Mercy! I've hit 200! Gladitude Monday

10. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT???? AMBER MADE ME A BUTTON! In case the "all caps" button didn't clue you in, I'm so glad for my Gladitudes button! Please, feel free to swipe and use to your heart's delight. We thought about using "Gladitude Monday", but since I've seen some folks posting your gladdies throughout the week, I wanted to have a button that we could all enjoy. And if you're not a button type, that's groovy, too. But here's a gladdy mcsecret: she's made buttons for each season. Yay! And THANKS!!!!

9. Glad that Tuesday is "Honey-Comes-Home-From-Asia" day.

8. Glad that Monday marks a new week in terms of the: Gretchen's going to get with the program for cleaning, organizing, meal planning, and more healthful eating, etc. Yes, the list is long, but distinguished, my friends. Oh, the clean slate of a Monday morning. I actually heart you. Many scoff and mumble in your bleary-eyed direction. Not me. I'm a Monday morning enthusiast.

7. Glad for the authenticity of my blogging friends. You know...sometimes witty and fun is real, sometimes sheer joy is real, and sometimes finding no answers in the midst of our circumstances or being at the end of one's rope is real. Depends on the day, or sometimes even, the moment. At the end of the day, though, each of these ladies lays the good, the bad, and the ugly at the throne and praises God. And that's such an encouragement to my spirit, no matter what kind of day I'm having.

6. Glad for them. We were being adventurous-taking a little jaunt to Whidbey sans Daddy and, yes...H.i.k.i.n.g. Don't get too excited. It was a one mile hike, round trip. But it was very steep. I know this isn't a great picture. Trust me--we were full of not great pictures on Saturday. But the children were a) getting along and b) I needed to document that for future evidence. Evidence for what? I don't know. But it's important to be prepared.

5. Glad for Drama Girl's appt with the doc this a.m. to see what her heel pain is all about. She's doing the runny-mcrunner thang in track...and has complained consistently of pain. I'm anxious to see what the deal is--and to see a picture (I hope) of our pediatrician's new baby. I feel like I've raised this woman. I've seen her get married, and now, become a momma. Not happy for us that she's choosing to be with her child on occasion and thus only works part time. But happy for her. :)

4. Glad that David is going to get a hair cut. Soon. Because if he doesn't, I may sic my dog hair clippers on him. And that's just not right. Our rule is: either you groom yourself accordingly, with tools such as comb and gel, OR, you get a hair cut which requires neither. Can I have an Amen for all the mean moms out there?

3. Glad for a terrific time kicking up my heels with the girls last night. Got to go dancing/listen to a friend's band at a local "establishment". Wooty woo hoo. Danced my neck, back, and hips all into near spasm with all the 70s and 80s goodness of this band. Sung like I was on stage, too. Ahem. Made getting up to praise the Lord a trifle more difficult than I would have liked, but all good, all good. Even received a text from my hubs whilst boogie-ing--a query as to whether I was having fun. Yes...while I was getting my groove thang on, my hubby was suffering through a 2 hour massage in his Shanghai hotel.

2. Glad for such an amazing babysitter. Our lurvely gal lives directly across the street, and if that isn't enough, my kids adore her. She leaves David alone (good), and paints nails and chats with Drama Girl (really good). In fact, she's so good, that when I had to cancel her one night--Drama Girl cried. THAT'S a sitter. Of course...I then wonder...what's so bad about us? She doesn't cry when we leave.

1. Glad for grocery shopping. I know you can't imagine this, but Drama and I are a bit chatty at times. We learned a lesson at the grocery store: sometimes being chatty is boring for others! gasp! When I made the mistake asked how my cashier's day was going, I should've pulled up a chair and asked to stay for an hour. Drama Girl and I looked at each other and didn't say a word, but each of us knew what the other was thinking: medication required! quickly! or escape hatch! now!

Now, I'm not the type of person...well, yes, I do believe i am...scratch that. I was going to say that I'm not the type of person who requires a perfunctory, "fine" to "How are you?". But most of the time...I am. Especially in a setting like that. But there is a lesson or 2 here...First, sometimes folks just need to be heard. I suppose, I'll leave it at that.