New look?

I'm considering changing my profile picture.

Right now, this about sums me up.

Thoughts?

Making Me Happy Monday!

It's a little late in the day, but it's still Monday!


This week, I have many things to be happy about! So here goes:

1) My insane, never-ending, taking on more than I ever signed on for as a volunteer, anxiety-inducing, overbooked-calendar-filled month of March has ended, AND I have lived to blog about it.

2) After months of hard work (for several different events) and the last couple of weeks filled with said volunteer work that at times felt like a full-time job, my committee pulled off a STELLAR fundraiser event on Saturday night. From soup to nuts it was PERFECT (watch for pictures later this week!), and DH and I agree it was one of the most fun evenings out we've had in forever. SO. WORTH. IT. (oh, and we raised over $5000 for our Temple!)

3) I was not as over-ambitious as I was predicting earlier this week, and managed to sew my own bell-bottom jeans for said fundraiser. They were far out. And far from perfect. BUT, they were a hit.

4) I got to spend some quality time with my mom, Godmother, her daughter (who grew up like a cousin to me), and her brand new baby - who was just 2 weeks old the day of our visit! Oh, those tiny hands and feet, snuggly warm little body, and unbelievable head of jet-black hair! I held her for hours and was wondering if her mom and dad would notice if she mysteriously disappeared when we left. Figuring the might, I decided I'll have to settle for many future visits!

5) I went jacket-less (even down vest-less) TWICE this week! We played outside, saw neighbors who have been in hibernation all winter, and got a glimpse of good weather ahead. AND, the last of the ginormous mound of snow that had been plowed to the back of our driveway has finally melted. All of it.

6) The MH went to another preschool friend's birthday party at a new place filled with bouncy house stuff. I was a cool mom who went down a very large and daunting (at least to someone who has her spine held together in one spot with 4 titanium screws) bouncy slide with her daughter not once, but twice. Again, something I lived to blog about. I love seeing my little girl interact with her little friends from school (and seeing how well-liked she is doesn't hurt either).

7) Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend an intergenerational tea party with my grandmother, mom, and the MH. We've done this a few times, and I'm amazed every year at how much more mature MH has become and what a little girl she is growing into. I also cherish the times I get to capture pictures like this:

8) I had some fabulous girl time with my dear friend Marni (@stampmonkeys on Twitter - if you're not following her, you should be!). We managed a middle of the week, kids-free trip for pedicures followed by lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, where our absolutely adorable server flirted with us old married ladies who shamlessly flirted right back. OK, I shamelessly flirted while I thought Marni might crawl under the table at one point. But hey, when you've been married forever and together even longer, a little attention goes a long way (love you honey!). We giggled, talked about everything girlie and then some, and just had the best time. It was refreshing and just what the doctor ordered. This is what great friendship is all about! (Here is Marni's fabulous account of our day!)

9) I am finally exhaling and am looking forward to using the week ahead to regain some sort of composure in this household, and getting back to some sense of normalcy. Who am I kidding . . . what is that??

What's making you happy today?

I don't know when it is, but it's not now.

Just overheard:

Daddy (singing): Shabbat Shalom, HEY! Shabbat Shalom, HEY!

MH: Daddy, no. It's not that time.

Daddy (holding back laughter while Mommy looks on): When is "that" time?

MH: Ummmm, I don't know. Not now.

We've had a lot of recent Temple activity and learning opportunities, and the MH has become a very big fan of celebrating the welcoming of the Sabbath by lighting the candles, blessing the juice wine, and eating delicious Challah bread.

She's soaking it up like a sponge and we're thrilled to see her taking such great interest and pride in her religion!

And, while she may not know that Daddy should specifically hold off on his singing until tomorrow night, I give her props for knowing that Thursday night is not the night!

MH, Daddy and I (and Rabbi EinStein) are proud of you!

OK, here's the deal

THIS is my 200th post!

Happy Blogiversary to ME!

I have something in the works.

BUT . . .

Life is getting in the way at the moment.

And I don't want a silly number to hold me back from posting when I do have bits and pieces of time.

SO . . .

