Week 51: The Missing Piece

What's New?

Returning home is the most difficult part of long-distance hiking; 

you have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.

-Cindy Ross, explorer/author

In Week 51, we welcomed home our other third from a long journey. We give thanks for his safe return, first and foremost. But at the end of this year's story, the real take-home message is that no one will ever know the love that this man has for his Country better than Henry and I. He would freely give of himself and of his gifts to give others a safe passage, and I, selfishly, would hoard him in my mountain cave, if it were up to me. Thanks be to God, it is not.

We have all "grown outside of our puzzle", and truth be told, we have no desire to fit there anyway :) Week 51 was less about trying new things and more about letting it all go. Our brains are decompressing, and our hands are holding tight to one another. We wake up each morning knowing that we are all present and accounted for, and that we do not have to endure yet another day of trying to fill the missing piece with duct tape and super glue. 

Thanks to all of you who supported us on this journey. You will never know how much you are appreciated or necessary.   

Week 48: Brr! It's Cold Outside!

New 3-year old. I find myself constantly praying for this boy. He has such a quiet nature about him, and a dry sense of humor. Terrible eater. BEST laugh I have ever heard. Loves to hold hands on the couch and do puzzles on the floor and have random dance parties. With all of my heart, I love him.

 

 

New crochet whimsey: Free-hand snowflakes. Easy and fun to make!

New breakfast: adding 1 TBS of olive oil to my oats or cream of wheat. Got this idea from Giada Delaurentiis, and it is sooo yummy in this electric-dry, Kansas cold.

New children's fiction (for b-day): Bang! Boom! Roar! and Waking Dragons. Both books are so cute, and once again, Momma has grabbed a Jane Yolen goodie in Waking Dragons, a story about a little boy whose job it is to wake up the dragons and get them ready for school (he brushes their teeth, feeds them, it is very sweet.). "Bang-Bang Rwraaaaar!!!!" as Henry calls it, is the clear winner of the entire year of new children's fiction. We read this book 1,000 times per day. Dinosaurs + construction equipment + a little I-Spy + good morals. We highly recommend both of these!

,

(Not my photo: photo credit Simply Crochet) New project idea: This beautiful crochet garland (I would also like those gold drapes, the vanity, the vintage outfit, and the door, if that is possible)...

New beverage: German mulled wine. My neighbor introduced this to me, and it is quite tasty during a cold winter's happy hour :) I think I am sufficiently sick of it though. Kind of like egg nog, this will be a once-per year purchase. I'm just not a big sweet/flavory drinks person.

New (almost finished) crochet project: Summer baby blanket! This is 100%, American-made cotton, and there will be just a few, little lemon-yellow flowers decorating this as well. One of my sweet neighbors is having a baby girl next month, so my idea sprang from having a 6-month old in 108 degree, humid KS temps...

I also tried 2 new recipes this week. No photos have been included because they were both huge fails! One was a crockpot Thai chicken, which received great reviews on Food.com, but I just did not like it. Perhaps I was not in the mood for the peanut butter (I use Sunbutter), or maybe I added too much soy. It is always weird when I don't like a food of any kind, so beware! I also attempted to make a chocolate cream pie for Thanksgiving and burned the chocolate pudding. For the record, I am terrible at puddings and custards, but I LOVE to eat them. My Mom happens to be so talented at these types of yummies, and there is no way I can do the pudding from the box. My issue is that I always burn it. Do I need more patience? A double-boiler, perhaps? Less over-thinking? :) OR, maybe I should just stick to making what I don't screw up: fruit pies (for which, I credit Southern Living and The Joy of Cooking for teaching me how to make a good pie crust and fruit pie filling).

Week 39: Let's Celebrate 75% Completion!

What's new?

In Week 39, we celebrate a milestone: 75% of the way through the year! And just because we can, we will give thanks for all of it: our successes, our failures, our dreams, and our realities. My favorite ways to celebrate just about anything include eating food, chatting with friends and family, wearing a good pair of jeans, being outside, and making lists. 

Non-mom-jeans. The last time I bought a pair of hot jeans (the really good kind) was 2006. I didn't even buy any after I lost weight! Desperately needing to channel Linda Hamilton in the Terminator (and not owning a gymnists body or a machine gun or a cigarette), I got a new pair of Joe's. And it worked. I look exactly like the photo above. 

