I've always wanted a penguin

BabyT's new thing is penguins.  She likes to tell me she's a penguin.  She likes to draw "penguins" on her chalkboard easel.  I love the randomness that is 2 years old.

So far 2012 has been ridiculously awesome for me.  Back on the Paleo wagon with no insane carb cravings or  resentment.  The aforementioned Bead Trends thing.  Sick days reset so I don't have to take vacation when I'm sick.   A handful of orders from friends to work on One Little Word pendants.  Discovered that I can send photos from Smugmug to be printed at Target, which makes Project Life easier.   People are reading my blog (thank you!!).

Today was one bright shining Star of Awesomeness.  It was the perfect Mama Day.  T woke up later than usual, which means I got to sleep till 7:45.  She got a bath and we ate breakfast and got ready.  We dropped off some unwanted stuff at Goodwill.  (Reduce, remember??) 

We went to The Little Gym, where T was more active than I've ever seen her.  She walked across the balance beam herself, unprompted.  She climbed on EVERYTHING.  She hung from the big bars BY HERSELF for several seconds.  We usually have to cajole her into doing stuff there, but today, she was ALL OVER IT.

And while she napped, one of my lifelong dreams came true.  OK, that's a bit overly dramatic.  But I am so freakin' excited to say I booked us tickets to Ireland!!!  Actual, honest to God plane tickets, with our names and real dates. If that weren't amazing enough, I got all three tickets for $425 total, by using our Chase credit card points which we've been hoarding for years.  To the airport we want, on a good airline with a decent schedule. I can't believe it.  It's actually going to happen.

Why the dream about Ireland?  I think it's because I started reading Maeve Binchy books when I was 10, and plowed through nearly everything she's written.  I still love them.  Somehow Ireland became this "thing" for me.  I have to see it. 

And not only will I see it, but we'll do it the way WE want to.  We're renting a house in one spot the whole time.  We'll take day trips to the Big City and wherever else we want to go.  Maybe a couple of overnights if we go far.  But no pressure to SEE EVERYTHING.  No crazy agenda to see all of the UK/British Isles/whatever that area is correctly called.  Just hanging out with my peeps, experiencing local culture, and having some true downtime. 

Just that would have been enough to make today AWESOME.  Then I got a call from the optician saying T's glasses were ready.  So when she got up from her nap, we went to pick them up.  I talked them up a lot, said we had to take lots of pictures, and she insisted on bringing Man, the guy who came with her Duplos.  Yes, that's his name.  Man. 

T was wiggly with excitement over the idea of getting her glasses.  The optician remembered us from Saturday's visit to pick them out.  T grabbed them, put them on, and said "I look pretty!"  Why yes, baby doll, you do.

I love that the optician talked directly to T about caring for her glasses.  T listened to her very seriously and repeated back the part about "if your glasses aren't on your face, they should be in the case".   We took lots of pictures to celebrate, and then went over to Agave for a girls-only dinner, where she proceeded to eat an entire bowl of salsa, all the while chattering about her new glasses, penguins, cacti, and pinatas.

She happily kept those glasses on until she went to bed.  This could not have been a better day.