Resolutions
I know, totally cliché and totally bound to fail. Yet still, the beginning of the new year seems like an appropriate time to take stock, set goals and aim high. Here are a few of my resolutions, followed by some humor-induced (I think it’s a little bit funny now. I did not at the time) already broken resolutions
1) Read my bible every day (or nearly every day). I actually started this one in December, and it’s going pretty good so far.
2) Menu plan, directly related to #3. (will start next week when the kids go back to school, I swear)
3) Spend less money at the grocery store and cook more foods from scratch. I won Mary Ostyn’s book (Family Feasts for $75 a week) on a blog giveaway and it is inspiring me to do better. Often times the only difference between healthy/cheaper eating and highly processed/expensive meals is just a little bit of forethought.
4) Spend more time playing with my kids. Ashamedly not something I terribly enjoy and not something I do often enough. (Tuesday I sat down and taught all 5 kids how to play Uno together.Then I took a Valium because teaching a 3 year old how to play Uno is insane)
5) Have more patience with Taz. (big fail so far. See below)
6) Be more affectionate with MB. He craves it, sometimes I shrink from it. I will do better.
7) Run more. I hate to put this out there because I really prefer to fail in private, but I am planning on training for and running the Chicago Marathon in October. (shoot me now) And, before you roll your eyes and think I’m “one of those,” let me just tell you that before July I could not run a mile, probably not even a half mile. I started with Couch to 5K, and then slowly worked my way up to a half marathon 4 months later. If I can do it, anyone can. I am 34, and before this year I never ever ever thought I would ever be able to run, let alone enjoy it. (technically I still don’t most of the time, but I do enjoy the mental and physical benefits)
8) Get back to Ethiopia this year. Not sure in exactly what capacity, but I want to go back and see some people we love.
9) Speaking of people we love, I want to be more consistent about sending them updates, photos and videos. Like once every couple of months.
10) Get more organized with kids’ chores, school work, actually remember to have The Eldest practice piano more than once a month, etc.
11) Give back MORE! Which for me involves getting involved in a charity in Ethiopia. I’ve done a lot of pondering and research, and I think I've picked which organization to jump into with both feet.
12) Learn Amharic. I have let a lot of my Amharic slip of late. Anyone want to join in learning with me? I was tossing around the idea of throwing up a daily Amharic lesson on the blog? This would really just be to make myself do it, but it would be fun if others joined along?
Okay, so about #5 …Don't kill have more patience with Taz, because this.child.drives.me.CRAZY! I could fill books with all the things he does, but here’s my top two annoyances at the moment. First, bed wetting. Which wouldn’t be an issue, if he wouldn’t refuse to keep his pull-up on at night. Every.single.night he takes it off, puts on his favorite swim trunks, falls asleep and proceeds to pee the bed. I’m considering duct taping them to him (before you call social services, I’d make sure the duct tape didn’t stick to his skin, just made the elastic ineffective. Still cruel?) Second, peeing in inappropriate places. Everyday it’s a fun new game. Where will he pee today? He’s moved on from trash cans and yesterday was caught peeing in the dog’s water bowl in the house. No idea if this is the first time he’s done this (poor Woosha), but I know it won’t be the last ... Because, he was “caught” by his older brother and sister, who proceeded to laugh hysterically. No amount of parental scowling can offset an older sibling's applause. I guess the most frustrating part in all of his naughtiness is that he KNOWS it’s wrong. There are consequences. He’s always "very sorry Mom” afterwards. It’s just that in the moment he does not care. How do you parent a child like this? No seriously, I want to know.
I'm so thankful for a new year and am hoping for a little less excitement than 2012 had to offer. Happy 2013 to all.
I know, totally cliché and totally bound to fail. Yet still, the beginning of the new year seems like an appropriate time to take stock, set goals and aim high. Here are a few of my resolutions, followed by some humor-induced (I think it’s a little bit funny now. I did not at the time) already broken resolutions
1) Read my bible every day (or nearly every day). I actually started this one in December, and it’s going pretty good so far.
2) Menu plan, directly related to #3. (will start next week when the kids go back to school, I swear)
3) Spend less money at the grocery store and cook more foods from scratch. I won Mary Ostyn’s book (Family Feasts for $75 a week) on a blog giveaway and it is inspiring me to do better. Often times the only difference between healthy/cheaper eating and highly processed/expensive meals is just a little bit of forethought.
