5 for 7.31.10

1. Getting back on the treadmill and having no problems with my calf.
2. Enjoying dinner out with Rick and Freddy - it's crazy that this is the first time the three of us ate out together at a restaurant!
3. Watching Freddy enjoy his impromptu sprinker session.
4. Reading Dora books to Freddy and realizing he knows "hola" and "adios"
5. Letting Tabitha go outside for a closely supervised field trip.

5 for 7.30.10

1. Connecting with Rachel at KC. It was sweet of her to have a perspective on and awareness of my clothing style.
2. Sharing my zipper flower shoes with the kids at KC.
3. Receiving fun packages at work from Freddy's fish water bottle to the backup comfy cozy bears to judith ripka limon enhancer.
4. Giving old toys and socks to Infant A and knowing they will be used and appreciated. Seeing that the green ring was found in Infant B.
5. Reading I love you because you're you to Freddy.

5 for 7.29.10

1. Giving a solid presentation at the Board meeting and not even feeling that nervous.
2. Finding an opportunity for some PQA direction during the closed session.
3. Getting the detailed morning description from Brenda.
4. Hanging out at the train station with KG, Andrea, and Sabrina. Again enjoying the quiet car and free wifi on the acela.
5. Being driven home by the kind Bernard and seeing Freddy when I got home.

5 for 7.28.10

1. Finding the time to run crucial errands at Union Station and making the train with a minute to spare.
2. Enjoying the peace of the Quiet Car and amtrak connect free wifi.
3. Talking with MCS at length during the Board reception.
4. Finding a few moments to walk the streets of NYC and enjoy a quick bite at Dean and Deluca.
5. Being saved from a nasty fall by cab-flagging Superman who quickly disappeared into the crowd.

5 for 7.27.10

1. Right now I'm grateful that Freddy is sleeping. So unusual for him to be up so late and so fussy. Hope he feels better tomorrow and this was just a passing fluke.
2. Listening to Rick calm Freddy down and read him books was really sweet.
3. Having Freddy cuddle with me in bed as he calmed down and watch babyfirst tv was nice. It was fun to hear him starting to talk back to the characters and interact with them now that he is old enough to understand some of it.
4. Having a quiet day at work and being able to catch up on some things that have been hanging around for a while.
5. Getting so much help from Rick on everything from the love seat (sayonara) to cleaning up the kitchen to settling Freddy down. I'm very lucky!

5 for 7.26.10

1. So relieved that Freddy seems to be one of the lucky few in his class that does not have hand, foot, and mouth disease.
2. Coming home with boxes of new shoes, and having Freddy promptly notice the boxes, open them, and put the various pairs of shoes on my feet so he can look at them. He makes shopping doubly rewarding!
3. Watching Freddy interact with Patrioit, and with Callie and Jeter, and with Terry. Friendly neighbors and dogs are wonderful!
4. Having a great chat with Josh this evening and connecting over important stuff.
5. Watching Entourage with Rick. It was especially nice since he watched the first 20 minutes over again so I could catch up.

5 for 7.25.10

1. Sleeping late (thanks Freddy!) and missing swim lessons on what turned out to be the perfect day to miss them.
2. Talking to my grandma and wishing her a happy birthday. I was glad to hear how much she liked the picture of Freddy.
3. Having help from Daria with putting my weight loss efforts in perspective. It doesn't have to be all or nothing and focusing on the positive - what I want to look like - rather than the negative - what I look like now - is far more motivating.
4. Watching the storm with Freddy. Those winds were amazing and came in so fast!
5. Eating dinner together as a family. May it be the first of many!

5 for 7.24.10

1. Watching Freddy and Rick splashing in the kiddie pool. Freddy looked cute with his sunglasses on.
2. Watching more videos of Freddy with Freddy. My favorite today was "Frederick the Entertainer" and watching "live" Freddy make lip noises while watching "video" Freddy do it was especially funny.
3. Having the magic mom power to help Freddy feel better.
4. Getting to catch up with Debbie for a few minutes tonight at the concert, and watching Rick get to catch up with a few of his friends.
5. Having a great time at EFO with Rick, despite the incredible heat. Getting our own special seats at the side so we didn't have to suffer through formaldehyde woman. Hearing the songs we wanted to hear early enough so we could slip out before the traffic.

