1. Andy and I both slept off colds over the holiday weekend. Only partly awake, I shuffled into the kitchen in the late afternoon. I blinked when I saw them gathered around the kitchen table, playing Monopoly. They smiled at me. “Feeling better?” they asked. “Look, we made our own snacks…You can’t play board games without snacks, right?” I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes and smiled. It’s a powerful thing to see all those (miserable) hours of sitting around the table (with snacks to entice them) and insisting on fair play transformed into their independence and enjoyment of playing together.
2. Jay asked, “Will you help me figure out what to do with a class? I’m having a hard time and I thought maybe you and Dad can help me figure it out.” Wow. 
3. Sam said, “We need a new rule, Mom. You come home right after school and don’t leave until after I’m in bed.” It’s been a rare week when I’ve been gone every afternoon and evening. I’m grateful for his sweet reminder that spending time together makes a difference.
4. We watched a super fun movie all together on Friday night. I savored every moment of all of us together.
5. I read Sunny Side Up this week. So did Sam and Steph. We plan to talk about it over coffee and hot chocolate on Saturday morning.
6. My friends from high school all sat together around a kitchen table for a visit. It’s been 20 years since we’ve done that.
7. Kate is snoozing at my feet. I’m beginning to get  used to having a constant protector.
8. I get to talk writing every Friday morning with a good friend.
9. Stephanie can run the cross country course without stopping. Her dimples are gorgeous when she smiles and she smiles real knowing she can run the whole time. I love her mental toughness.
10. The weather changed. It was chilly and grey and rainy. I loved it.

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