I know it’s not the “in thing” to have New Year’s resolutions, but I think it’s as good an opportunity as any to make a list of priorities, goals, and dreams. Naturally, mine revolve around parenting first, and travel second.
Parenting Goals
1. Days off with M: time outside (or doing physical activity), time creating, time reading, time pretending.
2. Monkey see monkey do: M imitates me in every way, so in 2016 I want her to see me reading more (yes, that means I have to buy paper books as she doesn’t know that I’m reading on my phone or kindle) and playing piano.
3. Show her “how to play” with her toys, meaning get down and build with blocks and legos, play pretend with animals and figurines, paint and draw and sculpt, put train tracks together, etc.
Personal Goals
1. Go back to Nepal this year!
2. Keep up the momentum with the home cooking
3. Keep working on forgiving myself when I’m not perfect
Things I want more of:
1. Money (because duh)
2. Patience (although I think I’ve been using up every ounce available to me with this two-year-old love of my life)
3. Travel!!!
Although I’m excited to see what the new year brings, I also worry. I know that my grandparents are hanging on by a thread, and one of these years will be the year I lose them. I know that I’ve been lucky in health, and so has everyone I loved, and that won’t always be the case. Every year that goes by means my baby is growing up and away from me, thankfully and wonderfully, but there is a nagging sense of future loss as she becomes more and more independent.
And although I ended a relationship that was by all accounts “good”, I also admit to suffering mostly from loneliness in 2015. Living an hour away from civilization, just my grandparents, my mom, my kid, and myself, well… I long for company, gatherings, events, etc. I found myself at many parks, playgrounds, or indoor kid areas mainly because I just wanted to be around other people, even if those people were parents who were already occupied with their own group of friends.
Still, as years go, 2015 was a great one, full of the delight of nurturing a growing child, travel, and security. I couldn’t complain about another year with all of those things!
Mother of All Things 
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