target, friends, and reading out loud

1. Target is like therapy for moms. the best therapy session is without children when you can wander the aisles. It costs about as much as traditional therapy ($50+ per session) and is has good as spilling your guts to a complete stranger. The place has everything. Like this year t-shirt (i bought one in almost every color and am almost guaranteed to wear one everyday from here on out. don't judge. they are $7/each-clerly I'm on the cutting edge of fashion). I suppose Target is like therapy for everyone - or at least i hope it is. otherwise i may need to go to actual therapy...

2. Friends. the kids both have buddies-well best friends really-that live down the street. Each of them talk about their best friend fondly all. of. the. time. constantly. What would *friend* say to this..."*friend* come have a tea party"..."can *friend* over?". The friends are from the same great family that has two cool parents and few other siblings that are neat too. I love that they have buddies so young. Is it weird that i hope they are friends forever? that's one of the things I get to see teaching high schoolers...every year the baby ads come out in the yearbook and these students go back in time - YEARS - remembering when they first met each other. and a lot of them are still friends - good friends. Those types of friends are great. The old ones, that know the good, the bad, and the ugly. The ones that you fought with, broke up with, and then got back together with. The ones that - even after not seeing each other for months (or talking) - you can pick back up at breakfast like no time had gone by at all. Those types of friends. and since each of the kids' friends brings out the best in them, I hope that the friendships last for a REALLY long time. Because those types of friends are special - like little treasures. I now I treasure the few that I have.

3. One of the reasons I love blogging is that it chronicles some of the things that go on around here that I might otherwise forget. The little things. I'm always jealous of those people that do a picture a day (tried one year and forgot to take a picture on day 6...end of project!) But when you think about it, it's the little things that you don't want to forget. I have to keep that in mind when I think I have nothing to write so I just don't. There are all sorts of little things to remember.

So this series of pictures below is of Will. This night I had to be at school late for a curriculum night. Well, one job ran into another and I spent another two hours on the phone for the other company that I work for. In between jobs, Will was getting ready for bed. I called home to say good night and he wanted to read me a story over the phone. Now...I don't win a lot of awards for patience...although I try-really I do. I try to be present and in the moment but I struggle. So, I really wanted to say no-finish up my work and get home. But I didn't and I was so glad that I didn't! Will read me a story over the phone-word for word. The book..."I Love you Mommy". Seriously...could it get any sweeter. He kept asking me on the phone..."did you hear that mommy" because I was so quiet on the other end. I was quiet because #1 it still amazes me that this kid can read. it's so cool. and #2 I was overcome with the fact that he felt that it was so important to read me a book-since I wouldn't be there when he feel asleep. His concern was so sweet. I love him. Look how he's balancing the phone and the book...sounding out the words. too much!