There will be a 200th post blogiversary celebration, but perhaps it will occur at post 206.

Or 222.

Crazy?

That about sums up my life.

Wow - 200 already?

Well, not quite - but I am just a couple of posts away from my 200th post!

It's hard to believe that I've written that many entries since I started my blog at the end of May last year.

Anyways, I'd like to do something to celebrate, but I'm kind of at a loss!

For my 100th post, I wrote 100 things about me. I won't dare aim for 200!

So, I'm taking suggestions and ideas - what do YOU think I should do to celebrate 200 posts?

Making Me Happy Monday

Welcome to this week's addition of "Making Me Happy Monday"! Notice anything different?

I'll get right to my list!

1) I've finally got a badge for my weekly post! It was so much fun and so easy to do! Wanna know how? Go here! Besides the fun and easy part, it's free! And there is so much more you can do there! If you're going to be joining me in my weekly Monday posting, I'd love it if you take the badge and put it on your own post, linking back to me!

2) After an extremely busy, stressful, and nervewracking week, I managed to pull off two events at my Temple, and if I do say so myself, they were a HUGE hit! One of these included a Chinese buffet dinner for approximately 70 people, with RSVPs rolling in until about an hour before the event!

3) The two events mentioned above are a part of my new position as Membership Chair for our Temple. I was shocked and extremely flattered when I was asked to take on this role a few months ago. It's a big job, all volunteer work, and I have some huge shoes to fill, but based on the response to what I pulled off this weekend, I'm feeling pretty good and excited about it!

4) After a really tough week in the world of mommyhood last week, this past week was the complete opposite. It seems that as hard as it was for me to break down and be a complete hard-ass who meant business, my actions did actually mean something (even if it wasn't expressed at the time). The Mad Hatter has been an absolute love bug all week, full of great behavior, listening and comments that have continued to melt my heart (and crack me up) every day!

5) I have a girlfriend date this Tuesday! My poor friend spent her birthday in the hospital having an emergency gallbladder removal. She's feeling a whole lot better now, and on Tuesday we are going for pedicures and lunch, complete with some kind of decadent dessert. I can't wait!

6) My haircut is feeling less traumatic these days. It's been almost 3 weeks, and although I'm not completely in love with it, I'm getting rave reviews from everyone else. It seems so silly and shallow to be obsessing over a haircut, when, after all, hair grows, but this was the first haircut I've ever gotten that actually left me feeling insecure about myself! I mean, I actually went back 3 days later to have it "fixed"! Anyways, it's growing, both in length and on me, and for that, I am happy!

7) We bought a swingset for the Mad Hatter! It's something we've been thinking about for a long time, and while it's an investment, it's something we know she'll get tons of use and pure enjoyment out of. Now, when it comes to DH having to put it together . . .

8) The place we purchased said swingset from was out of stock, but was happy to write us a raincheck - INCLUDING the 20% off coupon we had, which expired today! So, not only are we getting a swingset, we're getting our discount too!

9) It may have been a fluke, but I may have stumbled upon an ingenious trick! In our house, we have "rest time", because although the MH is starting to give up her naps, she needs down time, and some days she still does fall asleep for 2-3 hours. She is in that phase where she still needs it but is resisting. Yesterday afternoon, I was toast after my big weekend, and needed sleep. I knew I couldn't deal with her coming out of her room every 5 minutes asking if rest time was over, so I made a deal - we could watch a movie in my bed, but because it was rest time there was NO talking, and if she talked at all, it was straight to her own bed. I told her mommy might fall asleep and it was ok if she did too, but if she didn't, that was okay as long as she followed the rules and stayed quiet. DH came home from work to find his two favorite girls sprawled out in our king-sized bed, fast asleep! When I woke up, I was astounded to find that almost 3 hours had passed! I am definitely going to have to try this one again!

10) All of my readers who are participating in Making Me Happy Monday! Whether you are writing your own posts or just commenting here, you are making me so happy! Because when you actually sit down and think about it, no matter how rough things in your life seem, it's not that hard to find at least one thing that is making you smile. And, if things are rough right now, it makes it even that much more inspiring to dig a little deep to find one thing that you are grateful for. Your posts and your comments really do make me smile - a lot!

