20 New Year Resolutions for 2014

I have always tried to set the bar really low as far as resolutions go...I mean REALLY low....as in none. I figure, I'm not really going to stick with them anyway, so why bother. (Way to be proactive and not set myself up for failure!  Go me!)

This year is different. With the one year anniversary of my divorce coming up in a few days (January 4- but who's keeping tabs? Not me), I feel it is the right time to make some changes in my life. Some of these I am already doing to an extent, I just want to do more, others I'm no so good at and want to get better. Here we go!

1. I resolve to spend more time with family, not just my immediate family, but extended family as well....we talk about it, but do we really work on making it happen?  This week has shown me how important it is to MAKE it happen!

2. I resolve to play more. My son and I play, but I need more of that in my life, and so does he. I want to play games, do puzzles, run around outside playing hide-n-seek, tag, water gun fights (and hey, all that -at least the outside stuff- qualifies as exercise right?  Good, don't even have to put that on the list!)

3. I resolve to play in the snow this winter- apparently, I picked a good winter for this.  I will have snowball fights and built forts, and I will make a snow angel this year!  Even if it kills me. 

4. I resolve to be near the water and collect seaweed with my son at the beach, and shells

5. I resolve to laugh more. Laughing can make the whole world better. It can turn a tragic, heartbreaking moment into something bearable, it can lift your own spirits as well as those around you. 

6. I resolve to be silly. (Kinda goes hand in hand with the last one). Silliness brings out the joy in your heart for everyone to see, it keeps people "out of their heads" for a time, it makes the heavy hearted smile- or shake their heads in confusion. 

7. I resolve to find the absurd and ridiculous wherever I can find it. It is all around us if we would only open our eyes and see it for what it is....

8. I resolve to create. I sometimes lose my way and forget what a joy it is to create things for others. I won't lose that this year.  This includes singing and making music. I find I miss singing so much at times. I need to find a way to bring more music into my life. 

9. I resolve to not care what others opinions of me are. This is one I've been working on for a while. I've come a LONG way, but I've got more work to do. Your opinion of me is NOT my business.

10. Along the same lines as number 9, I resolve to take care of me- including setting (and sticking to) the boundaries that I need to take care of myself and my son. I don't make decisions out of anger and spite to hurt others, if you don't like my boundaries that is too bad, I'm doing what I need to do for my own physical, mental and emotional health as well as that of my sons. It's not about you- it's about me. 

11. I resolve to take time to take care of me, and my son. To paint our nails if that is our want, to dress up in silly outfits and parade around town or to snuggle in the bean bag chair and watch an episode of Too Cute if that is our whimsy, or apply a terrifying facial mask I desired. 

12. I resolve to open myself to the possibility of love this year. This doesn't mean that I haven't been open to it before now, however, I feel more ready than ever before to the possibilities of what might be meant for me. I know what I've had, I know what I'm worth, and I know how much more I deserve than what I've gotten in the past. I also know how much more I need to put into a relationship than I have in the past. Whatever will be, will be......but I'm ready for it!

Could this be the year????

Sweet!!!!

A girl can dream.....can't she?

13. I resolve to spend more time with friends. I find that time has flown by this year, and much of it was spent without seeing friends and loved ones. Life is too short, and the people I choose to call friend are too important to not make time for. 

14. I resolve to try and keep the damn fish alive in this aquarium. Is that really so hard?  2013 has NOT been a good year for fish in this household. We have killed no less than 14 fish since July. (None were on purpose!!). I am truly commited to owning some fish that will live to ripe old fish age that we can enjoy and add in commentary while watching and giggling. 

15. I resolve to take more pictures of my loved ones. I would love to get a great camera, but for now my phone will have to do. It definitely does the job most of the time, so I can't really complain!

16. I resolve to make popcorn often and watch tv and/or movies with Will (and anyone else who wants to join in)

17.  I resolve to try to get some much needed rest this year. I need sleep people!  If it isn't one thing it's another, work, my son, MS, squirrels.......those damn squirrels....I'll get you my irritants!  I it's the last thing I do!!!

