Back From Break

I had a grand vacation the past few days.  The college shuts down for about a week between fall and spring semesters over Christmas time.  I had seven wonderful days off from work (plus weekends). 

I did do several things:

• visited in-laws and celebrated Christmas
• visited parents and siblings and celebrated Christmas
• visited extended in-laws in Wisconsin and celebrated Christmas
• watched many, many seasons of Doctor Who on Netflix (only thee episodes left for me to watch)
• knit several items (more on that later)
• put away Christmas decorations (my husband did a lot of this)
• had quality family time 
• celebrated one-year anniversary of buying our house
• cooked
• cleaned (but not nearly enough)
• took a Flat Stanley on a tour of Peoria
• slept in 

What I did not do, that I planned to do:

• read-  I barely read over break. I blame it on all the Doctor Who watching.  I can't watch and read at the same time.  I finished one book that I started ages ago (more on that later).  I started another book that I should finish this week.  I checked out 5+ books to read over break.  I will just have to renew them.
• organize- I wanted to organize a lot of my/our junk.  We have been in the house for a year now and it is time for us to reevaluate how we use the space, especially the closets.  I wanted to clear out my daughters toys that she no longer plays with and put them in the attic for someday when we have another child.  This of course did not happen.  We went and bought shelves for the "toy" room, but now I am not sure where to put the stuff that no longer goes in the toy room closet. (I own hundreds of books, most of them boxed up because we don't have shelf space for them in the new house.)  Now I have to work on creating basement area for storing the stuff.  I also wanted to organize my craft area better.  I did not ever get a chance to work on that.
• potty-train-  My daughter suffers from chronic constipation.  It is a medical problem that there is really nothing I can do to solve.  I wanted to put 1000% effort in getting my daughter to go in the toilet, but she did not go a single time in the pot.  I was really hoping to get this pooping thing over with over break.  We have now been potty-training for over two years.
• clean- Maybe this goes with organize.  I really wanted my house to be very tidy by the end of break and do all those fall cleaning things I should have does months ago.  Every time I turned my back, a three-year-old tornado would sweep through.  Demolishing this I had just put up.  I guess I should be glad thing look as good as they do.  There are just way too many little pieces to the toys my daughter now enjoys.

Even though I did not accomplish everything I wanted to do, I got some things done and had a good time with my family and that is what really matters especially since 2011 was a very tough year on my family with my niece's cancer.  2012 looks to be a much brighter and better year for everyone.  I love that come January 1 we all get this feeling of newness and freshness.  We get to start over and try for a good year again.  In 2012, I can still do all the things I wanted to get done last year and do more. 2012 will be the year my daughter finally figures out her bodily functions, the year I get the house organized and cleaned, the year I decide to focus less on negative and small things and live a better and fulfilled life. (I can just feel it!)