It’s the end of Christmas day here and we’ve been overwhelmed with gifts and family and food and loveliness. The kid has been well spoiled, but was also very excited about having us open her gift to us that she made at preschool and about handing the presents out around the room.

She was too excited to sleep last night and eventually asked us to bring in Grandma’s rocking chair so that I could rock her for a while. This was a request I was not going to pass up.

And so last night and tonight I rocked her for a while and I remembered rocking her when she was a baby in her dark bedroom before placing her back in her crib. I could lie her across my lap and she fit.

Now her legs and arms take over, she’s twice the size.

Soon she will turn 4, we will be registering her for kindergarten, a whole new kid will be with us next Christmas again. A whole new year to to and improve our lives for her sake.

Joe says 2014 belongs to us, and so the plans begin.