5 for 7.23.10

1. Being able to thank Ms. Jackie and Ms. Jenny for all they've done for Freddy.
2. Not missing out on the fish water bottle I wanted to get for Freddy but kept fighting the urge to purchase.
3. Having a great 18 month doctor appointment for Freddy - great progress, he showed off a little for Dr. Mark, and handled his shots like a champ.
4. Getting to spend some quality time with my Mom before she got on the road and headed home. Watching her and Freddy having fun together was priceless.
5. Watching more videos of Freddy with Freddy. It is so fun to watch the videos again, and seeing him clap and laugh along with them is such a bonus!

5 for 7.22.10

1. Finding out that the lost dog I saw yesterday was being taken care of by a good samaritan and that the owners seem to have been found.
2. Reading books with Freddy and his classmates this morning, and watching Freddy enthusiastically do the signs for itsy bitsy spider.
3. Finding windows of time to get lots of small tasks done.
4. Hearing Freddy say "Bye Josh" when I was getting off the phone with Josh.
5. Going on a nice long walk with Freddy and feeling my calf being almost completely back to normal.

Happy 18 months to my happy healthy wonderful little boy!

5 for 7.21.10

1. Watching Freddy dance along to the Hamster Dance song in the car. Remembering sending SuperDave the musical Hamster Dance card last year and telling him it was "Freddy approved".
2. Seeing Chloe's parents this morning and watching Freddy & Chloe eat breakfast together.
3. Coming home to "Hi Mom" in sidewalk chalk on the driveway.
4. Making my short list of friends to catch up with soon and almost immediately lucking into an opportunity with one of them for this weekend.
5. Anticipating the lottery fun, while understanding it is purely for entertainment value.

5 for 7.20.10

1. Catching up with Ms. Jenny this morning and sharing Freddy's news.
2. Hearing Freddy say "bye mama" on the telephone as I was leaving work.
3. Listening to Freddy laugh while Patriot tickled his toes.
4. Watching Freddy and Sarah (finally) play together. They stared, shared, smiled, and hugged. Very sweet.
5. Enjoying Rick's creative dinner - cucumbers, shrimp and an interesting plumcot-tomato-avocado-chipotle sauce.

5 for 7.19.10

1. Having Rick at home in the morning to help out with the routine.
2. Sharing the news with Ms. Jackie about Freddy moving to the toddler room. Such a bittersweet, but touching, exchange.
3. Finding and using the new quick dry nail polish.
4. Hearing Freddy say "milk" in an amazingly clear voice.
5. Seeing Rick's enthusiasm over making the coffee-crusted steak and tasting the delicious creation.

5 for 7.18.10

1. Watching Freddy and Rick swim in the backyard pool this afternoon.
2. Watching Freddy and Rick go on a stick hunt.
3. Watching Freddy and Tabitha watch the rabbit in our backyard.
4. Watching old videos of Freddy with Freddy.
5. Finding some time in the afternoon to straighten up and organize some things.

5 for 7.17.10

1. Reading and discovering new books with Freddy this morning (and now I have the anticipation of doing it all over again with our new bag of books from Josh & Gini).
2. Receiving such great care from Victor at LTF after I pulled my calf muscle. I'm hopeful that it is mild and won't derail my exercise routine that I'm doing so well establishing.
3. Having my mom come to visit and watching her and Freddy have so much fun together.
4. Enjoying a nice dinner out with Rick while mom babysat for Freddy.
5. Getting to show my mom pictures of Freddy and projects he did and enjoying looking at everything together.

