Seasonal affective disorder.

You've probably heard of it. Winter blues - people with normal mental health who experience more frequent bouts of depression than in the summer. Believed to be related to the amount of light - stands to reason.
I get it every year. I find myself crying more often, reacting more emotionally to otherwise non-offensive behavior by friends and family, getting a bit more agitated with my children. Fortunately, it's always to a minor degree, and it's usually over before much damage is done. Also, I've tried to combat it the past few years by getting outside for at least 20 minutes a day. Sounds easy enough, but getting 3 kids bundled up to go out in the cold to "play" during the winter proves challenging some days, particularly when one cannot count on a good mood from them either.
Which is kind of what I want to write about. Aren't kids supposed to be happy? My five-year-old is going through a phase. At least that's what I hope it is. Nothing is ever good enough. Ever. We'll have a fantastic day together - playing in the snow, playing card games, reading books, sharing hugs and kisses, coloring, baking, talking... and inevitably she will retire to bed remembering only the bad. I squeezed Lily tightly the other day and whispered I love you in her ear. Anna muttered under her breath, "You never tell me you love me". I praised Rachel's coloring the other day. Anna remarked, "You never say my coloring is beautiful". Such behavior began when she started school, increased in frequency when winter hit, and has become an everyday occurence in recent weeks. Truly a complete downer.
It goes without saying that her perception is just that, a perception. I should have known when she emerged a colicky child who demanded to be held, swaddled, shushed, and swung to keep from screaming mercilessly from 5 pm to midnight every night for three months that we were in for a real treat. And she is, in most every way, a truly exceptional child. She excels at pretty much everything she tries - and has always been ahead of the curve on most everything. Talking, singing, climbing, reading, swimming, dancing, coloring, writing, you name it! She's also an amazing big sister and helper in our home. So why isn't she happy?
I suppose I will try to take my own advice to her and focus on the positive - that she is a bright, energetic, talented young lady. And so much more. I'll try to remember that she's the guinea pig, that when it comes to her, I'm going through this parenting thing for the first time and that getting worked up over such things benefits no one. In the meantime, though, I'm having a hard time mustering the "happiness" to spread around to everyone in the family, so if you have any advice, please send it my way.