September foodie penpal. My second foodie penpal (check out The Lean Green Bean for an explanation of foodie penpals) package was full of deliciously sweet and energy-filled treats. Brookside acai chocolates are delicious! I love dark chocolate and was quite excited to discover that these were chewy. I LOVE chewy candies. I also had no idea Brookside was owned by Hershey. Way to go, Hershey. Henry and I love the honey sticks, which he had never had, and honey is a completely underestimated, natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral food. Agave nectar has nothing on honey, as much as it tries. I had had the Sweet Leaf mint green tea before, but was pleasantly surprised by my foodie penpal's ballsiness to include a glass jar of liquid in my package. Maybe my Linda Hamilton alter ego will give me the strength I need to be that brave in my future packages :) The homemade cookies were a sweet touch - Ted would have devoured these, being that they were peanut butter and chocolate, had he been here! I love orzo and fruit leather for running fuel - Orzo always makes for a nice, chilled pasta salad. Throw in some feta, cucumber, and tomato...maybe a little olive oil, and you have a delicious meal. My penpal also included special treats for Henry, which I thought was the sweetest thing ever.

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (Mound City, MO). This is an hour and a half north from Fort Leavenworth and completely worth every speck of your time. What a perfect time of year as well being the fall migration! There is a 10-mile loop around the refuge that is basically a driving tour (slow) with lots of places to get out with the spotting scope or camera, or just sit in your car with binos. We enjoyed seeing American white pelicans, osprey, turkey vultures, snow geese, loons, turtles, and lots of monarchs everywhere. We will definitely be back this winter to try to spot some bald eagles! 

Used food dehydrator. We can't wait to make some homemade teas and dried fruits. I may or may not include a specimen or two as well :)

If you will recall, at the Halfway Point, I created this list of goodies for completion to have done before the end of the year:

Here is what we have completed:

• ditch the sippy cup/switch to full big-boy cups only - done, for the most part. Cups with a lid are still nice for taking on runs, hikes, and in the car, kind of like a Nalgene.

• Pass the Praxis - by the Grace of God, I did pretty well on this crazy test!

• finish current book - yes 

• make it through a playgroup session without trying to leave the building barely, but yes

• successfully find a preschool in VA before we move there - yes, though I am not head-over-heels in love with it, as compared to how I feel about his current school/teacher

• pick peaches from local orchard and freeze enough pie fillings for peach pie until the end of the year They didn't open for u-Pick this year, but I was a farmer's market stalker, and have peaches galore. 

• take Henry owling and to a local owl lecture at a nearby nature center while he is still obsessed with owls - We did go owling! However, we did not make it to a lecture because they were all late in the evening (bedtime) rather than what I was hoping for (a couple that were in the early morning). Both are good times to go owling. He is still loving learning about owls, who fascinate us both.

• get a cute grow chart for Henry's room - done! He's growing like a weed.

• start preschool - yes

• not sit in the parking lot and cry for 3 hours on the first day of preschool like a total loser - yes, thanks to a very good friend

• seriously. get a life - I still have anxiety leaving him every single time. But it goes away within about 12 seconds after dropping him off :)

• say "please" and "thank you" consistently - He has started doing this! I am so proud. This was really the only thing I cared about on this list, and it happened. I've noticed he is better at saying please and thank you to strangers than he is to his Momma, however :) I am probably the same way with my Momma...

• squaw creek national wildlife refuge

Here is what is in the process of being completed:

• potty training completion - If you could graph this progress, it would look like a wave. Just within the last few days, he has been telling me "help"; grabbing himself; then holding it for a few seconds, which is awesome. He only does this in cotton undies - Pullups are a joke in case anyone reading this is just about to start this adventure.

• KS/MO bug collection - Just have to finish and affix my labels! Would like to get a couple more species.

• finish current crochet project and complete about 5 more - I don't know about the "5 more", but should be finished with the current behemoth in a month or so

• finish the rest of current book pile...about 8-9 of them, not counting the teacher resources now on my list - Probably more like 4.

• finish writing current short work of fiction - I think this will actually happen. As usual, It needs to be simplified a LOT for a short story.

• call my grandparents more regularly - Trying...My limited phone talking time is usually spent calling one of my parents, siblings, or sister-in-laws, so I really, sadly, have to schedule time to call anyone else, including friends. Though, is it really that sad? It gets done that way. Just life, I think.

• learn new tree identification (list) - Sucking it up on this one. But I have learned a few...

• try one new smoothie week per week - More like, every 2 weeks :) But yes.

