564. Staying up after everyone goes to bed and reading in a quiet house.

563. Warm, comfortable bed.

562. Okay, I am having a hard time thinking of 10 blessings today. Is it a blessing that I am looking forward to a date with my husband in a week and a half? (I started my list at the bottom, which means the ones at the top are the ones I really, really had to think about.)

561. Diapers were on sale this week.

560. Great story time at the library today. Three books, interrupted by a "movement" activity. A SHORT puppet show, and a SHORT movie (I get impatient if the puppet show or the movie is too long.) An easy craft. When it was all over, three happy kids and one satisfied mom.

559. The scrunchie that "someone" flushed down the toilet today didn't cause enough of a clog to have to call the plumber. I just used the plunger, and that seemed to do the trick.

558. Every night for the last three nights, this dog in the neighborhood has been barking. It is a high pitched barking, that, when I'm not paying close attention, sounds like Bethany whining in her bed. The last two nights, I did the sit-up-straight-and-strain-to-hear move when I heard that dog. Bethany, it turned out, was sleeping peacefully. I wised up tonight.

557. While Bethany and Jonathan napped today, I made Lainee take a shower. She just hung out and played in there for a LONG time. I was able to make a bunch of phone calls while she showered. (Our bathroom has two doors. The rear door was open. When I got off the phone, I realized that the windows in the family room were fogging up.... uh, time to get her out, I guess?)

556. Another McFlurry. Really, I need to stop this. But is was good.

555. Bethany in pigtails. Cute, cute, cute.