January Update

And a cold January it is. I have had a light case of the winter blues, augmented by almost zero time outdoors and my daughter’s toothache, which worries me. But the sun shines today. Maybe next week will be warmer. And by the way, for those who identify with seasonal affective disorder, I once wrote a guest post about SAD on Three Green Doors, a lovely website created by one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Luci Martin.

I posted a picture of my happy children above. Sometimes I wonder just how gloomy life will feel when the children are all grown up and there’s no one around to add fresh perspective. As whiny and complainy and tear-out-my-hair-inducing as they can be at times, they have SO MUCH zest for life and bring interesting ideas, crazy laughter, and soft sweet hugs into every single day of it.

Here’s a paragraph I wrote about them to a friend; I don’t think she will mind if I share.

The best part of this day? Doing the “scientific seven minute workout” with Ivan at the end of it, just before we pop the children in bed. The children are our cheerleaders, repeating “keep your core engaged” during pushups or yelling “faster, faster” during running in place. This makes Ivan and I laugh, and the workout deteriorates.  Then right after exercises, they run to bed and I follow, roaring “Fee fi fo fum! I smell the blood of two little ones. Be they alive or be they dead I’ll tickle them good and send them to bed.” They want me to do it every night.

So yes, life is still so precious and wonderful, even in the miserable days.

And here’s a few more pictures of the children:

Teddy on his second birthday the beginning of November. We were privileged to spend it in Wisconsin with Grandpa Ted and Grandma Rose.

Here are both children with Grandma Rose:

And Annalise with Grandma Dorothy, who we also visited over that time:

Here is Teddy helping me make pie dough while clutching his blankie:

And another of both children dressed up (Teddy has on a bunny rabbit headband which you can’t see properly in the picture since he put it on himself, on the back of his head).

Finally, here is a favorite memory from Christmas–singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus over muffins at breakfast. I read the idea somewhere (in Focus on the Family magazine, I think), and of course children love things like that. A small way to help them get what Christmas is truly about.

Bright winter wishes to all,

Lucinda