And so, in conclusion, then, now we can see...

...that it's time to sum up the year and make any useful deductions therefrom as applicable.
This year:
negative things (let's get them over) - Money worries, never retreating far, it seemed, horrible - I can't be the parent I like to be when I have money worries. Health - not very good, everything I got lasted forever and didn't respond well to meds (including bloody hayfever which robbed me of 2 months of summer) - think this may have been exacerbated by the money worries, stress of them. Various other mental detritus... blah de blah, not to be dwelt on here... but on its way to some kind of closure (thanks for chat Mrs MonsterTeeny).
positive things (hoorah) - More work coming in, increasing level of professionalism/reliability therefore generating more work, therefore I am just starting to see the abovementioned money worries, as we go into 2006, the next few months should see quite an improvement, and I hope that will continue. Home Ed - at the start of 2005 this was not yet a firm decision, and the year has just consolidated it many times over as the right and best thing for us - every time I have seen F choose what she does with her time, every time I have seen her have an idea and project manage me to help her see it through from start to finish, every time I have seen her repeat things and practise things as and when she wants with neither interruption nor pressure to achieve someone else's standardised goals and, of course, every time I've been to the 'Education' section of the BBC news site, or heard about friends' children having a hard time. All of those things, but most particularly the positive ones, have reinforced this decision. I do still intend to take F round some schools when she is 7, and to talk in detail with her about it, and to let her try school if she wants to. But I hope/think that we're on the Home Ed route now for far longer than that. I also feel committed to autonomous learning, it really works for us, and I remember being enthralled by the idea when studying language-learning techniques as part of my degree (er, 14 or so years ago, and I was a 'mature' student then... there was a study of some language students who had access to a wealth of fantastic resources and taught themselves, finding the different methods/times/paces that suited them) Home life - F learning to use potty/toilet, particularly important in that, until she actually did it, I couldn't be sure that she would be able to, due to concerns about her medical history. Friends - new friendships that are now established and invaluable - *waves* at Mrs MonsterTeeny - others that are just starting, others that are older and that need some more input from me, but I'm glad I've realized their value in time to do that, so I'm counting them in positives.
Hopes/Intentions for 2006: To better cherish and nurture many of my relationships - I'm good at my online ones (aren't I? *suddenly worries* I like to think I am... uh-oh...) and at my local 'real-life' ones. I have a lovely group of online friends, maintained on an almost daily basis via a forum and YIM, and a few local friends with children who I seem to manage to keep up with pretty well. And I have some lovely and very precious non-local and not-online friends, who I am neglecting a lot of the time, because it takes time I don't manage to find - phone calls/letters are harder to fit in. My online friends can chat to me on my laptop while I'm working, it's just so easy. So there's a New Year's Resolution I guess.
To get my 2-week rolling schedule back up and running. It worked really well for a while, worth getting back to it.
To finally get past money worries, obviously.
To get F 'dry at night'! Otherwise, with F, just to continue as we are, as it's all working pretty well, she and I are getting better with each other all the time, I love her more and more, she gets both easier and more interesting with every passing month. I can easily remember how horrible it was this time last year to go shopping with her, she would run out of the door of a shop without me knowing, she would pick things up and take them with her, etc. This and many other stresses associated with the peculiarities of the littlies, I am ecstatic to do without, and am glad they are gradually disappearing one by one. I loved my baby F, my 2-yr old F and my 3-yr old F, but my goodness, best of all is this 4-yr old F, she's a joy! Am really looking forward to 5-yr old F too...
To be healthier and fitter (yeah, yeah).
To write my novel (yeah, yeah, again) - will be carrying on going to the weekly writing group I started attending back at end of summer, aimed specifically at teaching us how to write a novel! Whereas up to now we have been doing exercises and small bits of writing, exploring plotting, character, pace, literary technique, etc., now we will be moving on to do more writing and sharing and criticising! It's a nice group, should be fun, and it's my glorious definite me-time for a minimum of 2 hours every week.
To gain in quality of life, which kind of includes all the above I guess, plus more times and variety of ways (!) for J and I to relax together would be good.
That's it, I think.

Happy New Year to anyone reading, may it bring you happiness and fun, may the shitty bits be minimal and the fab bits be fantastic. Enjoy!