• teach my son to catch and throw a football - working on it! He has a good arm, though teaching someone to catch is HARD when you suck yourself :) haha

• teach my son to ride his bike - Well, we are getting on, being pushed, and are fascinated by big kids on their bikes. Working on it...

• find a place to live in VA - Working on it. I think my Husband has much more lavish taste than I do, but I have always known this. I like cozy. He likes an echo :)

• get my child to willingly eat a vegetable/food in general - If green smoothies count, then yes.

• complete a half marathon on Post before we leave - One more week! Yay.

• make sure he can recognize his name (written) before he gets to his first day of preschool - I think he can recognize his name...He knows the spelling. not 100% sure if he really knows it or has just memorized it :)

Week 31: An Old Woman Lives in My Bones

What's New?

Most of Week 31 was spent taking a large, deep, relaxing breath, enjoying the presence of family, who played with, cuddled with, read to, built things with, pretended with, ran with, and chased after their 2.5-year old cousin/nephew/grandson. It was GLORIOUS, my friends. While this, in itself is not new, it had been a year since we made the trek up to see everyone; enough time to get homesick as hell. I never thought I would be one of those people who only saw their family once or twice per year, and I have never quite become used to it. One day, I will be back, and until then, there is a whole wide world to explore, scattering pieces of my glow-in-the-dark heart as I go.  

Week 31 newness:

• Pinchknitter Yarn! My family lives in the Camano/Stanwood, WA area, and I just now noticed this sweet little specialty yarn shoppe in Stanwood! I spoke with June for a while about their products, and she explained why bamboo textiles are actually horrible for the environment, while hemp is truly environmentally friendly. They have a TON of alpaca wool and a beautiful assortment of wool in general. I can't wait to visit this place in November when we return!

• Gooseberry Patch Freezer Recipes - I am LOVING this life-changing compilation of the art and science of freezing food. The recipes are quite fattening, I won't lie, but for whatever reason, I lose and maintain my weight MUCH easier when I eat 2-3 hearty "meat-and-potatoes" meals a day rather than snacking all day on low-calorie stuff. Casseroles and hearty stews? There goes 5 lbs. No joke. And eating this way enables me to run to my heart's content without becoming anemic or waking up at night with dumb leg cramps. There is your weight-loss lesson of the day. The bestest part about this little book though are the little tips and explanations about proper freeze/thaw techniques. A deployment MUST.      

• BABY!! SIL #3, Whitney, will soon be poppin' out a brand-new baby bee, and we very much enjoyed spending time with this new-momma-to-be at her shower. She is one hard-working woman, and we love her like crazy.

• New art (here are some photos of the new art mom brought last week). "Housetree" by Swedish artist, Mattias Adolfsson. I love his creatures and sketches as much as Hayao Miyazaki's.  

new art

Specialty yarn shoppes and and freezer recipes, goodness gracious, you'd think an 80-year old woman wrote this post! Well, maybe she did. So, in honor of all of our inner old souls, here is new poem:

An old woman lives in my bones.

She smacks her lips and clinks

her teeth against glass jars of whiskey.

Sipping, slurping, rocking.

Creaky wooden chair of 

cracks and fissures,

Rivers of time,

mapping the loves of her soul.

She clicks her tongue with closed eyes

and listens to 

the treefrog chorus.

By, Becca @Allbrandnewin52.blogspot.ccom

Week 22: Happy Dinosaurs

What's New?

We fully lived each and every moment of Ted's week-long, pre-deployment visit in Week 22, on top of which, he let me win at Scrabble. Just kidding. If you think for a second either of us would ever let the other one win at Scrabble, you totally have the wrong idea regarding the level of competitiveness in this household :) Buuut, I am pretty sure I won with a word that I misspelled, and he initially questioned it, but at the risk of losing his turn should he end up wrong (I was 99% sure of my spelling), took the chance. The word was "Ouija", which I had incorrectly spelled, "O-u-j-a-i". But what a great way to use your J (8 points!) on a double or triple letter block! 

Aside from Scrabble, puzzles and stories with our Buddy, and 99 bottles of delicious and nutritious beer on the wall (to wash down all of the BBQ we consumed), we just enjoyed each others' company and had lots of cuddle time and outside time with our Henry dinosaur. By the way, our level of dinosaur knowledge, in general, is insane right now. Ask us anything about the Cretaceous period, or rather, ask Henry. He would be happy to explain it all to you, which is good because I am pretty sure some of that is going to be on my Praxis exam in July. 

