Monday, January 07, 2008

Welcome to 2008...

It amazes me how quickly time passes when one is an adult. As a child time seemed to tick by very slowly but as an adult it moves with a swift and fierce pace.

Owen turned 20 months old on Saturday and it seems like just a few months ago he was a tiny baby. Everyday his thirst for toddler independence deepens and my mommy patience wanes! Just a few weeks ago he firmly grasped the meaning of "no" and employs it on many occasion throughout the day. He isn't yet saying "yes" but nods him head emphatically when he is in agreement. His expressions are priceless. I have to remind myself regularly that he is a little person in the same way I am a big person (figuratively!) with all the same dimensions of personality and character and I need to be respectful of our differences. And similarities for that matter!

Now of course is the time to examine all that I want to change about myself and my life and make a big long list of those changes. Not that I haven't been doing it regularly throughout the last 15 or so years. That is in fact one thing I'd like to change. The constant examination of my own faults and flaws. I was watching one of my favorite shows the other night, Las Vegas, and there was a convention for big people in town. Along with the convention came the people affectionately known as "chubby chasers", those who are attracted to larger people. As I was watching it occurred to me that I have never considered giving up my quest to be skinny and just accept how I am. Perhaps it's the knowledge that I do not eat well or exercise much on a regular basis, and this is not healthy. I think I could consider the possibility of acceptance if I were doing all that I could to be healthy. And there also remains the fact that I am not comfortable with my body how it is. I guess that comes with acceptance. A chicken or the egg dilemma.

So I decided to try and create a positive spin on my goals for the year and tie them to my birthday rather than the New Year. Too much pressure. So there are just things I want to accomplish before my next birthday. Or Owen's birthday, namely the weight loss!

On the creative front one of the collages I created a couple months ago is being included in a non-profit calendar raising money for One Laptop Per Child. I will be receiving a copy of it soon so I can post a picture!

Life around here is not all that exciting. While that can sometimes be boring I prefer it to the constant drama that other people often live with. Boring can be a blessing. Oh, which is another of my focuses for the year. I made a Blessings Book to record my blessings and things I'm grateful for. I used a bunch of scrap paper, my Cricut and my Bind-it-All (Christmas gift from Morgan) to make it. I have not taken pictures yet but will post when I do.

4 comments:

Noelia said...

Happy New Year!
I agree that boring can be a good thing, I would say it's simpler. Can't wait to see your list for 2008. Are you going to have a word for 2008? Congrats on the collage for the calendar, seems like a great cause :)

Aimeslee Winans said...

Welcome back, Heather and Happy New Year! Yes, for all of January, heehee. That lessens the pressure, right? How proud I am of you for having your art chosen to appear in the calendar! Kudos and Congrats! I'm so glad to find we are kindred owners of the Cricut and the Bind-It-All, too. And I totally get the spectacle of Owen's many faces - that stands out in your photos of him. He's such a mugger (in a good way, of course)! Er, how about mugster? That sounds better...LOL.

toners said...

I can relate...

And boring is good! That means no drama, right? :)

MangoMama said...

This is my first time on your blog. I really love the insight that you have when it comes to your toddler and the differences/similarities that you two may have. Also that he is a person just as much as you are. A lot of parents don't see their children that way and it such a breath of fresh air when I find a like-minded person that actually respects their child(ren). Great post!