February: Reflection & Rejuvenation

The new year is off to such a great start! I am so thankful to be through the first trimester. Although I still nap for about 1.5 hours every day, I find that I am able to be productive in the evenings after Henry goes to bed from about 6:30-9:30pm.

We are in the final month of preparing an application for the state of Texas to start a charter school. I'm looking forward to the final push throughout February and then some down time in March, April, and May before the baby arrives at the end of June. 

Last year my intention was to "Make Dreams Happen," and I feel like I'm reaping everything I worked so hard to plant last year (knock on wood!). After a miscarriage and two first trimesters, we'll hopefully be welcoming a new family member this year. 

Plus our building permit finally came through and construction has begun on our house. Although I'm incredibly excited about the natural light, wood floors, and open spaces, I'm even more excited about settling into a neighborhood. I hope we make friends with people within walking distance, and I hope trips to the park become opportunities to make lifelong friends.

And the school is starting to feel more and more real. We are getting close to raising $400,000 in start-up funding, and our waiting list is over 350 families long. 

So my intention for 2013 is to "Put Down Roots." This month I worked toward that intention by scheduling dinner parties with three different sets of friends. We've also been going to a Unitarian Universalist church regularly (which, if you aren't familiar with it, is a very non-churchy church; the mission statement is: "We gather in community to nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice."). Last year I realized that attending church wasn't enough to cultivate community. So this month I've intentionally been volunteering in the children's classes, and we're signed up to start taking a communications class every other Wednesday (built around the books Crucial Conversations and Emotional Intelligence 2.0). We'll get to join others for a meal before each class while Henry plays in the free childcare room. We also signed up to attend a monthly potluck for families with young children. 

My intention to put down roots has definitely given me the extra little push. Although all of these things are activities I want to do, I often find that it's easier not to do them. It's easier just to eat with Matt and Henry than it is to coordinate a dinner with friends. It's easier to stay at home than it is to shower, get dressed, get Henry dressed, and drive to church. Once I'm at church, it's easier to sit through the service than it is to volunteer in the child education classes. It's easier to read the church announcements about upcoming opportunities than it is to actually sign up for them.

But I find that the extra push is so worth it. It's helping me actualize my intention for this year. 

As far as my incremental, cumulative resolutions:

1. Drink Enough Water: Yes! This one has been going extremely well. I make sure to fill up my 40-ounce water bottle twice during the day and finish it before bed.
2. Read Before Bed: Womp. Womp. I did not enjoy the book I checked out from the library, plus I've been working on school stuff feverishly every night. I ordered some new books for this month from the library, but, honestly, I'm going to deprioritize this one for now. I only have 24 days until the charter application is due. Normally, I would say that life is always going to be busy and I should therefore work extra hard on this habit during busy times, but going through two first trimesters (sorry to keep harping on it!) really did slow me down last year. I need to play catch-up now.

So I'm adding a new resolution:

• Practice Gratitude Every Night: As I'm falling asleep, I want to verbalize in my mind all the things I'm grateful for.

I'm looking forward to February!

Photo Courtesy of the Nikki McClure Calendar

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