stuck in a rut

We have been stuck in a dinner rut and that is not a good place to be.  I have found that the last month or two I have been basically preparing the same meals over and over and I am bored with cooking.  So I decided to start the new year off with a challenge because I love challenges and I usually can complete them when I set my mind to it.  So I have a 30 day dinner challenge.  I made a list of meals that I cook regularly, have cooked before, and want to try and then I planned a different meal for the entire month of January.  I even took in consideration my sister's birthday which will include a birthday dinner out and Thursday nights which can be hectic because of cub scouts and lab.  Now I know life happens and illness can totally wreck havoc on my schedule, but I am going to try my best to stick to my plan.  So on Day 2 we are off to a good start.  Last night we started our month out with crab cakes, something I hadn't attempted to make in, ummm, at least 8 years.  Tonight is another fairly new recipe, Bacon, Cheese, and Potato Chowder that I attempted to make years ago, but I used the wrong the type of potato and never tried it again until now.  My goal is to try a new recipes that I have pinned over the last year and bookmarked but never gotten around to adding them to our meal rotation.  So 1 day down, 30 more to go.  If this works I wonder how long I can keep it going? Some meals are just so darn easy and everyone them.
So today is cold and now it is rainy and I haven't gone outside today, there is still time this evening for a walk in the rain. I have been cleaning off my desk and I went through my file cabinet and cleaned it out and organized it, something I have needed to do for a long time.  My desk is no longer a mountain of junk and hopefully I can keep it that way, at least for a few days. 

one of these is not like the other

I found some old newspaper clippings and photos while cleaning out and I realized that I have a mountain of paperwork I need to hold onto.  The large folder on the bottom of the stack is all of Lance's special education paperwork.  They are progress reports (not report cards), child studies, individualized education plans, doctor reports, etc.  I can only imagine what his permanent record looks like and he is only in second grade.  The amount of paperwork required for special education services is crazy and that is not all, I don't have the copy of my rights that I get every time we set up an IEP. 
So today I am thankful I made a dent in the paper build up that is in my corner of the house.  I am thankful that I have desk space for my computer.  I am thankful for my paper shredder which helps me get rid of paper that I really don't want to hold onto anymore.  I am thankful that I didn't have to go out in the cold and rain today, I really hate winter.  Now I need to go get my potato chowder cooking and get motivated for a walk in the rain tonight, I am on a roll and don't want to stop.

Update:  the soup was blah.  Both kids tried it and neither liked it.  I ate a whole bowl hoping that I would like it more but it was just blah.  It may not have been good due to the burnt bacon I sprinkled on top, but regardless the sticky note bookmark has been removed from the food and family magazine that contained the recipe.  

On a positive note, we did take a walk after dinner so we are on a 4 day streak of getting outside and moving.  Due to the rain and temps in the mid-30s it was a short walk, but getting out was worth layering up and braving the cold.