Getting a Serious Head Start on New Year’s Goals

I randomly had the urge to make some new goals last month.  I wrote down the things I wanted to do or change, and set them aside, thinking they’d make great New Year’s Goals.  But then, as life happened, I just wanted to start working on them already.  So I did.  These are the goals I’ve been focusing on recently.

Simplifying my life.  I haven’t altogether given up on minimalism, but it may take a few years to get there (like, after my kids are out of the house?!), so in the meantime, I’m working on simplifying every area of my life.  Physically, I’m still working on throwing things out and organizing my house, which has included getting rid of my couches and moving a futon downstairs, putting pictures up, buying curtains (which may have turned out to be a mistake!), and hauling bags and bags of things to the local thrift shop.  The boys now have 14 tops and 8 or so bottoms, and I’m pretty sure my laundry room gave a standing ovation.  I even went through my books!  -This must mean I’m serious.  Also in the name of simplifying, I have given up Facebook, and I’m working on my other vices.  (I don’t want my children to think being glued to your phone is a. normal, or b. desirable.)  We went through toys, and are back down to balls, cars, blocks, and a couple of dolls.  The baby toys are stowed upstairs for the moment.  I’m considering getting rid of many, many other things (all the arts and crafts supplies, things that haven’t been used in 6 months, and things that get left out instead of put away).  But I’m meeting with serious opposition from my husband.  So I have temporarily settled for confiscating possessions left out in the evening and letting the children do extra chores to get them back.  Blessings from this simplifying are already evident- the children are displaying an increased level of creativity.  They’ve been playing with blocks every day, using them as houses, cities, and roads for their cars (in much the same way I used to play with dolls and blocks).  

Getting to bed early.  I’ve gotten more serious about this one.  I’ve been in bed by 10:30 4 or 5 nights out of 7 recently.  And yes, I’m proud of that.  That’s a really hard one for me!  But I keep thinking of all the blessings associated with keeping that commandment, and remind myself that I do want them, so I have to “go and do”!

Since instituting the above two goals I’ve had more time, and it’s been more effective time as well.  With all my new-found time I’ve worked on a few other goals that had been on the back burner.  I’m reading to my children more, reading for myself more, practicing the piano, exercising every (almost) day, and studying Chinese again.  The first four are reasons I wanted to simplify my life in the first place.  The last one, of course, is a gift to my husband, and I have to continually remind myself of the benefits of learning Chinese.  However, on the uber-cute side, my 22 month old can speak Chinese, in complete sentences.  

Oh, and the side benefit to reading for myself more is that I’m learning cool things.  I’ve been reading gospel-themed books, articles I have meant to read for a while, with the occasional TED talk thrown in.  

Exciting events are thrown in too, just to keep life a little off-balance.  Xander figured out scissors also cut hair, and used this newfound power on himself and his baby brother.  I suppose it was bound to happen.  At least they are boys and I can just buzz their hair.  Demetri gets to go to the temple for the first time today!  (I’m still coming to grips with the fact that he’s that old.)  And my baby, talking in full sentences- that’s new too.  And unsettling.  But short of duct taping his mouth, what can I do?

And these do count right?  I don't have to make more goals on January 1st?  Maybe I'll just review these ones and make sure I'm still on-task :).

Someday He'll Read This Blog And Never Speak To Me Again

Two weeks ago my 3-year-old suddenly decided he wanted to be potty-trained.  He found some underwear and used the toilet often, not having an accident for the entire day.  He clearly understood the principles involved in this enterprise.  The next morning however, it all fell apart.  We had been dubious about letting him use underwear at bedtime, but he staunchly refused to be put back in diapers, repeating over and over that he was a big boy now.  In the morning his underwear and bed were wet.  He was embarrassed and confused at the trick his body was playing on him.  He refused to talk to us for the first hour of the day.  He wouldn’t be put back in diapers, nor listen to his parents’ pleas to use the toilet when the need was obvious.  In fact, it suddenly seemed that the very act of excitedly telling him it was time to use the potty like a big boy caused him to immediately pee on the floor. 

