Tree of Happiness

The very lovely Andrea tagged me for the Tree of Happiness meme and since I have nothing knitterly to share it gives me the perfect opportunity to blog... I am going against the grain and tagging anyone that wants to share thing that make them happy! Just leave me a little comment so I can read your list! The Happiness Tree sayeth that you must list six things that make you happy. These are my six :

1. My family- My husband does everything in his power to make me happy from calling me during the day just to tell me he loves me to buying me soap. I know it seems silly that soap would make me happy, but the fact that he knows me so well that he can be in a store and see a certain kind of soap and know that I would love it just makes me smile. I am very picky about soap. My daughter is the kindest person I know. She is such a poised young lady at times and such a silly little girl just minutes later. Everyone that knows her compliments her behaviour and has since she was a very small girl. She is my pride and joy and I give her credit for my life being what it is today. If I had not gotten pregnant with her at the age of 17, my life would have taken a very different course and I never would have met my wonderful husband. My son is my little snuggle bunny. He is very affectionate and knows just when I need a hug or kiss or a "you're the best Mommy in the whole world, if I had to pick from all the mommies I would pick you." When his Grandfather went to the hospital to have by-pass, he sent his favorite stuffed animal to keep him company and 'watch over him'. At the age of 7 he already knows he wants to be an engineer in the ARMY. I am so proud of that kid and I know he will go far in life.

Of course, all my extended family (parents, grandparents, brother, sisters, in-laws, ex-laws...) make me happy but it would fill a book to write about each of them! My family makes life worth living and is the most important thing in my life.

2. An uninterrupted night of sleep makes me happy. I have terrible insomnia and it is very hard for me to go back to sleep in the middle of the night, so if I can sleep a solid 8-10 hours it is a godsend! However, I also have very vivid dreams that tend to wake me now that my kiddos are finally sleeping through the night. Both of my kids were awful sleepers- both gave up naps right around their first birthdays and didn't sleep through the night until around their 6th birthday. Since they were born 5 years apart, that is 11 years of interrupted sleep, my friends, for yours truly because you know they were not waking Daddy in the middle of the night.

3. Homeschooling/being a stay at home mom makes me very happy. It is great to spend the day with my kids, and there is nothing like hearing them read and know that I taught them how to do it! I love the flexibility it provides our family and the bond we have as a result.

4. Wii. I am not a gamer at all. I usually suck at video games, then I sulk like a child because I get beat by even the kids. We just got a Wii and I love that thing! Boxing especially! I was just cracking up yesterday watching the kids box and before long found myself yelling, "I'm playing the winner!" Finally a game I can enjoy. I foresee lots of family fun thanks to that little machine.

5. Family dinner. I love sitting at the table with the family, talking about our day while eating a great home-cooked meal (that everyone enjoys so much that the kids volunteer to do the dishes after we eat). Being a Taurus, I enjoy any great meal and love to go out to eat as well. I am a huge fan of family owned restaurants that use fresh ingredients as opposed to large chains that get most of their entrees premade. My favorites in my town are Ajimi - a sushi/ Japanese restaurant that is better than any we have ever tried. It is great not having to drive to Charlotte (30-45minutes away) for great sushi. We go there about once a week and even the kids love it. My other favorite is Stone Table Cafe- my ex-husband's restaurant. He specializes in southern cuisine and makes everything from scratch from soups to desserts. He makes some of the best food I have ever eaten.

6. Knitting and the online knitting community brings me much happiness. There is nothing quite like that feeling of satisfaction when an object comes off the needles and has been beautifully seamed and blocked. I love yarn shopping, reading about knitting, designing, blogging, getting to know all of you through your blogs, and Ravelry (how did I exist before it??). I really credit the online knitting community for my knitting success, for every problem I have the answer is only a google search away. The answer usually can be found on a knitting blog somewhere. I am exposed to beautiful patterns and people, finished objects and techniques that I never would have seen otherwise. So thank you all. Each of you make me smile each day!