January 18 with KT

Thursday:  We have SO MUCH SNOW!! But schools are back in session today--and really COULD have been yesterday were it not for the unfavorable forecasts that kept broadcasting all day about an expected mid-day white-out due to wind and blowing snow. It never happened. The sun was shining ... and YES, there was a lot of snow but nothing warranting the cancelling of classes (in my opinion). Sigh. I miss my kiddos.

I was able to pick Kaity up from Jesse at our usual time today. We came right over to my little place and just hung out for awhile. I found a bunch of "old" looms and rubber band craft books on my shelves awhile back when I was doing some organizing around here; so I set those aside to see if Kaity might want to make some bracelets. I tried a sample myself and could NOT figure out the instructions; so I took the whole thing over to my sister and Terry's place the other night and worked on a sample with them. They thought it was difficult too! The instructions are terribly written! Terry did figure out the sample we were trying to make ... so anyway ... I showed it to Kaity today.

Since I have two different loom sets, Kaity and I decided to make the same bracelet together to see if I could remember what Terry showed me to do. We did okay for steps 1 - 4 but then ... messed up on step 5 and had to take everything off our looms and begin again. We tried a few times (!!) and then finally gave up. I'm going to have to work harder at this in the days ahead so that I know how to make this work!

I was happy, though, just to sit next to Kaity at my table and laugh with her as we messed up our bracelets. I love this child so much. She is at a perfect age to relate to and have fun with. I feel very connected to her, probably because she shares her life with me--stuff she thinks about, friends she has, how she spends her time, what she thinks about at school, etc. I treasure these times with my Kaity-Girl. There will come a day when she will no longer do this with me. She will grow up. I will be too old for her to enjoy anymore. But I will always love her. Like I love Emma, even though I hardly know her anymore. And the boys too, whom I hardly ever see. 

PS  I have been working on this puzzle for about three weeks. It only has 500 pieces. I purchased it at Baker's Book Store just before Thanksgiving and got the border together (with Kaity's help). Then the Christmas season was upon me and I put the puzzle away (under my bed) for about four weeks. Now that I have undecorated my house, I've gotten the puzzle back out in the main room and I've slowly made progress on it. I have come close to throwing the stupid thing right out the window, though--it is the most difficult puzzle I have ever attempted. Thankfully, Ruthanne and Terry came over one night last week and found a few key pieces and put them where they belonged--which renewed my hope that it might actually be possible to finish it.