Thursday 37 (Week 28)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know this is long overdue. But hey, I've been on vacation and out there creating these memories.  So, these are my 37 moments of gratitude, happiness and laughter from the week of Christmas.  Try to keep up...

1. Trying no to go too overboard with gifts (I am sure I'll be better next year).
2. The Easy Button.  It brings more laughter (and annoyance) than it probably should.
3. Getting motivated to eat less. Sadly, this is brought on by the sight of my pale, pale legs in a bathing suit, but hey, whatever it takes...
4. Alexander: "You know, Christmas really isn't about the presents."
5. A moment of quiet knitting in the morning.
6. Manicures with Beth. I'm pretty sure all the world's problems could be solved at a nail salon, if only the men would step aside.
7. Cass and Jake babysitting. Thank you.
8. Penelope and men in Speedos.
9. A lovely and somewhat debaucherous evening of Scattegories. 
10. George: "Marijuana!"
11. My mom helping the kids make cookies for Santa.
12. The kids tracking Santa on the NORAD site and the frenzied manner which they went to bed once he finally made it to the US.
13. Christmas morning. There is nothing like seeing those happy faces.
14. Savoring the gifts the kids gave me. I will love each and every day of my Word-A-Day and Brain-Teaser-A-Day calendars.
15. Melanie and Johnpaul making Christmas dinner. It was ridiculously nice to knit while they cooked.
16. Jake's Coke somehow spontaneously turning into a frothy, exploding mess, causing him to splurt Coke out of his nose, which naturally wound up all over the room.
17. Being the only person who saw the aforementioned event with said Coke take place, despite the room in which it occurred have many, many other people in it.
18. Eva Kay reading Baby Stephen a good night story.
19. Pumpkin Pie taste-off with a Pecan Pie chaser.
20. Making the flight to Las Vegas. Barely.
21. Realizing I will never, ever, ever, eat at Jersey Mike's Subs again. Ever.
22. Jenny on Facebook.  Pigs really do fly.
23. Upon realizing I didn't have my ATM card in Las Vegas, my friends quickly came up with ways in which I could survive. None of them, might I add, included actual monetary donations.
24. The bathrooms in the hotel rooms at Planet Hollywood are really, really nice.
25. Hiking in the Red Rock Canyon.
26. After 45 minutes of torturous hell, during which Alexander and Eva Kay were lost, wandering the desert, the were returned to me.  I have never been happier.
27. Eva Kay upon being reunited with me: "We thought you were lost!"
28. Knowing that, except for the 30 seconds of tears, I can handle a crisis.
29. Hiking in Zion National Park. Truly breathtaking. Naturally, it makes me wish I lived just about anywhere other than the nature-less Chicago.
30. Stephanie: "Nobody here cares. Really."
31. Eva Kay completing her Junior Ranger activities and the boys helping just enough to show they care.
32. The sunset driving back to Las Vegas.
33. The absolute stupid hilarity of watching P2 on an 8 foot screen at the Planet Hollywood, instead of doing something stupidly stupid.
34. A to Z Wine.  Just in case anyone is in need of a gift idea for me...
35. Seeing my mom play in the pool with the kids. They (and I) are really fortunate to have such a spry Nana in their lives.
36. Breakfast with the kids, without having to cook or clean.
37. My Sweet Lord.

So, there you go.