Happiness is . . .

Here's what made me happy today:

In my Monday Update email to parents of my 7th grade language arts students I asked parents who were interested to donate items in 3s for each class's Reading Reward Drawing. The response has been terrific! Today alone I had three students bring in motivating donations for the drawing.

While my students in 5th hour were working on their fast fiction assignment, I was reading some of the turned-in assignments from 2nd hour. There were a series of questions that they were answering as their own created fictional character. Question #2 asked, "What makes you laugh so hard that soda comes shooting out your nose?" A student in 2nd hour wrote: farts. This caused me to laugh out loud, which caused the students in 5th hour to ask what had made me laugh. So I told them. And then someone mentioned the time earlier in the year that the class clown had accidentally sneezed and farted at the same time for all to hear. I laughed 'til I cried just remembering the incident.

Playing volleyball for our 7th grade grade-level PLC meeting after school. Mike Hylton's ability to cover the entire court despite his slippery dress shoes. Jan's imitation of the quarter walk. Floyd's solid serving. Colette's skill! (I want to grow up to be as active as Colette when I'm her age.) My belly flop dive onto the floor -- glasses go flying.

Getting an afternoon nap.

Letting my outdoor dog into the house while I put my shoes on. Hubby and son are at the Father's and Son's campout, oldest daughter drove to a friends house for a party, and youngest daughter is at a neighbor's playing night games. Giving the dog a very small slice of banana bread.

Taking the dog for an evening stroll around the block. Enjoying the robins chirping and flitting about. Stopping to smell the last of the current berry blossoms on the Allred's bushes. Looking at the cute chalk drawings on the Higbee's driveway. The smell of Karma Lee's white lilacs. Heaven!