Happy New Year!

Nothing says Happy New Year like a puking kid and that is what I had last night. I am hoping it was just something she ate (like the tons of junk food) and that none of the other kids start because no matter how many "mom years" I have under my belt...I still can't do puke.

I know I did my year at a glance at www.tidbitsfromthequeenofchaos.blogspot.com but now I want to write what I hope to either not do or do in 2012. I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions but I do like starting fresh with some goals in mind.

This year, I am going to practice going with the flow and instead of forcing things to be how I want them, accepting things for the way they are.

I am going to try and make it to church more often because I truly love the peaceful feeling I get when I go and for awhile after.

I am no longer going to check my son's phone because he is at an age where I am not sure I want to know the details of what his friends are doing. He is pretty good at telling me what he is doing (and at times I think he thinks I am much cooler than I am) and unless that stops, I am not letting him know I am not checking, but I am not. Let me just say that the girls that text him are just as bad as the boys. Some of them are so mean to him that I wonder why he is friends with them and others need a class in playing hard to get.

I am going to make a conscious effort to live in the moment and appreciate the kids at the stage they are at right now. It is going by so fast that I wish life had a pause button but since it doesn't, I need to start doing this. I also need to do this to appreciate life as it is now. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow and that makes each day that we have even more important.

I am going to spend more time taking care of the friends that make our friendship a priority and stress less about the ones that don't. I'm trying to teach my kids to do this and yet I still have a hard time.

I am going to practice saying, "I'm not sure what my son/daughter's plans are" and stay out of what they want to do and who they want to do it with. In other words, avoid drama at all costs.

I am going to join a book club or start a game night. The laughs I have had the last couple of weekends playing games with friends have carried me through the stress of the holidays. Why not do it more often? Anyone interested, let me know. :)

I am not going to bring anything in this house unless I know exactly where it is going and what I am going to donate or throw out in its place.

I have a friend in Texas, a friend in Pennsylvania and a friend in Arizona that I have been trying to get to for awhile now. I would like to see them in 2012.

On that note, there is a spa weekend and a writer's conference that have my name written all over it (actually, they don't but I'd like to get to one or both of them or if one was combined that would be awesome).

Be excited to see my kids every time I see them whether it is when they wake up or come home from school because everyone deserves to see that someone is excited to see them.

Make healthier choices with food and exercise more.

Send in my writing (I'd need my computer fixed or to start something new to do this).

Actively try and make money writing. I'd love for 2012 to be the year that this happens.

Spend more time doing things as a family and not be so busy I don't get to see my sisters and my parents and grandpa.

Watch what I say and how I say it because both have power (maybe not in the world but with my family and friends).

What are some of your goals for 2012? I'd love to hear them.

I need to apologize for not blogging more often. I still don't have a decent computer since the baby spilled water on my new one and getting this dinosaur to do more than typing on my blog at blogspot is painful. It wouldn't even let me copy and paste without freezing. I've been told that mine should be back to me soon.