Winter. There’s something special about all that snow and ice, but that specialness wears off sometime after the holidays when there’s nothing but small celebrations like Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s days to look forward to. The gloom can settle in, making it hard to see what’s just so special about the everyday.

Us snowbound folk can’t claim to be the only ones who have predictable periods of gloom in our lives. Sometimes the clouds gather not in the sky but in our heads even in the sunniest weather.

And sometimes we’re lucky. Sometimes we notice a sparkle of light and sun in the most mundane moment, and it beats the gloom into submission. For me, sometimes it’s a student’s silly comment or the sight of T bringing me a special, unexpected treat. It could be a sky of beautiful stars, or if I’m lucky, a startling northern lights display. Maybe it’s just the breathless giggle of a very happy and very ticklish little boy.

What brings out your inner sunshine when the gloom takes over?

First, write a post about your sunshine or take a picture of it and provide us with a caption.

Then, when you’re finished, link the entry to this blog and leave a comment on this post by 8 p.m. CST on Friday, January 18.

On Friday, I’ll post links to all your entries and ask readers to visit your blogs. Everyone will get a chance to vote for a favorite entry through a poll like the one on the left through 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23. The blogger with the most popular entry according to my very unscientific poll gets a measly $20 Amazon gift certificate.

And, at the end of this, I think we’ll all be winners :) Good luck!

**EDIT**

After thinking about it, I shifted the dates just a little bit so that I didn’t interfere with Stacy’s Thursday theme, which happens to be winter. So, comment and post by Friday, January 18; voting is over by Tuesday, January 23.

So, when I switched servers, I also changed the file structure, and although Bloglines is smart enough to find the new address, a few other services aren’t.  Sooo…I did some twiddling and things should be messed up again.  Hopefully, all will be well again soon.

I must go…there’s an high-pitched little voice repeating the word “Hi!” over and over and over again in  his crib.  This is a real reason to love mornings.

I think I redecorate my blog just because it’s a load cheaper to redo than my kitchen, not to mention the whole house.  Anyway, I’ve found something I kind of like, but it looks like it’s going to take me a bit of time to get everything back to where I want it to be.  Like, I hate the lack of photos on the front page when I’m in what’s called the “normal view.” 

Hey, wanna know what a bad mom I am?  J had a Halloween party today and I didn’t dress him up for it, unless you count the T I slipped on him before we ot in the car.  It said, “I love my mummy.”  LAME.  Totally not a costume.  Also, treats were passed out and despite the fact that Nana knew I was going to bring something tomorrow because the I figured there would be plenty of sugar to go around today, I still felt like a wee bit of a loser.  Oh well, I’m learning–at least I frosted the cookies with a great purple with orange piping making out the first letter of each of the kids’ names.  I guess I’m just a day late ;)

Snot boy is still snotty, so instead of a photo of his snottiness, which would probably earn me a snotty comment when the snotty boy grows into a teenage snot, here you have Mr. Bee from last night’s foray into my yard.

I also have pictures of a rusting LP tank. Wow, right?

OK, so now I’m going to ask YOU a question. I usually don’t get much response when I do this, but I’d be really, really happy if you’d make a comment to the following question:

Where would you like this blog to go? I’ve been thinking of going the photo blog (not to be confused with photoblog) route. Basically, much of what I’ve been doing–posting photos and writing little bits about them or me or J or whom/whatever is in the picture.

Or, are you sick of the photos? Would you rather I go back to what …and the rest is history was before I got bitten by the shutterbug? (For anyone who wasn’t around then, it was text, text and more text. Mostly about infertility and adoption, but it would probably turn into mostly about J and life in the Casa de J.)

I’m asking because I like to please, mostly. I like the idea that there are about two of you who come here every morning to check out the latest post–and I hope that I make both of your days brighter. Maybe with a picture of the snot king. Maybe by something I wrote. Maybe because you love to laugh at my sad, little life.

I’m also asking because I’m beginning to need more focus. Sometimes I log in and warm up for a post and realize that although I’ve got tons to write about, I can’t put all the good stuff into words…or, even worse, I just can’t write about it and expect to keep my job. So, you get the J end of things and although I think he’s fascinating, I don’t know that I expect anyone else to share that opinion. (Although I do find your children–like the well-photoed Nadia and J’s virtual BFF to be, Seamonkey, to name a few–endlessly interesting.)

So, let me know….comment or email or whatever.