If only I could sleep the sleep of a child...

18. I resolve to believe....

I will believe that all things are possible. I believe in Christmas, and Santa Claus 

I believe in elves

I believe in fairies..... I do believe in fairies, I do, I do, I do believe in fairies

I do believe in angels. There are angels that walk among us, and some who watch over us from above......

And I do believe in love

19. I resolve to not set limits on the endless possibilities that are open to me and my son. I will be open to new, exciting, scary, sorrowful moments in my life and will not deny the experiences out of fear of the unknown, potential heart ache, and hurt which may or may not happen as a result. 

20. I resolve to get some sleep....and sleep naked whenever I can. Sorry mom, I know that's more TMI than you ever needed....

Happy New Year, and here's to 2014 being a much better year!

Be careful what you wish for...

I have learned throughout my life about the importance of thought. The law of attraction. What you put out into the world is what you get back. 

I have also learned about manifesting what you want in your life.  Part of that is being clear in your intentions. I remember saying I wanted a man in my life for companionship. What I got was a hodge podge of good men (and a couple of crazies, but who's counting!) but so NOT what I needed from any of them. I had not been clear in my intention. I was not clear in telling the universe what I really wanted to manifest. I need to be clear....I want a man who has a job, who has a car, he is caring, loving, romantic, not clingy or needy. He loves children and is patient. Ok, so now that's out of the way ;-)

Last night my middle aged body was feeling particularly creeky and I went to sleep wanting to manifest feeling younger. To be clear- what I meant was to not feel so creeky, achy and sore. I wanted to be able to sit on the floor cross-legged and be able to get up without making the noises my grandparents used to make when standing....

What I got.....a face full of acne. 

Please, be careful what you manifest and be as clear as you are able so you don't end up like me.....a creeky middle aged woman with a 15 year old acne covered face. 

This has been a public service announcement. 

I'm sick of marriage proposals that go no where

I spent a large chunk of my morning this past Sunday and again on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning shoveling out my driveway. I don't have a large driveway, but it is on the wide side, and I seem to live in a vortex. 

When I woke up Sunday morning I looked outside and the first thing I saw was the neighbors yard (I was upstairs in my room and that was the first sight). I was heartened to notice there wasn't as much snow as predicted. Then I went downstairs, suited up and couldn't open my door without considerable effort because of the amount of snow pressed against my door. What?  I looked to my neighbors yard, I looked at the end of their driveway, didn't look bad....why was there almost twice as much in my yard??  My only guess is the wind, the wind decided my neighbors weren't as welcoming of large amounts of snow as my yard.  I have decided the wind is not my friend, it didn't consult me and my desire for the majority of the snow in the neighborhood...

So, I have spent a large amount of my time and energy shoveling this week, and while out there you want to know what I was thinking?  Well, when I wasn't cursing the city plow trucks (again, I got the lucky draw of getting the lions share of snow dumped at the end of my driveway) I was quietly....ok, maybe not so quietly fuming that I have had 2 men talk about marrying me in the last month and yet, neither one of them showed up to pick up a shovel.  

Listen up, to ALL men who might be interested in marrying me now and in the future...you want my hand....give me yours first and I'll put a shovel in it, then we will consider putting a ring on it!  

That is all.

Hair styles

My son decided he wanted to get his hair cut. 

This is a big deal in my house because the sensory input from a haircut is usually too much for him to deal with, and there is the fact that half the time he says he's a girl and therefore wants long hair....

Anyway, he decided he wanted his hair cut like one of his favorite soccer players- Cristiano Reynaldo. Here is the picture he found to show the hair stylist: 

Is it wrong therefore that I found a better picture to look at?

Much better......

So, in we went to Snip-It's with pictures in hand. 

When all was said and done, it looked great, the styling was a little different, but he decided that he was a cross between Reynaldo and another favorite of his Messi. He calls himself Messinaldo. I think it works!

I am still keeping this picture though..... just sayin...