Howdy, 2012

Happy New Year From My Rockstars.

How do I begin? 2011 is over which isn't terribly emotional for me. 2012 however is. This is it, the year of my wedding. The year Isaac will turn 10! We will have been in the new house a year in April. Mike will have been at his job 2yrs this summer. Riley will have her first dance recital in June. Woah.

I have high hopes for complete recovery (and functionality)from this hip surgery in the very near future. I have some new opportunities on the horizon and I'm very excited. It just seems like all the struggle is starting to pay off. I don't want to whine and cry about how hard life has been, this isn't the year for that.

I'm optimistic and ready for the next chapter. I did my best to have a relaxed first day of the year, hoping the old "what you do one the first day of the year is what you'll do all year." I am very pleased to report that I slept until 10am! Well, I got up to help with pottying and breakfast and then got to lay down for most of the morning. I watched a movie and cuddled with poor sick Mike, which we didn't do nearly enough of last year. I had quite a few laughs with the kids, too.

I didn't even have to worry about dinner. We had a tradition of going to Mike's mom's for Hoppin' John (beans and rice) which is supposed to be good luck. It was a nice day with on exception Isaac (for the 3rd time in a row) just skipped a class project because he didn't feel like it. It's became a constant source of stress. He turned the other two in late for partial credit. This time it was assigned over Thanksgiving break and is due when he gets back and he didn't bring it up until after Christmas!

We've made it clear that he will complete ALL assignments whether it's too late to get credit or not. We've also been clear that we're not doing his work for him just because he waited until the last minute. Other people's procrastination is so stressful, but it's ten times as much when you're responsible for that person.

I resolve to be kinder to myself than I was last year. I also resolve to balance my time away from and with kids better. To remember my thank yous more than I forget them and to stop apologizing every time I get my way.