Good morning. After my post last night, I ended up reading a couple of points from last year. What was the take away? Well, mostly that I’m full of shit…

But also that there are huge parallels between this year and the last for me. The obvious one is I’m attempting to publish a blog post every day. But that doesn’t count. Here’s some others:
Getting a child to sleep on their own
Different kid. Same problem. Whereas last year it was about getting the OddDaughter to sleep in her own room in anticipation for the arrival of the OddSon, this year, the OddSon has decided to cling to us.
Part of that is our fault – I haven’t had the time to completely empty his bedroom, and therefore wash the carpet. I then have to dismantle his cot, to take it into his room to assemble it again.

The other side of this is the OddSon has been teething/ill so he’s played us a bit by making us sympathise with him and keep him in our room for longer. And the last part of it is deep down Mrs OddFather and I plan not to have any more kids so we’re maybe as clingy to him as he is on us. But that needs to change now, he has taken advantage of this lifestyle for too long – refusing to go to sleep throughout the night without being held.
Struggling with time
Linked to the previous point. We’re just struggling to make time. Life has never felt so busy. I guess working in London a couple of times a week doesn’t help, even if I do enjoy going into office.
And it was the same last year. At what point do I realise my adult life has just been trying to get into a routine that works?
Starting running again
Or in this case, failing to run again. I did better last year by already having gone for a run. In my defence, the temperatures in 2025 so far have been freezing and I think I’m forgiven for not running on ice.

But this weekend temperatures rise again. And so will I! In honesty I think I need to start running for my mental health. I just haven’t got going this year. Something just feels off and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Which leads to…
Attempted positive thinking
Within the first 2 weeks of this year, and last year, I have done a post on positive thinking. Though preachy in nature I think it’s mainly to get me feeling positive myself.
Could it just be that Januarys (possibly Februarys too) and me don’t get along? Mighty disappointing, then, that my birthday also happens to come in the worst month of the year. I could really do with the pick-me-up. Just like last year that didn’t come from…
Arsenal
I wrote about the pain of being an Arsenal fan last January. And here we are again. I guess the small saving grace is our season turned around after January last year and we went on a spectacular run. Even though we didn’t win the league, it was such a fun ride. Do I want trophies? Of course I do. But so do all other fans and their clubs. So, all I want really is to enjoy the journey – and that happened for sure last season.
This season feels a bIt different though. For starters, Arsenal don’t have the winter break in Dubai that kick started the second half of the season. And we’re without our best player in Saka so that’s not going to help us either. Back to doom and gloom it is, then!
So, January 2025… are you January 2024 in disguise?