thankful (eight)

i am not sure what it is about this week, could be combo of being sick earlier this week and nightmares taking their toll and work being brutal, (and all three combined), but i am so tired. feels a little on the edge of exhausted actually. i just want to curl up in a little ball and sleep all day tomorrow. but i am pretty sure that my jam packed calendar from 7am through the rest of the day isn't going to let that happen. bummer. i guess that i will just have to buck it up, grab a cold diet coke at some point along the way, and plow through. like i always do. onward i go, just maybe a little bit slower than usual.

on this eighth day of the month, i am thankful for:
+++ a confrontation i was kind of dreading getting diffused before i had to blow it up. whew.
+++ hot rosemary garlic bread. so good.
+++ invitation for a play date, and even though i can't make it work, loved being thought of and the hope of making it happen sometime in the future
+++ my daily emails with my friend meg in cali, love our daily catch up sessions
+++ watching my mom and dad play hide and seek with malena, hearing three sets of laughter all around our house while they are doing it
+++ pulling into my driveway and seeing my parents
+++ hearing the words "goodnight mommy, i love you too"
+++ my parents kindness in always, always taking care of others. like today when my dad mowed and edged the yard of our friend who lost her dad earlier this week, because my dad wanted to help her, but also because we knew her dad had said he would take care of it for her this week. i don't think that they could set better examples for me and my bro and sis to follow.
+++ whole foods having a kids section where malena can pick fruit or raisins to eat while we shop. it makes her happy, and we all know, happy kids makes for happy grocery shopping.
+++ getting to daycare to pick up malena, her playing tag with one of her friends, and laughing so loudly i could hear her before i could see her
+++ playing candyland with malena and my parents

happy friday peeps, we made it - i wasn't sure it was going to happen, but we pulled through. enjoy it. xo.

sidenotes:
+++ i am going to order one of these memory games for malena for christmas. she is going to freak out. we love memory games in our house, and i am going to love flipping over cards that show something other than princesses, dora, and spongebob.
ps) i see some other pretty great looking things like calendars on their site too. might have to do some more shopping.
+++ love this holiday craft project that is kid friendly, might have to try something like this for malena's room
+++ this post was a good reminder for me to continue to try and slow down and enjoy
+++ ok, this is the most important sidenote i may ever have (even more important than the post last night about the couch, and we all know that was really, really important). here is the deal. curly girl design is having a contest for a $50 gift certificate for those who shout out their love for curly girl. so i am shouting it out to you, and here is how you can help me win. leave a comment on her blog post or on her facebook page (curly girl design) and tell her that you heard about curly girl from me and list my blog. please do it by saturday evening. if i win the $50, i will love you forever. seriously. if i win, i will for sure let you know. if i don't win, i won't let you know because i won't be talking to you anymore. just kidding, kind of. tnx;)