Shovel This, Kids!

Epiphany of the day - when you get too old for the holidays to be magical, it's time to make them magical for someone else. My teens were unimpressed with this news, but I can't wait to make them put this thought into action (more on that another time). And tonight I forced them off their bored butts to shovel all the common-area sidewalks in our townhouse neighborhood. (It had snowed a few inches today, and it was all starting to ice over.) That was fun. I hope it snows a lot here this winter. Community service is good for the teenage soul.

I swear they are sucking all the enjoyment out of my life. Like dementors. I need to fight back. Must...not...lose...strength....

I'm sitting up with David tonight, who is barking like a seal. I explained to him that 10-year-olds don't get croup, but he didn't listen. Stubborn, that kid.

Larry went to bed early this evening, because I was ranting and raving about our two eldest and he didn't know what to do (this was before I threw them out into the snow). I bet he goes to work at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Larry is the kind of person who is not afraid to avoid problems head-on.

It's been a rough day - one of those days when I feel like a hamster on one of those Habitrail wheels, running, running, running, and getting absolutely nowhere. It doesn't help that when I say, "Whew! I'm glad this day is over!", Larry feels the need to comment (faux cheerfully), "Yup - another day closer to death!" I ask you, is that helpful? I don't think so.

But it did snow, which is amazing around here in early December. And we had hot cocoa and played outside and Susie managed not to knock any of her teeth out when she fell headfirst out the door onto the front stoop. So today wasn't all bad. And now it's over and everyone's in bed, thank goodness.

I know - another day closer....