Ted and I also managed to squeeze in a wonderfully long date night at The Majestic, which is a delicious steakhouse and jazz club located in downtown Kansas City. This place had come highly-recommended by some dear friends and acquaintances alike, so we had to try it out! Though it was recommended that we get a seat downstairs, in the club, we actually opted to sit upstairs, in the main dining area, next to the beautiful bar and the jazz pianist. It was a little more open and airy, which was a plus for us. We experienced wonderful service, and any server who is willing to talk about the marbling and aging in steaks for 20 minutes had me at hello. I recommend trying one of their prohibitionist era cocktails :) Also, I am 99% sure that after a week of partying with my husband and 2.5-year old, I can no longer fit into the dress I wore for this date night :)

Ah well. I love that man so much I want to marry him. Good thing I did :)

Other Week 22 newness:

• Discovery of the most beautiful running trail ever, which I got to run sans jogging stroller while Ted and Henry went for a hike on a nearby nature trail (the one I ran was paved). From what I could tell, it was pretty non-creeper, but I would still carry mace just because I will mace your face! :) Thanks to my Lover, who showed me where this was. 

• T-Rex Cafe in Kansas City. We sat under Pachycephalosaurus and had a view of Parasaurolophous and the jelly fish forest. AND we sat by the aquarium. Overstimulating just a teensy. Good food! Best timing ever for a 2.5-year old obsessed with dinosaurs, but still a bit scary because they do a simulated meteor shower every 30 minutes and all of the animals roar, tweet, or buzz all at once. A solid 5/5 stars for us!!

• Ted and I tried 2 new beers from Boulevard: Long Strange Tripel and The Sixth Glass. Ted is a harder sell on new beer than I am, but he said he liked them both. I loved The Sixth Glass for the light molasses aftertaste and cannot wait to have it again. It has all of the flavor of a good, dark beer but with a light body. I think these Belgian dark ale finds are slowly but surely becoming my little beer treasures in life. Not the easiest to find, but I always like them. Long Strange was meh. It was good. Nothing to write home about, but then, you are reading beer notes from a gal who still likes Budweiser with her barbeque. What do I know? :)

• I finally perfected one of my favorite comfort foods of all time and one of 3 things that my Dad knows how to make: Cocoa Quickies. This is more like a candy than a cookie, which means it requires precision, patience, and exact ingredients. I had to finally just call my Dad because of course I kept screwing it up so badly. The key ingredient? Nestle Quick Cocoa. Yes. It has to be the one with the bunny :) And the key technique? Cook 3-4 minutes AFTER you bring it to a boil, otherwise it will be gummy!   

Here is the recipe for my Dad's Cocoa Quickies: 2C white sugar, 1/2C butter, 1/2C Nestle Quick, 1/2C milk, 3C oats, 1 tsp vanilla. Mix all in saucepan. Quickly bring to a full, rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 minutes. Take off heat and add oats. Drop onto waxed paper until they harden. "You will know immediately if you did it right or not." (my dad)

Week 21: Tornados, Tiger Tails, and Those We Love

What's New?

In Week 21, I received a phone call from my Dad asking if we were in our basement. No, I responded, we just got home from a run. Laughter. "There's a tornado watch in effect in your area," he explains. "Yes, Dad. I know. But we ran in between watches." Twenty minutes later, our power was out, and wind gusts were strong enough to throw our neighbors' yard trampolines across Post and to knock a person over. And those are just wind gusts. We experienced our first real tornado watch.

We are relatively prepared for minor things such as power outages in our area, and for this, I am thankful. Flashlights, candles, propane stove, blankets, changes of clothes and water/food/medicines...We would be okay for a few days. Residents of our area were told to watch the skies for hail and a "greenish" tint. Henry and I made hot cocoa and curled up in a blanket and sent texts back and forth to my Husband and Siblings/Parents. Henry was getting over a quick but nasty flu virus, and honestly, my worrying had been so great over that incident, that the tornado watch seemed somewhat insignificant in comparison. I just hugged him and smiled at his 2.5-year-old curiosity about what thunder and lightening and flashlights were. 

The next day, we turned on the news to hear and see the tragic outcome of the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Feelings of helplessness and grief washed over us all. As insignificant as it may be, here is the link to the Red Cross if anyone reading this feels lead to help out in a small way. 

Hug your loved ones, and maybe even your acquaintances, once in a while.    

