hothouse flowers
in a cold house - I, too, shiver -
reluctant to unfurl.

GRAND BAGUETTE ADVENTURE
One of our neighbors is a chef and he often brings us leftover baguettes. The boys fall upon the bread like a pack of ravening wolves but then there is lull when they look for other ways to enjoy the versatile loaves. H was rather ingeniously making his new underwater Lego adventurer swarm all over one and I thought it looked pretty interesting. For a lazy Sunday photo, anyway!

BROTHER BOY AND SISTER CAT
H and I were playing Memory a few nights ago and our cat Daisy hopped up to the table to join in the fun. Of course, what she really was trying to do was to tell H "You forgot to feed me!" Feeding Daisy is one of his evening chores, and one that is somehow very hard for him to remember, despite his being the family champion at Memory! Almost every evening I have to ask him "Did you remember to feed your sister cat?" Yeah, we call her the sister cat! Inspired in part by this beautiful poem written by Saint Francis of Assisi.

BED REST
It was a loooong weekend (Friday thru Wednesday) of Henry home with the stomach bug that just wouldn't quit. I became as one with the washing machine and antibacterial wipes during this period. Thankfully, he got through it and I brought him back to school yesterday where he ran right in without even a backwards glance. They were having lunch at his house and he made a bee-line for his place at the table and had to be prompted to even say Goodbye to me... which is fine, actually. It is a relief that he has landed in such a safe, wonderful place that he loves and is both educational and emotionally curative for him as well!

I hauled my weary carcass home and began the final clean-up. I thought I might also be coming down with the same nasty illness but I gradually perked up as the day wore on. So, I guess it was just simple exhaustion. Still, my bed looked awfully inviting last night! Oh, the bliss and comfort of a hot water bottle on a cold night.

WRITING IN CODE
Saw this lying around yesterday. Secret code, written for fun by one of the boys. Personally, I am always trying to understand people, events, situations (code cracker of the mundane?) rather than trying to further obfuscate the already somewhat unintelligible. But maybe that is an Autism Mom thing.

FAVORITE for the writing challenge.

SICK
and miserable. My poor Henry. He is mostly past the lying-in-bed-like-a-limp-rag part of his illness. But this next stage seems to have moments of utter misery and despair, possibly due to pain or boredom or the unsettled feeling of being out of his normal routine. Who can say? The clasped hands are not actually imploring me for anything: they are linked because seconds before he was raging and he has learned that squeezing his hands togther while he bellows has better consequences than what he really wants to do: squeeze his mother's head till her jaw snaps. Ouch! He is soon going to be as tall as I am too, so I am glad for his new rage dispersal method, however temporary.

Anyway, this rage seemed to sap what little strength he had mustered, and he is now back upstairs lying in bed like a wet rag. And I do mean wet. Washing machine ho!

BIRTHDAY
The twins turned thirteen today! Henry, home from school for the weekend, celebrated by getting ferociously ill. He has spent most of the day in bed. And we've had to change his sheets and pajamas nine times today so far, it's that kind of illness. (Aren't you glad I shared this detail?) It is so hard because he can't talk and we have to guess what to do for him, based only on his various symptoms and reactions. In some ways it is also easier because he can't talk, and complain and whine and demand things. (But I'd take complaints over silence anyday of course!) P, in contrast, had a nice day hanging out with a friend, biking around town, relishing a special dinner and enjoying his gifts. Henry came down for the celebration, ate a few bites of cake, looked at his gifts and went back to bed. The poor baby...er... teenager!

FASTER FASTER,
scream the children. Slower slower, implore the adults. I can't believe we are heading towards the end of January already. My twins turn thirteen tomorrow...

NEW SNOW
We are having our first sticking snow today! It is lovely, but even as I type this the storm is slowing down. I suspect all we will be left with is a fine dusting, like powdered sugar on a doughnut. Snow just the way I like it!

COLORFUL
pilgrim. I asked H to pause a moment in his back yard play so that I could take a few test shots for lighting. He complied with his usual good grace...but a tinge of long-suffering-ness comes through. This faintly martyred expression, along with the staff (broom handle javelin really), and the forsythia "halo" gives him the air of a pilgrim or young man on a quest. Bonjour Monsieur H!