Big Smiles before Noon

Now that's the way to start the day!  Lots of reasons to feel happy this morning.  I'm going to list for the sake of brevity since I need to go to Kmart (I can feel the hives popping out already) before pick-up.

• Tom was rocking out to my Heart mix post-shower this morning.  You gotta love a guy jamming to "All I Wanna Do (Is Make Love to You)" with no shame.  Guilty pleasure?  Nah, he isn't embarrassed to admit that he loves him some cheesetastic 80's pop rock.  One of the many reasons I love that beautiful man.

• Coming down to $100 on the kitchen counter.  I love Poker winnings!  Can't win 'em all but it's AWESOME when he does.  The kids and I are going to the fancy car wash to celebrate.  A freshly vacuumed minivan is one of my favorite simple pleasures and it's even better when someone does the vacuuming for me.

• Speaking of "awesome", Jack uses the word in conversation now.  As in, "Mom, this yogurt is awesome!"  The Boy knows what it means and uses it correctly but it just sounds so strange, like a puppy speaking Spanish or something. He is getting so big that I can hardly stand it.  (Why Spanish?  I say that like a puppy speaking English would be normal.  My glorious Green Tea Chai Latte must be hitting me.  Sorry for the caffeine rush, Sheemee!)

• Natalie was in a great mood this morning.  That, in and of itself, is enough to make this The Best Day Ever.  She was full of laughter and hugs which is hard to believe considering she hasn't pooped since Sunday.  Much deliberation was spent on her outfit this morning but she walked away satisfied with her ensemble so it was worth the time spent deciding.

• Jack is the king of knock-knock jokes.  They make absolutely no sense and are completely unfunny (is that a word?) and yet I genuinely laugh like a hyena on meth each time he comes out with another one.  It's not the "joke" but his delivery that gets me.  He is his own best audience and has such unabashed joy in his own sense of humor.  There may come a time that I have to explain to him that what he's saying doesn't exactly qualify him for The Kings of Comedy tour but for now, I will continue to bask in the glow of his proud smile.  My brother used to do the same thing around this age, regaling us with his idea of jokes at the dinner table.  I can remember exchanging secret eye rolls and smiles with my parents as we laughed along dutifully.  Maybe that is why Jack's jokes make my eyes sting while I'm laughing along.  I love when Jon pops out in the kids.  It's like a little hello from my BFF, reminding me that in some small way he'll always be with me.

• The Madam in a ponytail.  It makes her looks so grown-up (which is bittersweet) and I love to see her beautiful face, unlike when she runs around with her hair all snarly in her face like a mental hospital escapee which is her usual hairdo.

• Sheemee is moving and grooving these days and especially right now.  Maybe it's the aforementioned latte, maybe it's the Guns N Roses mix I'm blasting while the kids are at school but Tiny Girl is rocking out like Mommy at a Springsteen show in there.

• 2 hours alone.  It's not that I don't miss the kids b/c I really do which might be a little pathetic considering how brief our time apart really is.  What I love about them being in school is that I can play my music as LOUDLY as I want and I can bust out the restricted playlists while they are gone -- My Chemical Romance, Jay-Z, Buckcherry and Uncle Jonathan's Old Skool Rap mixes, to name a few.  I love me some angry, angsty guitars and some bass-pounding, expletive-laden rhymes!  Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, my house shakes with them.

Okay, looks like I have to skip Kmart (another reason to be happy!  Nothing against Kmart but ours is craptastic in the extreme) but counting my blessings has made me feel even happier.  I'm going out with my local girls tonight so the happiness will continue!  I hope all of my favorite people are having a good day as well.  Peace, love and power ballads to you!