My goals for this year.

Yes I know that January is almost over. You can blame the lack of posts on a developmental thing called TEETHING. I have had to experience life outside of mothering in tiny snippets called nap time. Dont feel sorry, I love being a mom it's just that my muse requires me to be creative or shrivel and die.

So as to my goals. I have had at least all month ot think about it, right?

#1, I want an agent contract this year. I'd love a publishing one too, but an agent will suffice.

#2, I will make sure that my 4 yo is ready for school in August. I have plans and we are learning something new every day. This also includes potty training and were still working on that one.

#3, I will bake (create) more because it makes me happy. As well as hubby and kids. This is also a time for me to teach my kids some life skills and things like fractions.

#4, I will write as much as I can, given said schedule with the baby. I refuse to fall out of the drafting habit again.

#5, I will humor my creative side more. I will find projects and I will draw and sew and knit because I want to be diversified in my skills.

#6, I will be a red #2 stripe by December. And continue getting in shape while I do it.

#7, Improve my relationships with my children spouse and myself.

The plight of being overwhelmed...

We hear it all the time... Kids are too busy with lessons clubs etc. Let them be kids, time to prioritize, take less lessons. The experts say.

But what about mothers?

A few years ago I was like that myself. Swimming in the ocean surrounded by sharks trying to keep everything in my life afloat. Trying to be a mother, wife, writer breastfeeding counselor/advocate, scrapbooking, artsy tallented, church going/calling serving woman. (I'm sure I left some of it out) Then I hit a wall of depression and dysfunction. I couldn't keep it up and I began to drown in everythiung that I represented and resembled. I dropped everything for a while (yes even being a mother) and recouped.

At that point I decided that I had it all wrong. I had way too many things in my life and keeping all of them afloat was impossible. I had to realize that I had to be true to myself and no one else, and that when I did it became easier to do what was truely required of me.

I am a Wife and Mother. Those are my most important callings. They are the ones that I will be forever asked to fulfill. But I can't be just a mother and a wife. To do that denies my creative muse any stretching. I have found that when I feed my muse I am happier, and therefore a better wife and mother. So I am a Writer and an Artist also, regardless of what the art is. I am a breastfeeding advocate also but my Heavenly Father has moved me to a place where I am not needed in this calling for the moment and for this moment I am content to let this part of me rest. I have two church callings and they are perfect for me one is a once a month and one is once a quarter. I can deal with that.

I had to learn at a tremendous price to myself my marriage and my family that trying to keep everything afloat was impossible. I steped back and reassessed and pared down. This is a good thing.

I am Michelle, I am a Wife and Mother, I am a Writer, I persue artistic tendencys when I have time or need a creative distraction. I am other things, but they will not detract from those things I deem most important.