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| A runner up. The pictures were that good. |
As you may recall,
I am a crazy person who feels the need
to shame myself into doing
the absolute minimum to assure that I am healthy, passable as sane, and generally presentable.
This year, my goals were as follows:
1. Write (daily)
2. Complete my homework (daily)
3 Leave my house (daily- at least step onto the balcony)
4. Eat at least two meals (daily)
5. Maintain my hygiene (daily)
6. Exercise (at least 3x week)
7. Observe Shabbat with my children (1x week)
8. Finish reading a book (1x month)
9. Make art (1x month)
Now, some of these should be absolute no-brainers. I mean really, to fulfill my fifth goal, I simply had to shower OR brush my teeth OR wash my face ONCE each day.
And some of them are obviously easy. I finished school at the end of May, so for a full half of the year (and then some) I had NO homework, and therefore it was already completed. Free checkmark for me.
Sadly, I am gross and lazy. This is why I give myself a check list.
1. Did I write?
This year, I wrote in my journal on 320 out of 365 days. That's awesome, but it still means there were forty five days when I wrote nothing- and one day less than I wrote in 2011! I am willing to accept this amount, as I recall how exhausted and busy I was while finishing school/being pregnant/taking care of my big girls. Plus. even if I apparently blew off a month of writing, I also wrote a draft of a novel in a month. So I'm going to call this one a win. Go me! I wrote a lot!
2. Did I complete my homework?
I completed my homework on 330 days. That means that for 35 days, I did not complete my homework. Keep in mind, I was only in school for six months. Which means, I am a lousy student. This is simply not good enough. Good for me I passed anyway. That said, I only completed my homework 244 times last year, so I think I might have actually improved a little bit.
3. Did I leave my house?
I left my house during 255 days- including days that I didn't leave the house but was in a house that isn't mine. That means that for 100 days this year, I didn't see the sun. This is particularly embarrassing. as last year I left the house a whopping 301 days. So this year, I was worse at leaving the house than the year before. I'll blame the pregnancy, but I know I'm going to have to do better. No way can I be a happy person if I'm always cooped up. That said, it's not on the list for next year. Next year, my list includes, "alone time." Alone time can include leaving the house, but I think at this point taking some time to myself every day is more important to my mental house than being outside. So, we'll see if I end up crazy and cooped up in 2013.
4. Did I eat at least two meals?
Leaving all of my other goals in the dust, I managed to eat two meals on 347 days! I actually beat my total for 2011 by a whole 13 days. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I confess that some of those "meals" were three slices of raisin bread or an apple. But I did force myself to stop and eat
something, two times a day, nearly every single day. I'm keeping it on my list for next year, because I
know that the reason I did so well was that I was holding myself accountable. But still, I'm pretty proud that I'm learning to take the most basic care of myself.
5. Did I maintain my hygiene?
Do you really want to know? In my defense, I spent half the year pregnant and exhausted and chasing small people, but who's really buying that? This year, I
failed. Yes,
failed. In 2011, I cleansed myself in a minimalistic way a whole 251 days. This year? 216. That's right, there were only 60% odds that on any given day I had even
brushed my teeth. I am humiliated. Next year I am going to do better, dammit. Because OMG I am so gross.
6. Did I exercise?
Hell, yeah! I had a goal of 156 times in the year, and I almost made it! Mostly thanks to two months of daily dance parties with my kids. That said, I exercised 141 days, that's only 15 days short, and that's considering that I was, as previously mentioned, miserable and pregnant and whatnot. I'm going to do better this year. Keeping the same number as my goal, but this year? I'm gong to BEAT it.
7. Did I observe the Sabbath?
Well... I was certainly more honest about it than last year, when I claimed fast days and Channukah and whatnot as "observing," which is bogus. This is a weekly observance, and that's 52 times a year. Now, I don't light candles and whatnot if M and I are going out, if we're out of town, all of that. And M and I did make the effort to do a lot more dating this year. I lit Shabbat candles with the girls 28 times this year. That is easily double my number for 2011. So I'm going to say progress is good, but we still need some work. Still, better than every other week is something I feel good about.
8. Did I read a book a month?
Sort of. I read 16 books in 2012, which is 12 fewer than in 2011. And most of them were graphic novels. Still, I managed to read a little bit. I am planning on reading more "real" books this year, but finding the time is hard. Hopefully, it will get easier as RH becomes more independent. We'll see.
9. Did I make art every month?
Sort of. I intentionally left "art" open ended last year. I decided to count all sorts of crafting as "art," so decorating RH's room, making our holiday cards, making Halloween costumes... that was most of the "art," if not all of it. This year I'm actually prioritizing making REAL art, so we'll see if my number goes up from 2012's 18 "arts."
And now that I have forced you to suffer through the madness that is my neurotic cataloging of my annual failures, I give you- the best pictures of 2012!
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| January 2012: The girls are STILL talking about the time Daddy threw snowballs in the air. |
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| February 2012: The girls' hair is finally long enough for pigtails, and they begin having tea parties. Occasionally with robots. |
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| March 2012: a three way tie |
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| March 2012: a three way tie |
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| March 2012: a three way tie |
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| April 2012: Passover dresses |
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| April 2012: Passover dresses |
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| May 2012: a four way tie. I (finally) graduated, at nine months pregnant. |
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| May 2012: the girls' enjoy a boat ride |
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| May 2012: M becomes a Master of Structural Engineering |
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| May 2012: my friends shower me for my upcoming third baby. |
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| June 2012: a six way tie. It was a big month. |
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| So. stinkin', cure. |
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| RH is born, and I am in love with her. |
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| Her daddy is in love with her. |
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| DD is in love with her. |
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| SI is in love with her. |
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| July 2012: Our first family photo as a family of five |
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| August 2012: A three way tie |
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| The whole family enjoys a bonfire at Grandmommy and Poppa's house |
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| I learn the hazards of DIY photography |
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| September 2012: DD and SI's first day of preschool |
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| October 2012: a tie. DD and SI turn three years old. |
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| October 2012: The family dresses as the Wizard of Oz for Halloween. |
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| November 2012: Another tie. We eat the baby. |
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| November 2012: I took my kids to vote. |
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| December 2012: Hands down my favorite of the month. RH desperately tries to de-beard Santa. DD and SI are still pretty sure this is actually Uncle Robot. I've told them that I don't think so. I am officially a liar. |
Happy New Year, lovely readers! May 2013 bring you all the joy you can handle. :)
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