I took down the Christmas tree last night. It's needles are (mostly) cleared off our floors and the rest of our decorations, in boxes. As much as I enjoy decking the halls, by the end of December I'm always ready for the holidays to be over, to strip everything as bare as the trees outside.
So 2016 ... This was a challenging year. I'm trying to reflect and think of the small ways we've grown, the way the year's events have forced evolution. Personally, I raised my voice this year more than I'd like to admit. I need to be better about "taking five" in front of the girls. One resolution I will carry into 2017 is to visit one museum or monument every month together. I learned (or relearned) it is easier to have the kids outside bundled with hats and gloves with the winter wind hurling us about, than keeping them indoors and praying for peace. This week alone we marched to the park and to the Botanical Gardens and went to a children's tour at the Library of Congress. Oh, and of course there was one last stop at the pediatrician to check Genevieve's ear. Prices paid, I suppose. I started exercising again this year and it has changed me in ways I cannot describe. I drank more water. I wasn't great about sticking to our budget, which bums Jon out (sorry, babe); and I didn't publish a single article, which bums me out. But at least I'm writing in this space.
Flipping back through the year's pictures gives me pause. Genevieve started the year rolling and she's ending it running. And there's nary a trace of baby left on Cecile's face. She's such a kid now. My girls are both challenging and a joy, in different ways. I am ready to continue writing our narrative in the New Year, together ...
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