January:

January:

It snowed, once

It was uncharacteristically warm

Maddie Started Ice Skating Lessons

Evan went to a birthday at the Marine Corps Museum

the kids found out how much fun tape on your nose can be

And I did a lot of thinking or reflecting or whatever it’s called when your mind wanders, but wanders down a specific path. Family; something I hold very high on our priority list and very near to our heart. Specifically our family and what we want it to be and look like and focus on and “be about”.

Even more specific parenting with intent; what kind of parents do we “want to be” I mean we are who we are and became that way, were shaped that way, through our individual and joint life experiences; our frame of reference. But now were here a 3 year old and a 7 year old both very much alike but also completely different, especially when we’re talking about how to motivate and discipline. So how do we do right by them, the kids, how do we do right by each other; I don’t know lol in fact the wandering lead to thinking about how much our kids are like us, and again how different they are. Also how much they want to be like us, which I never really realized until Evan turned about 2 1/2

Evan Bryan is, at times, a dead look alike for me when I was his age. It completely catches me off guard when I look at him and in my mind’s eye I see a picture of myself as a kid. I’m not the only one who sees it our neighbor, who is from Ireland, says “you can’t deny him”. Which I guess is an Irish saying for he looks just like you. So we look alike but we also act alike; when I get upset I get spun up to the moon, and Evan is the exact same. Thankfully we taught him to take a deep breath and relax; it’s pretty cute to watch him go from redline to taking a big breath and relaxing. I love that hes learning valuable coping skills so early on. Evan is into dinosaurs, soldiers and ninjas. I’m still into all of those things so it’s perfect lol. He’s smart too I’m sure smarter than I was at his age and he’s a sweetheart. The first one to call for a family hug or a “hug and nuggle” he definitely have a high level of emotional intelligence. My favorite new thing he does it, on the weekends he will wake up earlier than me, tap my head and say pssst “daddy watch Dino game on you phone?” lol. Then he will snuggle up right next to me and say “we are big boys” I love that.  

Shortly after Sissy will come in our room or we will get up and make coffee then watch the kids play on the deck of jump on the trampoline, in the middle of January. 

Take away from my January 2017 mind wonderings:

Life is good, the weather is strange, we are Happy and all so alike