signs of boy.

A boy lives here.

There's no doubt.  Evidence abounds.

This belongs to a boy.

(yes, it's on the floor)

So does this.

And these, left on the stairs.

And this award proudly displayed by a boy, for sure.

And this is perpetually worked on and shoved in the corner until time is found to work some more.

And this proud collection (of disney pins) is one of many collections he treasures.

And everything needs to be saved.

note here:  the orange car his sister made him--broken, but must be saved

his  school papers--save

and the darn happy meal toys--this one a plastic coffin???--save!

Sounds of boy are here too. Adventures in Odyssey and Tobymac blast from his bedroom.  Every move he makes has a soundtrack--motors, screeching brakes, pretend screams.  The doorbell is always ringing, cause playing outside is always best.  And the laughter.  Lots of laughter--especially at falling down and bodily noises.

Yup, a boy lives here.  With us.  (you see, one of our boys lives in heaven).  This one lives here.  It's messy, smelly and delightful.  Aren't I blessed to be a boy's mama?

sporting part of his veteran ensemble for dictionary day at school

Now, if I could only figure out how to keep him clean for more than five minutes...

Unwrapping this everyday, yet profound gift with Emily at Chatting at the Sky.

Thankful.

I continue my quest to document 1000 gifts.  Won't you join me?

181.  Sore muscles.  I'm choosing to be thankful for some sore muscles I have had this week--due to simple things like yoga and the wii fit.  (I know, Pathetic with a capital P!) Those achy muscles made life slightly uncomfortable for a few days, and they reminded me of how out of shape and old my body is--but they are evidence of a body that can move and stretch.  A body that can push itself (even when it doesn't have the slightest clue that these simple things were pushing it!).  I'm thankful I can move.

183.  Spring-like weather.  We have had it for a few days, and although not warm exactly--it felt great.  It came complete with open windows and birds singing (I love birds singing!!).

185.  A short visit with my mom.  She came by to drop off some dresses she had found super cheap for Pickle to try on...but she sat and visited with me for about an hour.  We caught up a bit.  It's a gift to have mom in town, but we don't get to hang out as much as everyone seems to think we do.  I work most days, and the days I don't I'm catching up around the house, or with errands.  She also watches my nephew four days a week...so she is doing the same on her days "off".  We go to the same church--so we see each other at church and church functions, sometimes lunch on Sundays.  She and my dad are great about coming to the kids' things.  We talk on the phone less than we see each other.  We do email (I know that sounds silly when  we live 10 minutes apart).  But email is not the same as grabbing a few minutes face to face.  So I am thankful for our impromptu one hour visit this week.

mom, dad, dave and pickle at bubba's b-ball game on Saturday

192.  Saturday breakfast dates with my hubby.  We recently started a weekly coffee or breakfast date on Saturday mornings.  We are in the season that we can leave the kids at home (if you aren't there yet, it WILL happen one day--hang in there!).  So we get up and get out, sometimes before they are both awake and enjoy some time together.  It's worked well to help us coordinate our weekend, to talk about practical important stuff, and to share whatever has been on our mind.  We are finding as we get older--the time after the kids go to bed is not so good for meaningful discussions.  We are too beat.  So this is working and it's fun!

195.  Seeds planted.  Sounds spiritual, huh?  Yeah, but this time I mean actual seeds.  Pickle and I used these little peat pellets to try to force some seeds early--we are growing our own annuals to plant out front come spring.  Our last frost in CO is late--I usually wait until late May to plant outdoors...so we brought a little spring in.  It will be fun to watch these little things sprout.  Somehow they represent hope and new life--even if outside gets snow a few more times this season.

What are you thankful for?  I'd love to hear!

it shouldn't count as exercise...

It's a lame excuse for exercise.  BUT, it's better than sitting on the couch.  And it's fun.  Its the Wii Fit.  When my family bought it for me for mother's day before it even came out...I was skeptical. Happy Mother's Day, mom--do yourself a favor and get fit!  But I quickly learned my skepticism was unwarranted.  The Wii Fit is fun!  I am not good at it, and I hardly ever have time to play on it.  However, when I do get the chance, or make a point to--I have fun and appreciate the immediate feedback.  Like someone knows I'm moving.  AND (most importantly) they can't see me do it!

Then at Christmas this year my family gave me the Wii Fit Plus and this super-cool board skin:

isn't it sassy?

Well, I am not here today to sell you on the Wii Fit and accessories.  Instead, I'm here today to confess something.  On Wednesday this week I fit in a little Fit-time.  I did some yoga, some strength and some kung-fu (hysterical), hula hooping, and rhythmic boxing.  Sounds like a lot, but not really hard at all.  Just fun.  However (here's my confession) on Thursday I was sore. SORE!  From the Wii Fit!  That's pathetic!

