Gratitude Day #13

Friday, November 13

1. I am grateful for bedtime. It is past midnight and the house smells of warm chocolate. I have two cake orders for tomorrow and have spent the last few hours baking one cake and making white chocolate mousse. I am tired and anxious to climb into my already warm bed. I love that moment when you put down your book, turn off the light, slide under the covers and relax your entire body.

2. I am grateful for a low-key field trip to the Mall of America with five children today (5 months, 24 months, 3, 3, and 5). We played at the Lego store, had a picnic on a bench and threw pennies into the mouth of the crocodile. The kids were well behaved - most of the time - and I was able to chat with Kelly for a bit while the kids played.

3. I am grateful for bookstores. The kids and I went to their school fundraiser at Barnes and Noble tonight. We browsed the books, heard storied read by Red Pine teachers and had our faces painted. Calvin found a book about nightmares (he calls them bad dreams) and the ever popular Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Sophie found a new series about a mermaid. I asked advice from an actual knowledgeable staff member on age-appropriate science fiction for Maxwell. He has graduated from the kids selections and wants to read adult science fiction books. A couple of months ago I let him buy some used science fiction books and later found one of them was naughty - very naughty. Actually, I did not find out it was naughty, the babysitter did when Max showed her a particularly steamy passage. Nice. We had a little conversation about appropriate books and got rid of the naughty one. So, helpful readers - do you have any science fiction or fantasy authors you could recommend for Max? Please keep in mind he is 9 years old. Does anyone know if the 5 million Star Wars and Star Trek novels are clean?

4. I am grateful for discount stores. They are a bit like yard sales except with higher prices - and yet still pretty cheap. Savers may help me get through the Minnesota winter this year. We stopped in at Savers tonight (same idea as Goodwill or Deseret Industries) and I found a great heavy wood organizer thingy that I am going to put on my computer table (when I finally move the computer) in the basement. I have been trying to figure out a way to better use the wall space down there, and this will help. It was $6.99 and I plan on giving it a smart coat of paint tomorrow . . . as long as the cakes are done. I'll try and get a photo tomorrow.

5. I am grateful for my funny 5 year old. He can be such a drama queen! The other night (when he was overly tired) I asked him to help Sophie unload the dishwasher and he burst into tears. "I'm too tiiiiired to do that . . . Your words are giving me a headache Mom . . . Every time you say that it makes my head hurt mooooore . . . If I help Sophie I will have a heart attack . . . I will have three five hundred headaches and I will diiiiieeeee!" Deb was at my house and I could not even look him in the face - I was trying very hard not to laugh out loud while my poor boy had tears streaming down his face! Oh Calvin, you make my life so very happy - even when you cry.