The New Year

The distinct advantage of spending lots of quiet time in my own company, however, is that I've had lots of time to think. And, seeing as we are only one week into the new year, I've been thinking about new year's resolutions and what 2010 will bring to our little family in particular.

Let me start by saying that I'm generally not much of a New Year's Resolution sort of girl. I like to think that you can, and should, set goals and try to renew and improve yourself constantly, no matter the season. And so January 1st has just seemed like a forced, somewhat unrealistic time of year when people set goals for themselves simply because they were expected to. Just post them on Facebook, give it a go for a couple of days and then call it good. Because that's what everyone else is doing.

Then it occurred to me: That's what people say about Valentine's Day! And I love Valentine's Day! of course, I happen to be married to a man who is just as happy as I am to get a little on the sappy side, but dedicating a few days in an otherwise dark and dull month to love and romance is just a wonderful thing to me.

And then there are the people who say that Valentine's Day is dumb. That we should be loving year round, and not just on some arbitrarily assigned day when flowers and chocolate suddenly cost three times as much. And I agree. If Nick only told me he loved me once a year and did so by slapping down a $75 bunch of roses in front of me, I'd not be too impressed either.

But, people: If you're so dedicated to expressing love all year round, why not do it on Valentine's Day, which is equally as much a part of the year as any other and a time that people traditionally think of romance?

But, Tamsin: If you're so dedicated to making goals and changes all year round, why not do it in January, which is equally as much a part of the year as any other and a time when people traditionally try to improve themselves?

So, that was a long, long way of saying that New Year's Resolutions are a go for me this year. After all, this is the year that we become parents. This is the year that I turn 30. This is the year that Nick and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. This is the year we leave one decade behind and start a new one.

My resolutions include:

1. I would like to be more positive, and less critical/cynical. There's enough crappy stuff in the world without me pointing it out all the time, and there's too much good that goes unnoticed. I want to try to see the good.
   
   
2. I want to really enjoy my time with the baby. There has been so much waiting up until now that I really want to remember to not take parenthood for granted.
   
   
3. And finally, in a fit of realism and personal insight, I hereby solemnly swear to put on make-up every day until the baby is born. No promises after that, though.