ASTONISHMENT

"Mama! Mama!", I heard Sage calling me. He ran up the stairs and ushered me to come see. The excitement in his voice led me to believe it had something to do with his puzzle.

I saw Elli and Babar (his two larger elephants) covering the white foam core on which Sage was building his puzzle. He was hiding his surprise. As I suspected, he had completed his puzzle before breakfast. He was so excited and proud of himself, as was I. The look of astonishment on his face would make even the grumpiest person smile. I knew he would have no trouble putting together the 280 pieces. He's done it before, yet it seems to amaze him every time. Shortly thereafter, he started to take portions of the puzzle apart so that he might put it back together again.

Cinnamon was feeling a bit run down and not her usual self. She refused an extra slice of cinnamon French toast - something she had requested all week as Sunday's special breakfast. As the day wore on, she started to feel better. This time of year I expect the children will come down with a few illnesses throughout the season but I hope nothing too serious.

Both children were happy to see Saffron over Skype after breakfast. No order of conversation was followed as all three spoke at the same time. Because of the time difference between Austin and Berlin, they are able to see each other solely on the weekends. The dynamic of the three has shifted much since summer with the older sister being absent from every day life. I cannot imagine a Christmas without all three together, yet that is the way it will be this year. 

The little things in life keep us going. The accomplishments, no matter how small they seem, which continue to astound.