A New Year

I love the reflection that a New Year brings. 2008 was a year of many things for us - lots of fun, lots of surprises, lots of change.

I finished my Montessori teacher's course and started back to work after being off for 16 months with Isabelle. Adrian found out that his job will be ending at some point in 2009. Owen started reading, really reading. Isabelle started talking and has not stopped. We made a huge life change - pulled the kids out of the Montessori school and hired Nora. Owen started Sr. Kindergarten at the school across the road. Owen stopped wearing pullups at night and Isabelle started potty training. Lots of work travel for both Adrian and myself.

That is just the big stuff though, there were lots of little wonderful moments...the moments that really define us and how we live our lives. Trips to the zoo, play dates with best friends, 2 visits to Great Wolf Lodge, bike rides, soccer games, strawberry picking, concerts and theatre trips, swimming, trampolining, crayoning on walls, birthdays and holidays and so very much more.

I am not a New Year's Resolution maker, I used to be...but when I fell off the wagon in mid-February I would be very hard on myself...not very nice really. So this year, I am setting some goals - for myself, for our family. As most of you know, I am a list lover, and I have been writing my fair share of lists the past few days, I'll save teh personal and boring ones for myself, but I thought I would share the family-centric ones here.

• Take better photographs. Adrian got me a new lens for my camera for Christmas and with some courage and time spent learning, I think I can do this.


• Play more. I am striving to be the mom I want to be, and to be that mom, I need to play more. Less structure (which will be tough) and more just free on the floor, use your imagination, play time.


• Commit & Complete. I am the Queen of Unfinished projects. Craft projects, household projects, personal projects. This year, I want to commit to less and complete more.
  

Happy 2009 Everyone!
~jen~

ps. I will be posting some holiday pics over the next few days - just found the cord for the camera thanks honey and will get caught up soon.