In One Year and Out The Other

Well folks, another year in life's rear view mirror. While 2009 gave us much to laugh and love, there were many stress filled months this year with Rhett's job crisis. Even though we were blessed with a new job in August, I'd be lying if I didn't say there wasn't a part of me happily pressing my foot on the proverbial gas.
As it turns out, objects in mirror really are bigger than they appear. Thankfully that applies to blessings as well as trials.

Yes, the New Year is life's inevitable pop quiz. A check in to see how we're doing, what we need to be doing and basically a good indication to the people in charge that we've been paying attention. Admittedly a horrible test taker, but also a perpetual optimist and list maker, I find myself thinking more on the fresh possibilities of the new year. Twelve bright squeaky clean months. A whole year stretched out before us that's completely free of days marred with procrastination, lost patience with children, and entire sleeves of Oreos eaten in one sitting.

They say whatever you are doing on New Year's Day is what you'll be doing in the New Year. Jan 1, 2010 I shopped, ate lunch with my mom and sisters, went to a movie, got my groove on in Zumba and played with my family, so I can only pray that what "they" say is true!

At the stoke of midnight last night I was losing at a game I had dominated earlier in the night: Ticket to Ride, with my family, followed up by the group of us sitting down with paper and pen to jot down the resolutions that first came to mind. I stopped at ten as to not overwhelm myself too early. I don't know about you, but I can only handle so much self improvement at one time.

Here are some of the highlights:

Finish Potty Training Drew:

While this goal might imply that I have started potty training Drew, that would be misleading. Truth is, Drew has actually been potty training himself. Yes, sadly, Drew has looked around at his situation as fourth child and with an exasperated sigh, come to the astute conclusion that no one around him really knows what the heck is going on.
The other day as I was again trying to get everyone out the door, and again having to define the actual meaning of the word hurry, Drew waddled out of the bathroom with his diaper half taken off and his pants around his ankles and said simply, "Help."
He had taken it upon himself to use the toilet, but just needed a little help zipping up. I don't really want to get into how sad it is to become so busy and self involved that your toddler ends up taking the matter of raising himself into his own hands, so, just be assured that Drew--potty training: I'm totally on it.

Get House Organized.

I don't just want to be shelves and file folders organized. I want to be like ridiculously freakishly organized. I want to be so organized, TLC approaches me to do a reality show about the most organized mom on the planet--so organized that my friends have to stage an intervention because I'm obsessively organizing. I mean SO ORGANIZED that I get some sort of Gold customer status at the Container Store. So organized that---okay, fine, I'll stop. You get it.

I can clean and scour my house all day long. I think I've blogged previously about an odd yet unabashed love of vacuuming. Just don't open any closets or cupboards...

Write more.

I know. Sometimes I'm so profound it's scary. I got to thinking of all the things I wanted to write and realized I'd save paper space labeling it this way. While a larger goal is to write a 100,000 word story this year, my smaller goals are to A) blog more. and B) write enough that the wonderful people in my writing group won't egg my house.


Exercise/Eat Well/Lose Weight Blah Blah Blah

I actually enter the new year not totally bummed out about my health. Getting rid of Drew's baby weight was taking, as Michael 'Squints' Palledorous would say: Forrreeevvverrrr.

Down about 40 pounds so far, I've joined Weight Watchers, and have discovered that having no real sense of dignity, combined with little to no regard for other people's personal space, makes taking the dance classes at my gym, extremely enjoyable.
So basically my New Year's resolution with this one is: try not to screw it up too much.

While many other goals made the list, with several sub goals still waiting in the wings, I end 2009 with a sense of accomplishment. While I hope very much to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, church leader and neighbor in the new year, I know that I have grown and improved somewhat in the past 12 months. The knowledge of which gives me hope that horrible test taker I may be; I can in fact learn and retain information when I put my mind to it. Gives me a little thrill to think that 2010 could have more good days than bad days, a happier home, happier kids, and fewer brownie pans with a gaping hole in the middle.

So, to 2010. Cheers.