AnchorMommy

10 Ways I rocked 2010

February 10, 2011 by Shannon

I’m a little late in summarizing my successes of 2010, but whatever. Better late than never.

In fact, it didn’t even occur to me to write this post until recently. I started thinking about things I would like to accomplish in 2011, and suddenly I realized that in spite of some pretty big challenges, I really had a pretty rockin’ 2010. So to inspire a similar attitude for the year ahead, I thought I’d do a little recap of the things that I consider small successes in 2010. You know, to remind myself that I can actually accomplish cool stuff if I put my mind to it.

1. I gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl who stole my heart the instant I laid eyes on her.
2. I hit the gym. A lot.
3. I returned to my former life as a television news anchor for 6 weeks, and had a blast.
4. I managed to pack up all our worldly possessions, almost entirely on my own, while 7 months pregnant.
5. I managed to not go entirely nuts moving into a new house and then living amongst construction while I was extremely ill and 8 months pregnant.
6. I was drafted to participate in an art show at Boise State University called Visible M(others) by my incredibly talented friend, Amy of Doin’ It All, Idaho Style. I still can’t believe yours truly would have anything worthy to contribute to a real live art show, but it was such a cool experience!
7. I managed to scrounge up some pretty cool Halloween costumes with stuff we had around the house for myself, Kellan and Ella. Kellan was a pirate (aaarrgh!), I was Snow White, and Ella was one of the seven dwarfs. (Grumpy, Happy, or Sleepy…depending on her mood.)
8. I’ve started reading again. They’re mostly books about parenting, planting kid-friendly gardens, or building treehouses, but at least I’m reading something other than the occasional parenting magazine. Oh, how I’ve missed books.
9. I picked up my knitting needles. (I’ve only knitted a couple of squares, but it was therapeutic.)
10. I’ve become a better mom.

To me, number 10 is one of the most important accomplishments on that list. Because this year, something really clicked for me about motherhood. Maybe it was all the parenting books I’ve been reading, or maybe I just had to get better at this mom thing because I have two kids to care for now. Either way, I think I’ve really come to understand more about what makes a good parent. Somehow, my well of patience has deepened and I’m more tolerant of messes and chaos. But perhaps most importantly, I’m getting better at figuring out what makes my kids tick. For Ella, it’s generally key for me to be prepared with food and/or a soothing routine when she’s tired or sleepy. You know, the basics. But Kellan’s a tougher cookie, of course. With him, I’m learning that it’s important to reframe things that I need or want him to do. For example, instead of simply telling him to get dressed, I tell him to see if he can get his shirt and pants on before I can finish my cereal. It’s a small epiphany, but one that’s making a big difference in how smoothly our mornings go.

So that’s 2010. I’m hoping to finalize my list of what I want to accomplish in 2011 very soon…but right now I’m just going to revel a bit in the fact that 2010 was momentous, and that it’s all behind me. Phew.