Conversations around the dinner table when I’m the only adult is basically my least favorite thing ever right now. Lots of potty humor (A & P), whining about food (everyone), crying because someone teases her (N), and spilling of everything (E). Maybe one day soon V will actually make it home for dinner regularly.
To look at this plant, you’d never guess he’s a cranky, demanding and needy fellow. I’ve had him for over a year – he was a gift from my mom in honor of my late dad’s birthday – and I moved him all over the house trying to find a spot he’d like. With every attempted move, he’d curl his leaves in horror or singe dramatically. Go figure, during all the construction chaos I tossed him next to this window and suddenly he is HAPPY AS A CLAM. Talk about an inconvenient spot for him to settle…
~Everyone engaged in quiet activities, basking in the coziness of a warm, clean house.~
Every year I want to start January 1st with an adventurous, heart-rate-raising hike. Start as we mean to go on; channel that outdoor spirit I aspire to live by. We rarely manage that on New Year’s Day and then I feel guilty. This year, part of my resolution is to drop the guilt-inspired activities. Do I enjoy hiking? Absolutely. Do I enjoy hiking in the cold on a day after we stay up late with inevitably whiny children? No. Maybe one day, but not now.
This year I’m rethinking what gives us simple pleasures as a family. Trying to own what’s ours, even when it isn’t what naturally comes to mind. Less fancy date nights, more intimate date brunches. Fewer forced friend gatherings, more impromptu attempts to meet friends in a way that works for them and can create real connections. A double dose of giving new possible friends a chance, too, with extra patience when scheduling is difficult. Less anxiety about finishing math pages, more value on working through kids’ tantrums and bad attitudes. Less early morning gung-ho starts, more easing into days and giving myself time to journal.
V (the sister, not the spouse) and I both agree: resolutions should be a month-long discernment process. (Spouse V is definitely on a different page with resolutions. He had his food scale out and gym pass ready on NYE) I keep muddling through my thoughts and that’s ok. Slowly writing down more specific ideas of how I want to shape this year. Less phone use has been an annual New Year’s resolution for quite a few years: how can I truly make it happen this year? Journaling again through a blog has also been bobbing around for a while, but I never made it stick – constantly struggling to balance children’s privacy with the enjoyment of others’ actually seeing my work. I think I’ve decided that staying away from social media, but sharing this site might be the answer. That ties in nicely with my “let’s really learn how to use the new mirrorless camera by taking a photo every day” project.
Buying more intentionally is also on my radar. I’ve read enough now to realize that if I truly want to put my money where my mouth is, figuring out how to stay away from Amazon and spend less (but more intentionally) is key. For the moment, a low-spend January is in the works. And of course, nothing says low-spend like discovering that half your children need new underwear, socks, and shoes.
That’s all I’ve got for you now. More resolution-y thoughts later.
xox,
giedre
Smooshed halfway into the flowers with the direct sun cutting into his face. He doesn’t get why Teta Giedre does this, but that’s ok.
Leave me alone, I’m making art.
“Pretend you’re whispering.” “Okay, but you know he didn’t actually say anything, right?”
That moment when you think the little girls are happily playing in the yard, but they’ve scaled the fence and flown the coop.
Cousins who pretend play Elsa together stay together.
Most people these days don’t tend to have a lot of books in their house. Or just the basics. Or purge regularly. I’m the opposite. The more books the better, cram those shelves, better yet let’s get more shelves. I want the books to be there, ready to beckon my kids into new adventures or tempt them to re-live a favorite tale.
She usually doesn’t want to smile for the camera, but having N dance around and yell “fart!” helped a lot.
A Pattern of Words 