2015: The Year of being Selfish!

Normally at the close of another year I would say, Wow where did that last year go? But honestly I think I felt every day of 2014. In a lot of ways 2014 seemed like a lesson in ‘sacrifice’ for our family. Letting go of our beloved beach house, returning to my old job after three years of attempting to find a ‘Plan B’. Master Q adjusting to daycare and our family to our new routine. Husband struggling with work stress, family stresses and me adjusting to my new role as Part time worker/Full time Mum.

Yep, at times it got the better of us. And it showed. Husband and I suffered the lion’s share of illnesses this year, my blog took a back seat, my eating habits took a hit and at times it took its toll on our relationship as well. Both tired and stressed, neither of us were capable of seeing how much the other one was struggling. Any energy either of us had went straight into the kids. You can see why we ended the year feeling pretty, well, blurgh.

A harmonious five minutes!!

So with the clean slate only a New Year can bring I was looking forward to a fresh start…the universe however had different ideas. Our Christmas break was filled with doctor’s visits, two year old molars, asthma and no sleep! The kid free days I was so looking forward to evaporated due to illnesses so I went back to work feeling more sleep deprived and worn out than I was before the holidays! Husband is due to go back to work next week and to say that we have been struggling with the dramatic display of the Terrible Two’s our son has unleashed upon us is an understatement!

Fronting up to another year tired and slightly deflated it has been hard to push on with my commitment to being more positive. I was quite proud of how I dealt with being sick during the holiday season but upon getting through the illnesses the toddler tantrums have kicked our butts! There have been many days in the last few weeks where I think both husband and I have thought we just Couldn’t. Take. Anymore.
 

Who would have thought our brown eyed, cute as a button little man could turn into a growling, screaming, defiant, tantrum throwing two year old?! Of course we have been here before but even on her worst days Miss M’s terrible two’s paled in comparison. Boys are definitely different. Upon seeing my friends sons go through this phase I know we are not alone but we have still questioned “Is this behaviour normal?”, “What are we doing wrong? , When will this end?!! You know when you start Googling ‘when is two year old behaviour abnormal’ that you are getting desperate for answers.

Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!!

In the brief moments of peace I know that this too shall pass but in the meantime it’s testing our resolve that’s for sure. Since 2014 knocked us around a bit I’ve declared 2015 will be more about being selfish. Priority (after the kids of course!) will be given to refocusing on my wholefood journey, taking time for myself (without the guilt) and spending quality time with husband. I have written about the importance of taking time for yourself numerous times and although a huge advocate I have failed at actually enacting this in my own life. Seeing the results of neglecting ourselves I am more determined than ever to ensure we make it a priority for the New Year. I mightn’t have started the year with the energy and enthusiasm I had hoped for but in an effort to be more kind to myself I’m not letting it get to me, learning to be more positive is not about how you react to the good things life throws at you but how you handle the not so good. And for that I am awarding myself an ‘A’ for effort!

How was the start of your year? Did you bound into 2015 or drag your feet?