Good, good things

(via pinterest, original link)

1. Having friends over after school for pizza and beer.  Messy and crazy afternoons don't have to be secretive and lived in your house by yourself. (This was spontaneous and I'm going to plan more deliberately soon)

2. Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin muffins, apple cider donuts, hard cider, pumpkin beer, jack o lanterns, apple picking, hay rides.  

3. Balance. I feel like Ben and I truly split the parenting and housekeeping 50/50.  He's home for dinner and bedtime at least 4 out of 7 nights a week, and gets the kids out the door to school five days a week with no help from me.  I do dinner and afternoon activities pretty often.  We split time off for sick kids and speech therapy appointments.  I think this is rare in modern families.  I feel really lucky to be experiencing it.

4. A freshly washed Brita pitcher with a brand-new filter installed.

5.  Health. Elliott had a health scare this week.  He had what I thought it was a seizure and scared the shit out of me.  I called 911.  We went the ER.  He is fine (he had a breath holding spell, apparently) and everything is back to normal.  I take for granted that my children will always be vibrant and healthy, but it's a blessing.  A good, good thing.

6. Neighbors who pour into the street to support us at any sign of trouble.

7. Friends who text, call, help with sub plans, leave coffees on my desk, check in, send love, and never tire of hearing me complain.

8. Magazines

9. Going a little crazy in Barnes and Noble and turning up with books for all my kids (Milo, Elliott, and Room 27).

10. Walgreens prints Instagram pictures directly from your phone and they come out square (4X4) so nothing gets cut off.

11. The new iPhone update, which feels like a completely new phone you get for free.

12. Getting older.  I'm loving my late 20s, but I kind of feel like my 30s are when I'll start shining brighter.  Almost there!

13. New Girl is back.

14. Baths in the dark, lit only by candles and the glowy luster of Pinterest on the Kindle.

15. The triumph of having both boys' fingernails cut.

16. FaceTime with family.

17. Birthday season.

18. Babies who wake up singing.

19. Lazy Saturday mornings

20.  A sister who endures about 4 hours of travel in a single day to sit in my living room, hold my babies, eat pie, and convince me that life is good and we'll all be okay.

21. Friends who read my silly ramblings, never mock the indulgence of writing about your life on the internet, and take time out of their day to acknowledge what I'm doing here.  It makes me glow to hear that people follow along; I'm so proud to have you as an audience.  Thank you.

Please, please, please tell me your "good, good things" in the comments.  Being a person is hard, but we're doing a really good job.  Lets celebrate.