Are you better off now than you were one year ago?

I've been watching Parks and Recreation with Jason. It's a great show. One of the episodes has the main character asking her town if they are better off now than you were one year ago. I realize this is a campaign question used frequently about the past four years. But thinking about that is as bad as being asked in an interview "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

This episode came up at a perfect time - I'm about to hit my one year anniversary at my job. So my past year has changed a lot. 

A year ago I was on vacation. I'm also currently on vacation. :) 

This is my current view (minus the Liam - he's napping right now.) 

Am I better off now than I was one year ago? Yes. And it's mostly because I am working. This vacation has made me very grateful of being able to send Liam to daycare and my ability to work at a job I love. Mostly love, like 90% of the time I love it. The other 10% is due to Monday mornings and lack of naps. I'm still grateful of the time I was able to be home with Liam, and that I didn't have to rush to get back to work and earn income. This vacation I'm on has me even more grateful that I when I go back home I can return to work. And I know in a year I'll be able to take another vacation. 

This past year has had a lot of changes. Jason and I had to learn how to be working parents. How to juggle Liam and daycare drop off/pick ups when one of us had a longer day, was out of town, or was sick (usually me.) We also had to juggle if Liam was sick. Parenting = juggling. 

Going to Time for Dinner has made a huge difference, along with meal planning, and creating a shopping list every. single. time. I had to adjust how to do meals since I don't get home until 5pm. We had to adjust with Liam and his bedtime and bathtime. We've had to adjust our laundry doing, folding clothes, everything. 

Liam has been sleeping and napping like a champ, even on vacation! I'm very grateful we visited the Sleep Lady. I can't imagine how crazy this vacation would have been without the proper bedtime routine.

I wrote the above a few days ago while on vacation. 

And now I'm back to our normal routine. I'm grateful for daycare and my job. And a freezer full of food. Liam is back in routine and eating normally, including decent food (not just white bread and applesauce pouches.)

I don't know if I'm better off, but I feel like I'm in a better place than I was one year ago. I've excelled at work, I enjoy my work, I wasn't even dreading going back to work. That's a huge difference than most people who return to work after vacation.

Liam has grown so much -- and learned a lot -- I'm always amazed at what Daycare teaches him. He amazes us which what he knows. While we were at Animal Kingdom we learned that he knows what a Gorilla says! And he's repeating any word we ask. He tries at least. He's an amazing little human.

So here's to the next 365 days. Oh, 366! I hope in one year I can say that I am better than I was a year ago.