Saying Goodbye to Thirty Boo Hoo

Just about this time last year I was wallowing and grouchy and DONE with everything. So I challenged myself....It's time to see how I did.

1. I will lose 10 pounds permanently. My jeans will be comfortable and I will be nicer because of it. Hmmm. This one was looking good until half way through July - and I then I went on an eating/drinking/living the good life binge. Result? I lost 2 pounds permanently. Whoops - working to get back on track. Check-in in 3 months.
2. I will learn how to cook and season fish. And then I will cook it and eat it and feel holier-than-thou. I will say that I achieved this one. I've made Cod and Halibut and Tilapia. So far no one has keeled over.
3. I will run five 5Ks and I won't complain about them over and over and over and over. Pretty much a failure - I ran one 5K. I did not complain about it. That being said, I have promised to run the Cincy Half Marathon in October. Dear lord, what was I thinking?
4. I will pick a freaking paint color for my bedroom and paint it. And I won't regret it. I will be committed to my color. Goal accomplished! My bedroom is a lovely shade of brown labeled Hot Chocolate. And I love it. Yea for me.
5. I will stick to a consistent work out routine. That should be spelt out - I will work out three times a week, even when I don't freaking feel like it. Even when it's cold outside. Even when Bravo is running a West Wing marathon. I'll give myself an 80 percent on this one. I tried. I did okay - sometimes great, sometimes so-so. I am recommitting. (See #1).
6. I will eat healthier. Translation: I will not live only off of coffee and snacks. Fast food? I love you, but I can only see you once week from now on. Wine? You are my bestest friend, but my liver hates you...we need to slow down. Again, I'll give myself about an 80 percent on this bad boy. I cleaned up my eating and snacking quite a bit. My coffee intake is slightly less and my fast food has definitely diminished. But wine...? Perhaps that was too lofty of a goal.
7. I will learn how to properly fold a fitted bed sheet - right now I basically wad them into balls and shove them in the linen closets. That's my dirty little secret and now you know it. I kept meaning to ask my mom to show me this one...but then I think we'd pour a glass of wine and forget all about it. Oops - maybe when I am home in October we'll take this goal head on.
8. I will make and keep all doctor and dentist appointments. We pay for insurance for a reason. I will even get my eyes checked (how's that for kicking it up a notch??). Mission 100 percent accomplished. I now am the proud owner glasses that make me look much smarter than I am.
9. I will mop my kitchen floor at least once a week. It will make me miserable and annoyed, and I reserve the right to bitch about it, but I will do it. Accomplished well enough. I mopped the dang thing yesterday. Okay, by mopped I mean Swiffer Wet Jetted, but I have decided that counts. BOOYAH!
10. I will read more books that don't include animal sounds and learning how to count. I love animal sounds, and counting is okay, but my brain is going mushy. Totally accomplished. I have read a LOT this year and am going to keep it up. It makes me so happy it's ridiculous.
11. I will (just to make my Mom happy) become a better flosser. Hell yeah I have, particularly in the past 6 weeks. Andy has started to keep floss in the shower and for some reason that helps. How was that for an uncomfortable peek into our private lives?
12. I will make and stick to a budget. This will be much harder done than said. I love Target, coffee shops and book stores.... Errr. Failure. Simply put: I love Target, coffee shops and book stores.
13. I will complete Addison's two year scrapbook. Errr. Failure. I sorted the pictures and bought the book. Book completely not done. Maybe this weekend....I said maybe.
14. I will start Addison's three year scrapbook. Do I really need evaluate this goal? Puh-lease.
15. I will figure out a way to stay more organized. Pointers? Tips? Ideas? I've gotten good with our calendars. I keep the house in decent shape - I'm doing okay.
16. I will get Addie and I on schedule - less TV and shopping, more classes and fun. We'll play outside. We'll go to story time. We will be well-rounded. I give myself a solid B+. And a pat on the SAHM back.
17. I will clip coupons and use them. Which means I should get a Sunday paper subscription...Oooh, now I can clip coupons and do the Sunday crossword. Bonus. Total failure. No coupons. No paper. Eh. Whatever.
