This year, my Chinese New Year did not get off to a very good start. It is tradition to do some serious and thorough cleaning of the house for Chinese New Year, and I did not do a very good job this year of cleaning and washing everything. We had planned to go out to a Chinese restaurant to eat but on account of the rain and 49ers game, the family ended up staying home and I cooked up a nice meal (albeit non-Chinese) instead. My first lesson this year will be one of flexibility and letting some things go!
Last year I obsessed about being the best housewife I can be, and in trying to do as much as possible, I was freaking tired all the time and feeling like a servant in my own house. As a result, I have determined this year to get some balance and put some energy back into myself instead of housekeeping. I am going to keep working on being a good mom and making home cooked foods, but the one thing I am going to let slide a bit is the cleaning. Letting that go will hopefully allow me to rest a little more, enjoy myself a little more, and put a little more back into me. I am determined to lose my baby weight (the baby is almost 8 months old now after all) and feel better about myself.
In addition to self improvement, I will also be focusing on managing my marriage. I have kick started the new year with reading some books on marriage. Having a happy marriage is important to me, and I have to admit that having two children is succession has made couple time a scarcity. Since the birth of our son 2009, my husband and I had 3-4 date nights per year. It is not easy to find time to have uninterrupted and focused conversations, especially since we have to rely on babysitter as we have no families living nearby.
Even as I work on improving my life I am still very thankful for what I have. I am a very lucky woman and I will make a point to remember that everyday!