Christmas week

As I checked on Claire last night, I looked at her sweet sleeping face and I vowed to spend more time looking at her and smiling at her and being with her this week and less time trying to get her and Sam to go play so that I can cook and clean and generally stress out.

The morning didn't start great. My back was hurting. Sammy threw fits.  I wanted to stress about the house and worry about when I'm going to go to the post office, finish the photo collages for grandparents, and buy stocking stuffers. But...but...this light fluffy snow was coming down and had covered the ground enough for such things as sledding.

So I mustered what little character I seem to have right now and decided to put on snow clothes and take the kids sledding. They had a blast. Claire was very daring (even going down backwards) and Sammy, of course, wanted to use everyone's sled but his own and finally convinced some giant man to let him borrow his saucer sled. He watched some big boys running and jumping on their sleds, so he did that as well.

Claire made a pretty good little snowman this afternoon in the backyard. I made sure I took lots of pictures and said how great it was rather than just saying "great! Okay, keep playing I'm trying to finish dinner!" I even put my boots on to go out to see it.

I know. I'm mother-of-the-year right now. But at least they didn't spend their day running errands with me. And that is something.....