Favorite Things

• Putting my 3 year old to bed when his hair is wet from bathtime and he actually smells like a sweet baby (as opposed to the rest of the time when he smells like sweaty boy).
• Summer evenings when it’s still in the 80s and 90s (depending on whether it’s summer in Philly or summer in Texas). I’m grateful for sitting outside at nearly 9 pm while the sun’s still out, cicadas are talking, and my dad is rocking my baby in the porch swing.
• My mother-in-law is the salad-making queen and she did not let me down last week when I was at her house. She made me the best homemade dressings (Pesto vinaigrette! And Caesar!) as well as her homemade foccaccia bread. I lived on that combo for every meal all week and I loved every bit of it.
• There’s a secret code among mothers in airports that I love. I’m sure I was a sight to behold last Friday as I flew from Philly to Denver to Amarillo alone with the two little babes. But all mothers everywhere took turns helping me. From the mom of the 10 and 12 year old who helped me fold up my stroller in security, to the mom who noticed that I really wished I had gotten ketchup but didn’t want to load up my kids so I could walk back to the counter in the food court (she read my mind and brought me ketchup packets), to the mom who sent her kid over with his cheap happy meal toy to entertain August. I’m thankful that women have a rare ability to meet each other’s needs when it is most necessary.
•  Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate Fake Ice Cream! (Have I mentioned I’ve spent the last three months dairy-less? Brooksie’s tummy can’t take it.) I miss butter. I miss cheese. And I miss ice cream. But two weeks ago, I discovered Coconut Milk Ice Cream. My heart is grateful.
• A 4-month-old baby named T-Rexy who has layers of thigh fat that I can’t get enough of. Also, the way his pacifier falls out when he gets a big smile. Also, his laugh when my 90-year-old grandmother does patty cake with him.
• Did I mention that my grandmother is 90? We celebrated her birthday this past weekend. I’m so grateful I could be in my hometown to celebrate. And I’m grateful for the 90 memories that my mother compiled, which included a memory of my grandmother reading in the midst of an actual West Texas tornado blowing through their farm. Ahhhh, book nerds run in the family.
• My little boy is loving the song, “My Favorite Things,” which I’ve been singing at bed time for the past few months, even though I can’t remember the second verse. So I just make up all the great things that he’s done that past day and he acts out the “When the dog bites! / When the bee stings!” part. It’s the sweetest…

Happy Thankful Tuesday people! What are your favorite things this week?