She Made Me Proud

How is it that kids know when not to complain? How do they know when they need to be tough? Sarah had new tubes put in her ears today, as well as her adenoids taken out, and she handled herself exceptionally well. She wasn't anxious leading up to it, she was in a good mood (other than complaining of hunger) this morning, both at home and at the hospital, and she didn't complain about it afterwards.

This is the same kid who makes sure I know that a scratch on her finger hurts A LOT and that she NEEDS a bandaid, despite a very obvious lack of blood. What's that about, anyway? (I've polled lots of moms, and she's not alone.) My theory - she doesn't get a whole lot of sympathy when it comes to the scratch on her finger, but she gets a ton when it comes to the bigger stuff. It's all about the love and attention, isn't it?

My New Look

I asked Sarah if she'd be willing to draw a picture for my blog. As is usually the case when asked to draw, she was happy to oblige. For this one, she decided to draw both a house and a doghouse, along with the sun, a bird, some flowers, the sky, a tree, me and her, and our imaginary dog (who is bigger than us). Maybe Brian and Eric are doing something fun inside the house? I'll have to ask her about that one . . .

Something I've Been Thinking About . . .

Recently, I came across some words, which are now hanging in our newly renovated office, next to my cozy new chair, where I can sit and think and wonder. They are here to remind me of what's important.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

It's from a poem called "Summer Day" by Mary Oliver, and it speaks to me. This could be the theme for my life, really. It is a constant question, one that soothes me and one that causes me to struggle. I am grateful to have it mostly answered, to feel grounded in what I am doing right now. So far, despite some bumps and bruises along the way, I wouldn't have chosen a different path. For me, the struggle comes when I think about what comes next, knowing that one day, far sooner than I would like, my life will change. Part of me knows that things will fall into place, life will sort itself out, and I will be ready. The other part of me worries, sometimes, that I won't be able to manage it all, that I won't be able to answer this oh-so-important question quite so easily.

Sarah Book

This is the start of one of Sarah's books. She goes through phases with these, creating several at once and then forgetting about the idea of making them. For this one she showed off her newly acquired phonemic skills, writing - "Wen I mac a book i fel gooe. love Sarah Ann." Need a translation? When I make a book, I feel good. Note - she asked me how to spell "good," but didn't hear the last letter correctly, hence the e at the end. (Thankfully, she doesn't confuse d and e. Rather, for her the confusion lies in b and d.) It may come as no surprise to any of you, but I love that she wrote this. And - no shocker either, I'm sure - I love witnessing the learning of letters and words. So amazing.

He Sleeps

This is not something we see too often anymore, which makes it that much sweeter.

being outside

We went outside today, and yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that too. After being inside for too many days in a row, we felt like doing a happy dance. It's good to be outside again!

happiness is . . .

They don't always get along. They don't always feel like being nice. But, at dinner the last few nights, they shared that their favorite part of the day was playing with each other. Take note - their mutual admiration has been expressed during five (!) early release/snow days/delayed openings. I would've guessed that perhaps they'd be singing a different tune by now, but I won't be the one to point that out. (To them, I mean.)