Ah, but the pathetic continues. Today is my day off, so I had time to get it back out.  I was having a great time...enjoying the activities I picked and lined up in a custom "workout".  But then I realized that for Island Cycling--I had unlocked two advanced courses without realizing it.  Island Cycling, you see, is just my speed.  You sort-of-march on the board and steer yourself around a pretty course and find flags.  You can't die.  You can smack head-on into a tree and there is no penalty.  Nothing shoots at you or is thrown at you.  You don't have to delicately balance.  It's easy.

here I am ready to go for a ride:  (like my mii?)

I clicked on the advanced course--and set out on my "ride".  And can I just say, right here in front of all of you, that this thing KICKED MY HINEY!  There were 22 flags to find, and I found 21 fairly easily, but found myself riding around and around and up and down and over bridges and through tunnels in pursuit of the last flag.  I started to acknowledge that I was getting a bit tired. (no...it's just the wii!)  My achilles hurt (you are barefoot when you do the Fit).  Where was the stinkin' flag?! ?  I finally found it in what I personally would call a secret tunnel...and then I had to find my way back to the finish line.  Only, there was no easy way back.  I'd head the direction I though I needed to go, and I would fall off a cliff and have to start back at the flag.  It took me FOR.EV.ER to figure out!  And what is normally a race that I think would take 5 minutes--took me 7.4 miles and 25 minutes!! Seriously??

So feeling a bit foolish, I called my Fit-out done for today.  I don't know yet if I will admit this to my kids.  Not sure I want their sympathetic looks...

I think I'll stick with what I know for the rest of today.  Blasting music and cleaning the house.  Running errands.  Pick the kids up at school.  And I think we'll keep my Wii-Fit-Fail between you and me, bloggies.  And I will have to think up a good story about any SORE that shows up tomorrow...I'll take suggestions.

Linking up with the Company Girls at Home Sanctuary for a little Friday hello and glimpse into my life today.  Girls, if you'd like to read something with you know, meaning, I submit to you my pickle-post.  Happy Friday, all!

Because my posts have been a little serious lately...

I thought it was time to lighten the mood a bit.  My bloggie-friend (which means we haven't met in real life but I'm sure if and when we do we will laugh our heads off!) Hillary over at The Other Mama (check out her blog--it's super cute!) is starting a new blog-carnival today--called Friday Favorites.  To join in, I'm supposed to post my favorite something.  Could be anything.

My hubby thought I should post about my favorite husband.  Good one, hon.

I thought and thought (for like FIVE whole minutes!)...and came up with my favorite....nothing.  Nothing!  Do I have no favorites???  Of course I do...think, brain-o-mine!  I decided I needed my nighttime treat to help me think clearer.  And then it came to me!  Literally.  In a mug.

I am going to post on...(the suspense is killing you isn't it?)... my favorite way to eat ice cream.  Seriously, I am.  It's all I got tonight, and I feel like being a little silly.  So here we go (drumroll, please).

Dawn's favorite way to eat ice cream:

1) in a mug.  (This was foreshadowed above--I'm fancy like that).  Any type of mug is fine, although I really like my minnie mouse mug if you had to press me on it.  I felt that was important to clarify in case you think I am completely apathetic about such important choices.

2)  propped up in our bed, with my comfy pjs on, and my heated mattress pad warming the sheets.  The ice cream chills me and I climb in the covers and it's all warm and toasty.  Ohyes.  The thermal joy of it all.

3)  scooped and brought to me by my hubby.  He has been the designated ice cream scooper throughout our marriage.  I can wield an ice cream scoop as well...but my dad always did it for us when I was a kid, and now hubby does.  It's pretty sweet, huh?

4) at the very end of the day.  The closer to sleepy-time the better, cause you know, it's healthy to slam sugar and fat right before you go comatose for seven hours.  And if we wanted to dream a bit, it's at the end of a day where I felt productive, and got everything done I meant to.  But since that has only been known to happen in reality three times, I choose to enjoy it on other days as well.

5)  watching something I love to watch on TV.  It could be So You Think You Can Dance,  American Idol, The Office (by the way, still recovering from Pam nursing the wrong baby tonight) or House.  We also love to eat ice cream while we watch The Biggest Loser--cause we love irony. And yeah, I know..eating in front of the TV...late at night...breaks all the rules.  Ohwell.

6)  with my man next to me.  Obviously.

7) with a surprise cookie on the bottom of the mug.  Hubby does this every now and then to surprise me and it's love in cookie form.  Or he's trying to fatten my up for some reason, which is one thing I don't need help with.

So there you have it.  My favorite way to eat ice cream.  If you think I sound like a sweet-toothed sloth--yeah, I resemble that remark. At least at 10 pm I do.

After this nightly ritual, I thought it only appropriate to also let you know my favorite workout video.  Consider it a bonus.

You're welcome.

Oh, and in case you are looking for something with a little more substance...follow Kristen as she writes from her Compassion Blogger trip to Kenya.  I'm loving it.