2011 New Year's Resolutions

It's a new year. 2010 was a tough year for a lot of people. I'm hoping that 2011 will turn things around in our country, more people get jobs, and there's more peace in the world.

I am very lucky that I have two wonderful, healthy, bright, funny, amazing children and that our family is financially sound in such a turbulent economy. That (hopefully) won't change in 2011, but I do know that 2011 will bring some major challenges to my family. We are undertaking a major (major!) renovation of our home. There is much to be done and decided and suffered through. I'm hoping that once we get to the other side of this reno, we will be stronger and happier in our new home.

Here's my resolutions. I hope that sticking to them will ease the challenges that are to come:

1) Spend more quality time with my husband.
2) Begin a real running routine and eat smaller quantities and healthier food.
3) Work hard to purge and organize my home so that the renovation goes smoothly and everything is cleaner and more organized when we come out on the other side.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday we went to a kid friendly New Year's party that celebrated the new year at midnight GMT time (that's 7pm Boston time.) It was a fun time, especially for the kids who were all running wild around the house and eating marshmallows dipped in chocolate fondue. Just before "midnight" they handed out paper hats and horns and whatnot and then did the whole countdown. So why is it, when it was time to go, the kids are upset about whether or not they get to bring home the stupid paper hat? Sigh... life is rough for a 3-year-old!

The other thing that happened yesterday was that we hosted a neighborhood playgroup in the morning. It also was snowing hard in the morning. I was up really late cleaning and getting things ready to have a bunch of neighbors in my house. I also baked cookies and made frosting to "paint" on them with new, washed paint brushes. The kids and I had fun with this. We were the only ones. No one else showed up.... Well, at least I get credit for hosting and my house is a bit cleaner. And I have snacks to offer an impromptu play date with some school friends.

So I'm just now starting to think about what I should resolve for the new year. Here's a start:

(1) Go on a backpacking trip.

(2) Participate in at least one triathlon.

(3) Get in shape to do (1) and (2).

(4) Eat with more moderation and stop when full.

(5) Finish some projects around the house:
- plan and start the home expansion project
- buy furniture for Sierra's room
- clean and organize my "office"
- organize and purge toys, and set up the basement as a play area for the kids

I'm sure there's more I should resolve, but I'll stop there so I'm less likely to fail.

Happy, healthy, properous New Year, everyone!