#34. laughter that brightens the room
#35. my sweet cowgirl stomping around in her boots
#36. a hubby who got the nosiy neighbors to be quiet @ 1:15am
#37. rubbermaid tubs being filled with camping supplies
#38. my budding artist and her paint/sticker/crayon endeavors
#39. hearing "Mooooooommmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" across the house

#24. walking hand-in-hand with a really cute kiddo at work
#25. quality time with my Mom & Hope
#26. a comfy bed to crawl into after a long day
#27. a quiet house until 8am this morning
#28. first day of swimming lessons
#29. quarterly visits/days spent with a favorite friend
#30. water falls/sculptures to get soaked in
#31. a home of our own where our kid can grow up and not ever have to move
#32. my pancake monster of a kid who can't have enough "dip" on top
#33. my little copy-cat who proudly repeated "your someping else" over and over

THAT child

Today at Gymboree, my usually sweet & kind little girl turned into THAT child. You know, the one that you watch and wonder who her parents are and why they are allowing her to act like that....the one that you steer your child away from in hopes of sheltering them and saving them from tears. I don't know what her deal was today, but she was N-A-U-G-H-T-Y!!! She would yell/scream if someone else was doing what she wanted to do or was sitting where she wanted to sit. She could have been featured on "Hoarders: Toddler Edition" the way she clung to all the dumb balls. She would gather as many as she could possibly hold and then fall apart completely when one dropped or someone else tried to get one. She got all upset when she couldn't catch a bubble on her finger and fell apart when they kept popping. SO not my child! I was mortified and so embarrassed with the way she was behaving...I just wanted to pick her up and leave 1/2 way through our class. SO not okay!!!

So, what do you do? How do you teach your child to share? How do you stop the melt-down? What has gotten into my sweet, easy-going kid?!

Maybe she needs more playdates. Maybe she needs a taste of her own medicine. Maybe she's just two...Maybe.

#19. fabulous co-workers...friends and family, all in one.
#20. time on my own at work
#21. the discovery of "cake pops"
#22. leftovers for dinner
#23. Amazon.com deliveries (this one contained a travel potty, piddle pad, and seat covers)

#16. tiny pigtails that curl like corkscrews
#17. singing potties that announce pee-pee
#18. Gymboree

#11. snuggling in bed next to a really cute 2 year old who is super squirmy
#12. frozen waffles and the last few drops of syrup
#13. Mom, whose birthday is today
#14. Mom, who gives up her own time each week to watch our sweet girl so that I can work
#15. a "like" from little brother, even from the other side of the globe

1,000 Gifts

"So this is the thing, friend: What if finding love is as simple as recording 1000 gifts? We may be women weary. We may be women wounded. But we are women wooed. What woman doesn’t long to be loved, to be treasured, to be showered with gifts? A thousand — more!"

I've been out of things to blog about lately. Sure, I've had things on my mind, but not things that need to be shared with the world or written about publicly. I've come across several blogs lately where people are coming up with "1,000 gifts"...1,000 things they have to be grateful for, gifts from their Maker. I've decided that maybe this will keep me looking to my Creator and will help remind me of all that I have been blessed with. I'm also helping this will remind me to "love the moments" and notice what is right in front of me! I doubt I'll post daily and I doubt I'll finish anytime soon, but I'm going to start.

#1. laying in bed with my eyes closed for an hour, enjoying peace and quite.

#2. reading stories to my sweet girl that speak of her worth and value

#3. new friends that aren't really that new anymore

#4. laying on the grass, enjoying the breeze outside

#5. 3 hours of Ariel underpants and no accidents

#6. hubby battling the ever-present ants

#7. crazy curly hair hanging in her face, resting just over her eye

#8. mindless entertainment in the form of "words with friends"

#9. art in the form of "hangers on dresser" discovered long after the fact

#10. purple crayon artistry on both sides of the front door and on the walls

I found a book that goes along with this concept and have placed a hold for it at the library. I could use some positive input and some focus in my life...it's been so long since I've read a book with purpose and use...