Last week we spent Jack’s mid-winter break in California with all the family down there. The weather was anything but winter as a few days topped 70 degrees and not a drop of rain.

This is a school break that I don’t quite understand. Although it is nice to have the time to go on ski trips, it would be nicer to have just a long weekend (like have Thursday, Friday and Monday off) and then get out earlier in June. Compounding the already long school year is an added week of snow days in January so now we are in school until June 20^th. But that is another post.

The boys had fun playing outside, riding bikes and shooting hoops. We even got a nice visit from Grandma, Grandfather and Auntie Jean who drove over from the Bay Area for the day. It was nice to soak up some vitamin D with all the sunshine, even though the vineyards need rain.

It was so cute to watch Jack with Baby Finn. He loves to sit and talk to him and make him smile. Finley is trying so hard to laugh, but it just comes out as a squeak. Jack thinks that is so funny and calls him the squeaker.

Although we all are happy to be home in our own beds and be reunited with Jim and Mulligan, we will miss everyone. The dog was so happy to see us she practically turned herself inside out when we got home. But then again, she also does that when I return home from the grocery store.

How did you spend your mid-winter break, if you got one?

I have the sweetest son. Jack has always had a big heart, but he has really shown it over the last few days.

Saturday night Jim and I went out to dinner with friends, so the boys had a babysitter. They hadn’t seen Megan, the babysitter, for a while. While I was getting ready to go, he came in and showed me several notes he had written for her. When we arrived at dinner I noticed the note below in my purse from him. Jim and Will got notes too. He wanted to make sure that we all knew that he loved us. How cute is that?

Early Sunday morning I woke up to a raging sore throat and felt awful. Needless to say, I spent most of Sunday on the sofa. Again, Jack made a personal note for me as he was concerned and hoped it would make me feel better. It certainly raised my spirits but unfortunately couldn’t raise rid me of my illness.

Monday I found out it was strep throat (thanks Oliver) and I started to feel a bit better with the help of antibiotics. Jack told Jim he wanted to make breakfast in bed for me, because “that makes moms feel better, like it does on Mother’s Day.” So this morning I didn’t get full breakfast, but I got orange juice and tea (the best Jim could do on short notice). He wanted to bring flowers too, but since we still have snow in our flower beds, there were no flowers to be found. So instead, I received in a vase a dry sprig from our Christmas wreath that is still hanging on the front of the house. What a good way to wake up.

Jack is truly unique and his sensitivity and care for others is such a blessing. I hope these traits will remain with him forever. His wife and kids will love him for it, as do the rest of us.