January

Christmas vacation was awesome. Hawaii was beautiful, and I'm going through baby withdrawal. Maybe I do have that maternal instinct.

Oh, and I hate January. I love Christmas, and New Year's Eve, even if it means I'm just sitting around, but January is loathsome. I realized recently, while helping struggling readers picture what they're reading in their minds, that I have pictures in my mind for most words, not just stories.

When I think about "January," the picture that comes into my mind is harsh morning light after you've spent all morning cleaning. It's not the great you just got up and get to have a cup of coffee light. In my mind January is like someone pushing you out of your warm bed onto the floor an hour before you really have to get up.