Newness for Week 21:

• Tried out Weston Brewery on a momma's-only lunch date with a girlfriend. The Drop-Kick Ale (which I had never tried from there) was delicious, comparable to a nutty amber such as Fat Tire, but better. We enjoyed delicious burgers and spicy fries on the patio - I will definitely be returning! Very kid and family friendly, which is always a plus. 

• Tiger Tail Rolling Muscle Massager! WHY is this just now in my house?! A-MAZING. I have been rolling it over my feet, my ridiculously tight IT bands, and my hip flexors. I basically just want to marry it. 

• Discovery of a great new blog: Silly Eagle Books. The author of this blog is a friend of a dear friend, who recommended this site to me. She reviews children's fiction and discusses related projects that she does with her kids, who are home-schooled. It is not a cheesy crafting site where they paint egg cartons and glue googly eyes onto toilet paper rolls! It is very legit with some meat on its bones, if you know what I'm getting at :) Check it out! You will love it even if you don't have children!

• Guess who came home (for a whole week!) during Week 21?! Our Other Third!! We are sooo excited. We have missed him greatly these past couple of weeks.  

Week 20: I Wish to Live Deliberately

What's new?

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion." 

- Henry David Thoreau

I'll admit, in Week 20, we did not try many new things! However, I was one busy momma, and I started off the week by taking a 4-hour reading and writing test for the State of Virginia Department of Education. Blech! I have not taken a test like that since the SAT/ACTs in high school, and my DayQuil-infused brain was in sprint mode, trying to take this test. Thankfully, I passed with flying colors. Though I am a nervous test-taker, I can squeak out essays and edit technical excerpts pretty well, when it matters. As much as I poo-pooed this test, my Husband was really sweet and supportive about it, pointing out that it was necessary to celebrate small wins. I know he tells that to his crew probably daily. You'd think that would work on his Wife :) The take-home lesson for me from this test is that I need to focus on relaxation and on getting better sleep for "the big test" in July. It is hard for me to relax and stay on task, concurrently. I am usually more productive if under a wee bit of stress. Thus, I am usually always a wee bit stressed :) haha

I think it is nice knowing that God gave me the tools to be able to move forward with my goals and not be stunted by failure or even just fear of failure. I feel blessed that my parents raised me to "live deliberately" and expect to have to work hard for things in life. There are a lot of people out there who just expect everything to be handed to them or to live without failure, and they never MOVE forward. If writing fiction has taught me anything, it is not to be afraid of failure or of what people think of you. And the great scientific minds whose creativity and curiosity drove them to fail and discover the basic truths which I am hopefully going to be teaching to our young people? Their failures are just as big of an inspiration to me than their successes. 

Week 20 newness:

• Ted and I "celebrated" our 4th wedding anniversary. He celebrated by being Underway with 85 sailors, and I celebrated by studying for my Praxis exam while Henry napped and having sushi with a friend. We plan on for-real celebrating when he comes home for a week at the end of this month! 

• The only real new thing I tried this week was Bean Blossom Blueberry Hard Cider, and that is because Meghan gave it to me, not because I took the initiative to actually try something new on my own. I was not a huge fan of this, but I think I was expecting something more like a Hornsbys. It was more like a sparkling wine infused with blueberry flavor. After a few sips, I poured it over ice, which helped a lot. Well, then I read the can label, and it says right on the can "apple wine". So, maybe I just don't know what real cider tastes like? :) In any case, it's my "something new".

Week 9: Oscars Parties and Puppy Dogpiles

We did not try as many new things in Week 9 because I spent most of it being sick and road-tripping back to Kansas with my favorite 2-year old buddy. But, in spite of the continued and worsening sickness, our last days in San Diego with Daddy were happy ones and included one of my new favorite memories. I spent much of our last full day as a family together for a long while in Urgent Care, but Henry and Ted had some good quality time together, which made all of us happy. I was too sick to even be sad at that point, and all I remember is going into the bedroom to lay elevated on some pillows, after taking copious amounts of randoms, which included something with codeine as well as ZzzQuil, nasal spray, and essential oils. I turned on the Oscars, and my sweet husband and son crawled up in bed with me with their new Thomas the Train I-spy book, and we had the absolute best cuddle time ever AND we got to witness that spectacular mini-show of Les Miserable (Ted was especially excited about that part). And finally...eventually...I fell asleep in a big puppy-love pile. 

