Gratitude Journal 12

1. driving for an hour to spend four hours at the beach.
2. carrot cake
3. watching my little girl investigate her world.

Here is a run down of Rose's last half hour of the evening:
7.00pm picks up "baby", "doggie", large baby blanket, and two yellow tea towels in the dining room. Drops one tea towel. Bends down to pick up blanket and drops "doggie"
7.01pm Daddy: "Can I help you?"
Rose: "Yes," Daddy picks up fallen tea towel and "doggie." "Daddy help, daddy help"
Rose and Daddy come through to living room.
7.02pm. Rose drops all toys and accessories and walks to playroom to get "baby's stroller". Pushes stroller past toys, through dining room and into kitchen. Parks stroller in center of kitchen floor.
7.03pm Runs to living room to pick up "baby", "doggie" and all towels. Drops one towel.Bends down to pick up blanket and drops "baby" Manages to pick up everything and walk over to stroller.
7.04pm Places all toys and towels into stroller and wheels whole lot though to living room.
7.05pm Dumps all contents of stroller onto the rug. I'm able to grab her long enough to pull down shorts and pull off t-shirt.
7.06pm Rose lies down to have her nappy changed. "Nappy off." New nappy goes on with some wiggling.
7.07pm Jumps up and grabs dirty nappy (all neatly folded (!)). "Tash, tash" Trots to kitchen, but looks back at me unsure. Trots back through house and throws dirty nappy into trash in the playroom.
7.08pm. Grabs "baby". "Up, up" Daddy pulls Rose onto couch. "Baby shoe" Rose clambers back of couch and retrieves a tiny pink baby shoe from the floor. "Up, up" Gets back on the couch and holds shoe out to Daddy. Daddy replaces shoe. Rose climbs over Daddy, up onto the arm of the couch and reaches for the lamp switch.
7.09pm - 7.11pm On and off, on and off, on and off. Looking back at me with the biggest smile each time.
7.12pm Minor fall off couch, crawls over to me, tries to put on night dress, gets a little frustrated, goes back to Daddy.
7.13pm "Up, up" Clambers back over Dad, stepping on some delicate parts. Reaches for lamp.
7.14pm - 7.16pm On, off, on, off, on, off. Reaches for my knitting. "No, that's Mummy's special box. Mummy's knitting" "Mummy's night-night" "No, Mummy's knitting."
7.17pm I lie down and try to stretch out my back. "Mummy?" Rose climbs down and put "baby" and "doggie" on my tummy.
7.18pm Rose climbs on as well.
7.19pm- 7.21pm I lift Rose up and we do some flying.
7.22pm "More fly?" "Oh no, I can't fly anymore." I try to make my escape to the couch.
7.23pm with "baby" and one towel in arms, "Up,up" Climbs on couch and buries herself in a corner with cushions.
7.24pm "Rose are you ready to go night night?" "No, no" with vigorous head shaking. Clambers over me and hides behind two more pillows.
7.25pm - 7.26pm "Rose, time to put on monkey (ie green nightdress with monkey on the front)" "No, no" Holds out her hands "jump jump" and begins her awesome non-jumping jumping. Now has a sweaty head.
7.27pm "Five more minutes" I set my watch to go off three minutes later. "More jump"
7.28pm - 7.29pm Jumping, losing baby, finding baby, jumping, standing on edge of couch and light switch on and offing.
7.30pm Timer goes off. "Mummy, mummy" watch button pushing. "Time to go to bed" Grabbed by Daddy. "Night night Mummy, night night Gus." "Bye Mummy"

I adored every single stinking minute of it.

Gratitude Journal 11

1. reading the moving, inspirational bool "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. "I think all of us are always five years old in the presence or absence of our parents." (p. 157)
2. being a part of Shoemaker's first senior graduation. However much I bitterly complain about teaching, I felt real pride watching the students get their diplomas and being a member of the teaching staff.
3. air conditioning!

gratitude journal #10

1. making a friend happy by planning a hen party.
2. celebrating a very low key father's day with my low key husband
3. caramel filled chocolates

I hosted a hen party for E last night. Entertaining is a stomach churning experience. Will people come? Do I have enough food/drinks? Is the food edible? Will people enjoy themselves? What do I do with the dog/daughter? Urgh, no wonder caterers and butlers exist. Needless to say, the night was a success - I think. E got wonderfully tipsy surrounded by friends wearing dollar-store leis. She did not, however hard I tried, cry at any point of the evening. The girl is made of stone. Her fiance broke down in tears on screen for God's sake. The night ended at 1.00am after three hours of full-throated karaoke singing. Sitting here on a Sunday evening after a nap, bath and tea, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. If only I could have enjoyed some of the champagne with them all.

Today is Father's day. B is notorious for not wanted to celebrate himself in any way whatsoever - birthdays, work achievements and definitely not father's day. He just said, "I'm still skeptical on this whole Father's Day thing. Aren't they just doing what they should be doing?" I get his point, all of these days (mother's day, secretary's day, bin man's day) seem a little over the top, but underneath all the cards and balloons the purpose is to celebrate and thank the essential people in your life. The people who are doing what they should be doing each and every day. They all deserve a great big thank you and couple of hours to do whatever they want to do. Unfortunately, I can't do that for my father, but I don;t even want to go there right now.

gratitude journal 9

1. having a healthy, growing, jiving baby boy
2. getting a great haircut for only $16
3. opening the windows to let in a spring breeze