So, as always, please join me again this week! If you have a post of your own, copy and save my new badge (yippee!) and put it on your own post (you can link right up to me from there). If that's too hard, don't even worry - just write your post and let me know about it so I can come read it! And finally, if you don't have time for a post, just leave me a comment with what's making you happy this Monday!

Have a wonderful week!

WW - Beach in Winter

You may have read this post about our wonderful trip to the beach this weekend.

I couldn't let (almost) Wordless Wednesday go by without sharing a few more pictures from such a special day. Can you tell how much I'm enjoying using Picnik?

The Mad Hatter all bundled up and enjoying the swings

Poppy swinging alongside his favorite girl

The MH collecting "treasures"
(please forgive the quality of my cell phone pic - we all forgot our cameras!)

Sweetheart, Poppy, and MH in front of the fabulous jungle gym she spent forever playing on!

Definitely a day to remember, though we'll have to do it again now that Daddy is feeling better!

Making Me Happy Monday

Welcome to yet another edition of "Making Me Happy Monday"! These weekly entries seem to come so quickly!

And, I am ashamed to admit that I missed last week. Due to sheer chaos in this house paired with the fact that there wasn't a ton of stuff on my happy list.

However, I am back, and determined that no matter what is going on in my life, I will make it a priority to find at least one thing that is making me happy each Monday. Luckily, this week I've got a few!

1) The Tummy Tornado swept through and took Hubby prisoner, but it did not go full-blown. Luckily, it seems to have been a 24 hour thing and Hubby is already feeling much better (knocking wood and crossing toes as I type).

2) The Mad Hatter and I had a wonderful weekend! Saturday (while Daddy worked and Mommy played tax widow) we had an impromptu playdate with a very good friend and her two adorable kiddos, and Sunday we spent the afternoon at the beach with Sweetheart and Poppy! We were busy and exhausted, but had so much fun!

3) The weather got into the very low 50's this weekend - could it possibly be that spring might make an appearance this year after all??

4) Hubby and I had a date on Friday night. Yes, it took place at Temple for a multi-congregation Board Members dinner and Friday Night services, but we had a babysitter and there were no children in attendance. And there was wine.

5) My new Blackberry phone! Or should I say Crackberry? I got the Storm and HATED it. After one week and much deliberation over whether I could learn to love it (I couldn't), I traded it in last night for the Curve and I am one happy girl. Hubby thinks he's going to find me walking around with my iPod Touch in one hand and the Crackberry in the other. He might know me a little too well.

6) Trader Joe's. Before we got ours a few months ago, the closest one was a 45 minute drive to MA. And I did it. But now. I can go ANY TIME I want. And this may not be a good thing for my wallet, not to mention my waistline. But everything I find there is so wonderful! My latest discovery addiction: Vanilla Joe-Joe's (thanks Elaine!). I'm pretty sure Elaine likes the chocolate ones, but I bought vanilla because MH prefers it to chocolate. I think I've eaten far more than she has. If I don't stop eating them I may just turn into one!

7) Drugs. Thanks to the addition of prescription strength Zantac to my already rather large dose of prescription Prilosec, I no longer feel like I have a hole burning through my throat. Yes, this is just a band-aid, and I have to see a gastroenterologist (which is most definitely not on my happy list), but the fact that I am not spending 24 hours a day in severe pain is a definite improvement from last week.

8) My godparents' daughter (and dear friend of mine) finally gave birth to her baby on Thursday morning (she was pretty overdue) - an absolutely GORGEOUS little girl with the most beautiful name and fullest head of hair I've ever seen on a newborn. Even better? My godparents' son and his wife had a little boy just 6 weeks ago - how amazing to become grandparents twice-over in such a short period of time, and get both a perfect little boy and girl?

9) MindJolt games on Facebook. This is going to be my demise. If I thought I wasted enough time playing on the computer before, I am in serious trouble now. But oh, what fun (and challenge) it will be going down!

What's on your happy list this week?

Write your own post and let me know about it so I can come read it! Leave me a comment here!

