five for friday

+ there are loads and loads of things i miss when tovi is out of town, but here is one: the man always keeps my water bottle filled up. i don't even notice it happening, but i'll turn around and the water bottle next to my computer is full. it will appear later next to my night stand, and mysteriously at my breakfast spot in the morning. come home soon, tov. i'm very thirsty.

+ hey other parents: does your kid have a thing? the wuhlie is starting to travel with us everywhere. this evening we went to trader joe's ("joooooooes!") with both lions. we have become a one family menagerie. so what would you do? do you indulge this? buy a cabinet full of back-up soft animals? ignore it and he'll move onto something else? the fact that he loves his lions absolutely melts my heart, but remember my parenting motto? don't start something you can't finish. the wuhlie's are getting me worried. 

+ i'm just going to say it: there is nothing better than having a toddler. yesterday morning we painted our backyard with an old paint brush and a bowl of water. love. every. minute.

+ there is a women's ministry event at our church called "storynight." we eat some food, tell hilarious stories at our tables, and then one woman shares her life story with all of us. it's just a precious night. sadly (?), it was the same night at the "women tell all" episode of the bachelor, so i had to dvr it. my friend krista had also been at storynight, missing the bachelor, so she and her ten-month old came over the next morning and we had a yoga-pants-mandatory viewing of the episode. i think both of these events perfectly sum up my personality.

+ i can't stop reading poetry to my kid. there's this line in one of his books:
after i dabble down in the muck
and nibble reeds like big ducks do
so fun to read and listen to. i have rediscovered that poetry is just meant to be read aloud and i think it's mutually enjoyed. we read dr seuss, mary oliver, robert frost, jack prelutsky, christina rosetti, james whitcomb riley. i was raised on a steady diet of james whitcomb riley and he must be read out loud, preferably by my grandpa. 

..... and one more more just to be fancy .....

+ our kids expo on saturday was a huge success! about 125 exhibitors and 2000 attendees made for a hectic day, but i couldn't have been more pleased. one of our proudest accomplishments was having be the match as our charity beneficiary. i had my cheeks swabbed and i'll be added to the bone marrow donation registry. this can save a life. want a little more inspiration? check out my friend lesley's story here.