write down 100 happy thoughts to remind me of how good life is.

Tonight as I was reading to the kids, Noodle made a point of snuggling her little legs under the covers of my bed (where I and Q were already snuggled) and I suddenly had a flashback to my childhood, getting under the covers in my mother’s bed when she was reading to us, and how absolutely safe and cozy that felt. And I realized that I’m doing a fine job of creating that feeling for my own kids. A very happy thought.

For three years in college, and then probably another 3 to 4 years after, I had Thanksgiving dinner with a friend and her mom and assorted other varying people. Tonight I got to have this same friend for Thanksgiving dinner, along with her toddler, at my house.

I don’t see my college friends that often, but there is a familiarity and affection that I find I still have with them that I am truly grateful for, and it was a pure pleasure to spend a few hours with her.

I’m just not a huge fan of tv for kids (mine watch it, I’m just not crazy about it).

The other day Q mentioned watching ‘C is for Cookie’ with J on youtube. Aww. So tonight after dinner and viewing photos of the gymnastics school where Q is going to take a class, I figured, ‘what the heck…’ I pulled up ‘C is for Cookie’ for the kids.

Noodle laughed with delight almost immediately upon seeing Cookie Monster. And Q bopped along happily.

So we watched several Sesame Street songs and had a lovely fun time _{and gosh do I ever need to get over myself, I mean, I loved these, why shouldn’t they?}

85 Q spotted the word ‘GAS’ on another sign and read it out loud. He’s fascinated by words and letters and it’s a joy to hear him figuring out the puzzle.

86 Noodle was pretty tired at bath time. She had melted down several times around dinner. But she cheered up after I finished actually bathing her and played away in the tub, whacking things against the wall. Then she started pouring water out of cups and bowls, sometimes on herself, sometimes just into the tub. This delighted her so much that she was set into gales of giggles. And I just sat back and enjoyed her laughter.

Seeing the look on Noodle’s face when Q took her hand this afternoon, my heart filled my chest.

82 This one sounds like a sentence, but it’s actually a request for someone to read her ‘Go dog go’. And I’m totally tickled by it. (Go is a new word, and dog is semi-new. She’s said doggie for a while, but dog is a new one.)

83 This afternoon, Q, Noodle and I stopped by at a friend’s house on the way home from the grocery store. She’s got a son Noodle’s age and the three kids basically played with every toy he owns. Thoroughly. They had a great time, and it was just happy and relaxed and fun. Must figure out how to see this friend, with or without the kids, more often.

One of my closest friends forwarded me all the photos she has of my children (mostly photos I sent her). There weren’t a ton, and she doesn’t have some of my favorites, but hey, it’s a start to restoring the family history.

Looking through them was a revelation of how much my son has grown and how amazingly adorable he was as a toddler. (Noodle is currently in the toddler adorable stage, easy to remember.) I’m so proud of him and all he’s learning and doing, but I don’t want to forget those sweet chubby cheeks and wide laughing smiles or his serious approach to transportation.

78-Today Q was playing inside the covers of our already made bed. Noodle carefully sat down next to him and pulled the covers over her lap, looking so pleased with herself.

79-Books-
Noodle is turning into a book kid too. She sat through 12 board books one night last week. She’s picking up on associations from books too. One book has musical notes in it when the narrator describes a mother singing, and we always hum the lullaby (Rockabye Baby) at that point. At Grandma’s house this week, she turned to the back of the ‘Wheels on the Bus’ book, where the music is given, and started humming.

What and how kids learn is simply amazing. And that’s #80.

Go watch the Youtube Dancing Matt. (Wherethehellismatt.com)

I bawled with joy.

Tonight Noodle wasn’t falling asleep when Q did. I think this was perhaps because she lost her pacifier, but maybe it was because she’s teething and has trouble falling asleep, or maybe because I skipped bathtime (again) and did a short bedtime routine (we were running late).

I was on the phone with my mother and just pulled the little one out of her crib and brought her into my room while I kept chatting. Noodle was fine with this and happily looked at books, clambered around and bonded with the replacement pacifier.

As she got more tired, she kept lying down to cuddle with me- a rarity and just so sweet. Finally she dug her way over to climb under my covers and I asked if she was ready to go to bed. Big head nod, which takes half of her upper body with her. Not a sound since I tucked her in.

Oh how I love that girl.