Between My Fingers

Is there not something in us that wants to grab life, literally, and rub it between our fingers?  To know that it's real and tangible.  When love passes from one person to another, we look around for someone else to nod there heads in agreement.  No, you are not mistaken.  That did just happen.  You witnessed love.  In this crazy life we lead right now, it is too easy to miss those times.  Between the siblings bickering over whose air was being touched (no I'm not kidding, they really did fight about air,) and the rushing around to feed 6 people and 4 pets (no I didn't miscount, there is a new stray that decided that we looked like ginormous suckers, and we are) it is far too easy to blink.  And miss it.  Or more likely, to be distracted and miss it.  I have been making a concerted effort to spend a bit of time each day with each child.  This seemed like such a novel idea at first.  We're home most days, all day long, so it shouldn't be too hard, right?  Well, again between meal-making, home-schooling, and life-sharing it is a bit challenging.  But oh so rewarding.  Jack responds immediately to a small kindness in words and hugs.  Ella-Kathryn wants to share her giggles about the newest book she's reading, or hatch a plan for some fun day together.  Will, oh Will, is about the most complex little 3 year old I've ever met.  So silly in one minute and spewing hateful words in the next.  Every morning I find a new wrinkle around my eyes and new grays in my hair.  Because of that boy, I'm sure.  And Ryan.  Oh my.  If we meet somewhere and you call my name and I don't respond, please know it's not because I'm ignoring you.  I've merely gone deaf.  In both ears.  Because there is a small boy in my life right now whose lungs were apparently not at all damaged or weakened by his stay in the NICU (and we are truly grateful for that although some minor damage might not have been frowned upon.)  Whew that one has a temper too.  Have not one iota of a clue as to which parent passed on the angry gene. 
To recap:
I am trying.
They have noticed and responded kindly.
With His grace we will keep on keepin' on.

Some turkey day shots.

Not sure what this face is.  This was Thanksgiving morning.  He got himself dressed, Mr. Preppy:)  He's helping me make puppy chow.  That stuff is manna from heaven thank you very much.

On the way to Thanksgiving dinner. 2 out of 4 napping.

This picture just makes me laugh.  Jack looks particularly thrilled to be there.  I will say that he was enjoying himself up until the moment I said "everyone look at mommy!"  To which he responded, "
a picture at Lowes?????"   Will was making another odd face.  Ryan is doing "cheese" and Ella-Kathryn makes me think that perhaps 1 out of my 4 children might turn out normal.

Ah, the annual placing of the star on the Christmas tree tradition.  Will's turn this year and I cropped my double chin right on out of this shot:)

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I missed my dad, sis, and extended family dearly!  But I ate myself into a starch-induced coma and then after shopping from 12:30 AM til 2 AM Fri morning, I went to bed last night at 9 and because I married the dearest man ever, slept til 9 this morning.  Yes you read that right - I slept for 12 hours people!  Sadly other than some random tidying around the house, I  have nothing to show for that amazing amount of sleep.  Perhaps I'll be able to regale you with a tale of horrific insomnia tonight though...

PS**** A funny to end on.  We have never said that Mr. Claus was real.  We would always just ask our kids what they thought and then reiterate how the tradition started.  We figured no harm done in letting them figure it out themselves etc.  So, at Thanksgiving dinner, I guess Santa became the topic of conversation at the kids' table.  Not sure of the details, but we heard Jack say something about it and thought it wise to call him into the dining room to remind him that not all of the children there were aware of the 'truth' of Santa.  Thank goodness we did, because we were told then that our oldest nephew may still believe it and definitely the younger nieces did.  Whew.  Close call.  So Jack was cool with keeping it under wraps and promised to scurry in and tell Ella-Kathryn (who decided for sure this year that is was a nice "story, but not real") to keep it on the DL about St. Nick.  But before he turned to relay the message to his sis, in a moment of preciousness that we will never forget, Jack glanced over at Jeff, then looked at his Grandma and said with a toss of his head in her direction, "Do they know?"