11 for 2011

Happy New Year!
I believe I said last year that making New Year's Resolutions is just an exercise in setting yourself up for failure. So I'm not going to do that. I'm going to make a to-do list instead. I love a good list. Easy to make, fun to cross things off as you accomplish them, and those items that get left, well, you just add them to the next list! Here's my list of eleven things to accomplish in 2011:

1. Eat less and move more, otherwise known as the annual promise to myself to lose weight and exercise more. Note to self: read carefully. It does not say "gain weight." We already know you're good at that.
2. Be more kind to my husband, who often finds himself at the wrong end of one of my mood swings.
3. Be more patient with my son, and his two-year-oldness. Oh . . . and teach him to use the potty!
4. Write in my blog every day. I know (or at least, I hope) my readers will appreciate this. I was inspired by a "Mom's One Line a Day" book one of my friends mentioned that she wanted for Christmas. The idea is capturing the little things that you want to remember about your child as they grow up. The ones that don't make the baby book cut, or happen beyond the baby book cut-off age. I thought to myself, cute idea, but couldn't you just use a blank journal? Or a blog? Don't worry, you'll still get long, rambling, wordy posts from me, and way too many photos, but sometimes you'll also get a few lines of something funny/cute/poignant that Oliver said or did. Or maybe something I did. It's not all about him, is it?
5. Take fewer, but better photos. We just returned from an 11 day trip to see our families for the holidays (don't worry, you'll hear and see all about it soon), and including our own Christmas celebration here when we returned, I had 670 photos on my camera. Just from barely two weeks. I deleted 75 obviously bad ones right off the camera. I put them on the computer and then deleted 115 more, and now have 480. That is still way too many, so I need one more deleting session. Can I help it if I take so many great photos? Hah, I wish. Nope, just scared to erase memories.
   So, my goal is to be more critical, and more selective. And to learn more about my camera and photography in general so that I'm more comfortable taking good pictures. I've been wanting to take a digital photography class, but didn't find one here. I'm hoping to be able to do that soon after we return home to Iowa.
6. Take advantage of my job as a stay-at-home-mom and get some projects finished. I brought along a file of old family photos to scan into the computer, which I haven't touched. I need to make more photo books to catch up with Oliver, who grows faster than I can make them. I know I'll regret not getting to these projects when I have to go work a "real" job later this year. 
7. So I guess I better add "get a job" to the list, huh? I know I have the best, hardest job in the world just being Oliver's mom, but unfortunately, that doesn't pay off the student loans or renovate our new house. When we return to Cedar Rapids, Oliver will go into preschool, and I'll start working full time. What do I want to be when I grow up? Crazy thing to ask at age 42, but even crazier that I have no earthly idea. But I need to start exploring the possibilities.
8. Spend less time online. Well, unless I'm writing in my blog, researching job possibilities, scanning or downloading photos, or finding healthy recipes that is. So I'll revise that to say that I want to waste less time online.
9. Make a house a home. This is really my second (third?) job. You know that house we bought in May, but haven't lived in yet? We are finally moving home in July! We are planning to immediately do some renovations (new bathrooms, the back deck), and I need to plan all of that, plus pick some paint colors and other things to really make it ours. I can finally be my own interior designer! Then when we move home, I have to tackle the amazing backyard which the woods has been invading in our absence.
10. Live in the moment, without getting overwhelmed by everything I "should" be doing. Seems a little contradictory given the massive list I've just written, but I have a tendency towards anxiety about the future. I need to remind myself that things will get done, and everything will be fine, especially as it relates to moving home and all the changes that will be happening as a result.
11. Practice gratitude. I have an amazing life and a wonderful family, and I know I need to be more appreciative.