The New Year always feels like the most gigantic Monday ever. After a long weekend. When I wake up ready to conquer the world, shake things up, make massive changes, get organized, get in shape, eat better, sleep better, just BE better. It’s a do-over. Another year to get it right. A NEW year.

And although 2009 was pretty freaking great and there isn’t much I would want to change, there is ALWAYS something to change.

What I loved about 2009? Besides the obvious (read: kids, family, friends, etc.), I loved that we figured out how to USE our house better. We use almost every square inch and I love that. It means we can’t host dinner parties because our dining room is now our art room, but I’m ok with that. I don’t cook anyway!

I finally embraced my inner mom-gene and accepted my body. I am chubby. With not-always perfect skin. And too tired eyes. And no make-up. So rather than always feel frumpy and bad about myself, I decided to find my style. My MOM style. So most days you’ll see me in a cute t-shirt, jeans and converse with curly crazy short hair. I now buy what I like to put on my body and have stopped worrying so much about how I look or what people think. It’s awesome.

Chris and I hit a low point in our marriage and climbed out. We had one random argument this fall, that was exactly like every argument we’ve ever had, and for the first time we found the root. And we ninja chopped the hell out of it. And we’ve seen a significant change in our everyday relationship since then which has been, well, awesome. If I talked about our marriage on here (read: his students/coworkers might read this) I would go into greater detail b/c I think it could help some other people… because what we were fighting about for FIVE years was so out-of-control WRONG it was sad. Anyway, email me or call if you’re curious.

There are other things I think I/we did right in 2009 but my brain has stopped b/c in the midst of writing this blog post I have been interrupted for more milk, more snack, to make breakfast, and about 500 other things by my children. So my stream of consciousness? Gone.

Really, all I wanted to say is that there were things we did right in ’09 and lots we did wrong. And although I am terrible at keeping resolutions there are just a few things I want to work on this year and I just had it in my mind that TODAY would be the day to get started!

Get started on…

NO MOUNTAIN DEW AT ALL.

Yes.

That is my one resolution. To be off soda completely.

And to go to bed earlier+get more sleep.

Because I truly believe that my weight gain, unusual grumpiness and easy-to-trigger frustration has a lot to do with my serious lack of sleep and IV drip of Mnt Dew.

Of course I would also like to keep up better with the laundry, get back in touch+be better about communicating with my friends, eat better+cook more and there is a whole list of things Kim and I have dreamed up for Fresh Art!

And today was going to be THE DAY.

It’s MONDAY. The first Monday of the NEW year. And I was going to have the laundry rolling at 6am, check in with my (very pregnant) sister by 7am, have the kids creating a massive art project by 8am, showered and cute by 10am, done with the grocery store by 11am, lunch and naps by 12pm, work until 3pm, play until 4pm, make a delicious dinner by 5pm, play in the tub+books+bed by 7pm and wait patiently with my laptop until C walks in the door at 9pm.

Oh. And not drink Mnt Dew all day.

But of course I was awake until 3am with two very sick children, one of which ended up in my bed pushing C to the couch. And of course she coughed all night. So I maybe, combined, got 3 hours of sleep. And will be taking all three (the third woke up with a fever) to the doctor today. And will be drinking Mnt Dew by the bucket as soon as I can get my hands on one. Because I just handed Grayson an Oreo. To make him stop whining. And it’s not even 8am.

So the first Monday of 2010 can suck it.