A glimpse

While I'm happy that the Packers won the Superbowl, I'm more thrilled about the evening in general. This consisted of 6 adults and 8 children (Rhianna the oldest) at our house. There were no tantrums, no barfing, and I actually managed to escape to my bathroom and play two full games of Solitaire on my iPod in private. And did I mention all the adults were in total agreement about how to watch the game. The consensus in the room was clearly to root for the Packers (or, at minimum, not the Steelers) but no one had a great investment on the game. Which meant there was much conversation, occasional DVR replays when we missed something exciting, and much commentary on the most important parts of the event. (In case you don't know, those would be the commercials and the half-time show.)

And the kids were great. They were relatively well-behaved and particularly un-needy. Hoping this is a glimpse into what life is like with Kids. Not babies. And that's why I had children :)

Whoa. I made a baby.

I had to collect a baby picture of myself and guess what! It turns out, my kid DO kinda look like me! I thought Dave's genetics had completely dominated mine but now I'm starting to wonder.

Left: My first steps. Right: Isaac!

Resolution

I considered doing another list this year but have decided against it. However, I love making resolutions for the coming year so I'll make a few -- but I probably won't make it to 101.

New Year's is a wonderful holiday. I'm not sure I've ever actually been to a New Year's party -- in fact, I'm fairly confident that I've been asleep for the big moment for at least the past five years....and actually not because I have children, but because I'm just not much of a party-goer. Nonetheless, New Year's is, I think, my favorite holiday. It comes after Christmas which is filled with gift giving -- and though leading up to Christmas can be incredibly stressful, Most people I know are happy to have given gifts to the people they love.

New Year's celebrates a new beginning. No matter how good or bad a year has been, the idea behind this holiday is to greet the upcoming year with enthusiasm and a yearning to improve upon the past. With that sentiment in mind, here are my resolutions:

1. Practice being more focused. I find myself disappointed with how easily distracted I have been. Between email and blogs and Facebook and Netflix and TV and a hundred other things, I'm surprised at how much time I actually spend on any given task. Even things as insignificant as playing a game on the Wii or going to the bathroom -- my mind always seems preoccupied with a hundred details and lists. I feel like if I work harder to be more present at any given task, I will be more satisfied with my efforts and do a better job. i'm hoping this practice will also help me enjoy the moment and remember that it's important to play for at least a little time each day.

2. Let go. Control is my best friend and certainly my worst enemy. I think many parents struggle with this but, in my case, I feel like it seeps into my parenting, my work, my emotions, everything. When it comes to the kids, I'm think of myself as reasonably strict. I don't feel like I'm too strict, but my children definitely understand that there are rules and limits. Nonetheless, I often find myself making up arbitrary rules that really only result in stress. The other day, for example, Owen was taking all the stickers off a sticker sheet and arranging them on a separate piece of paper. "Don't use them ALL Owen." Really Mom? Why not? The stickers came free in the mail from some magazine and we won't use them for anything else. There is simply no reason not to use the stickers. Go for it kid -- and have fun.

3. Be thoughtful. I struggled a little bit with the wording on this one. It started with "slow down" but I think "be thoughful" is more to the point. I'm not aiming to do LESS per se, just wean out the less important things, be mindful of the words and actions I choose, and take responsibility for those choices.

I think those are the highlights this year. I hope to post more to this blog as part of my #3 goal. Part of being thoughtful is actually thinking about things and the process off blogging contributes to that effort for me even if I don't have much of a fanbase of readers.

On legos

So after spending several hours assembling the Lego Hogwarts, I've come to several conclusions.

1. Legos are AWESOME.

2. There are very few things that, as an adult, are so clear and concise and Legos. You have all the pieces, they fit together nicely with clean neat edges. They aren't sticky, the instructions are relatively clear, in small, doable steps, and there's great satisfaction by simply doing it right.

3. It's really refreshing to play. I should play more.

4. No one cares that I spent hours playing with Legos versus putting the dishes away. I think this means I should spend more time playing and less time stressing about the state of the house.