Sour Potatoes

It is with a great sigh that I admit I  am running a little behind on my Christmas thank you notes this year. It seems no matter how well-intentioned I am, January somehow always seems to sink into a taking down the decorations- weight gain assessment- resolution making- resolution breaking black hole.

And so for me, anyway, February has become the new January.

Yesterday, we had a completely unwarranted (freezing temperatures but no snow)/ completely wonderful Snow Day. How my little people and I cheered when on Tuesday, also a(n) (unwarranted) Snow Day, my iPhone email sang out the news that we would indeed be spending another cozy day together. Snow Days are the best! Sure, we spent our fair share of time watching movies and conquering levels on Lego Star Wars (Sam) and getting dressed and redressed as the mood struck us (Lauren) and knitting (Me and I am using this word loosely because 1) I am just learning and 2) I am not good 3) Not good at all) but we also seized this opportunity to, yes, you guessed it, finish up those Christmas thank you’s!

And given the fact that February is the new January, having them done by the 3rd, felt great!

I love these opportunities to sit down with my monkeys when we are all engaged in some kind of art. It always seems to lend itself to the loveliest of conversations and usually, at least once, it is the road we take to hysterical laughter. It was so sweet to hear the kids recount their holiday tales as they remembered each gift and the loving and thoughtful people who gave them. It is really amazing to see them  focus their thoughts of gratitude even to those they don’t know personally. My mom works with a wonderful lady who always remembers my kids at Christmas even though she has never even met them in person.  Her kindness and faithfulness over the years has had an effect on my little folks. Talking through something like this can really give you insight into a child’s heart. Lauren often says, “Wow, Mom, Miss Margo must be really nice to give presents to people she doesn’t even know.”, It is easy to see how such examples of kindness and generosity can make an indelible mark that they will carry with them the rest of their lives. And so unwarranted or not, the Snow Day turned out to be a blessed opportunity to steep ourselves in gratitude for all we have. And it’s a lot.

I know what I am thankful for…

” There are two things I can’t stand, people who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the Dutch!”

Remember this line from Austin Powers? I must say that I am also guilty of (inappropriately albeit) subscribing to a double standard for there are two things that I cannot stand, the killing of any living thing and spiders. Okay, so there is the obvious issue of my arachnophobia which probably has deep roots in my childhood and is quite irrational, I admit. But please tell me if you met my friend here, we’ll just call him Tiny…

(Is anyone else flashing back to the Lord of the Rings, right now? “Get back, Filth!”) Don’t you think the Law of the Jungle would apply here? I mean I see this and I think it is either kill or be killed!

My eight year old daughter is a self proclaimed animal activist who patiently captures insects she finds in the house in a jar and returns them to the wild from whence they came. She is always very upset when she witnesses any insect homicide but I just don’t know…I think unless you wanna go maverick and saddle up this Big Boy, it’s curtains for Tiny.

Poor Guy. What a world, what a world…

Does anyone else have a (distrubing) double standard?