Tristen: I'm sorry you're not feeling well, Mommy. How about if I draw you a picture?

Me: Okay.

Tristen: What do you want me to draw?

Me: Ummm...how about a nice sunny day, with people running around, being happy? That might make me feel better.

Tristen: How about guinea pigs with jet packs! Good idea?

Promise

Tristen and I had a blast watching the winter Olympics together. Every night we snuggled up on the couch, crossing our fingers that NBC would dish up some short track.

It was our second winter Olympics: when Tristen was four, Chris was at a Spanish language training in Mexico, and we also watched the Olympics every night.

I wondered out loud whether Tristen would still be snuggly in four years, during the next winter Olympics. He'll be 12.

He promised he would, so I made him write it down. 2018 here we come!

Ukelele lullaby

Tristen, Chris, and I all learned to play the ukelele this year -- because Tristen's class took lessons.This is Tillie taking the "Hush, Little Baby" song very literally.

Closed, open

How to become one with Seattle winters? You gotta just go with it: put your pine cones in the oven and watch what happens.

New year, old pals

January sleepover with Owen. These two: still so much fun together.

Pickle ball in the park

The kids tried out our new, homemade (from plywood and old bicycle tubes) pickle ball rackets.

Oh, the humanity