[An aside: my mom asked me the other day why these traits weren't evident while I was in high school. I wish I knew the answer. Sorry I was a rebellious teenager, Mom. I think I've made up for it, though.]
Anyhoo, while I am not prepared to entirely abandon my sense of duty, I have decided that this year will be decidedly more fun. I'm going to do some things I haven't done in a long time, and I'm going to give up some things that aren't enjoyable or necessary.
Here's what I've got planned...
Laugh more
Sing and dance
Avoid chaos
Live vicariously
Get fit
This very weekend I begin my quest to laugh more. Ever heard of Jim Gaffigan? He makes me laugh. A lot. Which is why Santa conveniently put two tickets to a Jim Gaffigan show in Scott's stocking. Friday night we'll be laughing our bums off as we listen to Gaffigan's musings about ordinary things. Here's some of what he does best:
To top it off, we've hired capable people to stay with our kids so we can spend the night in the city. You know what that means right? I GET TO SLEEP IN!!! Bliss. I'm practically giddy already.
Pretty much the only way you'll see me sing and dance in public is if I am accompanied by thousands of other people doing the same thing. If you've read this post then you know that I was at one time a frequent concert-goer. But sadly, it has been over 10 years since the last concert I attended. But this year, that's gonna change! Because, you see, I am going to not one, but TWO concerts!!! First I'll sing and swing with this guy:
And two weeks later, I get to jam with this guy:
Michael Buble and John Mayer, you will be contributing to my fun this year. I am sooooo excited!!! There is nothing quite like seeing an artist you love perform live.
In an effort to avoid chaos and simplify my life, I have decided to abandon the kids' friend birthday parties this year. They cost too much, are a pain to plan, gifts received are just more junk to clutter up my house, and I just don't want to deal with it during my year o' fun. That sounded a little whiny, didn't it? Sorry about that. Anyway, my girls have been prepared and I'll make their birthdays super special regardless, but a year without invitations and party favors sounds heavenly.
One of my favorite aspects of parenting is the chance I get to live vicariously through my children when they experience something for the first time. Which is why it will be fun when my Mom comes to visit at the end of February and we take the girls to the American Girl store. Or when, at the end of March, my sister and niece come to visit and we take them all to see Beauty and the Beast. The look on my girls faces when we took them to see Wicked was priceless. So much wonder, so much fun!
You know what else is fun? Buying a new pair of jeans in a smaller size. That mild obsession with exercise I was telling you about the last time I felt inclined to blog... well, it's still going. Reality set in about 6 months ago when it occurred to me that my toddler was 2 years old and "baby weight" was sounding more and more like a lame excuse. So now in an effort to get fit I exercise, track what I eat, and watch as my clothes slowly get baggier. I feel great, though I'd love to know why my bra is now the loosest article of clothing I own. Losing boob weight is a side effect I could do without. ;-)
So, that's what my "year of fun" looks like so far. I think I'll be a better wife and mother if I can regain some of what I feel like I lost along the way these past few years. Honestly, I just like having some things to look forward to.
What are you looking forward to in 2010?
