Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

This is my first time participating in "Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real," which is an exercise of capturing the contentment in our everyday lives, an idea started by the women of "Like Mother, Like Daughter."

*Pretty*

My husband bought me these flowers.  These are from almost two weeks ago now, and they are still going strong.  They need to be spruced up a bit, but I love flowers like these (mums, I think?) that don't start withering right away- they keep the sunshine in my kitchen for quite a few days.

*Happy*



My little boy has decided that he likes the openness of laying on a big blanket, so that he can roll around and try to cram his feet into his mouth.  His movements are often accompanied by squeals and giggles- he is a constant source of delight.

My mum made this blanket- it's a Noah's Ark theme.  I decided to decorate the nursery with animals because of a plaque I found at a thrift store while I was pregnant.  The plaque has Noah's Ark and the words, "God Always Keeps His Promises."  I think about this often, that God wants us ultimately to be happy and fulfilled and wishes good things for us.  I try to keep this in mind especially while I am struggling emotionally (and lately has been no picnic).

Funny

I love this clock.  I bought it as a reward for passing my CNA exam just over a year ago.  I ended up not pursuing a job in healthcare, but the course really taught me a lot of valuable skills.  Some of this knowledge, such as avoiding overexposure during bathing, I put into use while taking care of my son.  It's sort of funny how life turns out, and I like to remember that no experience is wasted, and that certain events (like my course) turn out to be useful in ways that I would never have foreseen.

The bird is on a pendulum, and my son just loves to watch it swing back and forth.  I often let him watch it while he's upset, and it calms him right down.

Real





This is my empty diaper pail.  I always knew I wanted to use cloth diapers when I had a baby, mostly for the potential savings.  Now, it is something I feel quite passionate about, because of the avoidance of certain chemicals used in disposable diapers and the impact of those on the environment.  We have just started to introduce solid foods, and alas the diaper-cleaning process has changed.  There is nothing more grounding or humbling perhaps as scraping baby poop into a toilet.  This not very pleasant task challenges me to remember why I decided to use cloth, and to keep that in the forefront of my mind.