Welcome 2007!
I am always a little sad when the Christmas decorations get put up and the lights are gone. I so love how the house glows in the tiny white lights. The house just looks bare without it all. But as soon as the holidays are officially over my mind jumps into overdrive...cleaning, organizing, refocusing. So I have also learned to love this time of the year. I love the whole process of reflecting on the year past and planning for the year ahead. 2006 was a crazy year for us--lots of adjusting going on. Adjusting to our new surroundings, adjusting to new weather patterns (i.e. snow), adjusting to a mama working part-time from home, adjusting to new friends and the lack of. And for S and I all of this adjusting has meant adjusting to being together more.
I know it sounds a little off, but this past year is the first chance we have had to actually parent together. I usually make all of the rules and schedules and as he flies in and out of our lives, he tries to fit in with what the routine we have established. Having him home more has meant me learning (reluctantly I must say) to let go a little. To trust that papas have instincts about children too. It has not been easy in some ways. But I am grateful, truly grateful for the time we have been given together.
I used to make resolutions religiously and write them down in great detail. But as the lists have come and gone I have realized that it is not the resolutions I enjoy, it is the whole list making process. But my eyes tend to get bigger and bigger as the list grows longer and longer. I want to keep things simple (easy to focus on). So, a little revisit to this list from back in August provided a good starting point. Some things on this list have been fairly easy to accomplish, but a few things need more of my attention in the year to come. (For the previous full list, follow the link. Only those things that still need work are below.)
- To eat only when I am truly hungry - yep, still working on that.
- To move everyday and to not resist the movement that the boys need to experience. - Gotta work in this area as well. Working so much at the computer hasn't helped.
- To expand our current recycling efforts. - I have to admit, I started off with a bang, but have gotten lazy in recent months.
- To make our own cleaning products and to reduce our use of harmful chemicals. - yep, lazy again, however I have gotten much better.
- To use what crafty supplies I have and to use them for a better good. - I'm not even sure what "for a better good" meant at the time, but I still need to deplete the stash. If you see me at the fabric store, please thump me on the head and tell me to post a for swap or barter post here.
- To cook more and more and more for my family so that I know what they are eating. - S being diagnosed with gluten intolerance has solved this one.
- To eat only dark chocolate and not milk chocolate. - Oh yes, this one I have gotten down.
And new additions...
- Work on taking better photographs. With a new digital camera and a little humility, I think I can do this.
- Learn to play the guitar that S bought me 4 years ago. I started taking lessons last year, but couldn't keep up.
- Find a way to get more involved with this organization.
- Learn to use all of the stitches on my grandmother's sewing machine. And actually make a skirt, complete with zipper.
- Continue to push myself into new ways to be creative and stretch my mind.
- Continue to discover who I am and where I want to take my family.
Welcome 2007!
