Welcome 2012!!

Here we are. Embarking on a whole new year! I am excited. This is going to be an amazing year. I plan on being my best yet in 2012.

I think the new year is the perfect time to start fresh and make those changes you've been meaning to. Not resolutions, I think they are made to be broken. Just taking a good look at your life and changing what you don't like. Some may say that is the same thing. I think there is a huge difference. I'm not saying "I will exercise every day, stop eating carbs and never raise my voice at my kids." That is unrealistic! I'm simply taking a look at my life and fix what's not working. Move in a direction toward creating the life I want for me, for us.

I have learned so much about myself in the past year. Realized who I am, who I want to become and made many changes to move in that direction. I know I can do better, I can be better, I know I will falter and that needs to be OK.

I am reading a wonderful book, Katrina Kenison's Mitten Strings from God: Reflections for Mothers in Hurry. It has made me realize my job as a parent could use some work. It is not just a book about slowing down but also about enjoying this precious short time we have with our children, making the most of it, making it sweeter.

I take the  position of Mom so seriously, and I should. I know I am a good mom. It is just that I am terrified of doing it wrong. Little set backs can sometimes cause me to freak out. I forget to live in the moment, always preparing and worrying about what lies ahead.

This year I vow to teach less, to not be so quick to hit that panic button. I keep wishing for things in my life to get simpler, easier. I realized the other day I need to just stop making everything so hard.

Life is a journey of ups and downs. We need the downs to have the ups. I need to relax, and know that the most important thing I can do is be present and loving. Enjoy more and worry less.. and yes I still need to stop seeking perfection.

Days where things don't seem to go right need to be an opportunity not a catastrophe.
I will BE that person. Be the mom I wish I was, be the wife I should be and be the best ME I can.

I will RELAX! Teach less, enjoy more.

For example.....

I will leave the mess:

  My counter looks like this right now. It STILL looks like this. I may tidy it up a bit (because its in my nature) but it will stay right here until they are no longer interested in it. It is so tempting to clean it all up, but then I would be missing the point of life. Those 2 silly crayon makers won't always be here. So I plan on leaving out the crayola crayon maker, letting them dump Lego's in my family room (I already started doing that and have the pictures to prove it!) and not worrying about the stack of games in my family room. I will still have a tidy house, I think everyone functions better in a neat environment, I just need to let go a little.

I will say YES when I could say no for no good reason..

Why not have spaghetti tacos for dinner? Does it really matter? She was so proud and pleased with herself. They were surprisingly good and it felt good to say YES, when they expected a no.

I will do it, not wish we would or think we should.

For almost 2 years we have said we should go for hike. On new years day we finally did it! I want to be that family. It felt good to get exercise, be in the fresh air, admire the beauty of the wood  and be together. Without phones, IPods or TV. It was a wonderful day.

So, simply put, I'm just going to....

DO IT, BE IT,  RELAX AND ENJOY THIS TIME RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

I plan to put this motto in to place in all areas of my life.

Tomorrow will come soon enough. Today is where I need to live and I plan on enjoying every second of it I can with as little regret as possible. ~ S