Just about a year ago, I made a resolution to do three things in 2011:

Resolution #1: Wash my face twice daily
Result: Epic fail. I had a baby, I barely had time to wash my face once a week for a while there

Resolution #2: Be more accountable with our money
Result: Depends on who you ask. If you ask me, we did a great job of this. If you ask my husband, he'll tell you I'm right up there with Ebeneezer Scrooge when it comes to managing finances.

Resolution #3: Cook more
Result: I cooked one chicken breast this year... and that happened last week.

Turns out, 2011 was about much more than getting our financial ducks in a row or failing to enhance my (lack of) culinary skills. 2011 was a pretty transcendental year for me.

Over the past 12 months, I've learned to let things go. To give things up. Old grudges, my fear of failure, my perfectionism: they're all gone (well, mostly gone).

I learned that I don't have to try so hard to make people like me. I think this is less a lesson I learned and more a result of growing older. As I approach 30, I realize that, first of all, it doesn't matter if everyone likes me or not, and secondly, I decided that I didn't care. Because of that, I was more willing to help strangers without expecting anything out of it, to strike up a conversation with the woman on the treadmill next to me at the gym, to leave a funny comment on an old acquaintance's Facebook page.

I realized this year that I don't have to always be in control. I learned that some of life's most beautiful moments -- and in some cases, life itself -- happens when you least expect it, even when you least want it. I found that having faith is far more important than having power.

I learned that I don't always have to be right -- and more importantly, that I don't always have to fight to prove it. I learned that sometimes, most of the time, actually, it's ok not to have the last word.

I learned not to be so hard on myself. I had been pushing and pushing and pushing myself toward some unattainable level of perfection, trying to be a person and make the kind of decisions that didn't really fit who I was or where I was in life. I was trying to be something I wasn't -- something I didn't want to be -- and wasn't giving myself the benefit of the doubt. I learned to give others the benefit of the doubt as well.

But most importantly, I learned to like myself this year. It sounds simple, maybe too simple, but it's a lesson 29 -- almost 30 -- years in the making.

I'm going to take a little hiatus during this busy holiday season, as I try to keep a tenuous grip on what right now seems like a pretty perfect life. I'm not going to worry myself silly about coming up with fresh material for my blog. I'm going to hold on to the amazingly mundane, amazingly beautiful parts of my life: my children, my husband, my friends.

I hope you'll hold on while I take this brief pause!

The Christmas holidays are probably the most interesting holidays for everyone. This is the best time for family gatherings. This is also the time that the characters of your children might be easily destroyed as this is the time most parents forget to be as strict as they should. The children should therefore be engaged in several duties over the holidays.

You can divide your child’s day into three sections. The child should be occupied with small chores for the first part of the day. This is to teach that people have to work even as they celebrate, as there is always something to be done. As much as they might not like this, make them understand that it is part of human nature to work. If the children are older, you can have them do the extra special chores for some money. This will help them learn about responsibility and the value of money. Younger children can be promised a present from Father Christmas if they work.

There is school after the Christmas celebrations. Have your child do some preschool activities. This does not have to be extensive reading. They can read interesting story books or play with educational toys like the alphabet blocks.

Have your kids spend part of their day outside, if the weather permits. This helps them to relax and learn other things outside school work. However, ensure that they are under constant observation. You should also ensure that you do not overcrowd their space with your presence as they will feel uncomfortable. Take your children to a nearby park. They will be able to appreciate nature more. Take them for swimming and other fun activities.

A lot of companies have fun days over the Christmas holidays, attend your company’s Christmas party with your children to help them interact with other children and also know where you work better.

Take your kids to visit their grandparents. This is far from the city where they get to appreciate life more. Their grandparents will tell them several interesting life stories that will enlighten them more. Since most family members are home at the same time during this period, schedule about one hour a day where you can share and have fun with your children. This will work by helping you bond as a family. The kids are also going to appreciate the family more.

