52 New Things: A List of Goals for My 30th Year (Update)

      I loved working on my list of 52 new things this past year. I only managed to accomplish 41, but I'm still proud of myself. That's 41 new things! Some of the items I would have done anyway, but there are others I know I only attempted because they were on "the list" (i.e. trying rutabaga, venison, etc).

      I love being intentional about goals, big and small. I plan to continue to make lists of new things. Stay tuned for my list of things to accomplish in my 31st year.
      (The green-highlighted ones are done and the others will roll over to the next list).

   

Food

1. Try Egg Nog 

2. Eat rutabaga

3. Eat rubarb

4. Eat a parsnip

5. Eat real sushi

6.  Try sashimi

7. Eat venison

8. Make cheese

9. Make yogurt

10. Make nut butter

11.  Eat scallops

12.  Try pistachio ice cream

13. Try cheese fondue

Hobbies

14. Knit gloves

15. Knit mittens

16.  Knit socks

17. Sew a skirt

18. Sew place-mats

19.  Sew pajama pants

20. Make soap

21.Learn to spin yarn

22. Make own deodorant

Books

23.  Read Anna Karenina

24.  Read a travel literature book

25.  Read an autobiography

26.  Read Lolita by Nabokov

27.  Read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

28.  Read Rabbit, Run by John Updike

29.  Read My Antonia by Willa Cather

Sports

30.  Run an 8K

31.  Go wakeboarding

32.  Go golfing

Experiences

33.  Watch a sunrise and sunset in one day

34.  Get a tattoo

35.  Sing Karaoke

36.  Feet in more than one state at once

37.  Drive over 100 mph

38.  Make a kite and fly it

39.  Plant an apple tree

40.  Kiss in the rain

41.  Learn a new dance

42.  Milk a cow

43.  Do a pull-up

44.  Do own taxes

45.  Change own oil

Movies

46.  Watch Terms of Endearment

47.  Watch Some Like it Hot

48.  Watch Risky Business

49.  Watch One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

50.  Watch Pulp Fiction

51.  Watch a John Wayne movie

52.  See an IMAX movie

Just Another Manic Monday (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,Friday,Saturday, Sunday)

Parenting makes me feel manic--up, down, up, down like an elevator in an old-people's home.

I feel joy when I see those angelic faces.

When I see those silly faces.

When I walk in to get A. up in the morning and he says, "Morning!" in his high, soft voice. 

When I snuggle up on the couch with the kids and read to them. 

And then.

There are those other times when I wonder how I'm going to make it through the next five minutes or the 1 hour 36 minutes and 29 seconds until bedtime.

When E. says, "Poopy Diaper" for the millionth billionth time.

When A. screams, loud ear-piercing screams. (I won't subject you to a video of them.)

When E. bonks his head on the floor, door, washing machine so that A. will copy him.

And the nose-picking. So tired of the nose-picking.

We can be having a lovely moment. All feels right in the world. Little birds are chirping. My life is like a scene from Pollyanna (pre-fall Pollyanna) and I feel like I could have a dozen kids. And then, as quick as you can say, "Poopy diaper," it all falls apart and I wonder what I'm going to do with the two kids I have.

And when I do make it through the day, at 7:30 p.m. I feel like I deserve a reward, such as chocolate mousse and not one, but two servings. (Yes, I had two cups of chocolate mousse last night and that was on a day when Dave was home from work! But, I suppose that deserves its own set of rewards.)

I love chocolate mousse. I think Heaven is not only going to have streets of gold, but rivers of chocolate mousse and lots of mochas and biscotti, but that's another topic.

Yesterday when E. asked if I was making dessert, the best I could come up with was: "Um. . . kind of. It's mostly eggs and whipped cream."

Thankfully, Daddy distracted him and he accepted my lame answer. Otherwise, I would have had to launch into how it actually was going to be fluffy, decadent chocolate and how I was going to savor it after he went to bed so I didn't have to share it. That's right even though I harp about how "Sharing is caring" and all that crap, when it comes to me and my mousse, my mantra doesn't apply and I turn into a hypocrite. But not entirely. I did share with Dave--a little bit. I saved the rest for tomorrow's nap time as a reward for making it through the morning. Yay me.

Up again. E. tells me, "You're so nice to me," even though I lost my temper with him an hour earlier. That unconditional love and forgiveness send me sky high. And those peaceful sleeping faces.

And I wouldn't change being a mom for anything.