Today is a bit better; I took the kids to meet a friend for breakfast, and now Adam is napping and Leah is playing outside in our sad scarce little snowfall. I am barefoot and drinking coffee, but at least I am dressed, and when we came back in the house it smelled like pine. VICTORY!

Besides, it's nice to sit at my kitchen table, watching Leah play outside and seeing the world go by. Our yard is actually on the side of our house, with one street in the front and one street in the back (our block is shaped like the Flatiron Building), with the kitchen and breakfast room windows facing the yard, so essentially we are the fishbowl house of the neighborhood. This has its obvious advantages and drawbacks; my favorite story is the time a girlfriend called me to ask for my house number. "Stef! Hi, it's me, which house is...HEY! You just walked by your kitchen window! I'll be right in." And when we first bought the place, all the school mothers wanted a tour, because they remember walking their kids to school and seeing the gradual kitchen transformation as the previous owners renovated.

But from my chair at the table, I can turn my head to check on Leah if she's at the neighbors, and see her running from one side to other in our own yard. It's right under the baby's room, so I can hear him start to yell when he wakes up. And, like a minute ago, if I get too involved in writing something, Leah can climb a stepstool to tap on the window and get my attention.

Jesus, that scared the piss out of me just now. Maybe that pot of coffee wasn't the greatest idea. Off to use the excess energy to do something useful, like sort through baby clothes.

Hey, I didn't say "exciting", I said "useful".