Everything was really falling apart.  The week was spent threatening, pleading, bribing (unfortunately that backfired and he wanted the treats without the try on the potty- causing major tantrums), picking up a thrashing child off the floor and washing him off by force, and cleaning up unsavory messes.  I might note that most of this was done by my husband, as I was not capable of catching him while on crutches.  As the time for my husband to return to work approached, he decided he was done with the whole ridiculous process and put him back in diapers (which he promptly took off as soon as Daddy left the house).  In a last-ditch effort (and thanks to the advice of a brother-in-law) he purchased pull-ups (and more treats).  We told our son they were special underwear just for him, not really expecting it to work, and that the glow-in-the-dark ones were for night.  He was so excited!  And, for that, so were we!

He still gets upset and throws the occasional tantrum, usually when he has to change out of a wet pull-up (denial?), but for the most part he is potty-training himself.  I have had no accidents to clean up, and don’t even have to remind him to use the toilet.  Long live pull-ups!

In other news, my baby has a bad tummy bug, and hasn’t kept much down since about 3 a.m., so there are still plenty of a different kind of mess to clean up.  Poor baby.   And he only wants Daddy (which has been pretty normal since I returned from my trip with a broken leg anyway).  We are praying that this bug moves through him quickly, and also that it doesn’t hit every person in the family.  Feel free to join in :).

Last week I had a physical therapy appointment.  My therapist put electrodes all over my leg and shocked me for 40 minutes.  Ouch.  But really, nothing my mom hadn’t done while we were growing up, haha.  I had to call her and tell her about the huge machine the therapist had instead of wires and copper pennies and whatever other stuff she and grandma used in their homemade versions.  I told her I’d consider getting her one for Christmas to add to her arsenal :).

Today my therapy appointment was a group appointment for people with leg problems, and wasn’t really geared for someone who can’t walk.  So I just did everything one-legged.  One-legged squats, yoga poses, leg raises, and stretches.  20 minutes after class the one leg that I thought of as my good leg was useless.  Lesson learned.  Go slower.  Don’t try to be a hero.

It’s getting better though.  Easier to straighten, easier to bend, not very painful, and I can put a little weight on it. 

Proud wife moment:  On finding out that I didn’t have carrots for my vegetable soup I turned dinner into vegetable-egg drop soup on a whim.  My husband likes egg drop soup ever so much better than vegetable soup and I’ve never made it for him.  This was all accomplished while standing on one leg and making children bring me various ingredients.  I was just grateful he was holding the child who was likely to project fluids (mostly) at any moment.

Why I Blog

Blogging is a form of procrastination for me.  I like to write, when I actually get around to it, and blogging is an excuse for not currently cleaning the kitchen, doing more laundry, or planning tomorrow’s cub scout activity.  Things you’ve been putting off become more stressful the longer you put them off, and blogging also relieves some of that stress (no idea why).  

I have a new bed.  I love, love, love this bed.  I’ve never been on one so soft.  I am beginning to appreciate that value is relative and subjective.  

I’m exhausted.  Homeschooling is a lot of work.  I don’t know how long we’ll do it, but I’d better get organized in a hurry if it’s going to be very long.  Shawn’s working on putting a curriculum together. 

We’ll be working on perfecting a crockpot chicken pot pie this week.  I have 3 recipes to try.

SO very elated about the new rec center opening next week.  Free gym and swimming pool a 2 minute drive away (the other one we’re allowed to use is 20 minutes each way).  Shawn has volunteered to watch the kids whenever I want to go…think he’s trying to tell me something?!  Anyway, he’s been really good about not bugging me to work out (I think he got too frustrated).  It’ll be a lot easier to go now that there’s one that close, and Shawn can take the boys swimming…if he’s that brave.  It’s hard for one adult to keep an eye on all of them in water.

Pinterest is interesting.  Not sure I have the time, but it sure is entertaining.  One more form of procrastination.