Starting the Year Right
Starting the Year Right New Year’s Day evening has a different kind of quiet when the kids are gone. The house feels bigger somehow—less noise, fewer demands, more space just for us. By the time dinner was cleaned up and the lights were dim, I was already in my cozy pajamas, feeling relaxed… and just mischievous enough to get myself into trouble. It started innocently enough. A teasing comment here, a smirk there. Then I escalated—grabbing a pillow and tossing it straight at him before he could react. I laughed and took off down the hallway, fully aware that I’d crossed the line and absolutely delighted that I had. He was on me in seconds. He caught me easily, I squealed and he lifted me like I was a bag of feed. He threw me over his shoulder and swatted me playfully, and reminded me that pajamas do not grant immunity. With mock seriousness, he turned me back toward the living room, as I pounded his back protesting dramatically. Somewhere between laughing and pretending to resist,...