Good things

I had dinner with some friends Saturday night, and it was one of those magical nights when you can talk about everything on your mind without worrying about judgment or confused glances.

We talked about legalizing marijuana and foie gras and champagne and European vacations and sex shows and why men are allergic to the dishes. We laughed and shared wine, and it was perfect.

I left feeling more whole than when I got there.

That's the sign of a good night.

***

Half-way through dinner Mike sent me a text, "Our son is dipping his fries in ketchup and licking it off."

A few moments later, "He's still licking the ketchup but now he's using his fingers."

***

Friday night Mike and I went to dinner and our waiter was fantastic, even on a busy Friday night in a chain restaurant. He had our drinks filled before we took our last sip, he was funny but not obnoxious.

We called the manager over before we left to compliment the service, and his face lit up.

"I like getting called over for reasons like this."

We left feeling full and happy.

***

Mike had a motorcycle track day yesterday, so he was gone from sun up to sun down. I had plans to clean the house, top to bottom. I didn't. Instead, Kyle and I laid in bed together, took naps, read lots and lots of books and watched House Hunters. We went outside to look at bugs and we ate cheese quesadillas for lunch with a cookie chaser.

It was the laziest day we'd had in months.

There's still lots of laundry, but it's just laundry, right? We can do laundry any old day.

***

I'm cooking dinner for a friend this weekend who's been out of town for ages, and who I've missed a lot. We may even squeeze in a movie, if we're feeling crazy.

***

I got an email this morning from a new mom, thanking me for my blog archives. I promised myself I'd never lie about my parenting experience because if there was just one person who felt less alone because of something I went through, it would make telling the internet all about my life completely and totally worth it.

I teared up as I read her email.

In a good way. 

***

Mike got home exhausted last night and even though my plans were to continue being lazy, I decided to make him dinner instead. My instinct was to tell him to have a bowl of cereal, I was tired and needed to write some, but instead I shooed him out of the kitchen and made him his recent favorite, this buffalo chicken pizza from Vanilla Kitchen. I even did the dishes afterward.

He sleepily said, as he was walking out, "I have the best wife."

The exhaustion is worth hearing that, let me tell you.

***

Kyle hugs now. Briefly, before he's off again to scale the walls or pull Molly's tail. He also blows on his food if it's too hot and he signs thank you and please, even though I didn't teach him either of those things, come on you know me better than that. When I ask him to "jump!" he lifts one leg and then the other over and over and he spent, no lie, a half an hour yesterday looking through our honeymoon photo book, pointing at Mike in each picture, worriedly asking, "Dad? Dad?" Like, how the fuck did he get in this book? CAN HE GET OUT, OMG?

Although we're not planning to have another, at least not for some time, I look at him each day and think, another of you wouldn't be so bad.

***

I sat down to write about this one bad thing that kept me fairly distracted last week, this one bad thing that kept me awake and worried and sad.

Instead, I wrote all this.

All these good things.

Comments

[Paige]

This made me smile.

[Elizabeth]

This was really nice to read, even if it made me mega bummed that WE don't get to go out to dinner and talk about everything on our minds whenever we want. Really, kindred spirits just shouldn't be so far apart.

[Jen L.]

I LOVE this post. So glad you have so many good things going on! I'm longing for one of those dinners with friends right about now. And I love that Kyle watches House Hunters. Dean and I spent many hours during that unfortunate time known as THE COLIC WEEKS watching episode after episode of House Hunters.

[Dawn]

That was beautiful! Noelle did the same thing at that age. Still has an obsession with ketchup. Wait til he starts to use the fork regularly - if Kyle is anything like she was, he'll eat all the ketchup first then ask for more.

She too was obsessed with picture albums. Her baby book mostly. But that is so sweet he was worried that Daddy was trapped in there.

And yeah, House Hunters is a mindless addiction.

[Natalie]

Way to look on the sunny side! I love hearing about all the good things going on for you!

[Bethany]

This post made me happy.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I love this post. The good things so often get overshadowed or overlooked... How nice that you were able to overlook your heartache to see all of these wonderful moments.

[Kim]

I'm glad to hear that being sick didn't keep you from enjoying your day!

[Candy]

Yay for happy times! Gav would dip his fingers in the ketchup, then pick up the fish stick and eat it that way :-) I love lazy, lovely, kid in bed days. And rock on with being the breath of fresh air for your hubs wife. <3 You have a beautiful life.

[Katy]

Big, big smile over here.

[Amy --- Just A Titch]

This made me have happy little tears at the corners of my eyes. I'm so happy for you. You deserve this joy.

[Laurie]

This was beautiful, Jenni. I'm glad you're my friend.

[Marie Green]

I love your list of good things. And I also find this exercise- of writing out the blessings- to be effective for me too. I mean, OBVS, something the bitching is therapeutic, but as long as I balance it with appreciation and gratitude, I feel so much better.

[steph]

:)

[auntie]

I've just started keeping a gratitude journal - at least 3 things every day - and it's really a nice way to end each day. Especially when the day has been crapola.

Love reading about your Good Things :)

[Karmyn]

I really love this post! You have such a gift to see the good in things and my heart was literally beaming by the time I got to end of this :)

[Heather]

Catching up...

This is a great post. I think that you can put a check mark next to #14 on your list...don't cross it off, because that's not something you want to be done with, but this post is definitely a W in that column.

OXOX