No matter WHAT is going on in your life right now, make it a point to find at least one thing that's putting a smile on your face!

The Upside of Winter in New England

It's no secret that it's been a rough winter all-around, but this winter is one of the worst we New Englanders have seen in quite a few years.

One thing that's gotten me through each snowstorm and frigid day is the knowledge that in just a few months when the warm weather finally arrives, we'll be able to head for the beach whenever we feel like it.

Living in Rhode Island affords us the luxury of having many beaches within as little as 35-40 minutes door to door. We head for the beach on just about every nice summer day there is.

Lately, even the Mad Hatter has been talking about how she can't wait to go to the beach. She mentions it at least once a day! On the way to preschool the other day, she told me she thought it would be a great day to go to the beach because the sun was out. Yes, to her, any sunny day means that spring is here.

Sadly, I had to break the news that it was a bit cold for the beach, and alas, we were continuing on to school instead.

But today, she got her wish!

Last night, the dreaded Tummy Tornado blew through town, taking Hubby prisoner (he managed to dodge it a month ago when both MH and I got it) and I wanted to get the hell out of dodge give him a chance to rest without his faithful and uber-concerned 4 year old nurse daughter checking on him every 2 minutes.

It was sunny and the temperature was headed towards the low 50's. Even though it would be cooler by the water, I figured bundling up and getting some fresh air would be the safest thing to do a great way to spend the day. We called Sweetheart and Poppy to see what they were up to and before we knew it, the four of us were on our way.

We went to Galillee, a seaside area in Narragansett well-known for its abundance of clam shacks and seafood restaurants. We went to a yummy little place for some clamcakes and chowder ("chowda" to most Rhode Islanders). The MH was content with a hot dog.

The beach we chose was a stone's throw from the restaurant, and one I have vivid memories of from growing up. It has a great play area for kids filled with swings and a great jungle-gym. Many other families had the same idea we did, and everyone was so happy to be outdoors with the even the slightest promise of spring in the air. We chatted it up with other happy beach-goers and MH quickly joined in with all of the other kiddos running wild. (note to self: the parents with the cooler and wine glasses were genious, must remember that next trip)

First, however, she was anxious to go on the "big-girl" swings and show off her mad "pumping" skillz.

The funniest moment of the day, hands-down, was when she dropped to the ground and made "sand" angels. And then asked us to "bury" her (something she loves to have done during the summer). Even with all those winter clothes on, she didn't lose her vision of what we should do at the beach!

Finally, we decided to make our way further onto the beach. Within minutes, the MH was collecting treasures. So many, in fact, that Sweetheart quickly went back to the car to get a bag for all the goodies we were destined to take home with us. Special care was taken to find the perfect shells for Daddy that would make him feel better.

We found lots of great stuff we don't normally come across during the summer - Mommy's treasures being two perfectly intact scallop shells. We also found beautiful stones, snail shells, and brought home lots of periwinkle shells that have perfect holes for stringing onto a necklace for the MH (after I sterilize them, of course).

These days, she's usually running from her crazy mommy and the camera, but today, she begged me to take the next shot. It actually took her several minutes to find the perfect rock to sit on! (the quality is awful - I was so busy making sure DH was all set and that I had everything I needed for the day, I ran out of the house without my camera and had to use my cell phone - but hey, a captured image is still an image!)

I can't begin to describe the sheer joy I had watching my little girl this afternoon. She was carefree (as always), full of energy (as always), full of personality (as always), and full of zest for life (as always!). However, I loved watching the world through her eyes - seeing the beach of summer completely transformed into a different place. A place that is the same in the fact that there is water, sand, and lots to explore, yet so different. A place where Mommy's nose was running from the cold air and gloved-fingers were still frozen, yet the MH could have run around all.day.long. No crowds, no boundaries, no having to hold hands, no being told to slow down and stay with Mommy. Just pure freedom.

I'm always blown away by how easily she interacts with others; how quickly she makes friends with children and adults alike. And also by how happy she is to be both in the company of others or off in her own little world, exploring away.

