Sunday, January 3, 2010

Not quite resolutions

Once again I have been meaning to post something profound, or in the very least prolific to reflect upon the last year so I would have something to look back on and at least trigger some memories.

2009 was a year that I wanted to start to push my comfort zones. I have pickled, I have made my own soap, and I have rediscovered the joys of reading, knitting, and female friends. I have started to use my slow cooker, and have discovered some great new recipes. I now try different things when I bake - it isn't just apple pies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies anymore. I have two kids. We saw Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens and both were incredibly cool. I went in to a wild hot springs beside a glacier fed river and did run back and forth between the two. I like my job and feel good about going back to work when my maternity leave finishes. I am striving to find balance in my life and it isn't getting easier, but I am starting to get better at it.

Did I mention we are going to Vegas in a few weeks, without kids? So I guess that will be pushing my comfort zone.. Connor will be barely 7 months old and we are going away for not just one night.. but two!!! I can't wait. Last year we made it to Bowen for a night, and it was wonderful. I can't wait to get away for two whole days, out on the town, seeing the sights. It will be good for us to be the big kids and seize the day rather than taking care of the kids. Oh, I am sure I will miss them, but in a healthy way as we get everything we can out of time away!

I don't quite believe in resolutions, but I believe in goals. Verbalizing them helps make them a reality, in part because you have put them out there in to the universe. This year I want to get a little bit better at housekeeping. Especially about the kitchen. I am a messy, messy cook. I create some pretty good meals and baked goods, but I can really destroy the kitchen and cleaning up my own messes suck. I need to get better at cleaning up as I go, and not avoiding the dishes when I have a free minute to just take care of a corner of it.

I want to continue the path I am on reading wise - trying out new authors, persisting and reading some of those books I bought long ago because I thought they would look good but never got around to reading, and being open to more new ideas. Except those parenting books. I don't need the guilt that seems to come along with a lot of those. Yes, some stuff you need to research, or ask questions about, but so much of child rearing is love and common sense.

I'd like to fit in more exercise to my life, as I work on ensuring my kids are as active as they can be. To appreciate the balance between computer/tv (for all of us), downtime, playtime, and time outside. This time next year I would love to be 15 pounds lighter. There. I said it. It is possible. We just seem to have way too many sweets still kicking around from Christmas and they are always tempting. But this is good practice right - I do believe in everything in moderation, and trying to stick to homemade. That we still baking and chocolate kicking around means we haven't eaten it all already! Truly, it is about moderation. Which comes back to balance. Funny how that it is.

At the end of the day, I just want to be a better me. Staying on the path to self enlightenment, battling my own inner demons, putting my best foot forward - for myself, for my husband and kids and family, for my friends, and then all of the other circles as they ripple out away from me. Hell, even for the cats. I think New Years and birthdays are time for reflection, to at least take a moment and appreciate where you have been and where you are going. I think I am starting to wax poetic here and look - here comes a tangent! I am reading my first PD James novel... it is a slow start but I am intrigued with how it will unfold. Of course I checked out reviews online, and it seems like you don't find a lot of middle ground in reviews - like most things, the folks who loved or hated an experience (etc) are the ones who generally talk about it.

Two posts in one night... with my track record must mean I won't be back for a few days (laugh at self inserted here).

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