The Year of the Yes

I have one simple resolution this year. Though it's a little bit remarkable that I have one *at all* - as I am not a resolutionary. :) (Don't google that word, T, I totally made it up. I think.)
But I was excited and renewed by the start of a new year, because I love fresh starts. It is certainly not the reason I have four children, but let's be honest. An introspective and observant parent may just try to correct things with each subsequent child, right? It can go either way. You buck up and find a better way to handle them, or you say to h*ll with it, I'm outnumbered by wild apes! Let them raise one another! Let them be raised by wolves! (Honesty, right? Well then, I'm honestly hoping the first 3 will potty-train the last one. A girl can dream.)

I digress.

The Year of the Yes.

It takes place like this: Mommy can we get a toy out of the closet? Mommy can we play with play-dough? Mommy can we ride bikes? Mommy can we make ice pops?

The 2009 mommy would frown and proclaim No! Can't you see what is already going on around here?! And this baby is into everything and he just threw trash all over the kitchen and now he is screaming and I don't have time to get out ONE MORE THING if you want to be nice just go around and pick something up and put it IN the closet and speaking of closets I'm going to lock myself in MINE blah blah blah blah blah blah....

I hope that wasn't too painful for you. I did promise truth in advertising, and that is clear advertising of a breakdown! That mommy was tired of her own voice and the sound of it didn't even work anyway. Bah.

And so The Year of the Yes was born. Because the enlightened mommy noticed a certain air of dread and annoyance clinging to her, and decided to kick it to the curb. Because saying Yes {within reason} is harmless and pleasing to all. All the haranguing and conditions and pay-offs were zero sum. Nobody won. Mama didn't win. Babies didn't win. Life didn't win.

Enter The Year of the Yes. Sunshine shooting out of smiles! Sparkly unicorns dancing in the air!

Yes! Turn up the music and have a dance party! Yes! Have popcorn for snack and watch a movie! (Sheesh, what a no-brainer. That 2009 mommy was a real dud.) Yes! Call the neighbor boy and invite him over. Yes! Go bowling in the driveway using recycling items as pins - whoa. Not those. Those are glass. I didn't say it was The Year Mom Gave Up and Let Them Become Hoodlums. I don't want to be That Mom.

I know what you're thinking. This post is already a best seller. It's called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and I probably read it eons ago.

Maybe this should also be The Year Mommy Took Ginkgo Biloba And Got Her Memory Back.