One of THOSE Moms

I admit I struggle with hubris. Not for myself (although I do have a healthy amount of self confidence),but for my girls. I know that simple biology accounts for my belief that my girls are among the best. All Moms think that about their children. Still, when one of them seems to excel at some thing or even if they make some sort of advancement my heart swells. When Curly Q. started dancing I was sure she was the BEST in her class. Actually she was, but when compared with other good dancers she is average. She holds her own,and if she continues I think she will do well. She has a great memory for choreography,but she has to work to learn the steps. However,if you had asked me last year I was sure dancing was in her blood.

Now it is Bear's turn. She is in a dance class with kids a full year older than her, and she is one of the top two dancers in the class. It makes me smile as I watch her pick up steps so easily. The place I am most excited for her is gymnastics. She has mastered all the beginning skills and is being moved up to the next level. Her teacher (who is probably just very good at keeping parents happy to come back session after session) tells me he is very impressed with her. The prospect of being asked to join both dance company and gymnastics team is very real,and I have to admit it feels exciting in a strange way even though either opportunity would be a huge expense both financially and time wise. If she happens to be chosen for both she would be required to choose one which could be quite a tumultuous choice. I shouldn't be looking forward to these situations, but I am.

Even as I look back over what I have written I know it is crazy. My children are 5 and 7. There is no need for them to excel at anything other than being kids. I think I keep my feeling under wraps enough that it doesn't affect them and their choices.

BTW I know I am freak so please don't feel the need to remind me of that fact in the comments ;-)

Consumerism

I grew up with shopping therapy. We weren't well off when I was very little, but by the time I hit high school we were doing pretty well. Also, I started working when I was 15 and all my earnings became spending cash. So the mall became my psychiatrist's office. Didn't do well in a theater audition, try this new shirt. Broke up with my boyfriend, how about a new pair of earrings. As I got older it continued. Didn't get the job I wanted, new curtains will fix everything. Having trouble with a friend, well at least my furniture matches. This went on for a LONG time.

Of course as I have mentioned here, I am trying to be a better consumer. I try to replace things as I NEED them. I try not to buy stuff that will be obsolete within a short period of time. The problem with this is that I have no psychiatrist. So here I sit with the winter blahs, and I have to find a new fix. I know that I should try exercising. There is so much research that shows how the endorphins released during exercise can combat depression. But who feels like exercising when they are depressed. Maybe if I buy a cute new exercise outfit and some shoes... ;-)

New Year's Resolutions

This year Curly Q. expressed interest in making her own resolutions. So at breakfast Friday I brought it up. I thought we could give each other suggestions as to what changes we could make for the new year. I was pleasantly surprised by how insightful they both were. We each ended up with 3 personal resolutions plus a few things we plan to work on as a family.

Bear's Resolutions:

1. Hold her pencil correctly
2. Talk when she is upset instead of hiding and crying
3. Clean up after herself

Curly Q.'s Resolutions:

1. Listen to her belly when deciding what and ow much to eat
2. Stay out of other people's business
3. Be more optimistic

Mom's Resolutions:

1. Spend more time with kids doing fun stuff
2. Talk to kids instead of just sending them to their rooms when they misbehave
3. Do one cardio and one yoga workout each week

Family Resolutions:

1. LISTEN
2. Give our dog more attention
3. Use less paper
4. Do more to take care of the environment

So there you have it. I think these are great goals. Plus I think we can actually achieve all of these.

2009

Well it is 2009...

I am not going to make any promises to keep up with this blog. What I am going to promise is that I will post whenever I think of something I want to say. In the past when I have gone for a while without posting I find it hard to start again because I feel like I need to make a grand re-entrance. I promise to not worry about that. Of course that will make this blog all the more disjointed, but I guess that is part of its charm. Right?

Ok, now that is out of the way....

This year I am going to change my kids names on this blog. I am planning on mentioning it in several online communities I am part of. I have been trying to come up with appropriate nicknames. I want something that will define them forever, and I want it to be postive trait. So calling my oldest dancer or Miss Impatient will not do. So the oldest will be referred to as Curly Q. and the youngest will be Bear. Now I have to figure out how to change the old posts.

I do have a great post about our New Year's resolutions, but that will have to wait because I have to go do my daughterly duty. My Mom really owes me...