After the Storm

You know, I think it's true that the lows that we experience help us to truly enjoy the highs.

My family is coming off of a nasty stomach bug that took nearly all of us out over the last few days.

In the dark of night, when I was in the throws of it all, I tried to keep the perspective that it would not last forever. I kept hearing the lyric, "Though the sorrow may last for the night, the joy comes with the morning." Although it lasted past the morning, my son, my husband, my parents, and I all felt better and better throughout the day.

This morning, my sister is sick. She started in sometime yesterday afternoon. I offered her my perspective on the situation, and she's trying to stay positive as well.

Progress?

I've done well with my quest to get back on the vacuuming wagon. I've done so every night of this year. My hubby has helped once or twice, but it has come back to the forefront of my mind. This is good.

I need to apply this strategy to other areas of my life. My weight, for instance, has become an issue with me lately. It has been slowly creeping up since the birth of my son, but I'm beginning to feel it. I'm 31 years old and I have less energy than I should.

Although I'm not at the point of being obese, I feel I need to get this under control now. I don't want to feel old.

So yesterday I decided to re-educate myself on food. I went to mypyramid.gov and printed out a ton of info on all of the food groups. I customized a plan for myself, regarding how many calories I should be eating and how many of each food group I should be eating to get those calories. I printed out food journals to keep track of my daily intake of each of the food groups and how much physical exercise I have done.

My goal is to journal my food intake in my binder for 30 days. At that point, either journalling will have become a habit and I will continue, or a new awareness of food will have become a habit and I won't need to journal.

I hope to find myself making progress through these steps. I think I've finally figured out that the only way I can change is through a concious introduction of a new and healthier habit. It's interesting to learn new things about myself.

stopping along the walk on a snowy day

We took a walk today. It's snowing. It's the first real snow we've had here in Maryland.

I learned something. It's hard to take an almost-4-year-old for a walk when it is snowing.

She wanted to make snow angels. And so she did.

Again...

and again...

and again...

and again.

Good times. Good times.

In the eye of the beholder

It was difficult for me to get up this morning. Hard to get back into the swing of things.

I'd laid out my clothes and jewelry. I'd made my lunch. I'd assembled tonight's dinner into the crockpot.

Still, it was hard to see 6 am when I've had so many glorious days of sleeping in.

But I have to say, I think I had it pretty easy compared to my fourth graders who had to do long division first thing this morning. Ugh.

A Fresh Start

It's a whole new year. A year of promise and hope. A clean slate.

I resolve this year to be a better me. I want to be a better mom, a better wife, a better teacher, a better version of myself.

I want to shine , not because of me, but because of Him.

I have never been good at breaking or making habits. I tend to slack, it's true. Back in July, I'd had a little get together at my house. I cleaned spectacularly for this event. Everything glistened. Everything shone.

That night, when the little party dispersed, I got out my trusty Dyson and vacuumed the first floor again. It wasn't hard. The rooms were tidy, all toys were in place, and I finished within 5 minutes time.

The next night, the children and I watched a movie on the living room floor. Popcorn was popped. Popcorn was eaten. Popcorn was spilled on the floor.

After the final credits, we moved the furniture back in place and I, once again, took out the Dyson and vacuumed the floor.

Three nights in a row, I'd done this. I decided to do it the next night, and the next, and the next.

A week later, my house was still as pristine as the night of the party. It was a turning point.

I decided to try to keep this up for 21 days. And I did. It was a habit.

Each night, as my husband and I readied the kids for bed, my thoughts would automatically turn to vacuuming. I admit, sometimes I felt weighed down by the impending job, but then I'd remember that it didn't take any more than 10 minutes out of my time.

When the kids were tucked in, I'd head back downstairs to make sure every toy, every shoe, every remote control was in place. Then out would come Sir Dyson and within minutes my job would be done.

I kept this habit for four months. Then came our trip to Disney World. The morning after we returned, my oldest greeted me at breakfast with, "Mom! You forgot to vacuum last night!" And so I had. It hadn't even entered my mind. We were gone for a little over a week. In that week, I broke my routine.

My life was enriched by this little experiment. I saw what I am capable of, if I just set a goal for myself.

We arrived home from my parents' house well after midnight last night. We tucked the kids in bed. I loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the counter, walked around making sure every toy, every shoe, every remote control was in place. Then I pulled out my Dyson and vacuumed. It didn't take me long. It was a fresh start. And so I begin again.