100 Things

This Thanksgiving, along with thinking of the big things I'm thankful for, I also wanted to stop and focus on the little things that make life so wonderful.  I think it is so easy to forget to be thankful for those everyday things that really improve the way I live, so I tried this week to keep a list starting from the moment I wake up until I go to bed.  My goal was to think of ...

100 Everyday Things I'm Thankful For

1. A radio alarm clock instead of the annoying beeping kind

2. A warm shower to wake me up

3. Volumizing shampoo and conditioner

4. Contact lenses ... so thankful for you, contacts

5. Secret Clinical Strength

6. Two wagging-tailed dogs who are thrilled to see me each morning

7. Saunders getting up early to feed the dogs for me

8. Freshly brewed coffee

9. French Vanilla Creamer

10. Clean clothes - straight out of the dryer and still warm

11. Volumizing mousse, hairspray, and a blow dryer

12. My big fat curling iron - six years old, and still going strong!

13. Electric toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste

14. Makeup - I thank God for you, makeup

15.  Chapstick

16. Spending fifteen minutes catching up with Saunders while we get ready for work

17. A freshly made bed

18. The luxury of having more than 20 pairs of shoes to choose from- so many people don't even have 1

19. My wedding and engagement ring

20. Holding a snuggly toddler who's still waking up

21. How easily Katie Anne lets me fix her hair

22. Watching a few minutes of Diego with KA before work

23. Big hugs and kisses from my baby and hubby before I head out to my job

24. A short commute

25. Kindergartners whose faces light up when I walk in the cafeteria to pick them up at 7:35 am

26. Lots of positive feedback from my new administrators

27. Writer's Workshop - my favorite part of the school day

28. My parapro, Gina

29. The 800 Hall teaching team

30. Planning period - twenty minutes of regroup time for me

31. Guided reading with my highest reading group

32. Sharpie chart markers

33. Watching my students making connections to what we're learning

34. Recess!

35. Math Workshop - my second favorite part of the school day

36. Fun, creative work in Social Studies

37. Having car rider duty instead of bus duty

38. Forty-five minutes after dismissal to get organized

39. Planning lessons ahead through December

40. Microsoft Excel for graphing progress monitoring data

41. Being able to email parents instead of calling every one

42. My super comfy, massaging desk chair

43. Actually walking out of work on time!

44. Reading a good magazine in the waiting room for a few minutes

45. The scalp massage when the salon assistant washes my hair

46. Getting a fresh haircut

47. Having the money and time to run by the store and pick up a few things we need and a few things we just want

48. The twenty minute drive time to decompress on the way to Katie Anne's school

49. AM 750 WSB

50. Katie Anne's clean, bright school

51. Katie Anne's caring teachers

52. Seeing Katie Anne having fun with her friends and ask for "five more minutes" on the playground

53. Knowing that she's happy at school while I'm at work

54. Listening to KA tell me all about her day on the way home

55. Driving through the beautiful fall leaves in our neighborhood

56. Pulling up in front of my house ... feels so good to be home

57. Two happy dogs waiting for us when we get here

58. Saunders is home early!  Or maybe KA and I are late... either way, we're all home together now.

59. Putting on comfortable clothes after a long day in dress pants

60. Cooking a healthy dinner for my family +

61. while listening to my husband tell me about his day +

62. while our daughter cheerfully "cooks" in her play kitchen =

63. one happy family

64. Sitting down to dinner together

65. Listening to Katie Anne saying the blessing

66. Spending almost thirty minutes at the table talking with no distractions

67. Saunders and I cleaning up the kitchen together

68. Katie Anne sitting in my lap on the couch while we watch cartoons

69. Bath time!  KA plays happily while I get to sit by the tub and read for a few minutes.

70. Saunders's support when shampooing gets Katie Anne all ticked off

71. Katie Anne's mood going sunny after the bath just as quickly as it went stormy during it

72. Brushing little teeth

73. Combing toddler hair

74. Lotioning up a squirmy, ticklish, giggly body

75. Reading books, books, and more books with Katie Anne in her bed

76. Hearing KA ask us for one more kiss and one more hug before goodnight

77. Having an hour or two of kid-free time after she's in bed

78. Saunders and me playing the Wii together

79. Modern Family

80. Hearing the dishwasher and washing machine going ...

81. Knowing some things really do clean themselves!

82. Cell phones

83. Getting everything organized and packed for tomorrow morning

84. Relaxing on our big, comfy couch

85. Laptops

86. Internet access

87. Email

88. Facebook

89. Blogging!

90. DVR to record shows that I miss when...

91. I fall asleep on the couch under a blanket

92. Saunders gently waking me up to send me to bed

93. A big glass of chocolate milk

94. Taking those fabulous - but now so dry - contacts out

95. Face cleaner to remove that blessed makeup

96. Indoor plumbing

97. Comfy pajamas

98. A goodnight kiss from my husband

99. My big, warm bed with soft sheets and thick blankets on a cold night

100. A great night's sleep

... and being lucky enough to wake up the next morning and do it all again!