Happy Moments

I love those serendipitous moments that sneak up on you where you realize how completely happy you are at that moment in time. Tonight was just such a night--a lovely realization of what a lovely time we were having together as a family. I made my now infamous beet chocolate cake (and if you want the recipe, just ask, I will post it) with the able assistance of DD, while DH cooked a lovely pair of lasagnes (he likes cheddar cheese sauce in it, I don't). DS was happy to just chill out in his bouncer during dinner preparations, and while he stared with longing at each bite which arrived at DH's lips, he was pretty content for most of the meal (a real record for him).

I finished putting the new handles on the reinvigorated side of the kitchen today, and it really made me happy as I puttered around making my cake and then the frosting. Even better, I achieved great success in halving the sugar in the frosting, which was great! As the child of now two diabetic parents, I am delighted to tweak recipes so that the sugar content is lower but the product still tastes delicious. You don't miss the sugar, and DH is still deciding whether to be miffed or not that I've sneaked nutritious beets which he can't taste into a yummy chocolate cake. DD was so anxious to eat the cake she "helped" to make that she almost refused to eat her lasagne, until Daddy made a game out of it with airplane forks arriving at the hanger of her mouth. She gobbled up 3/4 of her serving before she realized she had eaten it!

Even our bird Alex decided to be perfectly amenable and friendly today, resisting the urge to shriek when Daddy was on the phone for work. Although I had a grueling dentist's appointment this morning, I am happy to have clean teeth again after a year plus of no dentist's attention; and I am glad DH works from home on Wednesdays so that I could leave the kids at home in his care without worry about how they would fare with a babysitter. I am further delighted to have lost 6 lbs in my first week on Weight Watchers, in my battle against the evil pregnancy pounds that I piled on before DS's arrival three months ago.

So, today has been a good day. Right now my DD is running around the living room serving us her food from her play kitchen, having happily smeared dark chocolate frosting over her face and some of her dress. DH is watching 'Malcolm in the Middle' and has gotten DS asleep on the Boppy in his lap, and together we are enjoying a fine glass of *gulp* MERLOT from our favorite winery in CA. The gulp is not me drinking more wine, , but more because we are not merlot fans in general (for a humorous portrayal of why many oenophiles feel the same, see the movie "Sideways"), but this one has surprised us with its complexity in bouquet and taste. Wow, a good glass of merlot! Will wonders never cease this eve??

To top it all off, DH, as he handed me a glass of this merlot (Suzie's Reserve Merlot, 2003, Pezzi King winery, in case you were interested), told me that he has tomorrow off from work "just because". WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! My husband, who has been working like a maniac on his CAPM exam and the latest crisis in work, has a DAY OFF!! What a great surprise!!! We have no plans to exploit it, just enjoy some together time with no fixed agenda. Mmmmmm, no fixed agenda....now THAT is a happy moment!