Ten Great Things About the Start of the New Year

1. SCHEDULES!!! I have a great job with lots and lots of time off around the holidays. And it was lots of fun and a great break, but I'm glad we're back to our regular schedules. Anyone with young kids knows they thrive on schedules and routines. A couple of weeks out of the regular routine was tiring for all of us. It feels good to be back to our normal routine.

2. Longer Days: Living up north has made me attuned to the shrinking daylight of the late fall. It's still dark before 5 now, but it takes a little bit longer each day for the darkness to take over. And I know in a few weeks, we'll be able to see a few slivers of light at 5 and beyond.

3. Healthy Food: I love holiday food, and I've pretty much given up on trying to resist the many goodies that crop up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But now that the holidays are officially over, it's good to get back to more healthy eating habits. At this point, I don't even miss the sugar all that much.

4. A Fresh Start: I love the sense of promise the New Year holds with its emphasis on resolutions. So, yes, there will be the usual eat less, exercise more, lose weight, yell less at the kids, be a better person type resolutions. And some of them will fall by the wayside, I'm sure. But I like the feeling that I've got the chance to "start over" with all those areas in my life that I know need some work.

5. New Additions to the Wardrobe -- thanks to Christmas presents.

6. New books (both mine and the kids) -- again, thanks to Christmas presents.

7. Snowmen: We haven't built one yet (although we do now have lots of snow), but there is a little snowman family down the road from us that makes me smile everytime I drive by it. And, we've got plenty of snow, so I'm sure we'll have our own little snowman (or two or three) soon.

8. Winter Comforts -- warm fires on snowy afternoons, a mug of cocoa, hot tea, warm cider.

9. The Promise of Spring: Okay, I know that it's still four or five months away, but it's closer than it was a month ago.

10. We're that much closer to putting two-year-old temper and opposition behind us! While I know every age has it's challenges, I have to say that the second time through "the terrible twos" is just a little more tiring than I remember. I'm ready for a little less screaming and a little more cooperation.

For more great Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit

at ohamanda.com