Revised Approach to Life, 2009

Last year I tried to create a simple list of resolutions and for the record (there's a record, right? Somebody is scoring how well I do in life? That's important to me), I've done reasonably well at meeting most some a couple one of them - I have posted on my regular blog everyday. Whether or not it's been pithy and/or meaningful is debatable.

• I think I've become more mindful of my everyday life, but I don't feel solid at it and look forward to improving.
• No claw foot tub (Stu really tried, but they're all too strangely-shaped for our house. Plus they weigh 1,000,000 pounds) but my man did install a fabulous modern bath tub for me. I only have one candle near it, though. Will work on that.
• And everything else I actually do sometimes but not as often as I'd prefer.

So I'm designing this year's resolutions list as a What Not To Do in the hopes that it will stick better that way; I much prefer avoiding what I shouldn't do rather than doing what I'm told.

In 2009 I will not:

1. Lie in bed listening to the radio alarm for more than 2 minutes or get up, turn it off, and return to bed.
2. Stay up past 10:30 on a school night no matter what. I'm serious.
3. Forget to choose the next day's outfit each night (just for me; Stu can fend for himself).
4. Skip breakfast, wherein "breakfast" refers to a decent grain - cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter toast + fruit and milk. [Bonus points for meat or egg product. Not sure what the bonus points are for but I'll think of something].
5. Start making dinner without lighting a few candles around the house.
6. Forgo a cup of tea in the morning & after school.
7. Scorn & avoid the Wii Fit Balance Board after the kids are in bed, and on weekend mornings.
8. Put off planning getaways (including babysitter) for me & my man once a month.
9. Miss opportunities to make cards from my photos.
10. Allow my classroom to smell like teen 'spirit.' (I got these for $7 at Whole Foods last night!)
11. Let other people's poor/thoughtless choices affect my outlook on life. I'm talking to all the dumbass drivers out there - watch me smile & wave and pray for your soon-to-be-wrecked-or-ticketed souls. Too much? I doubt they're reading my blog anyway.

*Happy, happy, delightful, magical, marvelous, enjoyable, agreeable New Year to you*

thirteen blessings in a ridiculous half-week

I was Woman on the Verge this week, but I have successfully (read: sans criminal record/with teaching job) made it to Vacation Day #1! And there are many blessings that got me here relatively unscathed:

1. A best friend, whose Monday was comparably horrible, ready to share tea, tears, and stories right after school (Thanks, Jen!), plus all the great reader friends who propped me up, too
2. Enjoying a junior high orchestra concert (wherein some of the tunes sounded like the somber string quartet in Nightmare Before Christmas, yet it was just what the psychiatrist would have ordered)
3. Inspired poems by teenagers styled after "Stopping By the Woods On A Snowy Evening"
4. Witnessing the usually checked-out students in my speech class rising to participate in an assignment
5. Listening to the lovely (or at least earnest) voices of a local girls' choir singing carols
6. Watching my best friend's frequently squirrelly first grader sitting rapt during the choir performance
7. My 7-year old daughter coming down the stairs in her black velvet pants and black t-shirt (decorated with a heart made of bones) announcing "I feel like a shadow today."
8. My son calmly & coolly completing his Moon Base model after the initial "IDON'TKNOWHOWTOPUTONTHEFOIL!" freakout
9. Digging out the jeans I decorated with my faux-edgy quotes and pictures during my freshman year of college - and fitting into them! It's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!
10. Two classes (20+ kids each) totally excited about playing Taboo for the entire hour & a half periods
11. Receiving an official "Welcome to the school family" present from my principal (a stained glass star in our school colors; I will hang it in my office window with utter pride)
12. Cards, chocolates, cookies, and an ornament from students
13. The train & trestle my Advocacy class created from granola bars, pretzel sticks, marshmallows, frosting and gummi bears, complete with a jumper on the top bridge beam (Merry Morbid Christmas, everyone!)

Ah. Life is good.

Visit more Thursday Thirteen listers.

i'm beginning to get impatient for christmas

It's that time of the week! TGIF, baby

1. I relish Christmas.

2. White (simply elegant) is my favorite colors for the Christmas tree lights.

3. The candles in the window have no bulbs (candles in the window? I don't have the energy).

4. It's A Wonderful Life is one of my most favorite Christmas movies (followed closely by Elf).

5. My favorite Christmas lyrics are "We'll pass around the coffee and the PUMPkin pie!"

6. I'm dreaming of a snow day or two.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cleaning my house then slugging in front of the TV, tomorrow my plans include feeding teenagers during their progressive dinner party before heading to a grown-up party, and Sunday, I want to be still for eight hours in a row!

Friday Fill-Ins, so brilliant.