2009: The Year of Awesome

I'm sure not ALL of us are in bed recovering from last night's merrymaking. Some of us probably went to bed at ten and slept through the fireworks and got up at six with the baby. Right? For all of you, here are my hopes for 2009: The Year of Awesome.

2009 is going to be the year we attempt a family vacation. I am not sure how much I am kidding myself here, but I've been talking about this for a while and IT SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED. I know plenty of people who haul their kids across the country on airplanes, but since I require a full bottle of wine and a Xanax prescription just to walk down the gangplank, I'm not sure how to manage two children on an airplane as well as myself.

So I'm thinking a road trip sounds fun. A road trip to Colorado where my brother lives, not to mention a handful of old friends. What do you think? Are we nuts? A multi-day road trip with a one-year-old and a two-year-old? I can already see the comment you're writing: "You'll need that Xanax prescription anyway!"

2009 will be the year we finally paint the bathroom. Have I mentioned how much I hate my bathroom? It's tiny and awkwardly designed and you can tell it was a man who decided that a tiny sink and minuscule amount of counter space would be fine. Since we aren't the remodeling types, I've been thinking a coat of baby blue paint would be nice. Just enough to make me think, "Gee, at least the bathroom is pretty if not functional!" Unfortunately, we had a traumatic experience with red paint in the powder room several years ago when we moved in, and I'm not sure if we're ready to paint another bathroom. (And when I say "we" I mean "my husband" because I HATE PAINTING.)

2009 will be the year I finally stop scowling at my postage stamp-sized yard, wondering where I'm going to plant the cucumbers and the tomatoes. I'm my husband is going to build a garden box and have a real garden this year. And I won't be too pregnant to weed! (Right, universe?)

2009 will be the year I learn how to stick to a budget, and not just because it's the year the economy decides everyone should stick to a budget. I am determined! We've been trying to do this ever since we got married. It wasn't such a big deal before we had kids, but now we have two kids and one less paycheck and all my recent hand-wringing over this subject has earned me the job of Household Fund Manager. I've made myself a very pretty spreadsheet, I've organized the papers on my desk into neat little piles, and I don't care if I have to dole out cash into envelopes every month, I am going to make this work.

2009 will be the year I send packages on time, fit into my smallest pre-pregnancy clothes, learn to cook, stop biting my nails, make my bed every morning, potty-train the boy, and finally develop a system for switching out the too-small baby clothes. And if I don't get it all done, there's always 2010.

Happy New Year!

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