Things to Smile About...

So earlier today, I saw on another blog a list of "10 Things to Smile About", and I thought it'd be especially appropriate, while in the hustle and bustle of a crazy week to really take a couple of minutes and make that list. So here goes:

1. Blogging at work (shhhh)
2. When my oldest son casually lets me know this morning that he can get his own breakfast ready if I want him to, while I know that the reason he’s offering is because Mom had a conversation with the kids about Dad’s crazy week, asking the kids to help out as much as they can, and he’s just trying to follow through with that.
3. That Mom even had a conversation with the kids about Dad’s crazy week, asking the kids to help out as much as they can, because Dad’s probably going to be gone even more than usual.
4. That while Mom was explaining about this crazy week to the kids, my daughter got that look. You know, when the eyes get big, and she starts to blink really fast, and you just know if it goes any further, there will be full on tears. And that you know that she’s not really upset about HER missing out on DAD time, but that she’s upset because she’s worried about ME missing out on KID time.
5. The look on my Kindergartner’s face when Mom asks “How’d you get that nose bleed? Did someone punch you in the nose?” See, I saw it happen. It was ‘self inflicted’. Time to clip that kid’s fingernails.
6. When my 2 year old wants to make sure that as I leave the house for work, I give everyone ‘kissies’. He didn’t see me kiss my daughter, and he wanted me to go back and make sure I took care of that.
7. One night, as I tucked my daughter into bed, she asked me if I would close her closet. I told her “No, but I’d be happy to CLAWS your CLOSE-it”, just to be weird. This became an almost nightly ritual. I guess she got tired of it, because she started saying “Can’t we just say CLOSE my CLOSET?” Of course, I replied, “Well YOU can say that, but I’m ALWAYS going to say CLAWS your CLOSE-it,” just to tease her a little bit. The other night, as I was tucking her in bed, she said “Dad, can you CLAWS my CLOSE-it?” Even though she didn’t really want to say it that way, she did because she thought I liked it better that way.
8. That I’m getting a screaming deal on a refinance when a month ago I thought I wouldn’t be able to refinance at all.
9. Making good enough progress on a project that I totally lose track of the time and stay up WAY later than I should. (Which I’m TOTALLY gonna regret tomorrow, but hey, I made lots of progress on my project!)
10. That I have more than I deserve. I mean, I have sooooo much to smile about. I have a wonderful wife, and 4 great kids. I have 2 jobs. Sure, my schedule’s crazy, but there are a lot of people who don’t have a job at all, and here I have 2. And neither of them is fast food or retail. I have a nice home, 2 nice cars, and the list goes on and on. I guess I’m just a lucky guy. And that makes me smile indeed.