Improve yourself update

Wow! 26 of the 64 people who originally joined the 8-week Improve Yourself 2010 Challenge at Engaged Marriage have dropped out!

This week, Dustin asks us:

"Take a few minutes and give some thought to the SMART Goals you declared in Week 1.
Are those goals worthy?
Do you still want to accomplish them?
Are you still willing to put in the work and sacrifice needed to make it happen NOW?"

Ok, well, let's think about that...

RECAP OF MY GOALS
I am going to take care of my kids by caring about ME through diet, exercise, taking my vitamins, trying to get adequate sleep and not feeling guilty about taking some necessary ME time.

I am going to take better care of my kids' bodies by cleaning up their diets (removing much of the processed junk), making sure they're getting the right amounts of fruits, veggies and vitamins, teaching them excellent dental care and making sure they get plenty of fun exercise.

I am going to stimulate my childrens' minds by reading more to both of them and limiting screen time (Wii, TV and computer). I will also look for more ways to make everyday experiences into learning experiences.

I am going to be better to my childrens' souls by being more patient with them, stopping and redirecting when I start to raise my voice or get irritated, refrain from talking down to them and I am actually going to get down at their level and PLAY with them rather than just occupying them.

And finally, I am going to manage my time more wisely, which will reduce my stress level and allow me to accomplish the aforementioned goals.

ARE THOSE GOALS WORTHY?

Well, YES! They are just as worthy of my time as they were the day I wrote them. These are my BABIES we're talking about. They mean the world to me. And they're growing up fast.

DO YOU STILL WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THEM?

Of course. With all my heart.

ARE YOU STILL WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK AND SACRIFICE NEEDED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN NOW?

Yes, but...

These aren't goals you can just check off a list, I'm learning. Each week as I sit down to make my update, I'm learning that it's hard to find clear examples of "Did I or didn't I?" because it's an ongoing process. I can't just *BOOM* be the best mom ever at the end of an 8 week challenge or by Mother's Day. It's hardly even measurable in any real sense that I can write down, yet I can see subtle differences. I can see that when I refrain from getting irritated or yelling, over time Logan will act out less. When I don't constantly get on his case about how SLOWLY he eats dinner, somehow, the food disappears a little quicker. When I put in extra patience teaching Jordan to fall asleep in his own bed, I can see that I will get a little more sleep, and eventually, maybe, even a full night without interruption.

Patience, as always, is key.

The name of this blog is Musings from Mom School. Mom School because it is an ever-evolving educational process. Once you enroll in Mom School, you're there for life. There's no graduation, but I guess you can give yourself report cards from time to time.

I'm giving myself a "B" for this week. "B" is decent but could be Better. I did OK, but things could have been improved. It was a busy week and we had Jordan's first birthday party on Saturday. My baby turned one on Sunday. That means we kind of ate more junk than we should have this week and I threw a few more "in a little whiles" or "just a minutes" at my kids as I was doing things to get ready for the party.

But, onward and upward. Have a fabulous week!