New Year Catch Up

Last week, I wrote a lot about big picture goals and themes of 2026. But, like many of you, we had our share of post-holiday pain points that piled on! So today, let’s do a quick catch up. Here’s what’s been going on lately.

*Last week where everything broke, all at once, and all the small annoyances piled up. While we were potty training my toddler, our oven broke, the car got a flat tire, the bumper broke after the car was towed, our garage flooded, and I got food poisoning. Many dollars and repairs later, everything is fixed minus the garage which we still need to trouble shoot to avoid future flooding. There were a lot of days last week where I plopped onto the couch after the kids went to sleep and felt completely wrung out. Fortunately this week is much more routine, and I’m feeling grateful!

*It definitely felt cognitively dissonant to spend time setting goals amidst what felt like a less than ideal week, but I think the process of writing about goals and having them fresh in mind helped me keep perspective on the big picture. Sometimes, that's the way it goes. That said, even in the less than ideal week, I did a few things from my goal list like: going on a date to a nearby restaurant and taking my 6-year-old to redeem one of her Christmas coupons for Build a Bear. Also, I fell asleep many nights to Joel reading War and Peace, and we are now enjoying gossiping about the characters, which is fun.

*Sibling squabbling, particularly over new toys, was a struggle last week. After a lot of talks and boundaries set, we’ve had several peaceful afternoons with both kids playing in the backyard and some epic magnatile builds made together. I’m trying to notice and enjoy the good moments while they last.

*Music and books both really helped with all of the annoying stressors listed above. Some favorites lately are the new Rosalia, Jenny on Holiday, and Brandi Carlile albums. I LOVED The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali and highly recommend it, particularly if you enjoy historical fiction. A and I are still loving the Heartwood Hotel series, and M is now a huge Mo Willems fan. Today at lunch she was reciting the lines from an Elephant and Piggie story, which really made me laugh. She did a pretty good imitation of me.

*This weekend, we are headed to my parents' house. Joel is out of town, and we had so much fun there over the holidays, that when they offered to host us this weekend, I figured it was a nice chance to spend some time with them and have a little extra help with the kids. Looking forward to checking out some new places in Orange County and spending time with them and my brother’s family.
How have your first few weeks of 2026 been? Hoping your household appliances and cars are holding up better than mine!