Ah, resolve.

I made New Year's resolutions last year. So, end-of-year check-in: did I meet them? Well, yes and no. I didn't tithe 5% of my income to charity, I'm pretty sure, though I'll have to do my December accounting to make sure, but I beat out the previous year's 2% by quite a bit, so I improved. And I didn't run two miles by the baby's birthday, but I managed it by mine, so that's okay too. Of course, I've since slacked off and am back where I started, but there were extenuating circumstances.

So, same resolutions this year, plus one: to spend the 2.5 hours I have between work and the Squid's bedtime media-free. No telly. No video games. No computer. Just me and my family, spending time together. I've gotten Himself to concur, and I think this will be really good for us as a family, really good for me as a mother, and good for my relationship.

I'm also hoping to outline a novel and rate my entire music library, but I really think three resolutions is enough for a single year - the other stuff will just be bonus if I get it done, because I am tired of cramming my life full of so many things that I set myself up for failure. This year I am going to work on prioritizing things and doing the essential stuff well, and the less essential stuff as well as I can. Satisficing, if you will.

I am wishing all of you the best of New Years - Year of the Rat, this year, which I hope does not foreshadow anything about the coming elections - and may you be as happy as you know how, and even happier.