One more step closer...

Haven't tried a vacation in April in quite some time...

The Year So Far....

As the first month of the new year draws to a close, some stray observations...

• It is annoying to have a snow blower that doesn't work.  Yep. Hoping to get that fixed sometime soon.

• Chewy has been writing a sort-of homage/eulogy to our friend Paul and I find it interesting how this year anniversary has come and gone and our family is still coping with this loss.

• Kittens are damned cute.  (Which is good, because cat litter is damned smelly!)

• Michael seems to have gotten through his first ever mid-terms and pulled up his grades (A/Bs, probably a C in Honors Algebra) this term.  He seems to have an affinity to English that I never really knew he had.

• Lately, Willow has become obsessed with her hair.  Wanting to have it just right, having it in pony tails and pig tails.  Things I can do pretty ineptly.  Braids...I am not going there.  (But she did...at the hair cut place)

•  Michael is going to be 15 years old in less than a month.  I have gotten him personalized M&Ms and I am thinking of getting a picture of Batman and putting it on a cake for him.  (Adam West Batman, I think) Other than that, pretty low key--maybe have a couple of his friends over for pizza or movie or laser tag. 

• Michael's friends--I know he has them. I have never seen them.  Chewy has met them briefly.  But we have never actually met them.  They come over after school on Fridays and hang out for a bit.  I have heard them on the phone when Michael calls in to say he is home.  I know this sounds a bit like I am being a negligent parent here--but, frankly, with Michael's Aspergers and his usual loner attitude--friends are hard to come by, so, for some reason...this has worked for about 2 years.  (Maybe I will meet them soon!)

• Tonight, I realized how I have to change my perspective---literally.  I was teaching Willow how to peel carrots for dinner...when I remembered that she is left-handed.  It really just dawned on me why she was having a bit more trouble than I thought she would.  I had to switch her hands up...and remind myself of this newly acquired trait.

• Both children amaze and annoy me with their growing-ness.  Our house has a teen going to bed early at night; a kindergartner not wanting to go to bed at bed time.  Food that disappears regularly -- my stove top often has a pan with little bits of mac n cheese or canned pasta sitting on it.  Toys are everywhere, including the bathroom sink (we seem to be a salon--last weekend she used sticky notes to draw pictures and put them on the bathroom door...one said I "heart" CH...not sure what that meant).

• Already looking towards spring and a possible vacation in April....

Random Holiday Photos

"buckeyes" and birthday cake at work

Zoolights

Princesses in Tree

Michael assembling his Batman legos

Morning Time Again

Much needed sleep after a long and frustrating week....

The first one comes up to snuggle me--he is the one that is leaner and aggressive with his cuddles.  I pet him and he purrs and he snuggles in for a bit.

Then she comes, she is more playful with me and I rub her tummy and she rolls about on the bed.

For a bit, the two kittens rumble on our bed, between our legs.

A little later, older, wiser...and heavier cat comes in.  He is like an old friend, and I hold him close and rub his chin.

(Yes, they are basically all asking me to get up and feed them!  But, I am enjoying the cuddling and purring, the warmth of the bed and my husband next to me....)

Drifting up to add to this wonderfulness--I hear the boy and the girl.  Playing a video game.  And he is being gentle and thoughtful to her (so different from his gruff teenager exterior lately) and she is giggling.

I listen and feel and enjoy.

Ahhh...weekend morning.  Thank you.

Watching with New Eyes

Tonight it was me and her. And an old friend.

I did not expect to watch the whole movie...so long. I was not sure if she was going to be attentive through the whole thing.

We sat together under a blanket. She asked questions, but mostly she watched and listened.

I saw my old friend with not only fresh eyes, but with older ones. It has been a while since I have watched the whole movie all the way through.

I had tried to watch it with such enthusiasm with the boy when he was about her age. He liked it, but did not love it. He watched it, but not all the way through.

She watched and dazzled. We snuggled and had goose bumps. I told her that this was one of my favorite movies when I was a little girl. And she understood.

I watched the movie with mother's eyes. I thought of all the times I wished for a daughter to share this with...and I sat there amazed yet again with my good fortune to have her. And my old friend.

Snow Day Perfect Moment

Feeling a bit under the weather, I lay on the couch.  She is playing with her toys; he is playing a video game on the computer.  I drift off to sleep.  She comes up to me and explains the hair on her ponies and how she is arranging it.  I close my eyes again.  He points me to a part of the game he is working on and I look up to watch.  And I close my eyes again--warm and happy at the life and family around me.

(It did also help that we had a snow plow do most of our hard labor!!)

(Which is good, cuz oiur snowblower is broken and Chewy has Golfer's Elbow.)

Later, we have oreos and hot chocolate and watch a movie.

I love my family.