100 Things

Mom has been pondering a journaling class lately. I don't know the exact details she has been trying to work out, but she was looking for resources, ideas, and a teacher. I have a book called "A Journal to the Self" that I happened to pull off my shelf recently. Mom glanced through it and came across a section about listing 100 things. There were a lot of good ideas, and I have been thinking of my own 100 things. Mostly what 100 things I would like to list. I think I should list 100 things I could list 100 things about. I think I will start with the easy and obvious 100 things that make me happy: (In random order, my list is a stream of consciousness) (It also took a LONG time to write...it is unedited at the moment.)

1. Snuggling Nicco for "1 minute" before he falls asleep.
2. The way Nicco folds his hands under his chin when he sleeps.
3. Burgers and Fries (capital B & F...not just any old burger and fries.)
4. Reading great books
5. My "soft" (The fluffy soft robe Patrice gave me for Christmas a year ago, affectionately named "mommy's soft")
6. Reading great books in my soft. (Is that cheating? Combining two happy things to make a third? It is my list, so I make the rules. I declare it is not cheating.
7. "Working" on Saturday mornings. It makes me happy to turn on my computer and read (or blog) while I make money. Granted, I make more money if I actually work, instead of "work," but getting paid to read makes me happy, even if it is only $5.50 an hour.
8. Refreshing my billing page after an hour of "work" and seeing my tutoring income increase by $5.50.
9. Sneaking on Daddy. When we hear Patrice open the garage door after work, Nicco and I sneak and hide behind the wall until he comes in. Nicco giggles and giggles, so sneaking is not sneaky at all, but it is a silly little ritual that makes me happy.
10. 300 days of sunshine a year. I don't think I would be happy in Seattle.
11. Unlimited long distance.
12. Fairview.
13. Weekends.
14. Chocolate.
15. Spying on Nicco when he is at school.
16. Listening to Nicco "sing."
17. Watching Nicco "dance."
18. Our house
19. Bailey
20. Having Nicco's grandparents nearby, so they can pop in when they are in town.
21. Technology-the web cam makes me happy. E-mail makes me happy.I am happy that technology provides a way for Nicco to know his family who are not nearby and cannot pop in for visits.
22. LOST
23. Netflix
24. Quick visits (most recently, Diana's quick visit here. A few months back, our visit to Utah)
25. Learning that one of my student's dad's is a closet Republican Jew!
26. Fresh squeezed lemonade at a baseball game on a summer day. Take or leave the baseball game.
27. The first day of spring break
28. The last day of school
29. Our big comfy bed
30. $1.65/gallon gas
31. Learning something new (French~I'm working on it!)
32. Traveling
33. Sleeping in
34. The ocean
35. Sunsets
36. Sushi
37. Tomatoes
38. Flip Flops
39. Reading stories to Nicco
40. Roasting Marshmallows
41. Patrice making Nicco laugh so hard he almost chokes
42. Weekday picnic lunches with Patrice
43. Clean laundry folded AND put away
44. The Pink Panther theme song (Nicco slink walks, humming the theme song)
45. Nicco speaking French. (He said "allez, on y va" (come on, let's go!) as he struggled with a "sitting one" on the potty. It made me laugh.
46. Blue eyes (both my boys have beautiful blue eyes)
47. Nicco "working" on his laptop while I work
48. Love from my family, one and all, but especially from my two boys.
49. Hugs and kisses (Nicco tells me specifically that "hugs and kisses make you happy")
50. Nicco's "cost" (nothing in our house is free...even a sippy cup with chocolate milk costs. The cost is a dollar and a kiss. I would be RICH, rich I tell ya! if Nicco had real dollars.)
51. Fuzzy pants
52. Fuzzy socks
53. The fresh clean smell and feeling in the air after a nice spring or summer rainstorm
54. A bright, fresh winter day after a snow, but before anyone has driven on the roads. The blue blue sky and white white ground make me happy.
55. Cuddling by the fire
56. Ode to Joy
57. Road trips (specifically, the trip Patrice and I took in 2001 around Colorado. Whenever I hear Frank Sinatra, I think of that trip. Also the trip we took to Vegas in 2004. Happy times.)
58. Months that start on Monday
59. Sweet assurances (some of these eternal truths were reinforced and re-learned at Time Out For Women with Mom)
60. Time Out For Women with Mom
61. Feeding ducks: Every time I can remember feeding ducks, it was a happy time for me. I enjoyed it as a child, but I think I enjoy it even more as an Aunt and as a mom. I remember taking a walk to a little pond with Lucy when they lived in Highlands Ranch. She stood on a rock with her arms uplifted and announced "I am queen of the world!" I don't think I can write her pronunciation of "world" at that time in her life, it was something like "weald" So cute! I also LOVE feeding ducks with Nicco.
62. Crossing things off my lists
63. Relaxing in my hammock (my first mother's day present!)
64. A relatively large balance in my savings account
65. Nature, as in deer wandering through the yard at Mom and Dad's house, a fox sleeping in the sun in our backyard, etc.
66. Signs of spring
67. Growing things: a little garden, lots of grapes
68. Eating the things we grow. It is very satisfying to have a fresh tomato and cucumber salad, and the 100 jars of jelly from last year's grape harvest made me really happy.
69. Kid art
70. My bookshelf
71. Going to the library
72. Going to the bookstore
73. Christmas songs
74. Holding my boys' hands
75. Tuesdays (I only have 8 students on Tuesdays instead of 22, so things are quieter and we have better opportunities to do some really fun projects.)
76. Rituals and traditions: Whenever I go to Target with Nicco, we get pizza and a soda and "an airplane, or somethin,'" when we go to Bailey, we go to the park and the hot dog, Nicco "costs" for things he wants, 1-minute snuggles before sleep, talking to Papi and Mamie every Saturday or Sunday morning, etc. Maybe I should do a 100 rituals and traditions list!
77. Lilacs
78. Photo projects: our keychains, calendars, and planners
79. Playing games together (except Scrabble. Scrabble makes me cranky)
80. Live musical theater (my faves: Les Miserables, Wicked, and a happy surprise, Urinetown)
81. Patriotic music (including both of our national anthems, The Star Spangled Banner and La Marseillaise)
82. Fresh baked bread
83. Fresh baked cookies
84. Mike Baker: His column always makes me laugh, but I confess, it doesn't always make me happy.
85. Volunteer armed forces. I would NOT be happy if my son were required to serve our country through the military. I would probably not be happy if he chose to serve in the military, but I am happy he has the choice. (Freedoms I enjoy...another 100 things list?)
86. Marriage. Mine is a happy one, as are those of the people closest to me. Happy marriages make me happy!
87. A hot bath after a long day, especially a long cold day. Or even better, after sledding! Mmmm...a hot bath after playing in the snow. Aaaahhhh...
88. Sledding
89. Nicco's "monthday" album, pictures taken of him on or around the 25th of each month since he was born. Patrice's idea, a good one! Looking at his monthday album makes me happy.
90. Mini eggs
91. My two boys
92. Blog updates. Seriously...I refresh the screen roughly 50 times a day, just to see if anyone has updated yet. I know, a little ADD. Also maybe a little OCD.
93. A clean house (The result, not so much the process. Although, depending on my mood, the process can actually make me happy.)
94. Napping in the sunshine (Specifically the patch of sunshine in mom and dad's dining room by the deck. Also on my hammock.)
95. Opening the house windows on warm days
96. A good job
97. My handful of friends. Literally...I think I have 5 friends!
98. My family, immediate and extended.
99. A good night sleep, waking up refreshed.
100. Squares