Help your kids explore their talents. Encourage them to listen to good music, watch interesting movies and dance. Your kids will end up believing in themselves hence making them more confident. Lastly, give them time to be alone and be creative. You can lead them to fantasy play where they create an imagination out of what they see.

Please don't call child services on me!

I've been working with G on her phonemes (the sound -- or in the case of A, C, E, G, I, O, U and Y, the sounds -- each letter makes) for a while now, and the concept is really starting to sink in... except...

She isn't really drawing age-appropriate correlations between these letters, their sounds and the words in which they're used.

For example, in the past two weeks, G has told me:

B is for beer. (What, not baby? Ball?)

L is for liquor. (Seriously? The last time I drank hard liquor was... was... see, that's how uncool I am, I can't even remember the last time I took a shot -- and I'm sure my sensitive stomach thanks me for it.)

W is for wine. (Additionally, when she plays with her "Little People," her "mommy" doll is frequently heard telling her "daddy" doll that she needs a glass of wine after the baby doll goes to bed. Am I really that bad?)

Next week, we'll be working on the letters C (for cosmopolitan) and M (for martini).

This post was sponsored by the letter D, for drunkard, which -- despite the evidence to the contrary -- I am not.

Women are one of the most under-insured demographics in all areas. It may be because some women are single or stay at home moms and don't feel they need life insurance. For single moms, money is usually tight and insurance is seen as a luxury that usually doesn't fit in the budget. Cheap home insurance is available for anyone willing to get a cheap insurance quote and take measures to get discounts in order to lower already cheap rates.

Renters and homeowners both need adequate insurance so that, in the event of a fire or accident, they don't incur extra expenses aside from their deductible. The stress of dealing with any situation where an insurance claim needs to be made is bad enough, there's no need to add to the troubles financially. Plus it's usually required by law, so to be without it will cause more financial strain. Get a quote for cheap home insurance and you'll find that, paired with discounts, it's more affordable than you might think. Car insurance is similar and it's required in most states in order to legally drive.

After getting a cheap home insurance quote, see if you qualify for discounts such as living in a safe neighborhood, having a higher deductible, and installing safety devices to prevent break in or injuries. For car insurance you might qualify for discounts if you are a member of the military, have a good driving record, keep a high deductible, install anti-theft devices and drive a reliable vehicle.
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Life insurance, unlike auto and home insurance, isn't required at all and therefore many women have too little or no coverage. Only single women without dependents might consider not being insured; but for those with partners and children, insurance should not be considered optional. Single moms will need someone to provide for and look after their kids in the event of death; while family might take in the kids, it's not cheap to add a few more members to a household without additional money. Stay at home moms need policies because they provide considerable economic value to the home. Wage earning moms, even if their earn much less than their partner, depend on their income in some way and thus it will need to be replaced should she pass on.

Moms should have 8-10 times the amount of their annual income in life insurance. However, if you have young kids at home you might consider upwards of twenty times your income. For stay at home moms $500,000 is a reasonable amount of insurance to buy. The best way to keep premiums low is to be a non-smoker, not drink and maintain a healthy weight.

Getting all of insurance policies from the same company can also result in a discount since you'll be considered a valued customer. Try paying for your premiums just once a year to reduce time and cost for both you and the insurance company. Most give discounts if you pay semi-annually or annually instead of monthly.

Don't delay getting a cheap insurance quote in any area in which you need to be insured. The stability of your family and the strain on your bank account in an emergency depend on being properly insured. Make it a priority to get insured immediately.

I have a friend who just started back to work this week after giving birth to her first child. All week, she's been glum over the realization that her schedule only gives her about an hour and a half daily with her son. She's been asking her mom friends whether or not it gets better, begging us to tell her it will.

So I don't think she was really thrilled with my answer...

It won't.

I know, that's soooo pessimistic. But I've been there. I've done that. I wrote the book (actually, just a blog) about it.

