2016 Hopes

Last year instead of resolutions I declared my hopes for 2015.  I felt like it was less upsetting if I didn't accomplish my hopes because I could just simply keep hoping. Right?  Looking back, some of my hopes came true and some didn't (and that's totally okay because maybe I'll still hope for them or maybe my hopes changed).

I hoped for things like making healthier meals for my family and to be honest if I were grading my hopes, I'd give myself a C on that one. I made a few new healthy meals but nothing really monumental or life-changing. I'll keep hoping for that one.

In 2015, I hoped for a tattoo and I got one. Woot. Woot.  I also hoped to go to a big city and go on a road trip. Checked those hopes off my hope list.

Some of my hopes for 2016 are:

• I hope I embrace meditating. I've tried before, but just can't get down with it. I'm hoping I can get into it. It's either that or some sort of adult ADHD med, ugh.

• I hope that I consistently go to bed earlier. How boring. Waaaaa. But dude, sleep matters. The end.

• I hope I actually mail more of the thank you cards that I write (maybe the meditating or the ADHD med will help with this hope).

• I hope I go on another road trip because I live for road trips with my kids.

• I hope I see Hamilton. The Broadway show is coming to Chicago in the fall and dammit I want to go so badly!

• I hope I go to more movies. I LOVE movies in the movie theaters.

• I hope I fall in love with a book or two or three this year.

• I hope I go skiing more this winter. I went for the first time in over 12 years with JT on New Year's Day and I fell in love with it all over again. 

• I hope I dance more because, duh.

• I hope I become better at texting people back. I'm the worst. I read the text messages and then answer them in my head and never type anything. Ahhhhhh! I really hope I get better at that.

On the first Monday back to school and work this year, I had my first experience as a preschool teacher assistant helping kids put on their snow gear to go outside. And woah, it was intense. It was actually pretty hilarious and ridiculous and there were mittens and gloves and boots everywhere and kids that had to go to the bathroom after they got dressed, and by the time we got everyone ready there was no time for recess and it made me laugh so hard.  We took the kids for a walk in the fresh snow and made tracks and caught snowflakes on our tongues and talked about how we were going to be faster next time and go to the bathroom before the snowpants and coats and boots and gloves.  And then we laughed some more.

It was the perfect way to kick off the new year. It was a moment full of chaos and cuteness and laughter and hopes that we'd get better at things. Sort of everything I want out of and hope for 2016.

This isn't a new song but it's the song I choose as my new year kick off song, because it's hopeful and I love it and anything can happen!!! Play this and dance and think about all your hopes for 2016!

(click here to watch the video)

Love John Oliver's take on resolutions, "it's about managing dissapointment." Lol. 

(click here to watch the video)