mat necessary! Instead, you hook an innovative, customizable band around your shoes and get ready to execute almost any dance move you can think of! By waiting, you save 60%!

LeapFrog Didj Custom Learning Gaming System Taking the popular portable Leapster to the next level. It offers a computer interface to continue the learning online. Now you can have one for less than $50.00.