Little things that make you happy

Parent Cafe
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<p>Being home for Christmas when I haven’t been home since August.</p>

<p>Seeing MY yellow lab come bounding across the hardwood floor and crash head-first into the dining room table just because she’s excited I’m home.</p>

<p>Sitting with my mom in the family room with the sliding glass door open letting the SoCal winter breeze in.</p>

<p>The best part:</p>

<p>I have a nephew who is two years old and who I haven’t seen since August when I left for my sophomore year of college. My brother and sister in law brought him over this past Saturday. At dinner, we were going around the table and nephew was saying everyone’s name, but adding his middle and last name to their first name. When my brother pointed to me and said “And who’s that, nephew?”</p>

<p>Nephew took a long look, thought VERY hard, and finally replied, “HGFM middlename lastname!” with a BIG grin. :D</p>

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<p>One of my favorite blogs: [1000</a> Awesome Things](<a href=“http://www.1000awesomethings.com%5D1000”>http://www.1000awesomethings.com)</p>

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<p>with my daughter home from school, i get to set out four placemats at the dinner table instead of three. </p>

<p>and that makes me smile.</p>

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<p>Having my 19 yr old daughter spend time playing games with her 12 yr old sister and making cookies with me instead of racing out the door to see her high school friends ! :D</p>

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<p>I got a lovely e-mail holiday greeting from an acquaintance today. It said:</p>

<p>“May the best things that happened in 2009 be the worst things that happen in 2010.”</p>

<p>I thought that was great!</p>

46

<p>Eggnog- Hey, it’s dairy!
Christmas lights
Crossing the finish line in a road race
Living in the south- what Magnolia Mom said
Flannel sheets and down comforter, because we still have cold nights in the south
Coming home from work and having to fight my way through 2 large cats and a extra large Golden Retriever to get in the door</p>

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<p>Swans, hundreds of them, wintering in what was rice fields in the fall. </p>

<p>Having DS home, if only for a couple of weeks.</p>

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<p>Asking my two older kids for their fiancees’ birthdates; quietly adding them to my calendar.</p>

49

<p>Watching my DDs beating DH in Wii bowling. Not having to worry about homework or bedtime. Enjoying the laughter…</p>

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<p>my daughters</p>

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<p>No empty seats at the dinner table because my entire little nuclear family is home for the holidays.</p>

52

<p>Walking/shopping in NYC with the girls and H yesterday and having dinner at our favorite restaurant.</p>

<p>Visiting with my siblings and seeing my niece and nephews over the holidays.</p>

53

<p>Receiving homemade cookies from my students for Christmas and watching my teenagers and their friends eating them.</p>

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<p>Hey, I am one of those people that made cookies for my kid’s teachers. I hope they were happy.</p>

55

<p>Leaving work on a Friday afternoon, turning on the radio just in time to hear a favorite song on the “oldies” station.</p>

<p>DH saying “don’t cook, we’ll go out”</p>

<p>When one of my DS’s calls “just to talk” </p>

<p>Watching a movie with DH sharing popcorn and Diet Coke.</p>

56

<p>Not visiting my sisters and mother in my hometown this particular Christmas…love them all but WAY too much drama and turmoil …glad to be within my own family unit enjoying the company !</p>

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<p><<hey, i=“” am=“” one=“” of=“” those=“” people=“” that=“” made=“” cookies=“” for=“” my=“” kid’s=“” teachers.=“” hope=“” they=“” were=“” happy.=“”>></hey,></p>

<p>Don’t worry. I love their cookies, too and eat many of them but I have over 600 students so I have to depend on the kindness (and appetitie) of family!</p>

58

<p>Watching my just-arrived-home son put the angel on the top of the Christmas tree.</p>

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<p>Hearing my daughter’s sweet angel voice singing a few rooms away, oblivious to the world, unaware that I am perfectly still for fear I might miss a single note.</p>

60

<p>We got our son two presents for Christmas. One was a pretty expensive technological tool/toy that he had specifically asked us for. The other was a frisbee with LED lights for night playing that I picked up at Target on the spur of the moment, just because I felt funny about there being only one present under the tree for him, even though the techno-toy had busted our usual budget and then some.</p>

<p>He was very happy to get his techno-toy, but he was ECSTATIC about the Frisbee…insisted on going outside at midnight to test it out with me, and when we came back in, gave me the first spontaneous hug I’ve had from him in what seems like years.</p>