Finally Some Resolutions!

I think I have finally come to the realization that resolutions are needing to be made and now is the time to do it. We hung out at home all day today. It was very cold and rainy so TV football was so much more appealing than the store, although I do get joy from driving around in my car (oddly and fortunately enough). Anyway, I think that the lack of hustle bustle had me thinking about sitting down and getting started on the resolutions. Better late than never!

1. As always, I need to be more organized. I am of the mind set that you can do anything if you are super organized! Since this is such a generalized goal, as my friend, Jennie said to me, you have to make smaller goals in order to achieve the big one (or something like that). So, subset organization:

1a. Find places for all of the toys. Toys have homes and preferably when they go home, I cant see them. I may need to purchase another toy chest for the mass these three have accumulated. Also, it's important that the kids know where their toys go when they go to bed so they can put them away efficiently.

1b. Figure out what to do with the papers. Does everyone else have this problem? Mail, school papers, bills, newspapers, receipts, art, magazines, etc... The magazines need to be gone through every two weeks and I will have an organization system for everything else with labels (thanks to my new DYMO). These will be in one of my baskets. I hope this works! I think this is probably my BIGGEST ORGANIZATION PROBLEM and will be the most difficult to conquer.

1i. Alexander's papers. I have to say this child is a maker of lists and a hoarder of paper items. He makes calendars and lists and prints out lists and schedules and all sorts of things and wants to keep it all. Never wants to throw anything away. Maggie is clearly not that way and thinks more like I do. Is this the Venus/Mars thing working so early? Anyway, we have employed many different ideas to deal with Alexander's paper/list/schedule fetish but I think the system we have now is working. We are just going to have to go through all these papers at least weekly and decide which ones he needs and which ones he can toss. This is probably not as bad as I make it sound. He has gotten the hang of making piles of "keepers" and "tossers" and has been tossing quite a bit lately. Go Alexander!

1c. Use my calendars diligently. I am the queen of "I'll write that down later" and then it never happens. I have a portable calendar/planner for work and one on the wall for the family. Combining the two can be challenging but is a must so everyone is wehre they need to be and also, that the kids have babysitting lined up. To my own credit I am pretty good at getting the schedule down. What I like to do with the calendars though, is write down the little things. Like an new tooth or a wiggly one, or what we did that day. This is what I need to work on. I just tend to forget when child #2 started eating baby food to sleeping through the night (did that ever happen?) if I dont write it down and it is sooo much easier for me than keeping a journal. So I need to work on this.

1d. Clothes: Why does it always seem like we have piles of clothes the kids have outgrown! I guess 'cause we do! I need to be getting rid of the clothes, have seasonal clothes available for the kids to pick out (at least the older two); matching socks, shoes that fit, hairbows, and all those accessories in one place and color coordinated. Also, the outfits need to be paired because when someone else takes care of the kids (like Bob) they have some trouble figuring out which shirt goes with a certain pair of pants and stuff like that. I like to match up everything when I put it in the drawers so this is rarely a problem.

1e. The garage. Man, I do NOT want to do this one. NOT AT ALL but it needs to be done. The only good thing about this goal is that I can wait until it gets warmer to actually begin to tackle it!
We have a large garage and right now our car cannot fit in it because it has a swingset in it, tons of bins of clothes and decorations, among other stuff. Just stuff. Need to go through it all and get rid! Anyone need some used laminate flooring? Got that too! In fact, she just let me know if you're looking for something because, we probably have it! LOL!

Wow! That's a lot! Do I need two resolutions? I can think of about 20 but number
2. is gonna be BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WITH THE COMPUTER! Yes, limit my facebook time. Check my email less frequently and give myself a timed computer time during the day. I LOVE the computer and have ever since I actually got on it and started doing design stuff in college. But a lot of the stuff I do on it these days is time wasting. And that, I dont need.

3. Become the spiritual person I want to be. This includes studying the scriptures daily, reading up in preparation for Sunday classes, saying daily prayers with family and personally without falling asleep in the middle, creating a better environment in the home, and going to the temple.
I'm not sure what the world holds for us but it isnt looking very good. I would like my family to be prepared!

4. AND, along the lines of preparation, I need to get my 72 hour kits updated and get our food storage organized. I like the list that my Dad has that tells you things to buy every month so that you arent overwhelmed when you think about all the items that you need to get a good 30 day supply of needs. I need to post this list on my fridge and be vigilent about shopping for them each month. I need to make a system of organizing all this stuff so that we can rotate the oldest and newest. I think a black sharpie will work wonders!

5. The last resolution I will make for myself this year is to refine my photography hobby! My goal is to post new picts that I have done on location every month! And I am always looking for guinea pigs so if you want your pictures taken for free, just let me know! Im trying to find my style and I have so much fun doing this!

OKAY! I did it! My NY resolutions before February or even Jan 15! Awesome! I am excited to get started with all of these goals and hopefully I can feel like I am accomplishing something and growing as a person!

Splashing lessons

Me yesterday: "Tomorrow starts a busy year with school and piano lessons and swimming lessons!"
Maggie: "Do I get to take swimming lessons, too, or SPLASHING lessons!!!" (Bursts into laughter)