Wherein I Take the World by Storm (aka New Year’s Resolutions)

Oh man do I love me a New Year! It's a magical feeling to survey the future on January first and to know that anything is possible. This is a particularly awesome new year for me. I don't have to spend one minute thinking about where we're going to move next, what's available on realtor.com and where, or what schools are like in a bunch of miscellaneous neighborhoods scattered through the country. That leaves me with a fair amount of time to actually focus on what is happening right here, right now. And it's a luxury I don't take for granted.

Already, I've covered several notebook pages with all the things I think I should be, all my goals for my family, all my goals for our home, and various things I'm deeply worried that I'll never accomplish in this life. Pages I tell you. Naturally, taken all together they would constitute an insurmountable list of New Year's Resolutions, and so I've been weeding through them to pull out the ones that I need the most right now—the ones that will put me on a path that will let me accomplish of the rest of them someday. And here's what I'm coming up with.

1. My body: I work best when I'm fit. I truly believe that my body needed an extra five pounds to survive the climate in Saskatchewan. And during the holidays (while there), I generously let it have an extra five beyond that. But now that we're in a non-blubber-demanding climate once more, it's time to say goodbye. I want to make sure my body is fit enough to keep up with everything I want to do. So, to siphon off my holiday indulgences and make sure my muscles and body parts still remember what it's like to work hard, I'm swearing off sugar until Valentine's Day (except for our January birthdays), and committing to some serious work-out time. I'm not sure our Y membership is going to be worth it in the long run for our family, but for now, since three of our kids are all signed up for basketball this winter, I'm going to make sure that I'm using the gym at least four times a week.
   
   

   Second, and almost more importantly for me, I need to get the sleep situation under control. Aaron and I are terrible influences on each other with respect to bedtime. We pretty much always go to bed together, but we often string each other along for hours. "I'll be done in five minutes" one of us says, so the other starts a fifteen minute project, only to find out that the other has now started a twenty minute project. Bedtimes prior to midnight are a rarity at our house. This leads to 7:30 wake up times (for me—Aaron happily sleeps as late as possible depending on the noise level), which works well enough, since it's when the kids start getting ready for school, but I'm really looking for some morning "me" time. I want to write in the mornings, I want to never skip my few little yoga stretches, scriptures, and prayer before I wake the kids up. I want to feel like my days are more productive because I've already accomplished something by the time everyone else gets up. Oddly, I'm tortured by this comment some kid made (I don't even remember who) in my fourth-grade class, saying that her mother did like six loads of laundry before she (the kid whose name I can't remember) even woke up. Despite the fact that this is not even a physical possibility, I, at 33, am tormented by this imaginary person who managed to accomplish so much more than me. Nice, right? So, my plan is this: I'm not giving myself an early bedtime. This has led to unsuccessful resolutions more than once. Instead, I'm making a simpler rule for myself. I have to be in my bedroom, in my pajamas at 10pm. And up at 6. Ish.

2. My family: slide, slide, letting things slide. I feel like that has been my motto for the past three years. Okay, maybe not three, but definitely two. Piano lessons? Meh. Functional dinner table conversations? Overrated. Not yelling at people who don't listen to me anyway? An odd technique designed for people who have actual patience. I'm sort of revolted by how lackadaisical I've allowed myself to be as a mother. My natural personality is to take on too much stuff and then to complain about how hard it is. But lately I've stopped taking on the stuff and just complained. I'm not impressed with myself. And so now it's time to get serious. It's time to bite off more than I can chew once again! I love biting off more than I can chew. Because even if it all doesn't get completely digested, it still tastes good. Ew. Maybe I should lay off the metaphors before I make myself gag--let's try that again. Because even if it doesn't get me all the way to my goal, it gets me part-way. Which is way way better than being stuck. So it's all coming back. Weekly piano lessons. Lots of nagging to practice every day. No breakfast until morning chores are done. Hard work Saturdays to clean the house. Reading to kids at night. Family game nights. Going outside to play in the snow together. Laughing way more. Lighting the fireplace. Singing songs. Making cookies. Making meals. I don't know what else. But more of it. I love my family fiercely. They are my favorite favorite people in the world and they can't be second-tier to anything. Now, realistically, I get that I'll have to break this down into chunks. My family would probably (will probably) run screaming from the house when they get wind of my plans. So chunks it is. My old Sunday evening planning sessions (which luckily can take place in my bedroom while my pajamas are on!) are back in style. And I plan to have the most beautifully behaved, talented, non-bratty kids in town soon! You know, or something like that. Stay tuned for our family theme 2011 (it's already chosen, but is going to get its very own post).

3. Home Sweet Home: As the Christmas decorations come down, we're going to get this place in order once and for all. And keep it that way. But. But I will not sacrifice a majority of my life to keeping it clean. Everyone has responsibilities in this place and they better stay on them! As for me, I'm putting limits on how much time I can spend cleaning. I'm allowing a few chores each day, and then I'm stopping. My floors won't always be spotless. Sorry. Sometimes sheets will go a month (or more!) between washings. Fine. There will be dust. I do believe in a clean home, but it's just too easy to let cleaning take over the rest of my life. So I decide consciously, now, to do whatever preventative work I can: hands will be washed, rooms tidied daily, etc. But. I will not. Let. My compulsion for a clean house. Take over my life.
   


4. Writing: I will do it, daily. Sometimes even on this blog. But blogging is not one of my resolutions this year, so enjoy what you get.
   


5. I will be proud of my progress. I will take time to appreciate the small changes that come into my life, and into our lives, when we try.
   
6. Bonus round: Get to church on time. With cute hair (for the kids at least).