Goal update

Let’s see how I’m doing on those goals:

• Lose weight — I’m eating smaller portions, healthy snacks, have cut way back on carbs, sugar and fatty foods and worked out to my fitness dvd today. I plan to do the dvd twice a week and start taking a class at the YMCA on Sundays, with brisk walks all around town on the other days (which I do anyway). Once Andrea’s visit has ended and she goes back to Chicago on March 11th, the diet will start in earnest. I had to be realistic and know that there’s no way I can stay on a really strict diet, including no alcohol, while my sister is here. Not when she’s such a fabulous bartender! I also need to check with my GP what a healthy calorie intake is for a breastfeeding mother. Will make an appointment for next week

• Finances — Paul and I sat down together on Sunday evening and finally made a budget. After looking at current outgoings, we realised that we’re living about £800/month beyond our means. By cutting down our food budget, eliminating a few luxuries and coming up with a strict plan for our spending/entertainment money, we got that amount down to about £300/month over our income. I offered to get a part-time job but Paul pointed out that I would really only be able to work weekends because I wouldn’t be able to get to any job in time on weekdays since I have to wait for him to get home first and his hours and travel time aren’t always predictable. I thought about seeing if somewhere like Borders or Starbucks or a breakfast cafe need strictly weekend workers, but Paul thinks that it makes more sense if he just does more overtime to get that extra money. So as of this month, he will be working late every other Thursday and an entire 8 hour day every other Saturday. He says he doesn’t mind working more if I am sticking to and really working on my goals but he doesn’t want to never see me because he works all week and I work all weekend. I’m going to keep an eye out for weekend jobs just in case though (I would actually LOVE to work in a bookstore, though it may be counterproductive to earning money since it would be so tempting to spend my entire paycheque in the store). And can I just mention again how wonderful my husband is for working his butt off so I can raise our daughter and work on my own career ambitions? He’s getting major brownie points for this

• Get writing published — Really need to get moving on this one. I have to write a cover letter that isn’t too formal or over the top but I have to sell myself and stand out from the crowd. I should work on this tonight but I have a friend coming for dinner tonight and another one tomorrow (where are all my invites to dinner at other people’s houses? Hmmph. I’m tired of cooking/cleaning up for everyone else) so my priority on Thursday will be to write the cover letter and get three submissions out

• Less time surfing, more time blogging — This is actually going well. I haven’t been on the computer all that much in the last few days. I work out during Amelia’s a.m. nap and then blog during her p.m. nap (that’s the rules!). Housework and shopping have to be done in between, with her in tow, so sometimes that means I have to wait until she’s in bed before I get the house looking presentable again, but so be it. I have more important things to worry about than winning Homemaker Of The Year awards. As if there was ever any threat of that

• Get back into music — I’m going to see the Barenaked Ladies in concert on 30th March, courtesy of Paul’s lovely anniversary/Valentine’s gift, and have started downloading new music on Limewire. Viva la musica!

• Learn to control my temper — Well, I haven’t broken anything in anger or said the F word much this week. I haven’t wanted to punch anyone and, more impressively, I didn’t punch anyone even when I was drinking whiskey on Saturday. Now that’s progress!

• Buy more food from local sources — I’ve now been to the farmer’s market in Kingston twice in the past week or so for all my fruit and veg, and am buying my next order of meat and eggs from the butcher’s down the road

• Become a more attentive, creative mother — I’ve been keeping the tv and radio off and spending more time just sitting on the floor with Amelia, reading books, stacking blocks, teaching her new things, scampering around, and letting her explore things that stimulate her senses. We got on at least one outing a day, which she loves. She is always happy when she’s out and about and has plenty of people to look at. Today it was the spouting water fountain feature in the market. She couldn’t stop staring at the water shooting up into the air and then disappearing into the ground. The older children running through and around it were shrieking with delight and she was enamored of them. Soon she will be walking and running around with them and I’ll be sitting on the sidelines just watching. My sweet, sweet darling girl. I love being her mama

So, all in all, not too shabby on the goal front! Another update later in March…