New Year's Resolutions

Ok, I know, I am late on this. I haven't posted in a while so I have some catching up to do.

Typically everyone has the New Year's resolutions that are so predictable: lose weight, exercise more, etc. One year I vowed to keep up with our laundry, then I had #4, I think God was laughing at me at that point. So, this year mine are going to be simple, more focused on the little things in life.

1. I want to bake cookies more often. It is such a simple task, all the kids get involved and everyone loves the outcome. It makes the house smell good too! Right now I have dough chilling for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, YUM! I will make enough to send for snack in Harrison's class tomorrow.

2. I want to start practicing Dr Randy Carlson's "one thing" rule more often. When you start to get frustrated or short tempered with the kids, you pause and ask yourself "what is one thing I can do other than snapping at them" I try, really I do, but sometimes I do snap and then I always feel bad. I often don't hear myself until I hear Tom when he is in a mood or when I am out in public and I hear someone else talk to their kids and my first thought is "poor kids!" but then I stop and realize that I probably sound like that at times too. So, I want to pause more and think of 'one thing' I can do to diffuse the situation.

3. I want to learn how to sew. I have a sewing machine and I have never used it.

4. I want to pray more. Seems so basic as a Christian, yet most nights by the time my head hits the pillow it is the farthest thing in my mind. Instead I am running through the day, reviewing the moments I could have done better, should have done better and just wish I could re-do. I am going through the list of things to do the next day, list of things I didn't get done and have to finish the next day and list of things I want to take care of. Mornings are just crazy, by the time I hit the snooze one too many times. Perhaps I need to make that my priority, to get up one snooze cycle earlier and pray in the shower. I laughed when someone at MOPS said that a few years ago, now I see the logic!

5. I will write thank you notes this year! The last couple years I have really slacked in this department and I need to get back in the routine! 3/4 of the kids are old enough to participate in their thank you's to some extent, so I need to get them in the routine of writing them! Harrison can write his own and the twins can draw a picture and sign their names on the cards.

6. The glass is 1/2 full, right? I have found when I spend a lot of time with my mom, it quickly becomes 1/2 empty. I need to focus on the positive rather than slipping more into her mind set of focusing on the negative.

So, I am sure I could go on and on. Now that I have put these in writing, you can all feel free to send gifts to test out #5 (a digital camera would be nice) I would even #1 with the #5 and include you in the #4 in the morning, do #2 with the gift, thus capturing the action forever, and maybe I could use #3 to make the #5? Go ahead, send the camera and I'll see what I can do :)