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NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS? I THINK NOT.

Writer's picture: RobynRobyn

Updated: Dec 28, 2020


Two years ago, I was expecting a baby in February and my New Year’s resolutions read something like. Would be nice to do some fun things, but really if I can just keep everyone alive, fed and prevent the laundry pile from swamping the house, I would count that as a win.


Last year I kept it really simple - play in the woods more.

Given that 2020 was the year that laughed in the face of resolutions, I think I made a pretty smart choice. At least I didn’t aim to take the kids to lots of museums and on many international flights!

I think this year I might press repeat on the two of these. Keep my house alive and fed and maintain sanity by taking them to the woods.

Heaven knows what next year will bring. As I merrily wrote my set my goals for the year last January, the faintest of rumours were coming from China that there might something to be a little worried about. By mid February I think I’d had about 20 emails from HR and the Bursary at my school detailing what to be worried about - and as I wasn’t in the habit of flying to China all that often, I really wasn’t worried at all.

Then it got to March and life was cancelled, and since then (pardon my French) everything has been fucking weird.

Life is cancelled, but nothing stops. The children didn’t stop wanting to eat or growing or learning, work didn’t go away; it all just moved to Bizarro Land.

The Bizarro Land metaphor does kinda map.

Buffy didn’t make it to the Hellmouth/Wuhan and the Master/Corona Virus rose. (The scientists do think it came from bats after all.) We all got a curfew because the Master and his many vampires kept killing people and Cordelia got shouted at for wanting to have fun whilst the white-hats ran round doing their best to save us all in insufficient PPE. The vaccine/Buffy finally showed up - but it wasn’t exactly a happy ending and she was really grumpy about it.

Hopefully Giles’ will find the amulet soon and crush that sucker and send us all back.


Please let 2021 be a little bit easier on us.

I’m not going to write off this year as being entirely sucky though - there have been some very amusing bits, and as with all trials you learn stuff. And this year, as we spent so much time at home, we grew quite a lot of stuff. The three kids have kept growing and getting more and more hilarious. So I think I’m going to try and remember the year as the frolics in the garden and the squeals of joy. 2020 was the year Cleo turned from an amusing crawling baby into a proper little person with words and opinions. Pip who is now Pop has got bigger and faster and more and more talkative. And Sally can do crazy stuff like read and dance for days.

And my husband has just walked in with a 12 inch metal hoop he has just managed to fabricobbled in the garage with a ring bender he put together out of an assortments of ends he had under his work bench, so I expect there’s going to be more of that to look forward to next year.

I don’t want to give the impression that the Corona Pandemic has defeated us and left me devoid of ambition or goals. I just don’t think this is the year to try and plan anything. If opportunities present I’ll try and grab them. When the Science Museum opens up again I’ll get tickets for Saul’s belated birthday surprise. I might finally have some plans in the works to redo the kitchen, but I’m sure as hell not going to say I’ll get it done this summer!

Let’s see what this year has to bring us and meet it with the time and skills and energy we have at our disposal to make the best of it. And when there’s time - go play in the woods.










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