2013 A Year Full of Potential

Greetings and Happy New Year!  It has been a very long time since I last wrote on our family's blog.  I find myself not having much time to do much of anything but what needs to get done for the day.  Having said that I do hope that I'll carve more time to write down the things that are going on in our home as well as what's going on in my head this year.  So here is my list of promises I'm making to myself this year.

1. Find more joy in everyday things.
2. Express my joy in my children and husband more.
3. Carve out more time to take care of myself.
4. Go outside more often and play with the kids.
5. Snuggle more with the husband.
6. Try not to juggle more than 2 things at a time.
7. Learn not to react to circumstances.
8. Don't create stress unnecessarily.
9. Make better food choices.
10. Drink more water.

So here are a few random thoughts floating in my head:

I read this very sensible article a couple of days ago and I'm going to really try this year to take care of myself better and to treat my children with more understanding.  I think I'm far too quick to dismiss their feelings. I find myself being much more critical and offering advice when a hug and assurance would help them better.

Last spring/summer the two older children and I became accustom to reading out loud the Chronicles of Narnia every night before bed.  We finished the entire series this fall and started reading the Little House on the Prairie books.  It has been great family time for the older two and even the husband comes and sits to listen.  I realized with me reading they weren't really getting any practice of reading out loud so for Christmas Santa bought "Wind in the Willows" for Xavier and "Black Beauty" for Veronica.  (They are hard bound and beautifully illustrated books that were bought at Books A Million for $2 each.)  In this modern technical age of Kindles and Nooks there still isn't anything better to me than a good aged book in my hands.  I asked the head librarian at a larger library  if she liked reading with the Kindle and Nook. "NO!"  She too loves the feel and smell of books. Something I so want my children to love as well.

I've returned to school to finish my BA and so I'm wrapping up my 1st semester back after 20 years.  It's been very rough trying to find time to study and yet it's been so wonderful learning. I had so much fear about the whole application process and wondering if I was disciplined enough to really be able to do the work.  The answer to that is yes!  I am able to learn and it feels wonderful to have a brain soaking in knowledge.  For a mom who has no outside contact for most of the day, it's been literally a godsend.

There is so much potential in a new year.  I can't wait to see what enfolds.