45 before 45

Penelope posted a list of 35 things she'd like to accomplish before she turns 35 after she had read other people's lists of 30 things they want to do before they turn 30. I thought of doing a list of 40 things before I turn 40, but that's only a little more than 2 years away. Even after reading several other lists, I had a hard time thinking of many things that were just for me to accomplish. I have no desire to go sky diving, learn to knit, or learn another language, and some goals I saw listed rather frequently I've already done such as reading the Bible from cover to cover and buying a home.  Most of what I came up with involves our children, but I think that's fine, even if I didn't see anyone else do that on their lists. :-)

My list would have been much different if I had made it before I turned 30. I did not achieve them all before I hit that birthday, but I did prior to turning 38 (get married, have kids, buy a house, etc.). The other two big goals that I achieved in 2008 were to earn tenure and be promoted to Associate Professor. In order to achieve those goals I had to achieve the smaller goal of publishing articles. I needed at least three, and thankfully I had six published from 2006-2009. If I was trying to be promoted to (Full) Professor, I'd need to get back in gear in terms of publishing articles, grant writing, etc. Spending time with my children is far more important to me than trying to be promoted again.

I'm posting this about 2 months before my birthday so that I have time to revise my list if anyone suggests a goal I want to incorporate. I've added 3 pages to my blog that readers can access via links at the top of my blog. One will be where I'll write a little bit about each of the dates Paul and I will go on over the next 7 years, and the second will be about the new recipes I try in that same time frame. The third page will contain this list, and I plan to record the date when I achieve each of the goals to keep track of my progress.

1. Go on my first cruise
2. Go to Hawaii for the first time
3. Get back to what I weighed in June 2007 before I turn 39 and stay within 5 pounds of that weight until I turn 45
4. Bake cookies with Ian and Nadia
5. Make a gingerbread house, build a snowman, and go sledding with Ian and Nadia
6. Teach Ian and Nadia some sign language and Spanish
7. Give Ian and Nadia piano lessons
8. Go on a family vacation to San Diego
9. Take Ian and Nadia to the zoo, aquarium, and
science museum in Baltimore
10. Take Ian and Nadia to zoo, Please Touch Museum, and science museum in Philadelphia
11. Spend a day at a spa (I've never been to one before)
12. As a family, see a Broadway musical (such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and a Sight & Sound production
13. Get into a routine for cleaning the house
14. Go on a family vacation to Boston (Paul has never been there)
15. Visit Niagra Falls as a family (Paul has only had a very brief experience there)
16. Make pulled pork for the first time

17. Take Ian and Nadia to Disneyworld
18. Go to a lawyer with Paul to create our wills, power of attorney forms, and living wills
19. Participate in a 5K run
20. Take Ian and Nadia to Hershey Park, Knoebels, and Sesame Place
21. Grow some fruit in my backyard (blueberries and strawberries for example)
22. Go miniature golfing, bowling, roller skating, horseback riding, and ice skating as a family
23. Take Ian and Nadia to Lake Tobias and Claws & Paws
24. Take Ian and Nadia to a water park
25. Take Ian and Nadia skiing (snow)
26. Take Ian and Nadia to swimming lessons
27. Teach Ian and Nadia how to read
28. Make roast beef for the first time
29. Make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies for the first time (Paul's favorite)
30. Make yeast bread with Nadia
31. Edit the blog so it's just about the kids and then get it printed

32. Get caught up on my scrapbooks and photo albums
33. Nurse Ian at least until he's at least 12 months old
34. Have at least one close female friend - someone I talk to and do things with on a fairly regular basis
35. Participate in a BSF group for at least one year (I've never done that before)

36. Trade my Corolla in for a hybrid
37. Take Ian and Nadia to the Air & Space Museum, National Zoo, and other sites in D.C.
38. Take Ian and Nadia to the beach at least once every summer
39. Pay off Paul's undergrad school loans and make extra payments on the mortgage
40. Go on at least 40 dates with Paul over the next 7 years
41. Try at least 80 new recipes over the next 7 years
42. Plant perrennials and annuals in tthe flower beds in the front and one side of the house
43. Make homemade applesauce for the first time (with apples from our apple trees)
44. Get to know more of our neighbors
45. Get involved in at least one children's ministry (AWANA, VBS, the nursery, and/or Sunday School)