The year's Valentine's Day Letter

And here is this year's belated love letter.... (I am starting to see a trend... sigh)

Dear Deep Breath,

It has been a while since I have taken some time for you.

My life seems to be so hectic these days, running off to school, zooming to after school activities, getting food ready, cleaning (okay, I do not really clean that much...) and then planning for things to do on the weekend.

I feel like I forgot how to just stop and inhale. I feel like I am going nowhere fast.

Just the other day, I took my daughter sledding; knowing that we had a very small window to do this activity – a) the sun sets at 4:30 (at least it no longer start setting at 3:00...) and b) it was freezing. So there I stood watching her zoom down the hill, and then SLOWLY coming back up the hill with her toboggan. She was employing the two step forward, three slides back method of climbing up the hill. I was, of course, getting annoyed standing up there waiting for her. After all, she was the one who wanted to do this. I was about to yell, when I noticed that she was giggling, laughing and having fun!

This was the moment when I remembered you my long lost friend.

So I stood on top of the hill, took a very deep breath, and just enjoyed the scenery. I was literally at the top of a hill (and we had the hill to ourselves that day) watching a beautiful sunset and spending time with my daughter. So really, who the hell cares that we were not going up and down as many time as we could pack in. The whole point of this was to go outside, get some fresh air and have fun! If she has fun falling down the hill, I should just let her.

So from this point on, I am hoping to rediscover and spend more time with you. To stop, take a deep breath, and just enjoy the moment.

Forever yours,

Me

Letters from previous years

2013

2012

2011

Happy New Year! again....

Okay... I am finally ready to make my anti-new-year-resolution wish list....

Yes, I know it is already February, but hey, it is still Chinese New Year!

Anyway, this year, my list is pretty simple. It will include some of the stuff from my previous lists, see here or here. 

But this year, I am borrowing my list from my daughter. Child's teacher asked her and her class to make some resolutions (her teacher did not know my anti-resolution stance).

My little one decided that her resolution is to have more FUN!

I was a little offended about her resolution at first; after all, I spent most of my day planning on how to make her life fun... which I admit sometimes involve activities that she does not always enjoy, like violin practice (“but I swear it will be fun once you can play actual songs!”). But really, the child plays about 90% of the time excluding the hours she is in school (which I am pretty sure still involves lots of playing), and the time she is unconscious (probably dreaming of play).

And then I thought a bit more about it, and figure, you know what, we all can use a bit more fun in our lives.

So this year, my wish list has only one item on it.

HAVE MORE FUN! (and try not to get injured while doing so; oh and maybe only after the dishes are done...).

 I am of course going to continue to try to be the mother that my daughter needs me to be, and this year, I am going to try to listen more and lecture less... (I managed to do it for an hour now!).

What is your resolution or wish list for this year?