Goodbye, 2022.
I feel like I say this every year. This new year has got to be better. Right?
2022 was rough. Everything was difficult. We were fighting financial woes, and car troubles, and making sure the kids got to the right places at the right times, and with little or no downtime. We’re pulled in every direction. Constantly. It was a rough year.
So rough that Christmas almost didn’t make it. Which is difficult when you have young kids who are wide-eyed and mesmerized by the twinkling lights and wrapping paper. They don’t understand what a budget is or why we need one. It was difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. We didn’t even decorate outside this year. And I love to do it. I love turning the corner and seeing the house all lit up. And watching Austin gasp at the colors. But not this year. This year was sad and depressing.
But thanks to Laura and some financial help, we made it. We made it to Christmas and a little beyond. And you know what? Christmas and New Year’s did turn out to be magical. I even took some time off from work to spend with the kids and clean the house – it’s been a while.
So, I’m going to be positive. 2023 is going to be a better year. It has to be. It means we’ll be working really hard to make sure we’re in a better position financially. And staying on top of car issues so they don’t turn into bigger ones. We’ve got to have those vehicles for the numerous events those kids are doing!
Christmas Break
I wrote about our Christmas tree decorating, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day here, complete with all the crazy pictures! It really was a lot of fun. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Though the kids enjoyed all of their gifts and play with them regularly, two were notable. Braden got rollerblades from Papa and Nicole, and we got Austin a bicycle with training wheels…his first. I’m pretty sure I walked miles. To the park, back from the park, up that hill, down this hill, to the pond to feed the ducks, back to the basketball court to ride there.
I can’t complain, though. It was so nice being able to enjoy that time with them. I wasn’t stressed about how long we were gone, what chores I had to do, and where I had to be. The weather was good, too. Hovered in the ’60s for most of the week after Christmas. And we were outside daily. The best was seeing those little legs of Austin’s make it nearly a mile to the park, play at the park, and then ride all the way back home, nearly another mile. And Braden’s come a long way on those blades. He’s more steady and sure-footed. He loves them. And I love that he’s back outside again. It’s been a while. Need to stay off the Xboxes!
We even got to feed the ducks. Well, the geese. One goose in particular. It must have been really hungry!
The Wisdom of Devin
It’s not often that your kids are smarter than you. But it occasionally happens. They’ll say something that just makes you stop. Literally, stop. That’s what happened when I had a very short conversation with Devin last week.
I’ve been struggling for a while with my weight. It’s not easy. And the older I get, the harder it is. Exercising on the treadmill or running has been so hard on my knees. And both of my feet have issues. I don’t want to make things worse. Plus, in the summer of 2021, I hit a point where I was working out so much, running so far, and it wasn’t taking or even keeping weight off. So I decided to try something different.
I started just walking the dogs, not running. And I’d exercise to YouTube videos that seem to do some things I wasn’t. I kinda figured my body had just gotten used to what I was making it do. So changing it up a bit seemed like it was worth a try.
But I’m still struggling. Hard. And there’s been very little motivation. Even for walking. Which is even more concerning since the weather is better. Cooler mornings mean less sweat and longer walks. I usually love it!
And it’s hard to eat right when things have gotten so expensive. Or we can’t find them at all. Fresh fruits and vegetables and things that don’t come in a box are so pricey compared to the prepared stuff.
Basically, diet, exercise, and stress are all causing problems. And more stress. So what do I do?
Enter Devin. He’s been working out on his own here at the house. And playing in multiple soccer and futsal games, so he’s getting the cardio in.
He was showing off his arms, which look good, by the way, and I told him I was jealous of the abs. He’s worked so hard to get his abs and love handles flatter. And before I could say another word, he turned to me and said: You gotta say no.
And I stopped dead in my tracks. Tell yourself no. It seems so easy. And difficult all at the same time. But it really stuck with me. I even tried it a few times. Failed a couple too. But I’m going to keep trying. It’s one of the things I learned from Devin, rather than him learning from me.
So 2023 will be a good year. Positive things will come to us. We’ll be financially set, healthy, and active.
Back to School…and Work
Tuesday, January 3rd, was the first day back to work and school for everyone. It was difficult after being off for so long. But we all managed to make it through the day. Except for Devin.
Yes, our Devin. Athlete. Band Kid. Someone who’s always doing something. ‘Broke’ his arm again yesterday. He was playing soccer, and someone ran into him. Does he have brittle bones or something?
So our one night off this week turned into us going to an Ortho clinic and having them do an x-ray. It appears that it’s ‘broken’ at the growth plate. No bones appeared to be broken. But he’s got a cast on, and we go back in a week to get another x-ray. If all goes well, he’ll be in a hard cast with no other issues. Except for soccer.
He’s out for at least a week for soccer. No practice, no futsal, and he’ll have to miss the 07/08 game he was scheduled to play on Sunday. It’s not a hard cast yet, so they don’t want to risk him falling and actually breaking it. They’ll re-evaluate whether he can play and resume normal activity next week. Which sucks since he just started with the high school team. But here’s hoping for a quick recovery and good news next week. And maybe a little help from the soccer gods, who will still let him play.
Bring on 2023
I am going to reiterate that this year will be a much better year. A great year. Good things will happen to us, to our family, and to our friends. It’s our starting over point. We’ll be financially sound. We’ll be healthy. We’ll be active. And we’ll be happy. All of us.
Bring on 2023!