Resolutions

Every year I enjoy the newness of January to evaluate my life and think about things that could use some improving. This year, I entered January with a nasty sickness, which went on and on. And on. And on. Even this week when I was considering myself "better" I would feel achy and low-grade-fevery every afternoon and take some Tylenol. Finally, on Friday or so that ended, but I still have a ridiculous cough and a froggy-ish voice to go with it. My point being that you should feel extremely sorry for me and send presents. Oh, wait, my point being that at the beginning of this new year, my main goals involved dragging my butt off the couch long enough to maybe empty the dishwasher and/or medicate myself before lying down again in a shivering heap. It was kind of demoralizing as far as getting a fresh start is concerned. But this week I was actually able to pull the old journal out and think about a few things that I wanted to do. I know you're all dying to find out what they are. I mean, you probably haven't been able to think of anything else since January began. Lucky for you I didn't die (send presents).

Each year I enjoy some goals for the physical body. I know that a lot of people find them the most frustrating to accomplish, but I admit that I kind of like them because they're so concrete (well, the ones I make anyway), so I find them easier than those labeled, "Become a better person." This is what I've got this year. 

Physical:

1. Pelvic floor (TMI for the men and non-mothers, I know). Yup, nothing like having a hacking cough for three weeks to really drive home how much those four kids have impacted my life. Pretty good.

2. I also really really want to be able to do crow pose. Especially after seeing my kids pop into it like it was just as easy as touching their finger to their nose. But really I've always wanted to do it, but have not developed the strength, balance, flexibility, and general yoga-y-ness to accomplish it. In order to achieve my goal, I'm planning to do yoga 2-3 times a week--one long session (I currently generally do one longer yoga session a week and that's all) and then two others, no matter how short they happen to be. Took me 11 months and 11 days, but I got it. A friend suggested I put a block in front of me (under where my forehead would be so I wasn't afraid of falling forward). It worked. 

3. One pull up. Before kids I could do four. I've kind of lost one with each kid. Now I can do a slightly wimpy one where my palms are facing me, but I'd like to be able to do a real tough girl one with my palms facing out and my arms a little wider. This is okay. I tried and did it on Jan 1st this year, but it was still a pull up that struggled. 

Writing:

1. I hope to continue my blog a few times a week. I just have fun with it. 

2. I want to finish my werewolf novel. I'd really like to have it revised and perfectly ready to sell by the end of the year (heck, I'd like to have it sold, but I'm reigning things in here). That is my truest goal. However, even if I have it done and am beginning some serious drafting, I will consider that okay. Finished, but not sold. 

Spiritual:

1. Better scripture reading. I do it every day, but some days it's like the words just fudge together, or, um, I fall into a sound slumber after 3 verses. I'm planning to get up 20 minutes earlier to read just alone and quiet. Did this often and it really helped.

2. Morning prayer. So easy for me to forget or hustle through. Again that 20 morning minutes should help. I often did this, but still don't feel like I was saying quality prayers or really establishing a good prayer time--like they'd be at all different times of the morning and usually rushed. 

3. I also hope to read the lessons for RS and gospel doctrine, but will not beat myself up if it doesn't happen perfectly (like it already hasn't). 

Personal:

1. I want to learn to play "The Entertainer." I've lost a bit of piano skill in these last many years, though I'm grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to keep it up at all. I figure I should be able to learn a new, challenging song every year. Learned Maple Leaf Rag instead. Good enough. 

2. Wallpaper. Remove it. In my bedroom. Which I hate. Our bedroom is the only room of our house that I still truly hate how it looks. And you just shouldn't hate how your bedroom looks. Good-bye ugliest and possibly hardest to remove wallpaper in the universe. Hello textured neutral walls (yup, boring. Love it.) Good-bye forever Satan's wallpaper.

Motherhood: 

1. More cuddling. We actually cuddle a lot, but I feel like my kids always want/need more. We're a touchy lot. Yup.

2. Help Savannah learn her letters, numbers, and to spell her name. It's coming. 

3. Pleasant dinners (may you not kill me). Mark and I always butt heads here. I had this little epiphany a week or two ago that I need to help him look forward to dinners even if that involves some hard core compromise on my part (like, having at least one food on the table he can really look forward to). Part of me is annoyed that I, the mother, have to be the one to compromise and feel like my kids should be grateful for whatever food they get (and they should). But I just sort of felt during my little epiphany that if Mark comes to the table and finds nothing at all he finds palatable (he finds all of 8 foods--not main dishes--foods palatable, so this is a bit of a challenge) that he will resent dinners with his family and this will get none of us anywhere. So compromise and effort it is. I think it will pay off. It did pay off. 

4. More structure. I am a pretty structured person in my non-mother life. So it's kind of weird to me that I have a hard time imposing any kind of structure with my kids. I'm not entirely sure why this is. It's not a fully bad thing, but I feel like we're at the point where my kids will be better, more whole people if there's a little more structured activity in our day to day lives. I don't mean a lot. I mean, well, I mean my goal is to have a 15-minute plan every day. 15 minutes where we discuss a topic or do an activity. I'm not sure if this will be as a group or as individuals or a sort of mix. I think President's Day might be a good place to start--some books, a few coloring pages, and some other activities for the older kids. If any of you know of any good blogs out there with good ideas (not crazy supermom ideas, people--fifteen minute lazy mom ideas), send them my way please. Over the summer the kids had "extra minutes" with me. It started off productive and morphed into something that usually meant they got to look at something online "with me." So it needs a little refining, but the principal is sound. 

Other: 

1. Send birthday cards to my family members. Did I get you all? I tried to. 

2. Clean the house pretty well every Monday. Yup.

3. Garden: simple, but good. Cardboard or carpet for rows to eliminate weeds, only our favorite foods. Oh, and those corn eating racoons--something must be done about that, but I'm hoping to leave that to Kip. Worst garden ever, but it was fully the fault of raccoons and squirrels.