And of course, the most special part of the day was getting to spend it with Sweetheart and Poppy. They have such strong memories of doing the same trip years ago with my brother and I, yet experiencing it with their only grandchild - their complete pride and joy - is entirely different.

I see their pride in me as a parent, and the complete joy and exhilaration they get out of spending time with their adoring granddaughter. We could not be luckier to have these amazing people as such a huge part of our daily life.

The only thing missing was Daddy (and I'd be lying if I said MH did not shed some tears on the ride down because she missed him so). However, when we returned home, both exhausted and exhilarated, Daddy was out of bed and feeling a lot better. MH helped out even more by doling out lots of kisses, gentle touches, and "treasures".

Something tells me it'll be a while before we can go back to the beach of summer as we know it, and we might just have time for another visit or two in our winter gear. Next trip, we'll be sure to have both Daddy and the real camera in tow!

Mad Hatter on Mommy

I recently did this tag (meme) on Facebook and couldn't resist posting it here.

The following questions were answered by the MH, age 4 years 1 month.
Some of them her answers are just plain hilarious, and some are dead-on, and some are both!

The one thing I did not do on Facebook was add my own comments. And this blog entry definitely requires my two cents.

1.What is something mommy always says to you? "I love you."
Thank goodness that outweight the no, no, and more no. And not right now. And absolutely not.

2. What makes mommy happy? "That you're with me."
Well of course it makes me happy to be with her. I also like it when she is a good listener.

3. What makes mommy sad? "When I don't listen."
Oh good, at least she's not completely unaware!

4. How does mommy make you laugh? "Taking pictures of me and making silly faces."
I didn't know taking pictures was such a source of humor for her! I thought it was all the tickles, silly dancing, silly voices, and in general acting like a total lunatic (in private, of course).

5. What was mommy like as a child? "Happy."
Yep!

6. How old is mommy? "30"
She just earned a free get out of jail free card for taking 3 and a half years off my age. OK, make that 3 and a half. It's only fair since she gets one minute of time out for every year old she is.

7. How tall is mommy? "7-8-6 feet"
Still pondering this one.

8. What is mommy's favorite thing to do?"Make projects with me and do lots of cool stuff and build things with me."
I'm glad she sees me through those eyes and not the "eat, drink, shop, sleep, blog, facebook, etc." ones.

9. What does mommy do when you're not around? "Go to physical therapy and do stuff."
Think she gets that I go to physical therapy a lot? Yes, I practically live there. I guess the rest of my life falls into the category of "doing stuff".

10. If mommy becomes famous,what will it be for? " Because you're having a party".
Kind of funny if you ask me because we don't throw many parties around here.

11. What is mommy really good at? "Doing projects and puzzles and stuff."
Glad to hear I have so many talents in her eyes. I'm just gonna pretend that "stuff" is another word for everything.

12. What is mommy not very good at? "You're not good at waking up when it's 7"
So, so very true MH. Or 8, or 9, or even 10. Yep, your mommy does love and need her sleep.

13. What does mommy do for her job? "Taking care of me and doing fun stuff with me"
Fair enough answer coming from a 4 year old. If hubby said the same without elaboration, he's be in a little hot water.

14. What is mommy's favorite food? "Pancakes and brussel sprouts and green beans"
Well, I do like all three foods. Not together. And clearly she doesn't see me hoovering the Edy's Slow Churned straight from the carton at night. Maybe that's a good thing.

15. What makes you proud of mommy? "Doing lots of fun stuff with me."
Aww, ok, you just earned that extra half get out of jail free card - now you've got four.

16. If mommy were a cartoon character,who would she be?"She's orange, and she wears jewelry, and she's Zoe! (from Sesame Street)"
I know I've posted plenty of pictures on myself here. Wouldn't you say I do a FABULOUS job of covering up my orange feathery fur and hair? It's a GREAT wig. And one of the reasons I love turtleneck sweaters so.

17. What do you and mommy do together? "We have lots of stuff that's fun to do together - like doing games and stuff and eating dinner like a family and baking, and go to playdates."
Hmm, MH. Most of the time you are like a piece of velcro attached to my leg. You forgot to mention that we pee together too. But I'm glad you're thinking about the good stuff.

