Not exactly starting with a bang

January 4th huh?  Hard to believe we're already four days into 2011.  I usually take time each January 1st to transfer birthday and anniversary details from the previous year's calendar to a new one.  As I go through each month and reread all the appointments and details that made up my life last year I remember what was good or hard or sad, I think about what worked and didn't work, I recognize that I will never get that year back and then I journal a bit and spend some time in reflection thinking about what I want the coming year to look like.  I give myself a little check-up about my relationships, health, writing goals, the womens ministry I lead at our church and I make some intentional decisions about how to make each area better.

Sounds good right?

Well, December passed in a blur of tradesmen and Christmas prep.  Then the Holidays passed in a blur of company.  Hugh's brother, sister-in-law and their two youngest children (8 and 6) and Hugh's parents were all here over the Holidays.  It was crazy!

And oh so much fun!  Lots of laughing, lots of bonding between the cousins and lot's of co-op Mario - for the adults.  Hugh's brother and fam left on the 28th (I think...days had no meaning over the Holidays!) and his parents left on Jan 2nd.  And then I crashed.  As soon as the door closed after waving them off I changed into my pajama's and went to bed.  And stayed there for the rest of the day.  Yesterday we were finally able to take our tree down and get our house de-Christmased and last night we were finally able to go downstairs and take a moment to say, hey guess what?  OUR BASEMENT IS DONE!  And then we fell onto our couch, which quite literally is the most comfortable couch I've ever sat on, the way it envelops you and makes you never want to move again, (though that could be the exhaustion talking) and basked in the glory of a finally finished project.  Minus a few pictures to hang and all the boxes we've never unpacked in the five years we've lived in Alberta.

The point is, although we stayed up till 12:01am New Year's Eve, although I technically know it's a New Year, it just hasn't had a chance to register yet and I feel like I'm starting 2011 a bit wrong-footed.  Though I did finally get my calendar details transferred today.  And found out my kids first day back to school is not Friday, it's tomorrow.  They alternate Wednesdays with the other Kindergarten class and I had it in my head it was the other class this Wednesday.  Apparently not.  Which means I have a bunch of laundry to do and I have to find their water bottles and lunch kits and other assorted school paraphernalia so my journaling and all that other reflective stuff will have to wait.   Also? When I got to June and wrote down that Hugh is turning 37 this year I felt a terrific jolt of panic.  37 is old!  We're not old! When I picture someone 37 I picture my parents and their friends like they were when I was in my teens.  They were old!  We are not old! 

Hey did you hear that?

The chaise on our couch downstairs is calling my name.  It's quite insistently really.  I should probably go see what it wants.  And I should probably take my tea and a book.  You know, just in case.