Good Things, January 2013

We will not speak of how the wind was howling all day at such a level that at one point I stopped what I was doing and thought, what does that wind sound like? and decided it sounded like The Dramatic Wind Sound that's in the movie Rudolph during the treacherous blizzard scene. We will also not speak of how I almost passed out at a routine opthamological appointment today nor of how I was completely blinded by the brightness of the snow as I drove home afterwards, pupils dilated, sunglasses missing. We will not speak of how obvious it was during tonight's pre-bedtime family game of Memory that I am BY FAR the worst player in our family.

Instead! We shall speak of Good Things, because there were a few:

The awesome pile of books next to Annie's bed.

The kittens' love of the shower (and the fact that they come running when we turn it on).

Embracing the nasty weather by blowing up an air mattress in the living room, lighting a fire, making some popcorn, and watching old-school Hayley Mills "The Parent Trap," and hearing Jemma say to herself, after: "That wasn't really about trapping parents . . . "

A fun family ski trip with plenty of hot cocoa . . .

 . . . and a new skier in the family.

Getting out the scooters on a mysteriously warm weekend.

My family's annual post-holiday brunch at "the fancy hotel."

Our new piano, which Annie has christened Abraham Lincoln.

The fact that Jason is literally playing a Richard Marx song in this picture.

A fat cat on a fat stack of library books.

A ridiculous but ambitious stack for a dreary January.

Little readers.

Post-dinner dance party.

Watching Michigan basketball with custom-made signs.

The adorableness Jemma makes me at school.

A dinner out with an old Hope professor to talk about next summer's travels.

The fact that Anita wants to "ser maestra" (be a teacher) when she's grande.

Today's much-more-sensible eating (and subsequent feeling-better; turns out all that "eat good to feel good" stuff is totally TRUE and daily pizza is not super-helpful).

Annie's confidence and enthusiasm about math this year (here, she's playing a game against her teachers online).