Me: "Who has the best seat in the house, me or daddy?"

Adam: "Well, Daddy's is nice, but yours is best. Your's is squishier."

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Happy New Year!

 Ellie, Kaylee, Lauren and Jonah help me with broom duty.

 Every year at midnight on New Years Eve, after I kiss my sweetheart (because my father says that what you are doing at midnight, you do all year long*) I grab my broom (no, not the one I fly on, the other one), then sweep out the old year, and graciously welcome in the new.  Then I run outside with a pot lid and a wooden spoon, and much to the chagrin of my neighbors, beat on the lid like a crazy lady to scare away that old year so it doesn't try to sneak back in.

And yes, I make resolutions.  Only I have never made them the way I have this year.  This year I am making a plan.  A plan with intricate timetables made on spreadsheets with pie charts. 

Not really. 

I just made some notes, lots of them, in a journal.  But its a start.  And I did plan out the year, month by month, so that I can have success in attaining my goals.  One of those goals is to work on my Christmas-weirdness by beginning preparations this month.   I am starting this week by repairing damaged decorations.  Next week: update the Christmas card list, and after that, begin Jonah's stocking.

So, out with the old.  Old fears, old woes, maybe old even old bod.  But gently, and with less judgement and less self flagellation.  And maybe less big words, too.

 Taking down the old tree...literally.


Bye bye, Christmas.  See you next year!
***
*One New Years Eve, my father had a heart attack and landed in the hospital.  Because of his belief that what you are doing at midnight, you do all year long, at midnight he got up out of his hospital bed, hopefully held the back of his gown shut, and danced with my mother. 

Hello, New Year!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Out with the old and in with the new. I never have been good with new years resolutions. But it is fun to hear how and what everyone else is doing. I am sad to hear about you dad, but put a cute picture in my head seeing your dad dance with your mom. I just thought that was a cute image. Love ya.

julean said...

That is a fun tradition. I wonder, are you the only one in the family with the pot lid and wooden spoon?

I'm so glad that you're feeling optimistic about the new year and are making plans to tackle it head on.

By the way, I always sweep my house from front to back. Even though I used to laugh about that...somehow I just can't bring myself to sweep anything out the front door. Funny.