Happiness Is...

If you'd like to see what I've been eating for the past week, check out my DietToGo Roundup for Week One. They provided me with two weeks worth of meals in exchange for an honest review.

I found this little gem at Left of Ordinary. I first "met" Lefty, who went by a DIFFERENT pseudonym, on the most wonderful discussion board over at One Hot Mama - a pregnancy and nursing discussion board that I first started lurking on TEN years ago this week. (I know so, because I went on there when I was pregnant with Gabriel right before he was born, when I was searching for a way to get a post dates baby to be BORN ALREADY.) I found some of my best friends on that board, and even though I understand that they needed to close the boards, I still miss it tremendously. Those ladies were the most amazing amount of support that a mom could ask for. 

When I was a kid, I remember that one of my teachers had a poster, very similar to the one Lefty mentions, with Snoopy dancing on it and the words, "Happiness Is" at the top. I am trying to find some goodness on this day which began as a Monday on a Thursday, so here's my list.

                                                          HAPPINESS IS...

• A household that is mostly well. Two kids came down with colds this week, which thankfully didn't morph into much more. One kid got sick yesterday, but after sleeping for a record 17(!!!!) hours and crying about possibly missing Homecoming this week - she started to feel better. Still looks like crap, though.
• New songs on my iPod. "Say Hey" and "Karma".
• Three exceptionally awesome boxing classes this week. I don't think I can adequately explain how much I enjoy boxing.
• This conversation with Gabe today: "Mom, I've been working on my Elvis, and I have the young Elvis down cold. I've still got to work on my "old" Elvis. There's a difference, you know." "Really, Gabe? Is there that much calling for Elvis in the fourth grade?" A sage nod, a solemn look, and "Oh, Mom, you have no idea."  He drives me crazy, but I flat out love that kid.
• "Same Mistake" by James Blunt. My current most played song.
• Homemade chocolate chip cookies and seeing how happy they make my family.
• The pregnancy of a good friend, even though it means I'm losing an awesome training partner.
• Seeing how excited my little girls are to hear that they are attending a Dora birthday party for one of my training partners little girls
• Two good friends who both referred me for jobs based on my writing ability. Their confidence in me astounds and comforts me. If I got both of those jobs, well, it'd make a really draining financial situation easier to bear.
• Getting my email inbox almost cleaned out.
• Being told that I look too stern and annoyed all of the time, like I'm mad at the world(!) while at the gym makes me think about how I present myself and what I can improve.
• Watching Gabriel and Emma play Wii with my husband - and kick his butt all the way back to NYC
• Waking up to coffee already made and ready to drink
• A nice, hot shower with my favorite Bliss soap - I've gotten a LOT of showers out of that one (enormous!) bar
• Realizing that Emma can handle chapter books and seeing her excitement as she finishes chapter 1, no, chapter 2!, no. Mom, I'm on chapter 3 now! Tripping over her as she lays on the floor every chance she gets in order to find out what happened to THE PONY in the story.
• Sitting with Riley as she sounds out her first set of words and works on her very first easy readers.

Listing what happiness would NOT be would deal with my older children - my son who made an INCREDIBLY poor choice at school and now must face the consequences of his actions with a one day suspension. But that will actually turn out to be a good thing, for I think he's learned a lesson and he will spend the day doing community service at the church - another good thing. And the fact that I have a conference with the administrative staff and one teacher, who is convinced, in Oct, that my daughter will fail the class - well, that's none too happy inducing either. But I could look at it as that there are several people who really want to see my daughter succeed. Might make the meeting a little easier to face.

And probably the thing that made me smile the hardest and laugh the longest - may I present Gabe's fourth grade school picture? Pardon the blurry shot and the yellow tint, for I took a photo of a photo at night and can't lighten it up - but, please to notice the grape jelly on the face, the loose and crooked tie, and above all, the expression on the face. This picture never FAILS to crack me up and make me very happy, indeed.

Comments

[Lisa @ All That and a Box of Rocks]

I really love your list. Lots of little things that are so easy to take for granted.

And don't think that this is all I took from this post, but yesterday, my son's school had an award program for the second graders. I was sitting through the awards, waiting for my son's class (last, of course) and watching these little kids running up to accept their awards. I can't remember any of the kids other than my son and the one whose name was Elvis.

Why would anyone do that to their child?!?!

No offense to the mothers of Elvis' reading this! But I live close to Graceland. LOL!

[Headless Mom]

He looks like the cat that got the canary!

[Debby Pucci]

Sweet photo. I love all your reasons of happiness. Life can be grand!

[kyooty]

Lot's of great happiness going on there. Suspensions are so frequent now in schools it's not like it used to be, they can't keep kids after school anymore like they did when we were kids. I think it's a good thing, and they don't bring out the "Strap" any more either. :)

[LeftofOrdinary (aka Cookie)]

Hey great post! And Thanks! I'm surprised and flattered! (as in someone other that my Mom reads my blog! hahah)

[Katherine]

Do you know I have an ORIGINAL Peanuts book that I got in second grade from my book order at St. Therese in San Diego - it is called "Happiness is a Sad Song" and it shows Linus on front with his blanket smiling and listening to the radio. Every page is a "Happiness is..." It is a GREAT book. You just brought back some memories! Love the pic too - and HEY - he was saving that grape jelly for later! :)

[The Only Girl]

Love the "Happiness Is" list! It's always uplifting to be grateful for the little things, isn't it? We should all make a list to remind us about the good, when we're stuck in a rut of the bad.

[amie]

Love the pic- what a character:)

[mm]

Good for you, a postive, glass half full post. These days it is hard for many of us to be happy for so many reasons. In my house we are happy to be getting over 5 cases of the H1N1 flu. And let me just tell you, it wasn't easy! But on the flip side, we no longer have to debate as to whether or not to get the H1N1 immunization. Too late for that!

[Brenda]

"And the fact that I have a conference with the administrative staff and one teacher, who is convinced, in Oct, that my daughter will fail the class - well, that's none too happy inducing either." Is this your oldest daughter? Which course?