New School Year Resolutions

Well I'm back. I took some time away from blogging to actually attempt to enjoy my summer with the munchkins. We traveled to my home state of Utah for a family reunion and hung out with friends around town. I've had a lonnnng summer. My two oldest got into a new habit; fighting with each other. By noon everyday I had contemplated running through traffic, screaming "Help Me"! My life had gotten very irritating, so by this blessed day I was very ready to send them packing. I had one starting 3rd grade and one starting kindergarten. I was so happy to see them actually stoked to go back to school. It made the guilt of being the one parent it seemed that was glad to see their kids go a little less intense.
The beginning of a new school year is also a big deal to Scott and I for another reason. We make "New School Year Resolutions". Never been the type to subscribe to the more common resolution holiday, we Coopers like to think of the end of August as truly the beginning of a year. Think of it, do you really want to stop stuffing your face and lazing around on January 1? Come on man, it's prime slacking time. The new school year represents something that we learned on our own first days of kindergarten decades ago: a fresh start.
When I started my sophomore year of high school I distinctively remember deciding to give myself a fresh start. I stopped wearing the then "hip" baggy clothes and started dressing like an actual girl. I tried to stop being perceived as "bitchy", although that didn't go as well as the change of dress. Giving myself a fresh start gave me so many opportunities to make new (sometimes better) friends and get a whole new outlook on life. Fast forward 15 years and my life decisions are a bit more complicated than whether or not to wear dickies anymore. I need to change bigger things or maybe just improve bigger things.
As adults we have huge things on our resolution list every year: weight, money, love, etc. You clearly can't make those decisions after Christmas time. You're fat (and generally still gaining) you're paying off gifts and you're completely sick of all loved ones. You should make these resolutions before the holiday season even starts: watch your waistline, don't spend so much and limit your time with said loved ones so that you don't want to murder them.
I challenge you to make New School Year Resolutions. To get you in the swing of things, I'll show you mine!
1. Spend more QUALITY time with kids! (which means get the house work done before they get home so that we can hang)
2. Re-organize house to make more space and get rid of crap
3. Save moola for the pool
4. Actually exercise
5. Get a reliable sitter (or service) to have more date nights with the hubs
6. Keep up the blog and write more recipes.

There. Now start looking around at your life and decide what would be the most important stuff to improve on. I promise you'll like this so much more than taking time away from your New Years mimosa to jot down a list.