Coming Clean in the New Year - True Confessions

Happy 2010 to everyone! A new year calls for resolutions of course, but before I post those or show you my favorite Christmas gift (handmade by Miss E), I thought I should make a clean breast of things. After all, most of these are the basis for my resolutions. (These and the fluctuating 7-10 pounds of pregnancy weight that won't go away!)

1. I am a VERY lazy environmentalist. I love the earth and I try to do my best to protect it. Unfortunately, my inherent laziness tends to undermine my best intentions. For example? We recycle. A lot. But if I'm faced with a container that held something tricky to clean out, like peanut butter, I'm afraid that sucker goes straight to the trash can and from thence to the land fill. Also, if the composter in the kitchen is full, I have been known to consign perfectly biodegradable material to the trash, sending banana peels and apple cores off to that same peanut butter jar-riddled land fill. (Good thing I don't live in San Francisco!) I've also been known to drive well out of my way to get to a Starbucks with a drive through - enlarging my carbon footprint because I'm too lazy to drag three children in with me while I get my caffeine fix.

2. I yell at my children (Miss E and Little S - NOT baby. I have infinite patience for babies. Once they turn three though - all bets are off). There. I admitted it. I don't think I'm a bad mother. I spend time with my children. Play with them, read to them, teach them, help them and keep them clean (usually), appropriately dressed for the weather, and healthy. They're bright, happy kids who know that they're loved and who are friendly and loving. However. While I can be quite patient under normal circumstances - the selective listening of my seven-year-old and stubbornness of my four-year-old can drive me to lose my temper and raise my voice. If you have any tricks for dealing with spirited children, please share.

3. I am a complete theater geek. I love plays. Love musicals. Sing show tunes all the time. One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is reading plays out loud with my students. Reading The Importance of Being Earnest with my Honors freshmen last year (I read Lady Bracknell) was so much fun. How obsessed am I? Well, when I was studying abroad in Scotland, I went with some friends to see a production of Hamlet. The performance was so dire that we left after the third act, went back to my friend's flat, and read the entire play aloud, certain that we could do a better job. I'm not sure how successful we were, but in our wine-saturated state, we judged ourselves to be brilliant. (This isn't something I want to change -- just something I wanted to share.)

4. I love to craft, but my skills are limited to wielding scissors, glue gun, and paint pens. I desperately want to learn how to sew something more complicated than simple seams and reattaching buttons.

What about you? Any New Year's resolutions or confessions?