First day of the school holidays, and got off to a good start - up early and in Tesco to do the shopping at 7am, back unpacked and houshold jobs done by 10am. Alfie and I getting on very well so far, lunch at a friends, cinema to see Polar Express and a night out with a differentgir girlfriend planned for the rest of the day.

I love this time of year. it's not just the whole Christmas thing, which I do love and am looking forwards to, but the whole excitement of a new, fresh year, and the plans that you can make and the ideas that you can bring ot fruition. I know that a lot of media poo-poos the idea of an arbitrary date to focus on, but I have always found it helpful. I have plans for next year (more on that in a minute) so, i thought I'd look up last year's plans and see how they have gone:

1. Start (and maintain) a blog - I have always loved diaries but never find the time to write them - I am online everyday on my laptop however, so I am thinking that that would be easier. -well, i'm still here - maybe not every day, but I feel I've catalogued my life fairly well, so I'd say that that is fairly well maintained

2. Lose another stone and a half (21lbs if you are overseas) - so far I have lost 65 lbs (45 lbs with Weightwatchers, although I am doing it alone, i.e., not going to class or paying on line which makes me happy as I am not paying some great big money making corporation for the priviledge) - well, no. BUT, I have maintained the weight loss for one year, and that can be harder I understand.

3. Iron out some of the problems in my marriage, of which more at another time - on the whole it's a great marriage, but there are some sticky parts. - things are pretty good between Mike and I. We have a regular babysitter and we spend time together chatting and stuff. Our domestic life is fairly evenly distributed and we love each other lots, tell each other all the time, still snog, and we have had some sex this year. So, I would say, achieved.

4. Go back to the gym two/three times a week - I was doing well, but it had waned to once a week at the end of 2004. Not at all. In fact, we are cancelling the membership. I hate it and would rather walk/ use stairs instead of lifts, and join a tap dancing class for 2006

5. To be the best teacher I can be - that's my job, I am new to the career, having moved from Healthcare in 2002. - Independent feedback seems to verify this


In addition to the above I have the ongoing being a good mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend; trying to see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil especially at work, and to be as good a person as I can - they are not resolutions, but things I am trying to do all the time. It amazes me how much I am learning about all these things all the time.

So, not a bad result overall. I have some thoughts on some aims for 2006;

1. It's the 21lbs again. i would dearly like that to come off and then I'd be fairly happy with the overall loss. I have made some good inroads over the last few weeks, so at least I am in the mindset again, hopfully Christmas will not be my undoing!

2. To spend less time on the Internet. Less useful time that is. I find myself aimlessly wandering around, literally surfing, and it's time I could be spending reading, cleaning, ironing, interacting with people - so, I am restricting myself to half an hour each day

3. To regenerate my social life - it has been work and bed Monday - Thursday and that needs to stop.

4. To improve my temper -I have been a bit short with the two people I love most recently: Alfie and Mike, and I think it needs to stop.

5. To be more organised in the home and workplace