Great-full

It's 4:00pm on Friday afternoon.  I've got a great babysitter coming over to my house so my husband and I can go on a date.  I'm thinking maybe we'll hit a couple buckets of balls, maybe we'll go bowling, maybe eat some dinner, maybe a bit of hand holding....you know, the things that I get excited for. It's still up in the air, but I'm sure it's going to be a great night.  I love knowing that our sitter, Maddie "Brownie" as the kids call her is someone that the kids look forward to seeing.  They often ask me to go on dates just so she can come over.

I've got great sisters.  Seeing as how I have only one blood sister, I'm including sisters-in-law in that statement.  They offer me advice, give me their hand-me-downs, make me laugh, send me AWESOME homemade presents (Happy Birthday, Marissa) and help me with my kids.  Rob's sister, Callie, made me these great earrings that I'm going to wear on tonight's date.

Aren't they awesome?  She's so talented!  

I sometimes get bugged that my house is a bit snug for the six of us (don't get me wrong - I know I'm lucky to even have a house, job, etc in this economy) but then I have great moments, like today, when I never want to move.  Today was Madelyn's last day of kindergarten.  Over the past few days I've been able to go to her school several times for end of the year festivities - and man, oh man, I LOVE that school.  Maddie was given an award at the end of the year awards assembly, and I couldn't be more proud of her.  I know she's a really great kid - but I also know I owe a lot of her growth and development to this great lady:

Her marvelous (my inner-writer can't handle any more "greats" in this post) Kindergarten teacher.  She adores her.  I adore her.  She is simply a wonderful, wonderful woman.  We've already had the "I don't ever want to leave Kindergarten - why can't Mrs. S come live with us - it's never going to be the same again" end of year cry.  Madelyn tends to be a bit sentimental.  I have no idea where she gets it.  I won't mention that I cried reading the little note her teacher sent home, or that I also cried during the slide show of Kindergarten activities Maddie brought home.  

There are many more things I have to be "greatful" (get, it? it might be too funny for some of you) but I'll have to list those another day.  "Brownie" just rang my doorbell, and I'm off.  

I'm UBER grateful for what I'm posting about tomorrow.  Stay tuned!