4) Spend more time playing with my kids. Ashamedly not something I terribly enjoy and not something I do often enough. (Tuesday I sat down and taught all 5 kids how to play Uno together.
5) Have more patience with Taz. (big fail so far. See below)
6) Be more affectionate with MB. He craves it, sometimes I shrink from it. I will do better.
7) Run more. I hate to put this out there because I really prefer to fail in private, but I am planning on training for and running the Chicago Marathon in October. (shoot me now) And, before you roll your eyes and think I’m “one of those,” let me just tell you that before July I could not run a mile, probably not even a half mile. I started with Couch to 5K, and then slowly worked my way up to a half marathon 4 months later. If I can do it, anyone can. I am 34, and before this year I never ever ever thought I would ever be able to run, let alone enjoy it. (technically I still don’t most of the time, but I do enjoy the mental and physical benefits)
8) Get back to Ethiopia this year. Not sure in exactly what capacity, but I want to go back and see some people we love.
9) Speaking of people we love, I want to be more consistent about sending them updates, photos and videos. Like once every couple of months.
10) Get more organized with kids’ chores, school work, actually remember to have The Eldest practice piano more than once a month, etc.
11) Give back MORE! Which for me involves getting involved in a charity in Ethiopia. I’ve done a lot of pondering and research, and I think I've picked which organization to jump into with both feet.
12) Learn Amharic. I have let a lot of my Amharic slip of late. Anyone want to join in learning with me? I was tossing around the idea of throwing up a daily Amharic lesson on the blog? This would really just be to make myself do it, but it would be fun if others joined along?
Okay, so about #5 …
I'm so thankful for a new year and am hoping for a little less excitement than 2012 had to offer. Happy 2013 to all.
you have the best resolutions. (i so hoped for the marathon resolution too, because one of these years i'd like to do it, and i figure my post-forty chances are next to nil. but then i realized that there's not a chance i can pull off something that grand this year, so there went one resolution before i could even resolve it.)
ReplyDeleteif you figure out the parenting answer above, sign me up. pronto.
Yes to Amharic lessons- I am in , i need help, like less than 3 months i need to know more.
ReplyDeleteI am so so so sorry about the parenting issues of a peeing child....that has gotten a big cringe from me. I would be at such a loss.
*** side question- because i took this time to relive some awesome MB moments and older child adoption stuff from your blog. What has happened with MB's friend Abe?
ReplyDeleteAs you may know we did get formally matched with the little girl we requested and are awaiting a court date soon....but Abe really made an impression on my heart and i was wondering
Autumn, Unfortunately, I have heard nothing about "Abe" :(. I can't even count the number of messages I have left for my contact at CHSFS, all with no response. He was removed from their waiting child list several months ago, and my hope and prayer is that he was matched with a family. He's from the south, and the alternative ... well, I can't emotionally go there.
DeleteI wont' even address the issue of running because the idea of it makes me quiver. And not in a good way.
ReplyDeleteBut about your son and the bed wetting. I really had no clue until you mentioned his attitude about doing things that he clearly knows are wrong. Then bells went off in my head. We had that issue too. Not with wetting but with other small household infractions. My DD knew there were things she was NOT supposed to do and she would do them all-the-time. It didn't matter if I got angry or if I scolded or if I begged or if I stood on my head and turned blue, she always remained calm watching my reaction and then she would do it again the next day and the next and the next.
Finally it dawned on me that this behavior wasn't because she was "bad" but it was because she was testing me. Over and over and over. She wanted to MAKE SURE that I would love her NO MATTER WHAT. And so she did bad things all the time--deliberately-- in order to test my response.
Gradually, in her own time, when she was capable of believing me, she gave it up. But it took a long, long time. What I did was add a little speech to the end of my admonitions, like, "Bicicleta Girl, you are not supposed to do that for X, Y or Z reason. You know this. Do not do it again. (knowing she would) I love you and make these rules to keep you safe, that's my job as your Mamma." I must have spent the first 6 years she was home reassuring, reassuring, reassuring. We're still a work in progress.I don't know if this is your case, but that is what happened with us.
Good luck!