Forward and Back

I started blogging a little over a year ago, and though with the advent of a teen in the house and doing childcare for an infant four days a week it's fallen considerably by the wayside, it's nice to be able to look back on the past year and reminisce. I thought it would be fun to evaluate how I did on last year's "resolutions". So here they were...

*limiting the girls TV time to when they first get up in the morning, and right after nap--did ok most days, still working on it
*a planned activity every weekday (library story-time, arts and crafts, imaginative play, outside...something intentional that the three of us do together)--greatly improved but not where I want to be
*workbook time with Amelia on days she doesn't have speech or AWANA--ok
*some sort of work-out most days of the week (even 20 minutes on DDR, it doesn't have to be an hour-long ordeal)--did NOT happen and probably won't this year either
*take my vitamins every day--on track by the end of the year
*drink more water (I got a few stainless steel water bottles I need to use more)--check
*spend more time with God--very up and down
*plan and prepare healthier meals for my family, and be consistent about encouraging the girls to eat their vegetables--due to B's high cholesterol, I've worked really hard at this, and I think I'm doing great!

On the whole, I saw improvement in most areas, and I'm not going to let my perfectionism get me down. After all, 2009 was a rough year, full of change, hopes, losses, and growth...sometimes in the midst of life, your focus has to change for a while and you take a few steps back in certain areas. I'm looking forward to a better 2010, with more structure, less housecleaning and perfectionism, and an additional family member to shake everything up as soon as I start to figure things out.

So here goes, the goals for 2010...

Parenting:
*re-start the Answers in Genesis preschool curriculum and figure out if we should homeschool for kindergarden next year
*work on memory verses every day

Spiritual:
*schedule quality time with God every weekday

Health:
*eat more fruit
*rest when I need it, even if I haven't achieved the Holy Grail of housekeeping perfection

Financial:
*stick to an eating-out budget
*stick to our "money map" even when I really really really feel like remodeling the bathroom