Happy Little Things

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The very idea of summertime comes with glossy notions of relaxation and fun. For most adults these things are a goal to strive toward, but for children they are a given. This year our summer is packed full of exciting plans, but amid the trips, friends, family, and barbecues there have been some smaller moments that have given me pause. As tempting as it is to boulder hop between the big events, I often find myself going to bed at night reflecting on the quieter things that have made me feel full and content. So, here are some happy little things that made me glow this week:

A car full of kids and friends singing along to the radio. I love rocking out with my girls as we cruise around town, and with our guests from England in the car singing along with us, I suddenly had to turn down the music and tell them I could just drive into the sunset and keep on going until our voices were worn out!

Coming downstairs after putting kids to bed and finding a sparkling clean kitchen. There are lots of great ways to be a gracious house guest, but pitching in with the dishes has to be at the tippy top of my list! My English Elves have been heroic in working their magic in my kitchen, so thank you Karen and John!

Lighting a candle in my clean, darkened kitchen. I love that late night, quiet house time of day, and the warmth of a single candle on the kitchen counter makes me feel sleepy and contented.

Spontaneous hugs from my daughter who is normally undemonstrative in her affections. At least to me.

Pajama bottoms. I like to put my pajama bottoms back on as soon as I get home, even in the middle of the day. And as I've trailed behind Karen and John on their American shopping extravaganza, I've almost had to skip the pajama aisle all together, lest they keep sneaking their way into my cart!

Summer rain storms. I admire how tenacious our grass has been in clinging to its green coat this summer. Usually the sun bakes the grass into blonde straw by mid-June, but this year the grass is still a radiant emerald.
Tart flavored frozen yogurt with fresh berries and dark chocolate chips. I am doing my best to keep the self-serve frozen yogurt shops in business this summer!

My two year old, Elisabeth, taking off her dress at the mall today and staunchly refusing to put it back on. One might assume she was hot, but honestly the air conditioning was lovely inside the store. I think she just wanted to walk around in public in her diaper for awhile, as if to gauge the rest of the world's reaction. So, I let her. I guess two years old is old enough to appreciate that it's the little things, those harmless, almost imperceptible little joys that make an ordinary day feel good.

What are some of your happy little things?

PS- I'm having a tough time getting blogger to recognize my google address when I try to post comments. Instead it wants to post my comments as "anonymous." So while I work on this problem, please know that I'm not ignoring your great comments, I'm just techonologically challenged in many, many ways!