Because After The Storm

...there are rainbows. And since I am trying very hard to be all positive and up beat and "rah rah sis boom bah, we'll pay our mortgage la la la" about things, here are 5 things which are making me smile this week (but scroll down and read the "things which are annoying me" post first):

1. DD had a shower and then decided to get onto the toilet... and when she was done, she stood up, grinned, and said, "I don't have any undies to pull up! Well, that's handy!" and then laughed..and her sibs and I (who were in the room next to her) heard it and started to laugh like hyenas. Such enthusiasm over such a small thing, and her comedic timing was just brilliant. So now we've been walking around for a couple of days saying, "Well, that's handy!" about nearly everything. "Kids, dinner is ready!" "Well, that's handy!" "Oh no, I shrunk my new shirt in the wash," "Well, that's handy!" and so on, ad infinitum.

2. DH's new haircut looks completely amazing, and the goatee he is growing to match it looks equally good. Never thought I'd think so, but fat Jewish men in their 50's can be totally smokin' hot. (And to be fair, he's lost a fair amount of weight so he's not really fat anymore.)

3. I finally, finally worked out the right combination of doors closed and open to heat our house. It's freezing cold in Melbourne, and while our house is heated, it's an open-plan style of home. Which means that some parts are always hot, and some parts are arctic. I finally worked out how to close the right doors so that it's just toasty warm in almost every part of the downstairs (other than the toilets...damn.) Doesn't sound like a big deal but I am ALWAYS cold, so for me to say, "Gee, it's kinda hot in here, we need to turn the heat down!" is unusual and cause for celebration.

4. I'm going to the US in 3 weeks - and while we don't have the money, and I can't afford the time off of work, and I'm not happy about the reason for my trip - I am so excited just to get a hug from my Mom, and have a coffee with my sister, and lay on my niece's bed and listen to her teenage stories, and read my other niece a story, and have my nephew teach me some game on his iTouch which we will then become obsessed about, and go on a mini-vay kay trip with my childhood bestie..and and and and! OMG OMG, I'm like, totally, going to Elllll- Aaaayyyy, dudes!

5. My new favourite snack: Some thin rice crackers spread with a bit of cream cheese and a scrape of sundried tomato pesto. If I close my eyes I can even pretend it's mildly healthy. And while something like food shouldn't be making me happy, I've been trying to find a quick, scrummy, mostly healthy and easy snack for ages and ages. So YAY for easily prepared and easily eaten snacks.

Rainbows, people, rainbows. I keep looking for them, and mostly finding them..but I know that will get harder as time goes on.