Awakenings

This year has started out well.  So well, in fact, that I've been hard-pressed to come up with something to post about.  I went through a couple of my old posts and there's a lot of:  "Life is great!", and "I'm sooo happy!".  And though I am in no way complaining about how I've felt about my world, I know from experience that sometimes reading about someone else's happiness isn't all that much fun.  Especially if the reader isn't on the same page as the writer.  It's more along the lines of "Well, yaaaaaay for you".  Anyway, that's my personal experience.  And yeah, I'm aware that's a pretty rotten way to be, but sometimes too much fabulousness in someone else's life is just...too much. Period.  And yeah, despite my happiness, this is my natural pessimism shining through.  
However, I guess when life is good, it's just really good.  I've been trying to come up with interesting stuff to post about, and...I got nothing.  I've always said that I'm happiest when nothing is going on...that means that life is good.  But it makes for some seriously boring reading.  

Syd has started to TRY to say things.  She usually doesn't get past one syllable, but she's trying.  This makes me happy and relieved.  She really enjoys making sounds.  I think she feels like they are just more interesting than actual words--her favorite thing right now is a play food set; with spoons, cups, plates, and fake foods.  She feeds all of us, and will make the appropriate drinking, eating, chewing, burping sounds.  I appreciate the words of encouragement from those of you that have heard me voice my fears about Syd.  I think the biggest fear of parents is for something to go south with their children.  I know that when it comes to mine, I try to be good about letting them do their own thing, and support their individuality.  However, I'm not above comparing others to my kids...and if they seem to be lagging, my kids, I mean, I worry.  This isn't fair to them.  I know this.  But I'm weak sometimes.  I love Riley, Cole, and Syd.  I want whatever is good for them.  And I need to relax and recognize when something is good for them, even if it's confusing or frustrating to me.  That's a lot of babble, I know.  Parenthood is just really hard, sometimes.  Even when it doesn't have to be.

Today Cole told  me he thinks he has the best family ever.  "The best mom, and the best dad, and the best sisters...Basically everything is just the best."  I just watched as he happily skipped off to do something that I'm sure he told me about, but I tuned him out as he was telling me.  I do that WAY too often.  But I really stopped to think about that.  He's happy.  And that makes me really happy. 

 Riley and her dad worked tonight on the last leg of her 5th grade science fair project.  Jeff had a bazillion projects that he needed to finish, but he took the time to help her print out pictures and write down results, and so on, and so forth.  And before she went to bed, I heard Riley tell Jeff that she appreciated his time that he spent helping her with her project.  (Notice that she's no where to be seen during the actual work).

And then she showed up to play with the box that Jeff was using to put behind her poster board.  But she actually stuck around to work on her conclusions to her hypothesis, so technically, she DID do quite a lot.  :)  The point?  You can see how much she loves her dad.  He makes my kids and me, happy.  And so I come full circle.  I'm happy.  My kids are happy.  Despite some stress, and being short on time, Jeff is happy, too.   And it makes for a boring story.  But a great life.  :)