Happy New Year!

Here we are, on New Year's Eve, watching Harry Potter (the first one...not scary, and Patrick is WAY interested in it).  The boys are eating puppy chow and Pretzel M&M's (thanks Chrissy and Colleen!), while I sip away on some plain hot tea...which tastes terrible because I'm still getting over the flu and literally everything I put into my mouth tastes terrible.  (It's good for the scale, yes, but it is more annoying than I can begin to tell you.  I'm actually getting angry about it.) 

This isn't how I planned to spend NYE.  I should at least be wearing something that sparkles and have a really fantastic pair of eyelashes on.  I should have a drink in my hand that 1.) is reserved for adults and 2.) doesn't taste like dirt.  We should be counting down the minutes to the ball dropping with our friends and family.  As it is, we won't see the ball drop and we'll sleep through the first few hours of the new year.  And do you know what?  It's ok.

Despite being sick, this is the kind of night that makes me happy.  Leo insists on holding hands now when we watch movies, and that really couldn't be better.  Patrick professed that I am still fun, even when I'm a sick bum, and baby Hatch hasn't even noticed there is anything off.  He's really into these nights at home, too.

The only person here who may be a little perturbed is Adam, who may or may not still be coming down from the throws of a full-on mantrum.  He's fine, though.  He may act annoyed, but he's really into this Harry Potter, too.  (And the whole reason for the mantrum is because I have been out of commission, which means he has had to feed and care for himself and the kids and Adam really prefers being taken care of.  He'll admit it.  So he's upset that I'm down and out.  He's generally pretty great, so I'll give him this little mood of his.  He'll get it out of his system in no time.)

As the new year approaches, I can't say that I have any real resolutions except for this:

I will try my best. 

When I run out of fuel and the kids are wearing me down, I will try my best to keep it together and to make sure their home is a happy one.

When my family (immediate and extended) starts to get on my nerves, I will try my best to remember that I have probably been on people's nerves, too

When Indy won't get out from under my feet and just keeps licking himself, I will try my best to be kind and loving and remember that he's super-old and it isn't his fault.

When Adam works too hard and I get frustrated that he's not home, I will try my best to remember that he works so hard to give us all a good life, not because he wants to be away from it.

And when things don't go my way, I will try my best to turn them around, to see things differently, or to understand that sometimes things don't work out because there is something better just around the corner. 

I won't make less mistakes. 
I probably won't lose any weight.
God knows, I'm not going to start running or going to the gym with any regularity.
I'm not going to be the next Martha Stewart or the new Coupon Queen.

But I am going to love this life that I have, I am going to anticipate that 2013 will be a really great one for us, and I'm going to hug and kiss the &^%$ out of these boys (even the mantrumming one) because that's what I do best. 

Happy New Year, Friends and Family!  May God bless you always, all ways.