Resolutions

Happy new year! If feels like a lot has happened this year already. Jared bought us a family pass to the rec center so we've been swimming and running a couple times. We went sledding and got a flat tire and stayed at the Turpins' in Lehi for 7 hours waiting for Jared to fix it. The kids and I have gone back to school, and Karli is with us again, and she started school too, and cousin Lucy had a birthday party, Jared's been ice fishing, and there's been no time to use the great restaurant gift cards we got for Christmas. My semester is very intense this time, 19 credit hours and a client, finishing a research project and memorizing the DSM-IV (huge diagnostic manual for mental disorders). Yes, pray I won't go insane. Fiora has officially quit gymnastics and unofficially enrolled in a dance class instead, I just need to get over there and register her. (I had to fight my biases on that one, but Fiora just wants to do it so badly I couldn't refuse. It is the first thing she has really shown a genuine interest in pursuing.) Weston is still in gymnastics. Savanna is back to practicing the piano and doing lots of homework, and is looking forward to spring soccer. Who isn't looking forward to spring? I bought a tree for my living room because I'm so desperate for greenery and sun. It's a nice tree.

The kids are funny, Savanna has a hard time keeping her temper. We have had a discussion about keeping criticism out of our interactions with family members. She agreed she would try to be less critical this year. But she just can't seem to help herself. I had already talked to my kids about hitting, that it is only ok to hit someone if they cross a boundary. Crossing a boundary includes someone biting, pulling your hair, forcing you to do something wrong, etc. There are some rough characters at Bonneville Elementary so I wanted the kids to know they could hit if someone tried to yank their pants down (happened to Savanna) or something like that to defend themselves. Fiora and Weston were included in this discussion although I wasn't sure if that concept processed with them. The other day I learned that Fiora had indeed listened when I was lecturing Savanna after she had been fighting with Fiora.

Mom: Savanna I thought we agreed you would be less critical! Do you know what you just did to Fiora? Do you know what that is called?
Savanna: no comment
Fiora: Crossing a boundary

Another thing I don't like is tattle-taling. Neither does Savanna because it usually involves ratting on her. Weston and Fiora like to run to me whenever Savanna has lost her temper yet again. Last night Jared found Savanna writing a contract for Fiora. It said, "I WILL NEVER TELL ON SAVANNA FOR TWO MONTHS. Signed by Fiora" Of course Fiora didn't really sign it, in fact when Jared and I saw it she was embarrassed and threw it away. We thought it was funny.

So our big resolution this year is to not be critical, to not tattle tale, and not cross boundaries. You like my valiant attempt at maintaining a neutral emotional climate in our home?