I've never hosted an Oscar party before, but I think I will, from now on. Especially if there is a Thomas the Train, puppy-pajama dogpile with my sweet family included :)  

Henry and I are home now, safe and sound, and I am slowly but surely starting to feel better. I am thankful for our special time with Auntie Shana, Uncle Eddy, Cousin Ira and Baby Leif and with our other good friends in San Diego (and so, so sorry for missing the ones we missed due to being sick!) 

We miss our other Third already. I feel like I left with a lot of doubts and nervousness about how this year was going to work and whether or not any of us (Ted, Henry, or myself) were strong enough to handle (insert whatever you can think of inserting, here). I think I came back knowing that I am not, and being totally okay with it because Ted and Henry aren't either. 'Cause ya know what? None of us are that strong - We aren't supposed to be. So, you just accept weakness sometimes and move forward - And often times that is when you finally allow growth and healing and figure out what it is you are supposed to be doing. It helps especially, when you come home to find a homemade lasagna and pot of daffodils on your counter :) 
  

In addition, I left with a 2-year old and came home with a 2.25-year old. Apparently, there is a difference! Most amazing, impressive kid, this one. I just loved driving home across New Mexico and Northern Texas with him in the bright morning sun. I will never forget that. I hopefully will forget how over road-tripping he was by the time we were in Northern Oklahoma :)

Other new things I tried in Week 9:

• Dermatologica skincare products. I love Proactiv, but here in Kansas my pruny skin cannot handle that much Benzoyl Peroxide. Plus, it's time for some grown-up makeup.

• ZzzQuil. I love this product. It works. 5/5 stars.

• Chicken tortilla soup from Islands - So yummy for sick mommas (but without the cheese).

Week 4: A New Year of Life! 36 Blessings

In Week 4, I celebrated 36 wonderful years of life. What could amplify newness better than a birthday? I am grateful for each year, but I have to say: They just keep getting better! So, new for Week 4 (besides a new year of life) is a list I have created of 36 things I am grateful for. I have never done this before, but it seems like a pretty great tradition to carry on for as many birthdays as I live to see! Obviously, this list is in no particular order, so don't try to analyze the order or the capitalization. Think of it like a 3-dimensional web:

1. Love - The ability to give and accept it in all forms, especially that which has saved my soul...and also that which has offered a listening ear and a good glass of wine when I have needed it most, and recently, I have needed it most :)
2. Family - I have the best husband and little boy in the World, but as a unit, we are my favorite. Also, my immediate family (parents and siblings/siblings spouse's & kiddos)
3. clean water
4. Freedom - both personal and National
5. feminism - Yes, I am thankful for feminism. 
6. Equality
7. Creativity
8. Art
9. Science
10. Food - the ability to both cook and eat it. And have it so readily available and well-preserved.
11. medicine
12. language
13. maps
14. chocolate
15. coffee
16. trees
17. having a good car
18. literacy
19. poetry
20. vaccines
21. wildlife and the truly open, wild places of this World
22. air conditioning and central heating
23. the internet
24. flowers
25. use of all my limbs
26. ability to run
27. the phone
28. libraries
29. the ability to see color and my eyesight in general
30. having all of my teeth
31. ability to absorb information and recall it
32. photographs
33. teachers
34. the belief that justice will prevail
35. the ability to tell the truth
36. the responsibility of raising the most amazing little boy I have every known and having this very special year of quality time with him before he grows up into the man he will one day become    

Here are some other new things that we tried in Week 4:

• a new hiking trail in the bottomlands of the NE Kansas riparian area, where we saw the largest formation of (I think) snow geese that I have ever seen in my life - AMAZING

• tried lifting the head of my bed per my Dad's advice for better breathing (testing sleep apnea theory). I have had solid nights of sleep without waking up from "panic attacks" ever since. Planning on calling Dr. about doing a sleep study, but in the mean time, I now know I am not just "going crazy". Sleep is no joke.

• puzzles. Henry has never shown interest in them, but since he loved and conquered his 3-D shapes puzzle, I thought maybe I would pull out the regular kid puzzles again and see how he did. He did all of them in like, 12 seconds and then just looked at me like, "is that it?" :) He's a puzzle maniac, unlike his momma!

• started a new crochet project and a new book, this time a work of fiction: The Kindness of Strangers, by Katrina Kittle. So far, it is okay in that it is holding my interest. I like the style of writing, and I would guess that Barbara Kingsolver was one of her greatest influences in the writing world, whose works I also love dearly.