January

 In typical 2020 fashion, January continues to fly with days that can seem so long.  

Last Wednesday we turned school into sessions on the Constitution, the Electoral College and print vs television media.  I'm not good at shielding the kids from what's going on.  I do make sure I sit and try to digest it with them, though.  After our lessons...even Benjamin came to the conclusion that rioters were focusing their energies on the wrong people in very much the wrong way.  I think his words were something like, "Don't they know the state certifies the votes?  If the state certifies them, that's it.  What are they doing?'  

Indeed.  What are they doing?  As the kids watched the footage, they pointed out the areas that they were familiar with from our trips to the Capital.  They were horrified.  Just horrified.  

Sam brought up the Boston Tea Party and found parallels between the situations.  John Brown came up.  As did the shooting in the capital by Puerto Rican nationalists in the 50s.  I'm happy they're seeing connections and trying to put the pieces together.  They know they don't have the answers, and they're not afraid to search for them.  

CSPAN has been the most watched channel lately.  I do think we're going to have at least a couple of political junkies on our hands.  

    In other news...Benjamin finally got a bed.  Fourth child he is, he started out in a pack-n-play and then moved to a crib mattress on the floor.  I think when he was 3 he declared that he was a "too much big boy for a crib bed" and preferred sleeping on the floor.  We kept asking if he wanted a bed and the answer was always, "No, I like the floor".  I got used to the hallway resembling a refugee camp with the Little Guy, his books and blankets all strewn about in the mornings.  Before Christmas, Ben mentioned he would like a bed.  Space being what it is here, a loft was the only viable option - since it gives him both a place to sleep and personal space underneath.  The Boys put it together in an afternoon.  Ben  chose a Macbeth blanket as a cherry on the top.  He seems. pleased.  

 

For some reason, the Boys have gotten SO in to Japanese monsters lately.  They're constantly watching clips of Godzilla every chance they can get.  Sam is loving the Godzilla sweatshirt that he got for his birthday.  

And this is what happens when we try to get ONE.  Decent.  Picture.  It's impossible.  

And then...THIS beautiful girl. Fifteen.  She is an amazing blessing.  

All she wanted for her birthday was to go to the library.  "It has been 300 days since I've smelled a library, Mom."  We did the next best thing.  Thank goodness for discount racks.  

Happy 15, Caroline.  

It's cranberry juice (I promise) in a glass that belonged to her Great-Great Aunt Meum.