Sunshine in January

It has been a very weird winter.  Shorts weather at Christmastime, Springlike temperatures in January.  One week of cold and snowy, and now back to feeling like Spring.  Or maybe Fall.  It's bizarre.  It's unsettling.  It makes you wonder what might happen next.

I keep hearing about other people's bad news.  Divorce after many, many years of marriage.  A recent house explosion in my home town that turned out to be a murder suicide of a family.  The death of one of my Grandmother's very best friends, a friend she has had for 50+ years.

And cancer.  I would like to say a screw you to cancer.  Yesterday it was the not quite two year old son of a coworker of my husbands.  Today, a friend from back in the Multiples board days who beat cancer 3 1/2 years ago, but will fight it again now that it has reappeared in her liver and bones.  My heart is just so heavy.

It is hard for me think of these things and not worry about myself, my family, my friends even more.  Anxiety for things that could happen, sadness for not being able to help in real positive ways.  The day of the funeral, I picked up my Grandmother to take her and to be there for her.  She introduced me to people I knew already, but kept saying how nice it was that I drove in all the way from Stow to pick her up.  It's 20 minutes.  If you think I wouldn't go 20 minutes for a family member or friend who needed me, well, you don't know me.  I am a big fan of Glennon Doyle on Momastery, and one of my favorite posts of hers is about her mother, but there's a line about how you show up for your people.  When they are hurting, when they are scared, when they are alone, you pack up a bag and you go.

I don't know what it is about stuff like this.  I ache.  I wish there was something I could do.  I don't know what I would do there, but in my heart my bags are packed, and I'm ready.

But here's my sunshine in January.  These kids.  More sunshine than not, unless you try to wake them up in the morning when they are unwilling.

January 20 - Ben has a journal now that he needs to write in every night.  His teacher writes back and it is super cute.  This morning we must have forgotten because here he is trying to do it with breakfast.

January 21 - These two are so cute sometimes.  Actually, almost always.  Mia adores her older sister, and will do anything she wants most of the time.  They have been playing fashion shows and makeup and all kinds of things.  I love, love, love the fact that they are close, and I hope they always will be.  

January 22 - The day before this, I took Grandma to the funeral of one of her best friends.  I have known Lois my entire life and she has been like family.  It's hard to go to a funeral for anyone.  It's harder to take your 96 year old grandmother and have her talking about how they do such a nice job at that funeral home.  One thing I learned though, I have a new goal in life.  Live your life in such a way that it is standing room only at your funeral.  She was an amazing woman.

The kids had the next day off so we picked up Gram for lunch and to visit at her house a bit.  These kids love their Baba.  She let me sweep her house after we put the vacuum back together, but she wouldn't let me do much of anything else to help.  Strong and independent.      

January 23 - Our first Pinewood Derby!  Ben and Daddy worked hard on his car (behind him for the photo, my camera died right after this picture, grrr.) the Buckeye Bullet.  He got an award for the Best Sports Themed Car and Second place for all the Tiger Cubs.  We were very proud of him, he was very, very nervous about the whole thing.  

January 24 - Sometimes the kids do the sweetest things.  On this morning Ben decided to surprise us by making breakfast.  He was very nervous we figured out the surprise, but we needed to get downstairs to make the coffee.  Maggie got involved and so the menu happened.  I LOVE first grade spelling.  

January 25 - And jump.  God does this little girl love ballet.  Watching her this week for observation, I think it's safe to say that she will continue with it.  Such a serious little dancer, and so graceful and poised last night.  She so didn't get that from me.

January 26 - This little Daisy is selling girl scout cookies for the first time.  Anyone want to buy some?  We have totally been slacking in the cookie sales.  

That's this week.  No photos swapped in for a day, except the one cell phone pic, these are all just about straight out of the camera.  I love this camera.

Until the next week installment.  . . .