New Year's Resolutions!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a wonderful start to the New Year.

The boys and myself spent it with my family -again- at my brother's new house. It was great fun. I so enjoy spending time with my family and reliving old memories. This year was hysterically funny because the 'old folks' (my mom, dad, uncle, and aunt) were playing the Walgreen's Wii version of bowling. They were having a great time with the music turned up. Us kids are sitting at the kitchen table playing board games. We suddenly find ourselves all bopping to this music! It went on all night. I am surprised the tune is not still rattling through my head. I actually took video this year, but did not get footage of the bopping to music, darn!

Usually I don't make New Year's Resolutions, well, none that I actually stick to. This year I am going to make obtainable resolutions and do them. Here they go:
Cook a full/fresh dinner at least 3 nights a week. (Leftovers the rest of the week or quick meals). This is very hard for me. I have a hard time planning ahead for meals. I base my meals on what I am hungry for at the moment. Also, working 3 nights a week I am thrown off schedule for 4 of my days. However, last week, I went home and threw a meal in the oven and baked it before Luca and I went down for our naps. This worked perfectly because I then had a whole meal that we could just reheat before we headed out the door for the sitters and work. This is my new plan on the nights I work.
All of us will clean the house together with a thorough cleaning on Thursday afternoon. My plan for this is that after our lessons we will break up and do a thorough house cleaning. The jobs will rotate week to week so we all get the fun job of cleaning the 3.5 bathrooms! The kids will also be responsible for their rooms making sure nothing is on the floor to get sucked up by the vaccum monster.
I will quit complaining about my job and be thankful I have one; especially one that allows a schedule where I get to be home with my children and am able to homeschool them. (Melissa, you know you can catch me on this one - she is my favorite coworker.)We complain alot at work about how our raises stink, how much work we are expected to do, etc. This year I vow to not complain nearly as much - I can't promise not to complain ever. I am thankful I have a job where I only work 3 nights a week. It hasn't always been this way and it always has the potential to change, but for this year again, it looks like this is the schedule we will have. The time with my children is so precious and I am so fortunate to be able to work a full time job, full benefits, and good wages. There are many people laid off, without jobs that would do anything to be in my position. I do enjoy what I do, but often feel very under appreciated. I need to just know that I am doing a good for the community and it is appreciated, even though the people who are administered what we manufacture don't know us.

These three goals (resolutions) I know are attainable. We'll be starting tomorrow with a wonderful home cooked meal (pasta fritata) , a glass of Florida wine, and a comfy night with my honey and 2 of my boys. (Brian is hanging out with his dad over our Christmas break from lessons). Today we were at a friends house for late lunch/early dinner so I got out of cooking today. And starting tonight by working overtime and helping not only my pocket book but helping the company and my fellow team members.