18. How do you know mommy loves you?"Because she loves me so much and she reads so many books to me. And she plays lots of stuff."
Hey! What about the zillions of hugs and kisses all day long and the fact that I will do anything in the world just to get a smile out of you?

21.What does Mommy like about Daddy? "When you go out somewhere."
Daddy - I think she means when we go out somewhere together. But I feel the need to add that there are many things I "like" about you - especially what an amazing Daddy and husband you are.

22. Where is mommy's favorite place to go? "Stop and Shop and Trader Joe's"
This one bummed me out. While I do love Trader Joe's, most days I would rather stick a fork in my eye than brave Stop and Shop. I loathe grocery shopping. Loathe it. And with the sheer number of visits to Target in a week, I cannot believe this one slipped her mind!

I must say, this was such a fun activity together. When I pick her up at preschool and they've done something where the teachers ask them to answer a question, her answers always crack me up. I had so much fun asking the questions this time and hearing the answers.

If you have a little one who can answer, I encourage you to take this one and run with it - definitely one for the memory book! And let me know if you do - I want to hear the answers you get too!

Got me giggling

Have any of you seen the mini-show on Noggin called Pepa and George?

I don't even know if you can call it a show - it's on for about 5 minutes.

Show or not, it's about 2 pigs who have an British accent.

And that's ALL I can tell you about it because every time it comes on, I can't stop giggling over the fact that the Mad Hatter walks around saying (in her own version of a British accent), "Mummy, it's Peppah and Gawwwwge".

Sheer hilarity.

The first time it came on and I asked what it was, I nearly fell over in hysterics upon hearing her pronunciation.

And being the ham (seriously, no pun intended) that she is, she has capitalized on her ability to send me into a fit of giggles and loves to carry on and on (whether the "show" is on or not). And who am I to stop her?

The irony is that the 5 minute short appears right after the other new pig show Toot and Puddle, which for some reason the MH also adores.

And a show that I will never look at in the same light after one day on Twitter, my friend @elainea (Elaine from The Miss Elaine-ous Life) said the title sounds more like a day of potty training in her house than the name of a show.

Elaine, you too are sheer hilarity!

Ooh, what's that? It really is pig hour! After a brief Peppah and Gawwwwge intermission, it appears we're back to another episode of potty training fun Toot and Puddle!

What's making you giggle this morning?

Rock on with your bad self!

We love music in this house. All kinds with the exception of country (I apologize to all of my Texan friends - I can handle some crossover stuff!).

When DH's gave me an iPod Nano last year along with a stereo on which I could play it, I was over the moon!

And when he upgraded that Nano to an iPod Touch this year, well, we all know how I feel about that! You would be absolutely amazed at the insanely diverse selection of music stored on my favorite gadget.

However, I digress.

I used to listen to music of all kinds while pregnant with the Mad Hatter. I loved to sing along to my belly.

We brought CDs and played music the entire time I was in labor.

When we brought her home from the hospital, we constantly had music going - it seemed to have a complete calming effect on her.

And as she's grown, she has shown a love for music that thrills me beyond belief!

When she was around 6 months old, we discovered Jack's Big Music show on Noggin and although her taste in TV has changed as she's grown, she still asks for it here and there.

We did a Music Together class for two years in a row. I'm not sure who loved it more!

We have just about every musical instrument imagineable, and often have impromptu band practice.

We have found some amazing artists that completely redefine "kiddie" music. If you haven't checked out Dan Zanes, Milkshake, Laurie Berkner, or David Weinstone/Music for Aardvarks, you most definitely should.

But what makes me the proudest is that we don't just listen to "kiddie" music around here. She comes to us with very specific requests for what we play!

As I sit writing this post, my little girl has been rockin' out to a variety of songs including Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September" (better known in our house as the Bah-Dee-Aah song), "Dancing Queen by Abba", "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five, and "Rock the Boat" by the Hughes Corporation (can you tell we're in 70's mode this morning?). We just moved on to the groove-contagious Celebration and she can't stop boogie-in (her term!).

