After Christmas Stupor

Well, we had a great couple of days here. Christmas Eve was very nice. Playing games and enjoying good food with family. It was a smaller Christmas Eve for us, but that turned out very nice I think. I was very grateful that earlier in the day, Ben sat on Santa's lap and smiled big. He had kept saying that he wasn't going to, so I wasn't expecting much. When his turn came though, he smiled big and hopped up there, saying "Cheese" twice. Although, there were a few meltdowns during the day (and one big one at night), all ended up well. Christmas was nice and Ben had a lot of fun. Yesterday was a lazy day, but we enjoyed ourselves. Today is a ditto of yesterday. =) Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to seeing a movie and going to a family party.

Grats:
12/24: All my goodies turned out yummy, good pics with Santa, seeing old friends at the store, "expecting" news from a friend, nice family, fun games, putting milk and cookies out for the first time and being Santa for the first time.

12/25:
Good breakfast and relaxing morning, Walgreens being open on Christmas Day, good dinner, Ben having fun with his family, fun presents for Ben, an iPod Touch.

12/26:
52 degree weather, lazy day but getting dishes done, slim hope for my EHD, playing with the iPod touch and having wireless and a Mac Laptop to do it with, a good Dr. appt., watching Wall-E, leftovers, playing games together with Grams and Grandpa.

12/27:
Having another lazy day, scrapbooking, Ben playing games all on his own, leftovers. =)

Shame on me

Again, I have let my blogging slip for a week. I don't know why, but it seems hard to blog everyday. I have no problem posting on my favorite scrapbooking site or doing email, but blogging falls down the list. =)

Here are some things I'm grateful for during the last week:
Warm cars, SUVs, gas for the SUV being lower, wonderful friends at work who make me feel special, people getting their books they ordered, very capable subs and volunteers, snow days, my fun family, helping an aunt, understanding friends, Ben finally falling asleep after tossing and turning with an ear infection, a lazy morning, and opening for a Dr. appt., Christmas Eve with family, Gingerbread lattes (I believe I've been thankful for those before).

I found this interesting post on a blog that I follow. Play along if you'd like! I read it at Stephen Abram's blog, but he got it on Walt Crawfrod's blog - Walt at Random.

THE 99 THINGS MEME

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

Quick drive by today. Didn't want to miss more days of blogging. =)

Sunday's grats
Warm tea, that it didn't snow, intellectual stimulation, fun family, a new coat, warm bed.

Monday's grats
Helpful volunteers, good sales resulting in lots of library books, more intellectual stimulation with a friend, an adorable son, generous scrappers.

Tuesday's grats
Helpful and kind co-workers scrapping snow off cars and planning birthday lunches, a warm sweater, dinner with my bestest friend and splitting the perfect amount of food, finding an inexpensive album for my scrapbook contest, driving in the snow storm safely home, sweet goodnight kisses on the cheek.

I'm trying to be very positive this week amid some unpositive feelings. So thank you for the blogging!

Tiaras and Crowns

The girls went out today. Three birthdays and a teacher of the week. We had excellent food, good drinks, fun shopping, and a generally swell time. I really enjoyed it! So that's a big gratitude right there!

Other grats:
Having a successful book fair!, that I have recipes in my mother and grandmother's writing, Matt's good moods, Christmas shopping is almost done (thought it was, but I wasn't, now I'm almost), all my ordered gifts are coming quickly, hot tea, comfy p.j.'s, the prospect of a fun trip in July, good friends at school, Christmas cards are almost done, one week of school left before break, lots of good books to read, and friends at the O who I have a good time with (chatting, forumning, and scrapping).

Awww Man.

Nine days? Nine days?? (Insert Ferris Bueller joke here.) I can't believe I haven't done my grateful blog for 9 days!!!! I'm sorry. I've thought about grateful things a lot. I really have. If you look back at my posts at my digital scrapbook site I hang out at, you'll see I was in a very good mood the last week and two days. =) But here's a run down of some things I was thankful for.

A fun layout that I'm really proud of, my book fair coming and being really prepared for it, my free Shutterfly calendar, playing games with my little boy, a clean bill of heath on his eyes, his smarty-pants answers on the preemie eval, fun new music, the DJ that finally told me the name of the song I've been wanting for a few weeks, my winter coat, Gingerbread lattes, Chicken Fried Chicken, getting all my Christmas shopping done, the really nice people who helped me set up my book fair, the nice people at Mimi's that give you free muffins for teacher events, fun t.v. shows, that my uncle came out of surgery o.k., how cool my photobook turned out, LOSING 3 POUNDS!, and (TMI alert) that my weird cold/allergy thing went away because I really thought my head was going to explode with snot last night.

Whew. There was a lot more in there, but that's what I remember right now. I've got to be a better blogger. I think that if I'm better, than I will continue to be in a good mood and lose weight etc. Focus on the positive and the positive will happen to you, right? (Is that like "The Secret"??)

I'm off to catch up on a few other things. Check back in soon. I promise this time it won't be nine days. =)

The Weekend Edition

I love Christmas. I truly love it. And I'm so very excited it's that time of the year. I had a fantastic day today and I didn't do very much except...enjoy the little things.

Saturday's Gratitudes
Lazy mornings, templates that make gifts easy, comfy sweat suits, my son's laugh, and a nice long talk with my aunt.

Sunday's Gratitudes
Christmas decorations, Christmas carols, snow...everything Christmas, a nice BIL and SIL, my silly son, a comfy couch to use my laptop on.

Tomorrow we go back to school. I hope to remained focused on being grateful for the little things despite the hectic schedule ahead. =)

Thankgiving Gratitudes - 2 Day Special

We've had about two days worth of major gratitude around here...tis the season. So I have a lot to fill in. I'm sure that everyone has a lot of gratitude around this holiday, it's hard not to get caught up in it when the name of the holiday is "Thanks-giving"!

Thursday:
My Keurig coffee pot birthday present that makes hot tea and coffee in under two minutes, making food with my boy, a great set of in-laws, the relieved feeling when your EHD works when you thought it crashed, Eileen's stuffing, margaritas, that my family's thanksgiving is ten minutes from my DH's family so I can see both, my aunt's apple pie and homemade whipped cream, Wade family trivia, thoughtful cousins that give great three-year-old birthday presents.

Friday:
Sleeping in, chive-filled bagels and Rhodes cinnamon rolls, scrapping pages for my dad, a good trip to the store with my boy, playing Wii with my boy and DH, first annual Day After Thanksgiving game night, that SIL got the license she needed, fun SILs, well-behaved son, sweet smile and big brown eyes of well-behaved son looking up at me as we cuddle on a bed.