5 for 7.16.10

1. I'm glad the earthquake wasn't serious and kind of glad I slept through it, even if I did have that odd military aircraft crashing into each other and careening towards me dream that must have been my brain processing the earthquake. Glad I ran to safety in my dream.
2. I'm proud that I got up early and had a great cardio workout this morning. Watching Psych at the same time was a great bonus.
3. I'm happy that Freddy had another great day in the toddler room, enjoying splash day and actually wearing hard soled shoes all day.
4. I appreciate the productive day I had at work and being able to keep the stress at bay. The early end to the workday was especially welcome, too.
5. I had a great call with Daria, and it was nice to be able to do it today. Sunday will feel so much less scheduled now.

5 for 7.15.10

1. Having all of the pieces unexpectedly and effortlessly fall into place for Freddy's toddler room transition.
2. Spending time with Freddy in the morning and afternoon in his new room and seeing how happy he was.
3. Hearing from Carmen and Rachel how seamlessly Freddy transitioned and how advanced several of his skills are.
4. Hearing how much Ann enjoyed her training session with Emma and feeling good about making the connection for them.
5. Hearing that there is no more oil leaking into the gulf. I really hope this is the solution.

5 for 7.14.10

1. Successfully getting up for a pre-work cardio session.
2. Watching Chloe and Freddy hug each other this morning.
3. Watching Freddy rock enthusiastically on the blue dog and say "Wheeeeeeee!" over and over.
4. Finding some reasonable things to purchase usinge Shauni's gymbucks gift.
5. Getting a great big kiss right on the lips from Freddy, complete with one hand on each side of my face. What a sweetheart!

5 for 7.13.10

1. Having Rick come home for a bit in the morning and helping us out.
2. Seeing the metrobus accident on the way to work - glad it wasn't any worse and glad it wasn't my metrobus.
3. Playing in the basement with Freddy and seeing him discover all of the new treasures down there.
4. Watching a bit of LCS with Rick and listening to Rick watch Wipeout.
5. Spending a little time in the massage chair and feeling my neck loosen.

5 for 7.12.10

1. Receiving hand-me-down clothes for Freddy from Fritz. Hope he can wear the cookie monster snowsuit this winter.
2. Being able to stay calm at work after receiving stunning news.
3. Getting big cuddly hugs from Freddy.
4. Listening to the rain.
5. Having keratin-smoothed, frizz-free, zero-maintenance hair.

5 for 7.11.10

1. Watching Freddy and Sawyer enjoying their swimming lessons and seeing each other.
2. Having a productive call with Daria and setting some strong intentions for the week (2 cardio sessions at home and tracking my food beginning on Tuesday, for the health category).
3. Hanging with Freddy throughout the day, hearing him say "thank you".
4. Feeling relaxed after a tough yoga class and being able to fight the craving for a chocolate peanut butter smoothie after.
5. Being able to keep my cool despite unexpected messes like mold in the washing machine and Tabitha marking the love seat (again).

5 for 7.10.10

1. Sleeping in this morning, and taking a 2-hour nap in the afternoon.
2. Dancing with Freddy.
3. Discovering the Sesame board books and the Journey through the... books with Freddy.
4. Watching the rain with Freddy.
5. Enjoying mom's night out and catching up on the important details of upcoming rooms, potential behavioral issues, and alternate daycares.

5 for 7.9.10

1. Hearing about Freddy's enjoyment of splash day at school, just standing under the sprinkler and enjoying the water.
2. Laughing at the sight of Freddy in his red slipper boots with his shortie outfit and surmising he must have insisted on wearing his regular shoes under the sprinkler.
3. Enjoying a last minute play date with Angie and Zach. Watching Freddy and Zach run around the dining room table with absolute glee.
4. Watching BBAD with Rick. Trashy TV with no redeeming value, but a high entertainment factor.
5. Getting the keratin smoothing complex treatment and anticipating the return to zero-frizz, maintenance free hair. Discovering that Fairfax Corner has free wi-fi and I was able to make the most of my 2 hour appointment.

