Well, I started a challenge back on December first and…it didn’t go very well. Do the words “crash” and “burn” mean anything to you? Yeah. It was bad. So, off with the old and on with the new, right? Yes! I’m starting fresh now. The holidays are over, my anniversary is behind me and there are 12 weeks until the next birthday in my family (which happens to be my own! *yippee!*). This seems to be the perfect time to start a new habit! I’m not necessarily taking that same challenge, but I am going to do my best not to eat out or eat dessert. But, let’s face it, real life is real life, sometimes you can’t avoid eating out. Or chocolate. My keys will be choosing carefully at restaurants and moderation with chocolate. Hey, chocolate is not the enemy. I purchased a food diary at a bookstore over the holidays. It’s a nice way to record what I’m eating. I don’t have a set number of calories/fat grams/ Points that I’m shooting for. I think (read: hope) that just writing down what I eat everyday will be a good thing. I already exercise three or more times a week, so surely if I watch my intake I can lose this 20 pounds that won’t budge…surely.

I hope…{biting lip}

Moving on. I am also working harder at writing. I’ve ordered two books on the subject and I hope to read them this year. They include exercises, so it will take longer to work through them, but I’m hopeful. I have also made a list of books on my shelf that I need to read this year. Books I purchased…a long time ago, but have not yet read. I want to buy a Kindle, but I cannot justify spending $200 on an e-reader when I still have old fashioned books eyeing me from the shelf across the room…big, sad eyes. Eyes that say, “Why, oh why haven’t you read me? You know I will be a help to you, you know you will find enjoyment in me…why?” I must give in and read my dear friends who have been neglected. I’ve also made a list of books that I’m giving away. I’ve posted them on Paperbackswap.com and hope to free up shelf space soon for ahem… more books.

On the homeschooling front, I’ve decided to begin new grammar and math books with my oldest kids. Mitchell was falling behind in math and Lauren was bored. Saxon math is our new program and guess what? I don’t think they’ll be bored anymore! heh heh! We are starting Easy Grammar this semester as well. Why this change in grammar? Because, my friends, I’m sick and tired of the groaning and the moaning. Because I’m a writer, and while I enjoy spotting split infinitives and finding grammar mistakes on signs, I know better than anyone that not knowing a direct object from a predicate nominative will not ruin my child’s life. I’m seeking peace, harmony and joy. If a new grammar workbook brings that to me, then small price to pay! I’ve done my research and Easy Grammar seems to have a building block approach which doesn’t take the hours a day that our current grammar work does. (Mostly because they are bogged down.) We are also going to begin using Story Starters for writing assignments. I got that book for free, so what can I lose? I’ll let you know how it all goes.

The New Year provides a time to restart, refresh and renew. I’m looking forward to doing all of those and more!

Oh, and if I get really hungry or have a chocolate craving at night (my weakest time of day), I may do some writing therapy. That means I’ll be posting more. That means you need to be there to cheer me on. Please? 🙂