New Year...

At the end of most years (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009), I sit down and reflect upon the year and set goals for the coming new year. As you can see, I didn't exactly get to this project in a timely fashion this year! And, frankly, this post is more about me and the process of writing it than for you lovely readers. :-)

I must admit that my aspirations for 2015 aren't too far off of my aspirations for 2014. Time is our most precious commodity, and I continue to struggle with exactly how to spend it. This feels even more real to me now as I watch Elliott grow at an unprecedented rate and Madeleine blossom into a little girl.

As a parent, I'm not in the business of entertaining, but I don't want to be so wrapped up in the day-to-day that we don't take a chance to stop and really play on occasion. Our summer bucket list was so successful at keeping me inspired to do new and exciting (to toddler) things that I may try more seasonal lists this year. I don't want to be busy just for the sake of being busy, but I do want to get out of the house a little more (tough when kiddos' naps overlap very little) and have a few more memories to show for my days at home. The same goes for our family time at the weekends: I aspire to get a good mix of "doing nothing" at home with going out and exploring. It's easy to plan things around our (adorable) squeaky wheel, but I also want to honor Elliott's development and plan activities around him, too.

This week marks my post-partum return to work, and I feel good about it. In the past, my part-time schedule has allowed me several days at home with the kids mixed with a couple of days at the office, which gives me professional satisfaction, adult interaction, and sets the example I want to show for my kids. I know that it will be harder with two, but I really hope that we can make this work.

George and I do a pretty good job of putting our relationship at the top of our priorities. We have every intention of continuing our standing date nights as well as taking our first weekend away. In some ways, we do a great job of turning the mundane into quality time (hanging out and chatting during long bedtime nursing sessions, for example), but we can definitely improve on how technology gets in the way of spending our evenings together. I also want to do a better job of making sure that George knows exactly how much I love an appreciate him. He's such a fantastic husband, father, and life partner!

Like pretty much every year, fitness and smaller waistlines are on the radar. We're going to schedule workout time into our new weekly routine to keep/put it in our lives. This is particularly a struggle with my return to work because I have typically worked out on the days when I would otherwise be working. I've met a lovely personal trainer through the mother's nursing/pumping room at our gym, so I'm hoping she can help! I'm also planning to rely heavily on our rowing machine, which I have enjoyed using so far in my post-partum journey. Finally, I have fantasies of returning to distance running though, if I'm being honest, I suspect this is more likely to happen once I'm done nursing because it is seriously high impact and uncomfortable unless I've just finished nursing/pumping.

I want this to be the year that I figure out how to make technology work for me and ditch what doesn't. A new phone should be arriving for me any day (goodbye, cracked screen!), and I've already decided that I am not going to put shortcuts to social media on my home screen. I want to limit my time on social media to primarily times when I am sitting down at a (personal) computer, which is lucky to happen once a day. Hopefully eliminating all of those three-minute "breaks" will add up to more truly usable time. I want to continue blogging with the motto of less obligation and more desire. I feel drawn to blog more about parenting, so stick around to see how that plays out. And this has to be the year that I figure out how to get ahold of my email; it is out of control, and I hate it.

Basically, I'm saying that I want our time to be spent meaningfully and with purpose. I don't want to be busy for the sake of being busy, but I also don't want us to be idle. I want to find the right balance of working toward long term goals and dealing with immediate needs. A friend and I were recently discussing the myth of doing it all, and I hope that this year I can come closer to deciding which things I want to do and letting go of the others.

Oh, the hope that comes with a new year!