5 for 7.8.10

1. Watching Rhett with his ears flat against his head, carefully watching every move of the squirrel on the front porch.
2. Making the most of my day off and not having any unplanned derailments.
3. Enjoying dinner out with Shauni, Sandra and our kids.
4. Seeing Freddy enjoy dinner and the company and feeling lucky he is so well-behaved.
5. Dancing and singing along with Freddy as we listened to "Crazy Frog" in the car. I love it when he laughs like that.

5 for 7.7.10

1. Watching Freddy play with the flashlight, making the light circle big and small, figuring out how to turn it on and off.
2. Air conditioning in cabs, metrobus, and metrorail. It was so hot out there today.
3. Having no trouble hailing cabs to and from lunch, and getting very friendly drivers both times.
4. Experiencing a productive, low-stress workday.
5. Seeing the cute pictures of Freddy joyfully skinny-dipping in the backyard pool.

5 for 7.6.10

1. So grateful that my careless and thoughtless comments were not overheard. I will remember to think before I speak and be more careful in the future. Crisis narrowly averted.
2. Wonderful to catch up with an old friend at lunch. I will make an effort to catch up with more friends more often.
3. It was fun to watch Freddy enjoying the playskool slide.
4. Enjoyed seeing Freddy climb up into the driver's seat of my car by himself, and then helping him drive into the garage.
5. I appreciated the picture that Ed sent of Freddy and Brenda coloring yesterday. He perfectly captured a wonderful moment.

I am grateful to have air conditioning to keep my family comfortable during this incredible heat. It is so easy to take things like that for granted.

5 for 7.5.10

1. Having a successful outing to Target and the Bird Feeder with Freddy. We found everything we needed for Rick's birthday and Freddy was so good.
2. Being able to squeeze in making Rick's birthday dessert and organizing in the guest room while Freddy was awake and hanging out with me.
3. Finding the time for a quick cardio session while Freddy slept and being able to run for half of it.
4. Enjoying a nice visit with Brenda and Ed who brought yummy food for Rick's birthday. Freddy interacted with them well and was quite delightful.
5. Watching the rabbit hanging around our house this evening - chilling in the yard, eating some grass, eating some lettuce, and hopping around. The red kitties enjoyed the rabbit, too.

5 for 7.4.10

1. Helping Freddy discover crayons and a coloring book (and seeing him make the connection on how the Tag Jr. reader works).
2. Cuddling with Freddy while watching Rick mow the lawn.
3. Going through the car wash with Rick & Freddy. Especially appreciated the attendant who put on a great show for Freddy.
4. Watching "Up" with Rick (and sort of Freddy...)
5. Watching fireworks with Rick - the always unique PBS Capitol Fourth and the more low-key annual "Himes" display. And feeling relieved that Freddy is sleeping through all of the noise.

Feeling content and knowing how lucky I am to live where I do, when I do. I am grateful to all those whose sacrifices made that possible.

5 for 7.3.10

1. Having a great morning with Freddy, who was much better than he was yesterday morning.
2. Watching Freddy and the cats play with bubbles.
3. Being able to spend part of my cardio time running.
4. Watching Rick cheer Freddy up.
5. Enjoying a nice family day, despite the teething.

5 for 7.2.10

1. Watching Freddy laugh while Rick tried to pull Freddy's rashguard over his own head.
2. Getting the good news that Freddy does not have an ear infection, just a rough spell of teething.
3. Feeling Freddy nestle into me and looking at the way he was holding my hand and being able to tell that I really do have the magical mom comforting powers.
4. Watching Freddy giggle and try to imitate Rick's prat-face-falls on the bed.
5. Hearing the silence after Freddy finally fell asleep. Hoping he sleeps well through the night and that the worst of the teething pain is behind him.

5 for 7.1.10

1. Finding out about Splash Day at KC and thinking about how much Freddy will enjoy it. (and seeing him actually walk in his flip flops tonight!)
2. Making someone's day with such a small daisy gesture.
3. Getting to hang out with Fritz and Sebastian for a little while at lunch.
4. Realizing that I have things in good shape at work and can take a vacation day tomorrow.
5. Watching Freddy learn to make the flashlight spot bigger and smaller on the wall.