2018: The Year of Me

I spend a lot of time in L's school.  I have been volunteering there since B was in first grade and when you spend that much time in a school, you get to be pretty friendly with the staff and the teachers.  As I was leaving a few weeks ago, I saw a friend in the office and I don't remember what she said, but whatever it was, it was extremely cheery.

"Mrs. G, I love how happy you always are," I said.

She turned around, looked me in the eye and said with the utmost of seriousness, "Life is too short to be anything but."

That isn't a direct quote, but it is what I heard and I have been mulling that over ever since.

My Mom says she thinks I'm a happy person, but I don't always feel like I'm a happy person.  It's hard to feel happy when you're yelling at your teenager for pacing around the house, listening to music.  It's hard to feel happy when you are lecturing your preteen about the messiness of her room and it's hard to feel happy when you are yelling at your 8 year old for leaving her plate out. . . again.

A few years ago, I did the Orange Rhino Challenge.  You can read all about it at the beginning of this blog, because that was the entire reason I created Life Full Of Curls.  I did so amazing at this challenge! I went nearly 18 months without yelling at The Curly Girly Trio and then I decided to try to teach them how to ride their bikes.  Not only did I break my 18 month streak, but I also never actually taught them how to ride.

I hate feeling angry.  It takes up all the space for the happy feelings and in mulling over the words "Life is too short for anything but (happy)" I started thinking about all of the things that make me happy.

1) The Doctor and The Curly Girly Trio
2) Reading
3) Watching people eat my baked goods
4) A clean and uncluttered house
5) Feeling like I'm organized

I figured I'd start trying to make 2018 the year of me in 2018, but then I thought, "Why wait?"
2017 started off yucky and it appeared to be ending yucky, but it isn't over yet and there is no reason why I can't start now.

I cleaned the house and moved all the clutter (so now the garage is even more cluttered, but we'll get to that another time.).
I created a new motto for The Curly Girly Trio: "You leave it out, I throw it out".  They know I'm serious because I've thrown out homework before (honestly thinking it was already checked, but they know it's not an empty threat).
I bought a pretty little planner and a lot of fun stickers and I've already started filling it out!

When I was doing The Orange Rhino Challenge, I was a fun Mom.  We were always so silly and giggly and I miss that.

My goals in 2018 are:
Laugh more
Yell less
Try to find joy in everything (that sounds so sappy, but it works)

2018 will be my year of happy.  It will be the year I stop yelling (hopefully for good this time) and it will be the year I feel more organized both inside my head and in my house. And who knows?  Maybe around this time next year, someone will stop me and say, "CGM, I love how happy you always are" and I can tell them "Being happy is so much more fun than being anything else" (because I need my own profound statement).