Flu

We have yet to have a normal week in 2014. Between holidays and snow, combined with the last week's worth of flu, Sophia hasn't been to school more than four days. This week, she'll be lucky to get two.

Anyway, it wears us both out. I love spending time with my girl. Especially when we can get outside for a little walk or play. But this weather keeps us inside. Playing Monopoly, Life, dominoes, American Girls, Legos, Wii, watching TV, reading.

Here she is writing a story.

She was pretty mad to learn that today was a snow day because I think she was ready to head back. Really, though, I think another day of rest couldn't be a bad idea.

Here's hoping for some health and normalcy. 

Hate cannot drive out Hate; only Love can do that. -Dr. King

This week, I have come face to face with one of the biggest challenges of parenting a thoughtful and observant child. Addressing the reality that is the spectrum of human possibility - the lengths to which hatred will go to snuff out the power of love.

Sophia came home from school on Thursday with a booklet about Martin Luther King, Jr. I asked if she had any questions about him. She responded, "No. I already know that the guy shot him." So I knew we were in for a talk. She's not one just to take in that kind of information and move on.

I won't share too many of the details of our conversation. It's too intimate a topic for general revelation.

I will tell you that we extensively covered the topics of hatred, fear, love and forgiveness.

It was quite possibly the hardest conversation that we have had to date. Sophia's world is safe and comfortable. She has never seen anyone as different, even though I'm sure others are aware of their own differences.

Sophia didn't know how much people could hate. Until I told her.

Having to tell my beautiful, innocent and loving child about the fear and hatred that exists in the world was terrible. I didn't want her to understand. I didn't want her to realize fully what humans are capable of doing to one another. I was grateful that I got to tell her about the love that people like Dr. King, Nelson Mandela, Jesus and Gandhi showed to others, even to those who showed them nothing but cruelty and hatred. I got to tell her about the encompassing forgiveness that each of them embodied during their lifetimes. We talked about how love is stronger than hatred. We talked about how we can show others that we love them and help to make the world a safer place, not only for us but for those who live in fear.

As we talked, I woke up.

It's easy to become complacent. To forget where we have been as a people, and where we continue to struggle. As adults, as people who have seen and heard way too much, it's far too easy to hear about atrocities and pains, small and great, with a mental shrug of the shoulders. We might shake our heads, but are we doing it to express sadness or just to clear the image from our minds?

If you choose to look our world in the face, don't forget what Dr. King told us. "Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness."

I want to be a part of creating a world that is closer to the one that Sophia thought we lived in. Closer to the one that Sophia lives in. I want to be worthy of the trust that she puts in me - she puts it in you, too, I guarantee.

 “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” MLK, Jr

Sick of the Snow

I like snow. I do. It's something I always say. "If it's going to be this cold, at least we could have snow." I will more or less stand by that statement. I just think I'd rather not have it go to such extremes. In temperature or snowfall...

Anyhow, it wasn't all bad. Even though the wind chills got to 35 below or something. Before the biggest chill hit, we went outside to play. Because the snow was just taunting us. Looking so perfect and untouched.

Bundled to the max

We didn't make it very long outside that day. Sophia could have kept going, but her cheeks took a while to return to their normal color. While she thawed, she blogged. And here's what she looked like. With her cup of snow beside her.

Anyway, now the snow is all gucky and brown. (I find it very interesting that spell check did not underline "gucky.") The charm is gone. And now the rain will even make it impossible to play in. So I'm ready to bid this one adieu.

The next time it gets very cold, I'm pretty sure I'll still say, "At least let's have a little snow."

Girl Power Strikes Again

Going on the court is scary. But it gets better.I was scared to.

 As I said  it gets better because my team just scored a point.

At the end of a game we give high 5s.I was so happy for my friends.

By sophia.

New Places; Old Friends

We three Creaches decided that staying home for too much of Sophia's break would be too uninteresting for us, so we decided to visit a new city and see some old friends.

We have some very good friends who moved to Indianapolis in 2012, and we had yet to visit them in their new home. We did not expect to enjoy Indianapolis itself quite as much as we did.

We stayed in the downtown Omni hotel, which is in a very cool area. Lots of interesting architecture and walkable restaurants. Exactly what I love. The Omni and several other hotels are all connected by a skywalk, similar to the one in Kansas City, with a great mall in the middle.

In said mall, there are the usual stores, cineplex, food court and such. There is also a huuuuge arcade. This arcade is the nemesis of parents of small children. Why? Because most of the walls are covered in prize-hoarding crane machines like this one.

Sophia had been looking through the whole mall for a stuffed animal that was wearing an Indianapolis-themed shirt. I really am not making that up. Imagine the mixed feelings Erick and I entertained when we spotted, at last, this machine full of bears wearing an "I" on their shirts...

Before we let her spend any of her (and our) money on this effort, I showed her the chair that she would sit in when she tried it three times without success. It would be her chair of sadness and disappointment. She understands, having tried unsuccessfully at these machines many times before, that her odds are very slim.

But she's an optimist.

She tried it once. With no success. She asked Erick to take over. Palms sweaty, the pressure building, he dropped a bear on the first try.

Last try they had. Sophia got behind me so she couldn't see. Erick and I were silent as the crane swung gently and carried the blue bear (Sophia's favorite color) ever nearer the drop point.

Then we hooted. And so did she...

That may have been a highlight of the trip, but we were also very impressed with the memorials that Indianapolis has downtown to their veterans. Sophia could not understand why we'd fight with Mexico, but she did like the memorial. And we were cold.

Somehow we were too busy with our friends to capture any pictures of them or us with them. Their kids are adorable. Their house is wonderful and spacious. We had lots of fun. But you'll have to take my word for it.

Here's proof, however, of the fun we had just the three of us.

Holiday Heydays - by LJ

The night of Christmas is always bizarre. Is it just for me? It's just like the any other time that something you've waited and watched for comes to pass. It's a strange adjustment back to normal life. Not waiting. Just living. 

Christmas Eve, on the other hand, is my favorite night of the year. All that built up energy and excitement. Just ready to boil over. Santa to think of. Presents to wrap and present. 

Sophia put out Santa's snack in her cute little Christmas jammies. So excited to see what the morning might bring.

None of us were disappointed. I'm just posting this picture because he's so cute. The only thing Christmas brought him in this picture is the sweater. I love it. So cozy. It's going to be tempting to to commandeer it, but I won't.

We got Sophia this pogo stick. She said it was her favorite present, besides the doll bed that Santa brought her. I was happy that we had a reason to get outside on Christmas. After our nap, of course.

Another of her presents was a gift card to the American Girl store here in St. Louis. She has one American Girl doll and one Target version, but she has never been to the store. Her doll got a new hairdo. They have a salon. For the dolls.

That's just a smattering of what we have done so far this break. The majority of the rest of the time has been divided between seeing family and lying around in pjs. Happy holidays for us!!

The Snowboarding Adventure

It was fun to snowboard all day long.This

is me going down the hill. 

When you go down a hill  in order to go down a hill you have to keep a strong center of gravity.

It is hard to be cruising down a hill. But anybody can do it.

This is the ready position and sometime you get scared.

BY Sophia monroe creach