5/16 The Day of A Room of Mama's Own

Reading a book about Counting Kisses to the little guys, and giving, receiving and witnessing many multiples of kisses. Toes, eyes, noses, belly buttons… just flurries of kisses. Many giggles, too.

The kiddie pool. We went all the way and filled it up and let them play. It’s a lot of work to get it ready and clean it up. Next time we’ll start it in the morning and let the play continue all day, instead of it being an afternoon thing. And maybe it will be a little warmer out to avoid the blue lips and shivers and cries of “nooo!” when we try to get the frigid little boy out.

Writing when I said I was going to. And kind of liking what I was writing. Five pages. My story is not dead, it is living on. I will finish this sucker yet.

Setting up my little corner on the enclosed porch where I can shut the doors and keep my laptop and write in peace.

Making the commitment to writing again. I know what needs to be done, I just have to do it.

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5/15 The Day of And The Days Go On

G seems really happy now. He’s often laughing and or smiling with a huge grin. He’s talking up a storm, even if we can’t always understand. He’s deep into imaginative play, making up stories that have something to do with good guys and bad guys. He gave his sister chicken. Good things for him.

Ivy is just growing up so fast. She struts when she walks. She loves to eat. She now can both nod yes and shake her head no. Her hair is finally growing in, which she is happy about. She gets to play with purses and shoes and hats. She likes to give her brother his pacifiers whenever she finds one lying about.

I made tasty chicken and rice with mushroom sauce. A little rich for my blood, since it was a cream sauce. Next time I will make it lighter.

My new flip flops. Good thing.

Before bedtime, our neighbors down the block visited us in the garden. The little ones enjoyed it. They looked at the polywogs, they played with the sticks, they hugged (the little girls anyway, the boys tussled,) they all said “no, no, no, no!” when parents said it was time for bed for one set and dinner for the other. Beginning of playdates???? We told them another time. Nice parents, too.

Internet connections. More old friends. More readers for my blog. I hope they are enjoying it and aren’t just pervs looking for strange things…. which some of them are, according to my key word analysis. Hopefully they don’t come back. But the people who are interested do. Hopefully. Maybe they will even comment once in a while.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy

5/14 The Day of the Tar-Jhay

Ivy at bed, found an old sandal of G’s and had me put it on her one foot (only one) and went stomping around the room, trying it out. Stomp, step, Stomp, step, Stomp, step. She is such a girl and so enamored of shoes, hats, bags. Oh yeah, she also stole my cowboy hat and put it on her head herself and ran around the house in it this morning.

S cooked dinner tonight. Pasta with sausage and tomatoes. Yum.

A Target (Tar-Jhay) trip. My second ever. So exciting. One of the benefits of moving out of the city. New flip flops, replacements for my lost sunglasses, a potty seat for the boy, and MILK too.

S and I went out to continue the job searching (I was thinking about upgrading my job to a more upscale restaurant, but was actually advised by a salty old chef to stay where I was, because if I can make it through the chaos of their grand re opening, it will be a steady money maker,) and it was the first time in…almost three years where we were out together alone during the day light.

Beauty and the Beast. I saw it when it came out in the theaters and thought it was pretty good. Saw it again, and I am impressed anew.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy

5/13 The Sleepy, Cuddly, Lazy Movie Day

A nice glass of wine after the kid’s bedtime. Well, it’s not a fancy glass, but it tastes just fine to me.

Early bedtime for the kids. I don’t know why they were so tired, but they were.

Lots of cuddling, with both kids at the same time. Maybe it’s connected to the early bedtime.

Meeting some neighbors with a couple of kids just a few months ahead of G and Ivy. Nice guy, cute kids.

G and his beloved movies.

Taking a lazy day for myself without the guilt.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy

5/12 The Morning of Blogginess

Finding out that my blog has been linked to by someone I don’t even know and that someone has also marked me on del.icios.us and I think that’s cool. And people are reading me all over the world! India, Australia, Spain, Yugoslavia, Canada, Italy, Costa Rica, Germany and of course the US. It’s so amazing to think that. And at least one person found me by googling some topic, and THEN CAME BACK. Maybe it’s not a huge readership, but it’s something. I guess I’m enjoying statcounter. It makes me feel like I am not just yelling into the void.

Going through a whole passel of my favorite blogs this morning and totally being inspired to really value my life as it is, despite frustrations and worries and the daily grind and exhaustions. That’s really what this whole happy list is about. I think I am getting closer to being IN those moments as they happen.

G’s happiness at watching the movies we borrowed from my brother. Oh, Disney movies, how he loves you. He loves the good guys and the bad guys. Plus, we stayed out so late last night, that he probably didn’t have the energy for his normal running around swinging the stick morning activities.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy

5/11 Mother's Day

Dancing with my two children, holding onto their hands and singing, dancing around in a circle.

Yummy brunch that papa made.

Finding some new blogs that will help me with the kids. It’s all about creative parenting and activities for toddlers and art. I have often felt at a loss with what to do with the very little ones. If they were school age, I could do plenty, but I don’t even really know what preschoolers need. So these sites focused on those things.

Going to dinner at my brother and soon to be sister in law’s. Steak and potatoes and salad. Simple but yummy. Chocolate cream pie for dessert.

G and Ivy were very good babies. Friendly and no tantrums and listening to all the adults and not taking things down off the shelves. All smiles.

The whole family was sitting around on the sectional, watching The Incredibles and at one point, both my brother’s dogs were there, too, so the livingroom was just filled with family all being together and enjoying a good cartoon.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy

5/10 The Night of My First Job (In 3 Years, Anyway)

Finally making money, instead of only spending it.

Finding out that the working thing comes right back, and I’m still good at it.

Talking to one of the other waitresses and finding out that she’s an artist and a writer, and many other things similar to me. And that all explained why I liked her right off, before I even knew anything about her.

And maybe it sounds like evil mama, but it made me happy to walk out the door this afternoon, while the boy was in melt down mode. It just wasn’t my job to deal with it right then.

Feeling frequently that I was almost on vacation while I was waiting tables. It was kind of a kick, getting to have adult conversations and just chit chatting with folk and not having to get kids fed and changed and put to bed. I’m sure it will be different when I get wrapped up in whatever drama goes on wherever I am, but right now, it’s just a change.

Oh yeah, it pays to befriend the woman who makes the schedules. I do not have to work on mother’s day! My tentative schedule was Saturday and Sunday, but ended up Sunday free. And I asked her for Sundays off, period, so I could spend time with family and she said no problem. I think I will try to stay on her good side.

See more progress on: list three things every day that made me happy