The January big time

I have big plans for this year and at day 8 I have but faltered a little when I took some chocolate covered almonds set on the counter to tempt me at my parents. Once I averted my eyes, nay, twice, then I succumbed and ate a few. In years passed I might have fallen off the wagon for a whole day before realizing that the year was not lost merely because I ate sugar when I had determined not to. Funny as that might sound, it really depicts the past "me", not wanting to do anything by half’s and once failing, failing for awhile. I have mellowed in my age, or more so, in my years as a mother. I am learning proportion.

The year is so lovely in all it’s untraveled paths and I want to lay my footprints just right along them. However, living my life with a sense of my, above all, priority list in mind, is essential to the happiness of those who rely on me. So nice to be relied on. Here are a few things for January and beyond. I intend to evaluate at the end of each month to keep myself on task and determine what is working and what needs tweaking. (Doing this with my husband so some accountability exists, otherwise I make no bones in saying, I would be back on the chocolate wagon by February 1st. I am a highly disciplined individual but I love love love good chocolate).

My schedule has been totally reworked since starting homeschooling so a big problem has been: when do I workout. Mama needs to be exercising and that is for sure. I started small with the goal of five times a week either on the treadmill or at the gym. Also doing the squat challenge and if I can’t make it to a weight class then using my dumbbells at home. Cutting out sugar and bread. Really I just want to get back to my pre baby Drake weight which means ten pounds has to go. Focusing on getting the kids additional veggies and juicing once a day.

 To be or not to be?

I have wanted to learn an additional instrument for some time and that instrument being the violin. Being a piano teacher already and well versed in music theory I figured another classical instrument would be a good choice. However, I was not expecting to get a violin for Christmas from my mom and dad and was ecstatic when I did. Two days after Christmas I found a teacher and made an appointment. This week was my first lesson; the last few nights after the kids are in bed I get my new instrument out for a little practice. Ask me in a year to play something lovely. I call her “Stradivarius”.

Faith building. It is hard to compete with the endless inundation of negativity in this society. I do my best by detaching from some of the media implements that seem to take over the atmosphere in the home (news, television in general, music, internet  etc), but sometimes the environment just needs a little extra faith immersion. When I jog I put on the truth project from Focus on the Family so my kids, though likely not understanding, are hearing that which tells the reason why we believe what we believe. Scripture songs, teaching tapes and using stories from the old testament to illustrate every day lessons. I want my house to be a house of peace so therefore I will help create an environment where it is possible. 

I will be talking more about goals in this month of January, with the ever present truth that with God our possibilities are endless; in point, we can be better parents, better spouses, better homemakers and on and on, with the help of HIM who loves us most.

As a wife and a mom I look around and see things out of place all the time. I could jump up and fix it on the spot or I could make sure that the heart of the matter is attended to first and the other stuff, the stuff that really doesn’t matter too much, takes secondary priority. I had a firsthand reminder of this today with my little guy running a fever. He just wanted to be held and cuddled and loved, and I was there to do just that. The dishes stacked up in the sink, I never made it to the treadmill and I did what I haven’t done in months: dumped a clean pile of laundry from the dryer to the floor so I had a place for the clothes in the washer. I don’t like getting backed up in the housework but what is far worse is getting backed up in the emotional and spiritual care of the children that God has given me. Here's to keeping things in proper perspective this January.