Moments I'm lovin...

It happens the instant the page on my calendar changes from October to November...

It signals "That time." It's the "yippee-it's Christmas Cups at Starbucks time, andsnowflakes and stockings hanging from the ceilings of my favorite stores time. It's trading the tangerine kitchen candle for Warm Pumpkin Spice time. It's leaf rubbing in kindergarten time. It's simultaneously counting down to Thanksgiving AND Christmas time. It's Pumpkin Spice Latte time and so-close-I-can-almost-taste-it-Pumpkin-Pie time....It's buying silly stocking stuffers that no one really needs and will probably never use but they're cute so we buy them anyway time...

I love this season.

For all the reasons I mentioned and more. It's a time to be thankful.

It's a time to love the little things and time to remember that homemade noodle necklaces are every bit as cherished as the fine jewelry you'd love to gift someone, but can't really afford.

Money is tight. (But getting better). The list of things to do is long. (And getting longer.) Those things can bring ya down. If you let them. But not me. Not today. Cuz today, I remember the little things. The things and the moments I'm lovin' today...

My family.

Lovin my Suburban riding, family of 5, my super husband, and the kids we made, who look a little like him and a little like me.

Lovin how Grammy Russo cracks these babies up. Lovin that she will do anything for them.

Lovin my boys working together trying to get UP the slide.

Adoring my little girl, who looks like me, acts like me, has a heart of gold (usually like me?). Loves to please. Loves to cook with me, clean with me, do hair and makeup with me. Pats her brother when he's sad (and yes, bites them when she's mad.) Loves her woobies to death, giggles and smiles when she sees her daddy, blows kisses and waves when you leave. Lovin this little girl...

Loving our family who appreciates the humor in dancing babies, and claps along to encourage it to continue.

Lovin Aunt Mary, who would do anything for her niece and nephews ( and her sister.) Comes to the rescue at 7:00 in the morning. Takes the babies to the zoo, the children's museum, the mall, etc. Comes to visit after work, stays until the last possible minute.

Lovin' that the babies totally dig when their "Great Auntie Valerie"...

and Great "Uncle Jim" come over to babysit. Love how they get in line for the pony rides on their knees and laugh hysterically...

Lovin Auntie Kristen who sits on the kitchen floor and feeds the babies pizza. Lovin the way she plays and plays and plays with the 3 little monkeys so as to fill every minute she has with them with love and fun....

Totally diggin' standing back and watching people count and watch my babies. Loving Ethan's wobbly drunk walk and Colton's confident march -walk and Hunter's double time pitter patter walk.

Hearts a meltin' from this little girl piggy with her uncoiled tail dragging behind her, walking with her daddy...(more pics from this night to come)

Lovin how seriously my big boy takes catalog shopping with Grampa Sam.

Completely digging my JEALOUS little girl wanting my Principal's attention, and crawling up into her lap to get it.

Proud of my little girl wanting to help my friend, Super Ellen, build a shelf in my classroom.

Completely adoring my babies eating lunch in, and lookin like big kids in my classroom.

Smitten with Ethan's wild hair do!

Lovin my little girl, clinging to her dad, cuz she's too afraid of the chickens, goats, turkeys, mules, etc. to be let down.

In love with this sweet boy and his intensity and focus with his happy meal toy.

Totally in love with my big boy, and how caring he was toward this lifelike (albeit scary) doll...

Crazy in love with the way my kids talk on their hand phones, dominoe phones, remote control phones, camera phones, block phones, book phones, you name it phones, the MINUTE they hear a phone ring.

Lovin how intently Colton, wearing too-big-1986-style GIRL shoes, listens to a story with his Nana,who would do absolutely anything for more moments like these with her grand-babies. And they, with her.

Completely in love with my youngest boy playing with the Tractor with-the-wobbly-wheel that was his daddy's when he was his age. (Also lovin the new buzz cut he got at "Salon de Nana" and that he has trucks on his jammies)

Lovin my boy pullin his daddy's boots out of the closet and putting them on.

Totally diggin' my trio...looking bigger and bigger every day.

Loving that Ethan still crab walks across the grass cuz he doesn't like the feel of it..

Crackin up that Hunter wants to wear a winter snow hat around the house. Cuz she can.

Babies on a bench, looking out the window. Yeah, I'm lovin it.

Loving little girls wearing my big girl jewelry...Cousin Chloe models "Crystal Clear"...

Hunter Olivia prefers the pearls...

100% loving my little girl in her too-big-polka dot dress, with her big pink converse tennies, feet a dangling, havin lunch all by herself at the "big girl table."

Lovin how much Hunter adores Piper. Enough to let her wear her pumpkin necklace.

Lovin that Piper lets her even more. :)

Yeah...life is good.

Stay tuned tomorrow...2 down, 28 to go.