What's good these days...

1.  playing in our yard without winter coats

2.  a needle-felting workshop that has spurred needle-felted "Spy Club" pins everywhere in the house

3.  a new Afghanistan & Pakistan study ( including a festival with Dr. Aaliya Bibi who showed us how to cook traditional Afghan food)

4.  singing "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory-Glory" in the mornings, complete with actions

5.  giving Clara mini piano lessons from a borrowed book and listening to her practice during the week

6.  telling Clara about how once my flute student cried in a lesson, and watching her eyes get big...then telling her that that is why I shouldn't give her music lessons and watching her relax:)

7.  watching Simon run to follow a red-tailed hawk that he sees in the sky

8.  hearing Simon say in the car, "I can see Orion's belt but not the rest of him."

9.  laying with Ruthie while she pulls me toward her and says "It's O.K., stay close" for no apparent reason

10.  watching Clara make Simon and Ruthie their own house out of blocks, complete with "hot stove" so they will have something to do while she plays in her room alone.

11.  Simon saying to me "I want to learn how to read the big books, Mom, so that I can read them to Ruthie."

12.  Watching Ruthie sing out the conversation between herself and her dolls as they lay down for a "nap" together in the living room

I'm ready for tomorrow.  These are the days to remember (gotta love Billy Joel)