The best light possible

According to one report it was negative twelve degrees this morning. Thank goodness the days are getting longer.

I was proud of my family today. Homework with my daughter before her late-start at school. Two work meetings that provided much needed adult interaction. Then, third grade math with my son. I suggested we cook or bake something together after his schoolwork, and he chose to make me scrambled eggs. He normally does a bang-up job with them, but the salt must have come out faster than expected today because I could barely keep a straight face while I ate them. Good thing I'm not having my blood pressure taken in the near future.

After school my son walked up the hill to see if his friend was home (unfortunately not), and now the kids are gearing up for homework and silent reading. Despite the usual repetitive negative self-talk ("I'm a terrible son." "I'm worthless."), it was a really good day. We were safe, we did some math, we cooked, and we read. Yesterday was a good day, too. My son let me brush his hair after he showered, we did math, and he played for a couple of hours with his friend. These are victories to me. Yes, he still verbally put himself down, but the phrases are almost a tic. They often flare up when he's tired, at bedtime.

Interestingly, my son has mentioned a couple of times recently that he feels lazy. I actually think this is a really important step - he wants to do more. I interpret it as meaning his nervous system has calmed down and we can build in more structure and activities. I see it as a sign of healing.