gratitude

(I can't change the orientation of this pic for some reason.  Because I'm not going to spend any more time on it, just pretend it's horizontal instead)

I've been soaking up my children.  Loving being around them, missing them when they're gone.  Amazed at what they can do and how fast they're growing up.  I've been nostalgic and teary eyed. 

What I love about them right now:

Grace--her wit and sarcasm makes me laugh.  We banter back and forth and she can dish it out!

Eric--his enthusiasm about ants and digging in the dirt and the atmosphere (did you know that the thermosphere is the top layer of the atmosphere before space?).  His happy-go-lucky-ness.

Lily--how she's way into tree climbing and it's for favorite thing to do in our yard.  She discovered a bird (a pigeon Rob says) on her nest and we've been watching her.

Calvin--how every vehicle with four wheels is a 'tractor'.  The boy loves tractors (and the way he says it is so cute).  He loves riding on my back in the ergo.

Other things I'm grateful for:
--I got my three favorite mags all in one day.  Maine--yes!  Cloth diapering--yes!  Raising backyard chickens--yes!
--walking down to the courthouse square yesterday for the arbor day tree giveaway.  It was such a perfect day, walking with my 2 littles.  We saw friends at the arbor day booth, and also a neighbor that I'd spoken with on the phone but not met yet.
--seeing another friend and neighbor with her 2 children, I had brought them a meal when their little one was born this year.  She asked about my ergo.
--walking home and stopping by some alley sales on the way, seeing yet more friends and stopping to chat.
--getting a box of vintage scarves and hankies for 50 cents.
--going for a walk in the evening and seeing yet another historic home that was brought back from the brink of falling apart and lovingly restored. Talking with this couple about vaxing and babywearing.  Stopping by the park on the way home and seeing more people that we knew.  Talking with more neighbors on the way home and soaking up every bit of the day.
--our strawberry patch is doing well (the week that we've had it!).  I have a wonderful husband that rolls with it and doesn't mind me digging up the yard and that makes me happy.  We agree that we do need to keep SOME grass, the rest can go (eventually).
--the completely amazing April weather we had
--I got to be part of an amazing writing workshop in April.  I loved it.  I'm going to keep writing, too. 
--speaking of writing, it's a little funny to put my writing out there and then have people comment on it in person to me.   I know on the one hand that it's going out (in the current) but am always surprised when people actually read it and tell me that they read it.  Like last night, at the house we got to check out, Mark said not to look in the pantry because of the plastic bags in there (I did a column about not using paper or plastic bags in stores).  I went to the eye doctor this week too and she reads my columns.   It's a funny thing I suppose!  I'm grateful to be able to express my thoughts and to hear back from people.  Pretty cool.

--I got to take a dinner to more neighbors that just had a baby.  They liked my Food Revolution column and eat the same way.  They also belong to a food co-op.  Yeah!  We also got onto the topic of my (I'm not a) dirty hippie parties and she wants to be in.  I love the enthusiasm of these women that want to make their own deodorant, shampoo, face wash and cleanser...it's really awesome.  There are all kinds of revolutions all around.  We're ripe for it.