We're (or should I say she, some stuffed animals, a couple of Barbies, and a few My Little Ponies) having one hell of a dance party in my kitchen right now! And my girl has more rhythm in her pinky than my entire family combined.

We have no idea where she gets it but it is awesome.

The best (and most entertaining part)? She does not need music when it comes to moving. She is in constant motion and sings her own songs all day long. It's a hoot!

I hope that she will always continue to have such a zest for music in her life - whether she learns to play an instrument, continues to dance, or just keeps growing and developing her appreciation for it, because I believe music helps make the world go round.

And who doesn't have that one song (or a few) that can completely turn their mood around and put a huge smile on their face?

I am lucky enough to have both a list of songs that do that for me AND the sheer joy of just watching the MH.

And I guarantee you that if you were watching what I am right now and listening to her sing every lyric to Barry White's "My Everything" as clear as day while dancing along with Barry the Dog (more on him at a later date), you'd have a smile the size of Utah on your face too!

What's your happy song?

Because it's so bright at bedtime!

When I went into the Mad Hatter's room last night to give her the goodnight kiss I always do before I turn in, this is what I found:

Note the hand on Twilight Turtle . . . apparently now she's sleeping with him too!

I'm amazed that my instantaneous erruption into hysterics didn't wake her up!

Of course I immediately grabbed hubby, who told me I was going to wake her by taking her picture - if you ask me, totally worth the risk!

Anyways, as I told him, the shades were protecting her from the paparazzi.

What can I say, my girl loves her accessories - apparently, even while she's asleep!

In her 4 years of life, this is by far one of the best ways I've ever found her sleeping.

Making Me Happy Monday

I can't believe yet another Monday is upon us! So without further ado, here is what's making me happy this week:

1) SNOW! I cannot believe I'm actually saying it, but as long as I don't have to go out in it (which is going to be unlikely with the MH chomping at the bit to go play), I'm super excited for a snow day that includes hubby! We all spent the morning snuggling in bed, Mommy made pancakes, and now daddy is doing organizational stuff. Since it's the middle of tax season and he's been working Saturdays, this is like having a real weekend!

2) Purim - we went to a wonderful mitzvah (good deed) event yesterday at an assisted living facility, where the MH helped decorate treat bags to be delivered to the elderly, made cards for Israeli soldiers, watched as others made delicious Hamantaschen (it was utter insanity, we will make them at home with Sweetheart!), and played with lots of little friends. My parents met us, and we got to spend time with my great aunt and uncle who happen to live at the facility. Oh, and did I mention that the kids dress up for this joyous and festive holiday? She chose to wear this year's Halloween costume and was a precious little Sleeping Beauty!

3) We had a couple of mild days last week - mild enough to open car windows and expend lots of pent-up energy at the playground! (of course, that little glimmer of hope for Spring had to get squashed under a foot of snow today!)

4) With the Mad Hatter finally back in preschool last Thursday, I was finally able to get to the market and replenish our severely lacking grocery supply. Yes - for this I am thankful! Especially the being able to do it alone.

5) The fact that although our boiler needs to be fixed, it is more to the tune of $300 than the $6000 the idiotic plumbing company had us thinking we were in for.

6) The fact that although we were sans heat for one night, that night was Saturday night and fixed in time for the deep freeze last night!

7) The Mad Hatter is a little star when it comes to the dentist! We had our second visit ever last week, and I have yet to ever see someone quite as excited for a dental visit!

8) My new Snuggie. Yes, DH and I finally caved to the cult of people walking around in glorified backwards bathrobes that make us look like monks in hospital johnnies. Judge as you may, but if you lived in our house, and hung out in our extremely drafty family room every night, you'd understand that the Snuggie is the perfect addition to our couch in the winter. Fear not, we will not be threatening our child's self-esteem by wearing them anywhere outside of the comfort of our own home.

9) Great friends - enough said.

10) Coffee - again, enough said.

So, what's making you happy this week? Create a post of your own and leave me a comment so I can stop by.

Don't have a whole post? Just share a thing or two in my comments section.

I'm sure you can find at least one thing that's making you happy this Monday!