new

Do you remember the stage in your childhood in which all you wanted to do was make forts with blankets? I have distinct memories of using all our dining room chairs and finding every blanket in the house to make forts that stretched across our entire living room.

Martin is in the midst of an obsession with blankets. He continues to sleep in a laundry basket, covered by at least four blankets. In the mornings, he brings piles of blankets into my room, spreading them across the bed to make a nest or a car, an airplane or bed. I'm hoping to work on our first fort this afternoon.

A warm blanket fort on a snowy day will be the calm before the storm. Tonight we venture out to a new year's party that tends to be a really fun time, but an absolute madhouse. The hosts have an awesome old house. Children run around like maniacs. Food spills off the tables. The adults keep calm with refills of wine. It's not for the fainthearted. But it's such a merry time, that I can't stay away.

I don't have a story of Martin having a terrible time last year. In fact, he had a really good time. He ran around all night, finding toys to play with and joining in the hollering. I did notice, though, that he struggled to interact with the other kids. Not that he didn't want to, but that he just didn't know how. So if a child suggested to him a way they could play together, Martin would say something completely ridiculous back. This didn't bother kids, but it did befuddle them. I'm curious to see how Martin experiences the party tonight. If it's a tough time, we'll leave early and find comfort in our blanket fort.

May we all find comfort in the new year. Happy wishes to all!