Hello 2018

2017 was an uninspired blogging year and 2018 promises to add to that! Nothing creative or inspired to say, but that's okay.

My brothers used to use a weird numbering system where all the numbers got added together. If one of them was turning 11, they would be 2, since 1+1 = 2, and so on. Zeroes of course didn't count, and any digits over 10 went back into the add. So, this year would be 2: 2+0+1+8=11=1+1=2. Here are the top 2 for January:

1) School and school are back in session. I'm teaching a brand new clinical on 2 new-to-me units in the brand new curriculum and sharing a clinical in the old (the same I've taught for 10 years, but I teach one day and someone else teaches the 2nd, each week - and it's DAY shift. This night/evening brain cannot grasp it!) and it's driving me crazy. Control freak + Type A + anxiety don't work together well with a minimally designed course taught by multiple people in all sorts of new locations. The clinicals are similar in some ways yet different enough I can't keep it all straight. Since this clinical includes acute care across the lifespan, this week I take my students to pediatrics and OB. Since I know absolutely nothing about these areas, I'm sure it will be a complete disaster. But, I'm OK with it.

The Boy and Baby Girl are doing well with school. He is doing a writing program/coop and we switched to Saxon Math from Right Start, and these two changes have made a world of difference. He's also becoming so much more self-directed, and although we work together on many things still, it's a huge relief to be able to get him going on a 30 minute project he can do himself, and have the time to get dinner in the crockpot before work and play a learning game with my girl. The Boy is at nose height on me and my little baby is recognizing most letters, shapes, colors. Tempus fugit, but it's all hen hao.

2) No New Year's Resolutions or SMART goals here. I'm so grateful to be feeling well enough to be doing the things I struggled to even somewhat accomplish last year - exercise, intentional nutrition, and sneaking in a few minutes of prayer time daily. Keeping up with these things is goal enough, plus trying to learn a little Chinese with my Hubby here and there (not doing so great with characters, but the pinyin is ok-ish). Guess if had to make some sort of a goal, I'm really hoping to spend more time in real pages and less on webpages. Although have never been big on social media or surfing, I'm increasingly dragged down by opinions, headlines, and just the generally overwhelming information flood. Santa brought some new reads (Michael Perry!), so at least some of this blog drought can be attributed to reading. I read quickly through "To Light a Fire on the Earth" by Bishop Barron and John Allen, and am struggling through "The Benedict Option" by Rod Dreher, and finished off "The Beet Queen" this week. Maybe on to something slightly lighter after this round.

Winter Hats

It's been a little cold. My knitting has been fairly uninspired lately but managed to stitch up a couple hats over Christmas break.

 One for you...

One for me...