Please sit as close as possible...

I have been thinking about what to post most of the afternoon. It has been a very sad day, not only worldwide**, but in my own little life.

**Please, if you feel compelled, make a donation to one of the following, either Red Cross or OxFam America, for the people of Haiti. This is a catastrophe and your help is needed.**

On a personal front, my family is in the midst of losing someone who is really like family to us. We are sad to see her so sick and frail, and I know she is ready to begin the journey to her next life. My family is all she has, and we love her. She adores my sister's kids and mine. My mom is her daughter. My dad, well, what do we say? He is her everything. We wait, and we hope and we love.

A hard Wednesday. And instead of ending with sadness, I will tell a tale. My children have this thing about sitting as close as humanely possible when we are seated on a couch. Now, I don't mind this phenomenon normally. I mean, I love my kids, but seriously, do we have to sit on top of mom, or dad or really anyone, at all times. We have an entire couch. A floor. Other chairs. Is it necessary to sit on top of whomever it is in the teeny, tiny corner of the couch?

Example 1:

But this doesn't really count, because I think it is Opa sitting as close to James Raz as possible.
He loves his grandchildren!

Example 2

You can't tell but this is me on the far right, stuffed in the little tiny corner of my couch. The kids are perfectly happy, but me, I can't breathe because I have no room. I do realize that I am lucky beyond belief to have these children to love me and to love. However, sometimes I need just a little room.

And then there is the singing....