try the 21-day happiness plan

If anyone ever wants to do this again, please invite me.

I fell off the bandwagon completely in week 3.
So I just reckon we start at all over again at some point of time?

So what’s week 3?

Random Acts of Kindness: This is quite challenging. I feel like I have to plan something out because when I’m out in the world, my brain is going 15 different ways, and I forget to be on the lookout for spontaneous acts.

Plus, the whole thing freaks me out a little. I expect to be confronted about my actions, even though I’m only being kind.

Anyway, I managed to do 2: I bought coffee for an unknown person behind me in line, and I put change in someone’s expired parking meter.

Both times I got the same rush of adrenaline you get when you’ve done something wrong – like shoplifting or writing graffiti (not that I’d know anything about that!). Odd.

Sleep: Managed to get to bed early once. It’s so hard to do because once the baby is asleep, the late evenings are the only times my husband and I have together. We always end up staying up too late. And sleeping late is just a distant memory.

Laughter: I have giant laugh fits with the baby every day – but I don’t think I’ve put in enough effort to go beyond that this week. Could do more.

Exercise: I have sucked at this. Let’s leave it there. There’s always tomorrow.

I can’t check this often enough to keep up! I think I may have to keep the ideas until they’re all collected and then try it on my own.

Random acts of kindness…hm. The random part is the hardest!

Getting to bed early is gonna be tough, although I’ve been so beat lately that twice (even without knowing this goal) this week I’ve gone in to read right after the kids went to bed, and was asleep in short order.

And laughter is hard, too. I don’t laugh easy any more. Not sure why. But today I got a couple good ones just retelling stupid St. Peter jokes.

Exercise-well, today while working in the copy room I kept one eye on the door and one ear on the rhythm of the copy machine, and did all kinds of marching/squatting exercises while I waited for jobs to print. Considering Ms. Shamberg had me do about two thousand copies, I burned a few calories-but I’ve also committed to my PEERtrainer group that I’d do a half hour of step this evening. (Also, no candy today!)

Positives:
1. Scrapping with friends.
2. Pot roast French dips with homemade rolls for dinner, and no dinnertime rush because I put the meat in the crockpot this morning and the bread dough in the machine an hour ago.
3. Peace Like a River by Lief Enger. I wanted to start over immediately and read it again.

Three things for today:

1. The excitement of the MathCounts speed round at Regionals today—and Braden took 2nd! How could this kid be mine?! State, here he comes!

2. Seth took his Dad’s surprise challenge. He was called to the office for a Valentine’s gift, but they couldn’t find it until after 4th period. A dozen pink roses—what? He read the card (12 roses, 12 girls, we challenged him) and managed to give away half of them before school got out.

3. Heart-shaped orange scones for breakfast. Heart-shaped cheese cutouts on the spaghetti for dinner, and a table strewn with candies.

I’m not doing well on the exercising bit. But I went for a 20min walk today.

My random act of kindness today: I gave up my seat on the tram for an elderly lady.

Something funny I saw today: A toddler nearling falling over when he was bending down to pick up a coin he had dropped before. Well, not really funny, but too cute.

I’ve moved my 3 positive things every day to its own goal but I’m keeping on with that.

I’m having a hard time with the random act of kindness. I keep forgetting when I’m out of the house and at home, although I’m being kind, it’s hardly random. Today for sure!

So – for Sunday & Monday:

Exercise : a 25 minute walk with the baby in his backpack.

Laughter : Sunday – I’m counting hysterical giggling with the baby as we played chase around the living room.
Monday – Going out with Bonny who is always silly at least some of the time.

Sleep : We got to bed before 10 last night- hopefully earlier tonight, but we’ll see. It is Valentine’s Day after all.

I was on the other goal of living right here right now

1. Cuddling, eating popcorn, and watching the complete coverage of the men’s biathalon with my husband. Love those Olympics!
2. Got to vaccuum out my car. Less baby goo = happy me.
3. New glow-in-the-dark insect jammies for Rowan. Turned out the light at bedtime and it looked like he was covered with bioluminescent bugs. Excellent!

Exercise – I’m going to have to count 2 15 minute periods of dancing the baby to sleep. It’s not very good cardio- but it is good strengthening.