Resolution solutions

I know I'm only one month into my 2013 resolutions, but I am really pleased with my follow through. I think a big part of this early success is that I've been tracking my progress on a calendar. The simple act of circling a date after I work out, adding a smiley face when I pick up Molly, or drawing a heart when I have a date night with Jason, is so satisfying...I'm like a certain toddler with a potty poster who beams with pride every time a new sticker is added. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Here are a few resolution notes now that January is drawing to a close:

1. Exercise 3 days a week: This is a good goal for me. Totally doable. Especially since I signed up for a tennis class on Thursdays and discovered an easy strength training routine that I can do at home while watching Nashville. If I can make it to the gym one time over lunch or on the weekend, the goal is met. So far, I've managed to exercise 3 days a week for 4 weeks in a row. I'm feeling good and also liking the numbers on the scale. 
2. Pick up Molly early twice a month: This has also been working out for me, thanks to my up and down workload. Of course some days are busy and I get stuck late. But there have been 3 days this month when I've been able to catch the 5:08 train, 1 day when I was able to leave at 4, and then of course 2 full days of paid time off for Molly's surgery this month. Jason has signed up for a screen printing class every Tuesday for 8 weeks, so I will be handling pick-up duty at least once a week for the next couple of months. And he also has a few business trips coming up, including one this week from Wed to Sun. I'm feeling pretty good about my parental contributions so far and not really minding my full time schedule. Double bonus.
3. Plan a fun date with my main man at least once a month: This has turned out to be my favorite of the 3 resolutions. No surprise there :) Susie was kind enough to babysit last Thursday while Jason and I had our January date at Found, a new restaurant in Evanston that has a menu so interesting and tasty, we almost felt like we were dining in the city. Almost. And since we do still miss our city restaurants so much, we went ahead and made 2 reservations downtown for Feb, taking full advantage of the special prix fixe menus offered during Chicago Restaurant Week. Yum. I'm not sure yet what we'll do for our date in March, but I purchased tickets to The Book of Mormon for April. Would I have been so proactive if I didn't have this resolution to live up to and a little heart to draw in my notebook? Who knows!