New Years Resolutions

I know everyone has already posted their resolutions but I didn't even begin to think about it until a few days ago. Here is what I've come up with so far:

1. Continue going to the gym.
I've been managing to go 3-4 days a week and am fairly happy with that. Things are going to change when I start "working" again but I'd still like to find time to fit it in. I've already talked to SF about going in the evenings if I have to. While I've managed to accept my current weight and the fact that it fluctuates 5 pounds here or there - I'd still like to tone up a little bit and get rid of some of that baby weight I'm still carrying around.

2. Say yes more often to the kids.
I feel like I'm constantly telling them no. Take this scenario from last night:
Boy 1 didn't get home from wrestling until 8:30pm. By the time he took a shower and got dressed it was 8:50pm. He comes out to the kitchen where SF and I are talking and having a beer and says, "Can I skip brushing my teeth tonight, I'm tired." If SF hadn't been standing there I would have said NO before he even finished getting it out of his mouth. However, SF was there and said yes. I was all, "WHAT??" but didn't say anything.
The more I thought about it, I figured what's it matter if he doesn't brush his teeth one night. His teeth aren't going to fall out! So my goal is to take instances like this and try to say "yes" more often.


3. Make more time for me.
I really miss doing things I that enjoy. Like reading (books not blogs!) and playing soccer.
a.) I'm going to try to find a local soccer team this year and start playing again. I was playing up until 2 seasons ago but sometimes it would take an hour to get to the game and an hour home and I really lost motivation to go since it involved SO much time driving. (And the fact that SF was gone for 8 months didn't help either.)
b.) While I've been reading more lately - I want to continue doing that. I know I'm not going to be able to read 2+ books a week like I once use to but a couple a month would be nice. However, in order to do this I'm going to have to cut down on the number of blogs I read. I just looked in my google reader and I currently subscribe to 51 blogs! I can't keep up with them anymore so I'm going to try to cut that number in half. (I'm still going to read my favorites but there are some that I no longer enjoy or no longer seem to have a connection to but feel compelled to read them to make that damn number in my reader go down. If I no longer comment on/follow your blog - I'm sorry but it's all about ME now!)
**Editor's Note: I just did this, well the unsubscribing part and I only got down to 30 - but that's a start!**

4. Do more things that make me happy.
See all of the ones above but I also want to do things for others that I use to do and no longer seem to be able to fit it into my schedule. Like donating blood and working at local food drives and helping to coach sports (preferably soccer). I also have had a desire for some time now to do some sort of walk for charity. (maybe breast cancer but I'd be open to others.) So if you'd like to join me on that and help motivate me that would be great!


5. Stop trying to please others and please myself more often.
SF is constantly telling me that I need to stop doing everything everyone else wants me to do and start doing what I want. I agree with him - but that's a hard step for me. I've always seemed to let people walk all over me and I'm going to stop. As my sister told me the other day, "You need to look out for you, because no one else going to do it!"

6. Continue to find ways to save money.
I've been doing this this year and I think I can do it even better if I dedicate a little more time to it (and perhaps less time reading blogs). There are certain blogs that I've found that do all the work of finding the deals for me and so I won't be cutting those out of my reader. I also want to start "stock piling" on certain items when they are on sale. (I started doing this with kids clothes at the end of the seasons, gift items when they are really cheap, etc)

7. Continue/start working on the kids baby books.
I started Boy 1's last year and really want to get it finished. But I've been lacking any type of creativity. Maybe I'll go to one of those scrap booking places and get some ideas so I can finish Boy 1's and start on Boy 2's. (Girl has one but I'd like to add to/redo it one day.)

8. Enroll in a graduate program to get my Master's.
I keep talking about it and I've even researched and have decided where I want to go. But I need to actually enroll and get the ball moving. I doubt this will happen by spring but maybe for summer classes and definitely by the start of fall classes!

Alright, that's all I can come up with right now. I'm sure there was something else that I was thinking about and it will come to me when I'm trying to sleep and I'll ignore it and then forget about it again (which is what happens to most of my blog posts that I've been trying to compose my head recently) but when I finally do remember it - I'll add it.

Happy New Year!

I know it's Wednesday already and I haven't posted yet this week!

It's a busy week making returns, shopping, reading new books and playing with new gadgets.

Oh yea, and that company did make me an offer but as I suspected I'm not real excited about it. Now I'm in the process of negotiating with them to see if we can get it a little closer to what I want.

I'd be interested to hear what others think of the current state of the economy and trying to find a job... Should I settle for this or keep looking? Is it only going to get harder to find a job in the new year?

Happy New Year

and I'll be back soon with some good posts!

10 Things I Love

A little over a month ago, ">Michelle gave me a letter to participate in this meme. You list 10 things that you love that start with the letter you are assigned.

Of course this some how got lost in my inbox (I think it was around the time of my last giveaway) and I'm just now uncovering it - so here it is! Sorry Michelle!

My letter was "P":

1. Peace and Quiet. Which generally only happens after the kids are in bed.
2. Pizza. Just regular old cheese has become my favorite lately.
3. Pictures. Of the kids, of my family, of SF.
4. Potatoes. Any kind - fried, mashed, scalloped.
5. Parenthood. It's amazing and really can't be described unless you've done it.
6. Pass the Pigs. It's a game I'm hoping to get for Christmas.
7. Phone. When SF is gone, this is the thing that keeps me connected with people taller than 3 foot.
8. Playing Soccer. I know this one is stretching it - but "P" is a hard letter!
9. Presents. I actually love to give presents more than I do receive.
10. Procrastination. Okay, I don't actually love it...but I sure do seem to do it A LOT!

If you'd like to play along, just leave me a comment and I'll assign you a letter.

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone is having a great day and I can't wait to hear what everyone got from Santa!

More Christmas Stuff

Friday night I signed Girl and I up to make gingerbread houses at the youth center on post. I decided I would leave SF at home with the boys and her and I could spend some "mommy and me" time together.

She had a lot of fun. After making a mess (me) and eating more candy than possibly went on the actual house (her); here was what we had:




I think it turned out pretty good. Of course now it's a feat just to convince her that it's okay if we eat it!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Girl!

I can't believe that you are 8 years old already!

It's amazing how the time has flown by!

You are such an amazing person! You are a wonderful daughter and an amazing big sister. You have such a big heart and you would do anything for anyone! I wish you could stay this age forever...but I know that you are growing up to be an even more amazing person - and I can't wait to see what the years ahead bring.

More Whining...

I went on another interview today. (The one I said was in the pipelines here.)

It was okay. I wasn't really impressed as it's not exactly what I want to be doing - but I have a feeling they'll make me a offer.

Of course I don't know if their offer will even be for what I deserve to make or not - but we'll see.

At this point with the economy the way it is and there being so limited jobs available, if they make an offer - I'm half tempted just to accept it until something else comes along.

At least I'll be working that way. Of course I still have the business but again, with the way the economy is going that is suffering as well...

I guess only time will tell...