Resolutions

Even though theoretically one should not need to wait for one particular day out of 365, I love New Years resolutions. I almost always make them and have only marginal success in keeping them. This year's resolutions feel important somehow and I am going to give it a sub-3 hour marathon effort to make them stick.

First, and I am embarassed to have to write this but... here goes. Stop yelling. There is only person in my life who I yell at and probably everyone can guess who she (hint) is. I was not a yeller until I became a mother and am appalled to transform into an ugly, old yeller about 2.5 years into motherhood. There are countless, excellent reasons I am determined to stop but the most compelling is nothing more than this: she has started to yell back. One day, in the midst of yelling at her "stop yelling at me"... the irony suddenly beat me over the head like a 2 X 4. No more yelling in this house (we were the only two doing it). I had a long, honest talk with her in which I explained I was not going to yell anymore. I did many, over-the-top imitations of "ugly yelling mom". We both laughed. Than I explained to her that it was equally ugly when she yelled. Finally I said this was going to be a yell-free house. Period. Ok, so it hasn't been the magic solution to curbing bad pre-schooler behaviour but it the difference has been startling. I don't yell anymore. Period. She still yells but quickly stops when I remind her. She no longer gets the satisfaction of seeing me lose my cool (because on some level she definitely enjoyed seeing me lose it) and I like myself better, my husband likes the dynamic in the house better and well there isn't peace in the valley yet, but we're getting there.

Second, and actually I am also somewhat embarassed to write this because I think that perhaps I won't have a sympathetic audience to this one... dress and groom more attractively. Hubby likes the heels, the stockings, the make-up, shaved legs and armpits (ok, yes, most men like that!) and, well, those things just aren't me (yes, I do shave my legs and armpits... I mean mostly I do, when I remember). Anyway I am making an effort to look more attractive more of the time. Maybe it's shallow, maybe it's unfeminist, maybe he should just love me the way I am ... who knows. It makes him happy and it's not such a big effort. Also, to put this in the right context, I am a really sloppy dresser i.e. this (last picture in the post) is how I look most of the time even at work (minus the toothbrush in my mouth).

Third, reduce our grocery bills (inspired by Ingrid). I am spending January tracking our grocery bills (and am already horrified!) and once I have a baseline, I will begin implementing some frugality.

So, in brief, I resolve to look attractive, stop yelling at my family and stop feeding my family. :)