New Year's Resolutions

Last week, I received a handout in the mail from Natalie and Abby's Sunday School teacher. It was a copy of an article about New Year's Resolutions. I thought they were worth sharing.

I resolve to stop worrying about the little things like whether my daughter's socks perfectly match her onesie. This is not something I really worry about since my fashion sense leaves much to be desired, but I like the idea of not letting the little things get in the way. So what if the living room is covered in toys and the laundry is piling up? Happy babies who have explored their environment are more important than a Martha Stewart living room. As long as the babies have something to wear - however mismatched - the laundry can wait as well.

I resolve to savor the here and now. It's so easy for me to get distracted by the things I "must" do - or by the things think I must do right now. Sometimes I look back on the day and realize it went by so quickly. All I did today was clean the kitchen, make some breakfast, re-clean the kitchen - sort-of, start some laundry, write a letter to VISA to dispute a charge, sort receipts, call the pharmacy to check on some meds, put the girls down for a nap, take a shower, feed the girls, check email, get the girls up, pick up Walker and Bean, go to the Museum of Life and Science, take the kids to their house, come home, eat dinner, put the girls to bed and then feed them. And here we are.

Did I even play with the girls today? Yes, I know I did, but it's so easy to get caught up in all the other stuff that before I know it, the day is gone, the girls are in bed, another day is gone and Natalie and Abby are one day closer to being all grown up.

Natalie and Abby are so good at playing by themselves that it is easy for me to do other things and get things done. But, I don't want that. I want to play with them, teach them, hear them laugh. I want to make them laugh. I want them to know I am always here for them and nothing will ever get in the way of that.

I resolve to pray for my children. I'm not very good at this. In fact, I am terrible at this. In addition to praying for them, I want to teach them how to pray. I'm searching for the perfect little prayer we can say each night. I know they can't say it yet, but they will hear it and one day they will pray with us. Letting them know they are loved by God is the greatest gift I can give them.

I'm a little late in the game for making New Year's Resolutions, but these seemed worth committing to. I guess it's better late than never :-) I've always been a bit of a procrastinator amyway.