We are nine days into a new year.  As anyone effected by the polar vortex -15 degree nonsense can attest, it has made the first week of 2014 a bumpy one.

Seeing that this is a new year, a time ripe with resolutions and efforts in self-improvement, I thought I would share my simple resolution with the Hive.  My primary goal for the year is to take better care of myself.  So often, in motherhood and in life, we put the needs of others before our own, and after many months of caring for Colin and our family, I had recognized that I have been letting my needs fall by the wayside.  Self-care, in my mind, is something that has to be viewed not just from a physical standpoint, but emotionally and mentally as well, and I am hoping to take better care of myself this year in all of these aspects.

When it comes to my mental health, I know that so much of my happiness relies on perspective.  I am the kind of girl who can spiral down into quite the case of winter blues. This year, with the many challenges I have already faced in the new year that I cannot control, I am doing my best to change my outlook.  To find the positive, the silver lining, instead of wallowing the hiccups of our day-to-day life drag me down.

ADVERTISEMENT
Instead of moping about being stuck in the house with an active toddler in the extreme cold weather, I am marveling at the joy that toddlers find in the simple things.  Instead of running around from class to play group to errand, we pulled down the mattress to jump on the bed.  We built forts, brought in flash lights and a dozen books and snuggled.  We built giant block towers, we created dot art, we squished Play-Doh and we baked cookies from scratch.  We giggled and tickled and nuzzled.  We took extra long baths, we played chase, and there are more balls scattered around my house than ever before.  While it wasn’t our usual routine, I found that when push comes to shove, toddlers can find the joy any and everywhere.

Instead of being frustrated by Colin’s ever-growing list of “words” that clearly have meaning to him and I cannot decipher (thus leading to mega meltdowns), I marvel at his ever expanding vocabulary.  Mr. Confetti and I created a person and are teaching him to SPEAK!  He is a little sponge, and as he squeezes out the words he soaks up, certain words are getting lost in translation. We both get frazzled when he rants, repeating the “word” over and over, but we are learning to cope. To show. To figure it out together. And if my limited experience teaches me anything, this too shall pass (because hey, doesn’t that seem to apply to nearly every typical parenting challenge, ever).

Instead of wallowing in the stress of several burst pipes and the chaos that ensued in the repair process, I found the silver lining: thank goodness that water was flowing into the garage and not into our unit.  The past few days with the plumbers have been rough, but they have brought our neighbors together and solidified some newly budding friendships.  And I am not going to lie, the adventure put our frustration of not yet being able to afford to own a home in perspective – the fact that we are renting is such a blessing today.

I resolve to continue to find the positive in 2014.  Who’s with me?