Hello, 2011. Nice to meet you.

Well, there goes my resolution for blogging everyday. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself since it wasn't a "resolution" as much as it was a "hope" for the year. I swore off resolutions. I never keep them. Now hope - I can manage. Hope has a fighting chance in my world.

I'm hoping for quite a bit this year. If I made a list of all my "2011 hopes" one could say I'm becoming an optimist. Okay - maybe not that far, but it would be a nice, long list. It would make Oprah proud.

So now it's the 4th day of the year 2011. It's 12am.

It started well. Rang it in with Bobby, Ethan, and Vega. Missed my Sebbie because I gave in and let him stay the night at his grandpa's. We missed the countdown on TV so we created our own. Stupid messed up cable. We literally missed it by 20 seconds because we were trying to record the "Twilight Zone" marathon while watching the masses in Times Square. I suppose that's what we get for being greedy. And being DVR novices.

And now - here I am. In front of the computer at midnight. The children are nestled all snug in their beds. (I miss Christmas, sorry.) But they are - and tomorrow they head back to class. Their first day back after 16 days at home.

I'm totally gonna miss them. I know tomorrow is going to be weird and quiet and I am NOT looking forward to homework time and the endless amounts of paperwork that get sent home daily. We never brought that much crap home for our parents to look over, sign, and return. Never. Their school paperwork alone has forced me to create another "hope" for this year:

Organization. Of. School. Papers.

I know, pretty boring and unoriginal. I don't care how it sounds. It's a serious hope of mine that I somehow figure out a new system for the piles of trees that take residence on my countertop everyday.

Anyhoo, although it almost sounds like I'm whining, I'm really, really looking forward to this new year. So much possibility. So much possibility everyday. So much possibility every hour.

Every minute. Every second.

Another opportunity to do what I want - be who I want to become.

Do I really want to write that book? Yes. Yes. Yes, again.

Do I want to become a better mother, wife? Every Day.

I also want more dates with my husband and a vacation somewhere far away. We haven't gone anywhere since '06. I really think we're due.

How about a clearer mind by going back to Bikram? Oh, my Gawd!!! YES! My body is in desperate need of movement and flexibility after this past year of being pregnant with Vega.

I deserve it. Just like Bobby deserves to go golfing more often. Yes, Honey - I said it. It's now in print.

OK - so enough about this year. It is day 4. I will get up and make breakfast at 7:30am for my boys, drink my tea, and read my book before the day really begins. This is how I hope my days will start this year.

Buenas Noches.