2014 - Direction and Focus

After my last post where I ended the year with a giveaway, I took some time off to reflect and to think about things and direction for this new year. With only a year left before Dumpling heads off to formal school, the reality is slowly sinking in. It is hard not to worry when all I could read on my FB updates the night before were all on my friends' kiddos' new journey and, on Day 1, my news feed was flooded with photos of friends' kiddos as they started Primary school.

In less than a year, Dumpling will be enrolled for formal schooling. It took us a while to decide which school to register her for. Frankly, we have pretty good choices with 2 fairly hot neighbourhood schools near us (one less than 500m away!) but in the end, we are likely to enroll her with a convent instead. So from now till then, we can only pray and leave it in God's hands as to what happens eventually.

Being a homeschooling mum also means that there will be an overlap of personal goals with our homeschool goals. Now, being a blogging mum, this means that I got to balance personal goals with homeschool goals and with personal goals too. I do not have grand plans like some of my friends as I think keeping it simple works for me. Here's my list for 2014:

:: 1. Parenting Goal: No Mad Yell
This has been on my list forever and I am still working hard on it. It has been exceptionally trying when the kiddo whines / negotiates for every single darn thing. But I will get there and I will be able to do it this year. :)

:: 2. Personal Goal: Exercise 
I will be incorporating regular exercise into my weekly schedule - hopefully twice a week. I was actually doing pretty ok in this area at the end of last year but I got sick and it sorta went downhill from there. :/

:: 3.  Parenting and Blogging Goal: Enjoy Dumpling and be Present
It is scary to think that she was just a wee bit of a nugget just 4 years ago. Look at how much she has grown ~ she was less than one in the photos below! I certainly miss the "bo gei" stage!

Time has flown by so quickly that it is scary and I do not want to look back on this year, somewhere in 12 months time thinking that I did not enjoy our time / her as much as I like.

With that thought, comes along a new blog initiative where I'd be capturing moments that Dumpling enjoys, through her eyes, with my lenses. I want to be able to capture those golden moments where a child looks at the world in wonder and not through our jaded eyes. This will in a way 'force' me to slow down and listen and TRULY be present. This series (temporary project name "In the eyes of a child") will start next week.

:: 4. Homeschool Goal: Getting Dumpling prepped for P1
This will be another post altogether but the general idea is to also work with her on some life skills in addition to of course, ensuring that she has the foundation for Primary 1 next year.

:: 5. Homeschool Goal: More Play / Outdoor Time
One of the things which I know that I will miss a lot when Dumpling heads off to formal school is the lack of chance to ponteng school (cut school!). At the moment, whenever we'd feel like it, we would cut school (yes, that's one of the beauty of homeschooling! ;p) to catch a movie / an exhibition and head out for the many field trips.

For 2014, I have purposely left Saturday wide open (except for bible classes and evening mass) where we can head out for play dates / catch a play / head outdoors and just chill!

Please wish me all the best for this new year! I will also be reviewing this simple list to track how we are doing as we go along!

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