New Years Refelection 2014/2015

I'm so proud of myself for doing these four years running! 

Here are my former reflections:
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014

What did you create?

• A Dakota Forrest Harrison
• I began writing 2 stories: one unnamed one that Calvin made up in a dream, and one called To find an island, which is social media based
• Feeding the Wolfe: a cookbook for kids, just need the illustrations and I can go to print/ e-book publishing
• A capsule wardrobe
• 52 weekly menu plans & grocery lists

What challenges did you face with courage and strength?

• Pumping breast milk for Dakota, I've never been a pumper: it's hard!
• Losing Papa Ed
• Feeding 200 people at our church's summer BBQ (pulled pork tacos), catering the Christmas Eve Service (cookies, snacks & an espresso bar)

What promises did you keep? 

• Wear a seatbelt, proper carseat usage
• Show up to work
• Natural birth
• The rest I can't say ;)

What brave choices did you make?

• Returning to work after 10 months of maternity leave
• I drove all the way to the cottage by myself 
• A number of encounters with patients at our mental health care building
• Taking Oliver to emerg because of his face injury
• Breastfeeding despite the biting that comes along with teething

What are you proud of?

•  We bought a home, it looks incredible
• I put up all of the blinds except 1 window
• I built a bathroom cabinet and a kitchen pantry
• How wonderful my family is
• My younger sister getting a great job and her own apartment

What was disappointing?

• Not being chosen for an internal posting I hoped for
• Realizing I'm a better mother than I am a wife, must try harder

What was scary?

• Oliver's last year as a non-school age child
• Sleeping alone when Calvin was away at the studio
• Cutting all my hair off, but not that scary

What was hard?

• Waking up at 5am, eating breakfast at 5:15am, driving at 5:30am
• Showering, when you have two kids who need attention
• Sleeping, in general
• Moving

What can you forgive yourself for?

• Everything
• I forgive myself for the amount of chocolate I've eaten
• I forgive myself for not getting the kids outside to play when it's freezing cold
• I forgive myself for having terrible fashion sense

The next step is to say out loud, “I declare 2014 complete!”

How do you feel?

I'll be honest, I didn't do it.

The final step is to consider your primary focus for the year to come. What is your primary intention or theme for 2014?

Mine last year was: “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”

My intention this year is to find a routine. That I can see a week and know our rhythm. To reduce the chaos. For my children to feel secure in where they'll be and who will care for them every day of the week. To always pack my lunches, pull out my clothes and have my bags ready for the day ahead. To snuggle my two treasures constantly, and be amazed by them, and listen every time they're talking, and never chose a screen over them. To write them emails to read in the future, and take pictures of everything. To find out who they are, what they need, what drives them and what exhausts them, and how I can make them better, every day. To invest in them and model what a good person is like, so that they can say that I was a positive example in their lives. And to ship them off to bed at a reasonable hour so that I can spend one-on-one time with the only man I need be spending one-on-one time with. To actively do things to make it known that he is special. To never leave him seeking for attention, compliments or approval. To give credit where credit is due, and then even extra where it's not. To give more than I receive. To over-praise and under-complain. To be a treat and a joy to be around, 99% of the time. And to myself: to get enough sleep, enough water, enough activity, enough greens, enough alone time, to be my very best at almost-all times.

My New Years Resolutions for 2014

Resolutions 2014

	Body	Mind	Spirit
January	Until birth: Include red raspberry leaf tea, homeopathic EZ birth & EPO. After birth: continue to include 3 meals, snacks & plenty of water daily even when busy.	Finish (or at least continue) reading I Know This Much is True. Set up a “memories” email address for the new baby, like Oliver’s.	Allow myself to transition from work and not need to fill the void with more work. Accept rest.
February	Sleep when needed. Practice stretching.	Find time to continue organizing toddler recipes online.	Be clear about how others can help when things are overwhelming. Say it plainly.
March	Make a meal plan and accompanying grocery list and try to stick to it.	Begin plans to participate in “secret TV project”, or, gracefully let the opportunity pass.	Make a realistic daily, weekly & monthly house-cleaning list.
April	Go for walks with the stroller a few times a week. Start the garden.	Check which open online courses are available. online.stanford.edu	Re-download the Bible app and begin reading suggested passages daily.
May	Drink a green smoothie for breakfast a few times a week. Share with Calvin & Ollie.	Get a book from the library on a friend’s recommendation.	Download or YouTube search short meditations to set intentions for the day.
June	Attend a yoga class. Or, rent a yoga DVD from the library. Begin making homemade baby food.	Re-evaluate the family budget.	Arrange child care for both children and take a “me” day. Bubble bath, a good book, cooking at a slow pace…
July	Faithfully purchase local produce for healthy eating & to begin making homemade baby food.	Create a plan for returning to work, while breast feeding and pumping. Connect with staff.	Write a “gratitude list” of the top things I’m thankful for this month. Re-read it often.
August	Attend a family swim.	Begin scheduling the transition back to work. Make an effort to re-learn the tasks.	Donate unneeded clothes to charity. Re-organize the closet.
September	Go dairy-free for one week. How did it affect me? The rest of the family?	Complete online quizzes from CSNM magazine for Continuing Education points.	Arrange a family photo shoot. Display a large print proudly in the home.
October	Do some canning of last season produce.	Speak at a conference. Record a Youtube. Teach someone.	Watch a feel good movie.
November	Attempt the “no shampoo method” (again).	Find a way to excel at work that I haven’t done before.	Re-evaluate sleeping patterns.
December	Find no sugar alternatives to typical holiday traditions.	Create a new “New Years Resolution” chart for 2015.	Buy a dozen fresh lemons and put the juice in my water.