Gratitude Friday/Saturday/Sunday...

I read a book.

A real book.  With like chapters and stuff.  Written by a published author.  During the week.  While the sun was shining.

I read a book.

I feel like a new person.

Here's how it went down:

My kids have decided to play together.  

If you just heard the heavens opening up and raining down blessings, you would be hearing exactly what I have been hearing all week.

We spent most every afternoon in the backyard.  Aubrey Kate played "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" and, most importantly, Rhys did what she told him to do.

Win win.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention both of them were naked as the day they were born.  The mosquitoes loved it.  Yes, yes, I spray them with bug spray like crazy but those darn kids keep playing in the pool and washing their protective coating right off.

While they played and served as afternoon snacks for the mosquitoes, I read.  With my feet in one chair and my behind in another, I read.  Occasionally, I had to wipe an accidental splashing victim and gently remind the children to not use the jump rope for either tug of war or to tie the little brother to the tree.  But other than that, I read.

Now look, I'm not one to jump to conclusions and say this is something that might just become a pattern.  A habit.  A blissful utopia in which I can feed my brain with something other than Disney characters.  Because it's not.  It was simply a week where they enjoyed a new activity.  The pool, in all it's blowup, pink, hot pink, red baby-sized gloriousness will lose it's shine.  And I will be forced to take my feet off the chair and get back in the game.

But oooohhhhh...I am so grateful for this one, precious, amazing, restful, week.

Other than that, I am grateful for braids.  Specifically, one Elsa braid or two Anna braids.  Aubrey Kate is LOVING them.  And I am loving having significantly less tangles to comb out after bath.  

Plus, she's stinking adorable.  

Eat. Her. Up.

And just because I can, here's a little Rhys for you too.

He's a mess.  Spent a ridiculous amount of minutes running around the house tonight.  Boy.  Chris and I just watched.  In awe.  He's just a ball of energy.  Curious, destructive, delightful, mess.

I like him.  We're gonna keep him.

Lastly, we had a date.  

I'm gonna give you a second to just let that sink in.  Or maybe pick yourself up from the floor.

We have approximately two dates per year.  One being this weekend.  The next being in December when we leave the kids with the grandparents for a night or two.  

This first date of the year also happens to be the annual high school band banquet.  So in addition to the grueling task of getting two adults out of the door in clothing not decorated with snot/food/tears, we get the pleasure of eating bad, bland banquet food and picking our jaws up off the floor as we teenagers parade in the door wearing...well...very little.

This year, I spent most of the night being awed at the pure, innocent awkwardness of teenage boys.  Really, it's amazing they ever get married.  

And maybe, just maybe, I got teary watching the baby pictures turn into senior pictures and GOOD GRACIOUS, I cannot handle my children graduating.  

Can I be grateful my little blond beauties are only four and twenty-two months?

Why yes.  Yes, I can be grateful for that.  

And in the COMPLETELY VAIN category, I am grateful my real person clothes fit.  Sure, they are circa 2007 and the top was made by a fabulous retailer who closed their doors in 2008, but hey, THEY FIT.  

Although I never saw it in person, I have seen photos and can confirm that handsome guy standing with me was once one of those gloriously awkward teenage boys.  From teenage awkward to doctor.  It's an amazing transformation.  

I take most of the credit.