For the first 25 months of G's life, I was a working mom -- hence the original title of this blog. When I first went back to work after my maternity leave, it was painful. I spent roughly 8 hours and 47 minutes of my 9-hour workday pining for her, longing to see her smiley face instead of my boss's dour expression.

I cried when I missed her roll over for the first time.

I threw a minor tantrum when I missed her first word, which was not "Mama."

I had a hissy fit when I missed her first feeble attempts at crawling.

And it only got worse from there. Over those two years, I missed more memories -- not just the coveted "firsts," but subtle, run-of-the-mill milestones I'll never get back -- than I care to count. I did the math, and realized my daughter saw her daddy and her nanny more than she saw me during any given week. It broke my heart.

As G got older, I realized I'd soon be missing out on even more. Working would keep me from helping out in her preschool as a room mom. It would keep me from being able to take her to -- and watch her at -- dance class. It would deprive me of the time to swim with her on a lazy Tuesday afternoon at the local Y. And as I looked down the road, I saw my work interfering with volleyball games as a teenager, sending her off on her first date, teaching her to drive a car.

I've always said on this blog that I admire those working moms who love their jobs so much that spending 40, 50 even 60 hours a week away from their children is worth it; I wasn't that lucky, and I have no shame in admitting that I was supremely jealous of the moms who felt that kind of passion toward their career.

But I don't think even the most seasoned working mom will tell you that she'd rather choose an 8am board meeting or a 7pm "working dinner" over spending time with her children.

So, does it ever get any easier? In my experience, no. It never did. I felt a pang every day when I left my daughter behind in the care of a nanny. I felt a sense of longing every day when I stared at her picture at my work desk. And I felt a rush of exuberant joy every evening when I returned home to her.

But I got used to it. I adjusted. I compensated. And I got through it. And my friend will too.

I've been in denial about this for a long time. I've made excuses, beaten around the bush, come up with every possible explanation. But last night, I finally came to grips with the painful truth:

This was not an admission I take lightly. I love my so fiercely, protectively, overwhelmingly; and when you tell someone that you have a "fussy" child, they often automatically assume that child is a trouble-maker, or somehow inherently bad. (Well, you know what they say about people who assume...)

Baby C isn't a bad kid; he isn't a problem child, or the devil incarnate, as my mom's pedicure-ist (is that a word?) recently described her own infant daughter. He's a sweet baby, easy with his smiles and infectious with his laugh... as long as you're doing what he wants, when he wants it.

Take, for example, the last 24 hours. DH worked all weekend (and by "all," I mean 13 hour shifts for three straight days; he hasn't seen either child -- at least while they were awake -- since Thursday), so I was the sole caregiver. G was fine; the older she gets, the more helpful she becomes -- with a few exceptions, of course. But Baby C: well, he was another story.

On Sunday, Baby C decided he didn't want to be put down... at all. After waking up at the painfully early hour of 6am, he literally cried every single time I put him down -- for a nap, in his high chair for a meal, in his Johnny Jumper, in his exersaucer, on the ground next to his sister. The only time he stopped crying was when I picked him up; so I held him -- with five minute breaks here and there to go to the bathroom -- from basically 6am until 7pm, when, exhausted from his day-long campaign against... well, I'm not sure what he was fighting against... he fell asleep in my arms.

C's clinginess, however, is just the beginning. He also refuses to eat any baby food that comes from a jar, tub or bottle. That means he'll only nurse, and will only eat the fruits and veggies that I make (with the sole exception of Gerber Puffs; thank goodness for those!).

Oh, and did I mention he breaks out in a rash whenever he even looks at a disposable diaper? So much for the two packages of Target-brand diapers I have in his closet, "just in case" we have a cloth diaper accident while on the go.

I'm actually hoping that by admitting to Baby C's fussiness, the universe will take pity on us both and teach him some calming tactics (and me some coping tactics)... which I'm hoping you can do for me as well! Do you have any tips for dealing with a demanding baby?