Forced Happiness

I'm working hard to find the "happies" in the drudgery of cold and snot season. Really I am. So, today, I'm forcing myself to post about the things that are making me smile, even though Li'l Empress is so sick with a fever that it makes me want to cry for her.

I mean, it's not the "so sick" that I need to run to the ER or anything. It's more of the red-eyed, mopey, limp-as-a-dishrag kind of sick. The kind that makes me miss the incessant exclamations! of! great! enthusiasm! for which she is known. The kind that makes me want to crawl up on the couch with her, snuggle her under a pile of blankets, and work some kind of mommy-magic that whisks the fever and the snot right out of her in an instant. She's down-right pathetic, laying on the couch listlessly watching kids' shows. I mean, she's so out of it, she hasn't even requested D0r@ or D!eg0 for over an hour. And this is right on the heels of my recent similar virus that kept me unproductive and wiped out for 4 + days.

Oh, Lord, please make this one pass quickly

and never return our way for the rest of the season!

So. Here are the things that I'm choosing to be happy about. The things that are making me smile this week. In between wiping snotty noses and dispensing medication and juice refills. .......Oy.

The Boss drove in to work this a.m. with my defunct, dissassembled Kitchen Aid stand mixer in the trunk. He's bringing it to the certified repairman after 14 months of disuse. I'm smiling at the fact that I might actually be able to make mongo batches of yummies again soon. And that he loves me so much that he's willing to drive in to the city to do this for me. It's a pain in the neck compared to the train, but he's loving me very practically by taking care of it for me.

The Boss is also heading to the Living Hope Adoption Agency offices today for his turn in the series of four home-study meetings. This kind of progress makes me so happy, for so many reasons! We're getting closer to Brynna, obviously, but it kind of tickles me that he has to sit with a virtual stranger (she's new to our agency and we've only met with her a couple other times since she came on board) and talk about himself. NONE of these things are within his comfort zone. But he already loves his waiting baby girl and he loves me and he's doing it.  I am also supremely tickled by the notion that his appointment will likely be far shorter than my appointment was with her last week. I'm just sayin'......

Additionally, The Boss is making time in his shortened work day to head to the central Immigrations Services building near his office to get the issue of Li'l E's certicificate of citizenship and/or Chinese adoption certificate settled. We need certified copies of one of those for the dossier to Brynna and he's going after the final answer and the copies in hand today.  That makes me so happy, to have that done and checked off our big "Dossier To Do" list.

Another thing I'm really happy about is that Baby BlueEyes was named a "Citizen of the Month" at his local elementary school. I think he's an amazing kid, but now he knows that the teachers in his building think so, too!

Oh! And I'm thrilled that Dr. D scored a shiny medal at his indoor track meet this week. He rarely runs this particular relay, but since there was no triple jumping at the meet, I'm especially happy that he "took one for the team" and was willing to try this event AND that they worked together so well they medaled! Yay for Dr. D!!!!

LadyBug had a Wind Ensemble concert this week. The Boss and I snuck out just the two of us for an evening of beautiful music and we got to hear the award-winning high school ensemble also. She has some great music programming in this district and I'm so happy that she has a place to grow in her gift.

I'm also happy to report that Shaggy might be closing in on some good plans for "life after graduation."  Make no mistake, I am NOT happy about my oldest spreading his wings and flying the nest, but that's my issue. I am happy that he feels like he has some next steps that are feeling right for him. This is the month of applications and narrowing of options, so I'm happy to spend time praying over him and for him.

Finally, I'm happy that Little Guy and Little Gal have been healthy for almost two weeks. Hopefully, they won't catch the crud that Li'l Empress was sportin' all day yesterday and both families can collectively kick the nasties for good. Then, I'll be really happy.

Like, kick-up-my-heels and do-a-happy-dance kind of happy!

Hope you all have lots to be happy about today. Even if you have to force yourself to find it.