November: Reflection & Rejuvenation

From the Nikki McClure Calendar

And, with that, the year is almost over. Golly gee whiz! That was fast. Pretty soon, it will be time to set intentions for the new year. Before I do that, I better think about finishing my intentions for this year!

(As a process note, that’s part of how I generate my intentions for each month. I look back at my intentions for the whole year and pick and choose things to tackle each month.)

So, I’m kind of scared to look back at October. But that’s why I do this, right? It increases my accountability to myself.

Here we go:

• Be the best mother and teacher I can be for my son, Henry. I have to remember that all the time and energy I put into parenting now is an investment in our future together. Yep! I’m doing my best!
• Go to a pumpkin patch! Check!
• Make homemade Halloween costumes for Henry and me. I did pull together Henry’s costume (kind of; I didn’t make a collar or a tail to go with his Hoss costume), although I decided that I didn’t want to dress up this year. We don’t have any party plans, and I am in serious save-money mode.
• Bake pumpkin seeds. Yes!
• Plan spring break. Still struggling with this one (see my previous point about being in “serious save-money mode”).
• Put forth a concerted effort to find people for the Austin Pocket Neighborhood. Yes! I attended a potluck for people interested in co-housing.
• Plan Montessori For All website and then find someone to design it. Still waiting on the graphic designer to finish the logo, although Kelly gave me a good lead on a website designer.
• Start Henry’s 529. Ugh. I still can’t figure out if it makes sense to set one of these up or if it makes sense to just save in other ways.
• Start recruiting a Board of Directors for Montessori For All. Yes! I sent out approximately 40 e-mails and got a good response. Now we just need to move to Austin, so I can meet with people in person!
• Practice Spanish! No, I am not doing this. There is such a gap between my desires and my actions when it comes to this! I need to come up with a routine that I can implement every day.
• Make serious progress on my book about how to have a meaningful and memorable wedding without losing your savings or sanity. No! And it’s due January 1! Aack!

So with that uninspiring round-up, let’s see what I have in store for this month!

• Be the best mother and teacher I can be for my son, Henry. I have to remember that all the time and energy I put into parenting now is an investment in our future together. Is there anything I want to focus on in particular? Perhaps getting him to fall asleep independently for naps? (He goes to sleep by himself at night but, during the day, I have to lie next to him and apply pressure to his back so he doesn’t crawl off his floor bed and start playing.)
• Plan spring break.
• Plan Montessori For All website.
• Make serious progress on my book about how to have a meaningful and memorable wedding without losing your savings or sanity. This is no joke. I really need to do this.
• Make and send Thanksgiving cards. Do I really want to do this? Yes and no. It’s an awesome sentiment and yearly routine, but I just don’t think I can pull it off this year. So scratch that one. I have too much else going on. How about I start getting Christmas presents ready instead?
• Plan and present a workshop for the Texas Charter Schools Association conference.
• Help Matt plan an awesome birthday party (we’re hosting a 1980s Slumber Party, complete with pizza, junk food, episodes of Saved by the Bell, facials, games, etc.).
• Prepare a nice present for Matt’s birthday.
• Make something delicious to bring to my friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.