18. I will go on a childless date with my husband at least once a month. We will go to the movies, to dinner, to plays, to concerts, to sporting events. We will have uninterrupted conversations. It will be glorious. Again - a solid B+. We've done some concerts, a few fancy dinners. We've run away to St. Louis, North Carolina and our neighborhood holiday party. Room for improvement, but overall satisfactory.
19. I will fold laundry and put it away. Weekly. Um, hells yes. I have been rocking this one. Even if I HATE it.
20. I will remember birthdays and send card via snail mail. I did this for a bit. A few cards were mailed...most birthdays were remembered. Seriously, that was a lofty goal anyway.
21. I will return phone calls even when I don't feel like it. And I will sit down and listen, even when I don't feel like it. This was a good goal and I feel like I've done a pretty good job with it and it has made me a better friend/neighbor/daughter/human.
22. I will eat breakfast with my daughter at least twice a week (that is a pathetic but necessary goal). Doing it - sometimes she has yogurt and toast and I have eggs and coffee. Sometimes she has a breakfast bar and I have coffee. But we sit together twice a week and eat. And most of the time it doesn't involve shouting.
23. I will cook dinner, cook not heat up or reheat, three times a week. Let's be honest three times is a lofty goal. Did I say I would cook dinner. Silly me - I totally meant Andy. And, to his credit, he's done a fabulous job. High five husband!
24. I will take a photography class. I will damn it. I WILL. Or I won't.
25. I will frame some of my photos and put them on the darn wall. Then I will stop complaining about said wall. Hmmmm. Which wall was that? I have photos on a wall. But I think those photos were there before. Hmmmm.
26. I will go out for at least one really good steak dinner and not even think about the size of the bill. Or how tight my pants will be. Check. We've had plenty of great dinners but last week we had one super fancy ass delicious dinner and my entree was steak. And my pants are tight - still. Awesome.
27. I will keep my yard looking good - mulching, mowing, weeding, pruning, planting. I will do it all and I will pretend to enjoy it. And eventually I will enjoy it and it will be pretty. Dude - I pulled weeds today. I rock. I think I am doing pretty fabulous on this one. I've planted and transplanted and trimmed and shaped. My neighbors may not agree, but I think I am doing a-okay.
28. I will go someplace I've never been - Memphis? Nashville? Oregon? Delaware? And I will not go there for a wedding or shower or an obligation. I will go there for fun and because I want to. Oy vey. So sad. We just brainstormed and the only thing we can come up with is Bowling Green, OH. SO SAD. Andy tried to argue that the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC counted as it's own city....Time to start planning for next year I guess.
29. I will plan and participate in a girls weekend - sans kiddo, sans husband, full of laughter. And martinis. Lots of martinis. MISSION TOTALLY ACCOMPLISHED.

And then there are the goals you suggested:

Nikki: Send my sister-in-law care packages. Um no. But I will take credit for ones that you received.

Barbara: Come home to Massachusetts more often. Errrrr. That didn't happen either. BUT I will be there in two months.

TKW: I will not be so hard on myself all the time. I've loosened up. I am getting better about it. But I still have some ridiculous expectations. Oh well.

CK: To reserve the right to not feel guilty when Addison gets a day full of TV, bad food and none of my attention. Days like that happen. Yes. Yes, those days do happen and I have pretty much no guilt about it. Thanks for the suggestion CK...goal accomplished.

Michelle & Christie: Achieve at least half the goals on this list. By my count, on the list of 29 I accomplished 17. HOLY SH*TBALLS - 17. That's pretty good...And this year I don't feel like crying or disappearing or hiding under the covers.

I feel thankful for my family. For my friends (yeah, even you). For my husband, the cooking machine (seriously we would starve if it wasn't for him). For my darling, exasperating, rambuncious, silly little girl.

For her hugs and kisses. For (I can't believe I'm going to say this) her questions. For her spirit and curiosity and kindness. For what she brings to each day, even when the days are hectic and frustrating and exhausting.

Now, what to work on this year??