Things to Do - Make a Grateful List (January 2011)

Every month I make a "grateful list", sort of a summary/"best of" for the month, which (for me) serves a a great way to remember key moments and general things that make me happy. For past lists, click here.

And on the topic of gratefulness, this passage from Rick Bass really resonated with me:
"We ski into and through the blue light. I hold my breath, hoping that the girls will remember the strange sight - though, perhaps better still, the conscious part of them might forget it, might take if for granted, assuming such wonder to be a daily occurrence in the landscape up here. That would be all right: would be more than all right. Nonchalance and wonder, right next to each other. On the way home, Mary Katherine stops and picks up a handful of that strange micro-flaked snow and tosses it up at the moon . . . . Yes, I think. Take it for granted, please." - The Wild Marsh: Four Seasons at Home in Montana

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Reading & Arts
1. Downton Abbey (usually I'm not a fan of BBC productions, but this is SO GOOD)
2. Bob books - F loves these, every night she wants to try reading a new one (Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers and Bob Books Set 2-Advancing Beginners).
3. The Armageddon Mama article in Brainchild
4. A Widow's Story - Joyce Carol Oates' New Yorker article about the death of her husband (not available online)
5. Second City's A Girls' Guide to Washington Politics at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre
6. Loretta Lynn (we can't stop listening to her since we watched Coal Miner's Daughter) esp. The Pill Song (so progressive, so funny, so awesome).
7. Peggy Orenstein's princess article
Food
8. Pomegranate seeds
9. Mulled wine at Twisted Vines
10. Aveda tea (I seriously think I'm addicted)
11. My homemade sweet potato "chips"
Stuff
12. My new Tom's shoes in Gilded Herringbone (I know it's cliche, but I just love them)
13. Rosewood fortifying oil in the diffuser
Moments
14. Starting off the year with a 2 hour yoga class and meditation at Journey Yoga
15. Our afternoon as a family at MD Science Center
16. The Wizards game at the Verizon center
17. P making "rides" for all her dolls (and flying them around the room)
18. F's "essay" on ways to stay healthy (one day she randomly decided to make a list of ways to stay healthy and she tried to write it all herself, despite the fact that she can't really spell yet, so it took a lot of work)
19. T with his blanket always over his head, walking into walls and laughing
20. My birthday mom happy hour (thanks to everyone who came)
21. A night at the Ritz and dinner at Michel for my birthday (thank you Jesse & Amie for watching the kids)
22. T wearing a viking hat at At Play Cafe
23. F's princess drawing (using stencils)
24. F and her "diary" (all her "secrets" go in there, despite the fact that she can't spell yet. She makes P cover her eyes whenever she walks past)
25. P finally writing her own name (for both the girls I've had such a struggle getting them to practice writing their names, so this is a big accomplishment for us)

I thought I'd also include some of the highlights from the girls' lists (every night before they go to bed, I ask them to look back on the day and think of what they're grateful for).

From F (5 years old) - backrubs, coloring pictures, making valentines, my friend Ella, nature, ham [note - we never eat ham, i have no idea where this came from], bike riding, reading books, rides in the sled, and my family.

From P (4 years old) - Dr. Barbie, my family, my ladybug nightlight [Cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light, Lady Bug], and my strawberry shortcake doll.