500th Post.

Can you believe it? This is, officially, my 500th little bit of love that I have written and sent out to the world. I have tried for several days to come up with something incredibly witty and funny and touching and moving to encompass this process I embarked upon several years ago, but alas, it IS January and the sky is VERY gray and the snow is VERY deep and I AM at home all day with a 16 month who doesn't talk much and I DID pick up five times yesterday the same recycled cereal box because the 16 month old kept opening the pantry door and taking said cereal box out of the recycling bucket and dropping it on the floor and thus I AM a bit at loose ends, so this instead is what I have to share.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to write a few times a week and work through what is going on in my life.
I am incredibly blessed to have people who read and respond to what I write and say nice things about it.
I am incredibly happy that if something- anything- ever happened to me, my three children will have a large cache of writing that is in my voice, and they will have a written record of how much I love them, what I think about a variety of subjects, and how funny it is to shop at Walmart. I feel like they will always have a sense of who I was as a person.
I am incredibly thankful that I take a few minutes every week to write what my kids are up to, both because I have a horrible memory about those kinds of things and because it is a blast to look back and see who much they've grown and changed.

For today, I have these things to report:
Alec has started opening his mouth wide and sighing a big, breathy, "Ahhhhhh..." after he has drank from a glass, as if that particular liquid was the most refreshing he's ever tasted.
Jenna is currently having a love affair with Fruit Roll Ups. She would eat three or four a day if I let her, which I don't.
Michaela had her first orchestra concert last night, where she performed a few songs on her viola and sang in the 4th/5th grade choir. She was a nervous wreck but did a great job. We were so proud of her and really enjoyed the whole concert. Jenna has declared that she wants to play the flute.
Alec has skipped over all things Dora and Diego and has gone straight to SpongeBob. I have to admit that I'm relieved: I'm a bit Dora'd out.
Michaela is dressing up tomorrow in a Clara Barton costume I made for her and delivering a book report about Ms. Barton in front of her class. Pictures will be taken and promptly posted. I'm very excited.
Just like me, Alec is obsessed with M&Ms.
"Babysitting Mama" is THE MOST ANNOYING Wii game EVER. And I'm a big fan of Wii games.
Jenna is learning how to read and writes on anything she can get her hands on. The only downside to school, in her opinion, is the lack of vacation days scheduled for kindergartners.
I was watching Alec sleep the other day and he looked so much like Michaela it took my breath away.

Life is good here, and I am happy and blessed and grateful.
I'll keep writing if you keep reading.