I’m exhausted today- four loads of laundry deep and a teething, clingy baby. Thank goodness for babywearing! I’m determined to stick with my 30 Days of Gratitude, a self-reflective and induced way I am trying to reconnect with myself, my family & get farther down the road to happiness. I invite you to check in on Facebook or in the comments below and list your own 5 things you’re grateful for today, too!

Today, I am grateful for:

• Having discovered Oil Pulling with coconut oil. I always love finding new ways of natural healing and I am currently obsessed with coconut oil- this is a combination of both!
• Time with my 11 year old, who lives more than 2 hours away with his dad. He goes to a charter school that had staff development days and I get to have him stay here any time there is anything more than a long weekend. He already outweighs me. (easy, since I’m actually superskinny) and will outgrow me (even though I’,m 5’10!) soon, I’m sure. Being around him allowed me to hear gems like, “That was so gross, it’s almost like we live in Gnar-nia!” and “Mom… it’s like your motto is like… when in doubt, be nice and drink coffee.” Pretty much!
• The ability to vote. One of the reasons that I am active about equal rights issues is because I appreciate mine. Women were jailed for doing what hundreds won’t make time for tomorrow, for whatever reason. My votes are going to Gary Johnson for President, Yes on Prop 37 and would TOTALLY vote to end prohibition, but somehow it isn’t on the ballot in California this year.  

• My faux-hubby’s rad job, which is really this job, mot of the time, but is pretty much awesome. Though sometimes, it leaves him exhausted and takes him away from home for long hours at a time, I am SO grateful for something that allows him to be creative, learn new things, worth with supercool people (his boss and wife who runs a progressive yoga business) and their little girls are just SO wonderful… even when he feels like Alexander.

• Last, but not at all least…. BABY’S FIRST SIGN! I did sign language with my last two babies and was so excited, impressed, amazed and relived to have them be able to communicate from such a young age. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have read this moments after it happened– I was over the moon! After a rough day of teething, he looked at me and signed, “milk” and I almost cried! I sure do love my smart, sweet munchkins.

Whew! I am exhausted… but I’m doing it.