a few smile-worthy things

I have a few members of my family who start to worry if they don’t see a blog post in several days. So, this post is for you guys. We are alive and well and busy winding up for Carson’s birthday festivities as we wind down from Christmas. I have always disapproved of my own birthday landing in January. Right after Christmas and in the dead of winter, I always felt a little doomed. I think it is this that provides extra impetus to make make Carson’s birthday super special.

2011 is off to a great start for our family. To start the year off on a positive note, allow me to share a few recent things that have made me smile…

• My brand new $5 electric griddle!! This was a cyber Monday purchase (I think) and is something that I have always wanted. With a $5 price tag (after rebate), I could not resist. This falls under one of those purchases that has revolutionized my life in the kitchen… right alongside my breadmaker and crockpot. I predict this will save me hours with the frequency I prepare grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, and bacon for my hungry brood. Yes, hours.
• My old decoupaged clipboard! I fully believe that my life took a nosedive this past fall when I lost my nightstand. I previously kept a notepad on my nightstand and compulsively made lists before I fell asleep at night. After rearranging our room (hence, the sad loss of my nightstand and bedtime list making ability), I was floundering without my type A organizational behaviors. OK, so that may be a bit melodramatic, but I do love that I rediscovered the clipboard that I Mod Podged in college. It has propelled me into an even deeper level of list-keeping and paper-corralling. I even was inspired to buy a new bottle of Mod Podge while I was out today because, as we all know, the possibilities are endless with that glorious little bottle.
• Our new cubical organizer, i.e. toy hider. I would take a picture, but honestly I am far too lazy right now to get up. Suffice it to say, buying this piece of furniture on sale at Target last week was probably one of my top 5 favorite purchases of 2010. The bins organize (and hide!) the kids’ toys so neatly, and I haven’t broken my feet on stray Hot Wheels since.
• Mary Beth Chapman’s new book, Choosing to See. I seriously could not put this book down. The Chapman’s story is so powerful and had me laughing out loud and crying like a baby. Again, this was filed under my favorite books of 2010.
• My new Africa bracelet. My favorite Christmas present this year was a silver bracelet given to me by my parents. Hanging on the bracelet is a charm of Africa, handmade in Africa. I simply cannot take it off. For some reason, wearing this little silver bracelet makes me feel just a little closer to Wyatt. And that’s exactly where I hope God allows us to be in 2011. With Wyatt.

So, with that, I hope I reassured all of you worried family members that we are, indeed, alive in well here. In fact, as I type this, Carson is running around like a wild man, naked from the waist down, talking a million miles a minute about Transformers. “You have to see this, mom! You just have to!” This is my life these days… and the reason behind any lags in blog posts.

If you’d please excuse me, I’m off to the world of Transformers, pirates, doll babies, and tea parties… catch ya next naptime.