Five and a half.

Believe it or not, I'm trying to bitch less during lent. Ask those I live with and they'll probably laugh. I am trying though. It's so easy to get going down the negative thoughts path, and it's very difficult to switch paths; at least for me.

It's still winter here. It's been nice this week though. By nice, I mean it's been above single digits, with quite a bit of sunshine. It even rained the other day for quite a while. I swear I could smell spring. I could feel it in my lungs. I could hear it. It's not far off now, and THAT makes me happy.

The sun was breaking the horizon on my way to work this morning. I so wanted to park and watch as it changed the landscape in front of me. It's been a while since I've seen the sun rise, and really watched it carve the land. The snow was blowing and drifting, and with the light, it was really beautiful. If I lived somewhere without winter, I think I'd miss it a little. Wouldn't I?

Madeline's 1/2 birthday is tomorrow. She'll be 5 1/2. It's a big deal to her (remember when it used to be big for you?), so I'm making it a big deal for me. She wants me to get her up early and take her to breakfast. I wish I could. I told her I'd take her to breakfast for supper tomorrow night. I take her out to pick out a small gift after that. She's taken to laying her clothes out the night before. That's what you see above. She's fun. It's weird how I seem to appreciate all the little things she does more than I remember appreciating her sisters when they were her age. Is it because she's my last, or my youngest? Maybe it's because I'm older now.

Happy Tuesday night-
Matt

(PS - The ice age is coming)