The 2011 Happy list

I wrote about the things that made me happiest in 2009 and 2010. Now it's time to share what I am (or was) happy about in 2011. This is in no particular order.

1. The birth of my daughter and watching her grow a little more every day and discover things in the world around her. Her smile brightens my day and I can get lost in her eyes. She's so incredibly sweet and I'm so proud to be her mom!
2. Chick Lit Central has really taken off this year and I've had lots of wonderful help along the way. I've also gotten to read some more amazing novels and met some really sweet authors too!
3. Even though we had to deal with lots of dust and noise, the house looks nicer as a result. I'm really happy about our basement playroom. It looks like a real playroom instead of a warehouse for toys.
4. "How I Met Your Mother." Le. Gen. Dary! I can't believe I waited so long to get sucked in to this show. It's hilarious and heartwarming.
5. My younger son's upsherin. It's the last upsherin for any of my kids and was really special. We had it on Purim and all the guests dressed up in costume.
6. Hearing how well my older son is doing in Kindergarten. He was mainstreamed into a regular ed class and he's scoring really high in reading and language skills. I am super proud!
7. A wonderful friend who has been helping me out with my older son's after school care after our one sitter bailed on us and another one changed her schedule a bit.
8. Going to the Maccabeats concert and having a fun date in the city with my husband as a result. (Also my younger son learning "Candlelight" and pointing out a friend's doppelganger while watching the video.)
9. The Band Perry and their fabulous debut CD. I love their songs and can listen to it over and over. I even taught "You Lie" to my sons. :)
10. Visits with/from family members and friends throughout the year. This includes a special 4th of July visit from a close friend, hanging out at National Harbor with a cousin we haven't seen since our wedding, and of course...spending holidays (religious or secular) with various family members. Most recently, it was Hanukkah with my family.
10.5 (My blog, my rules...) How well "Blog Project 2.0" is doing. I enjoy all the topics we've been writing on so far and it's really kept me motivated to write in this blog with everything else going on this year.

Looking forward to lots of good things in 2012, including my 10 year dating anniversary. (I still celebrate that on some level, as it's the day I met my besherte in person for hot cocoa, which ended up being tea in my case.) I'm also excited to see my daughter hear for the first time, B"H. I just want her to get through the surgery safely first!