For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

How about that... my 200th post was a ranting heard 'round the world. I had such high hopes for #200.
So today, in lieu of a wasted day, I am listing the 200 great things in my life.

Not really-- I heard you cringe all the way over here.
I will however give you a couple of glimpses into things I have learned as a parent (because we all know that I am a current contender for a Mother of the Year award).

• Friends will come and go. You will wax and wane in importance in their lives, but your children are forever.
• Teachers will come and go. Teachers are pretty awesome for the career choices they've made, but they are not perfect. They have issues like the rest of us so don't automatically assume they are always right and your child is always wrong. Sometimes, you need to stand up for your child.
• Loyalty. Just as you like to hear your children tell their friends they know you're great, they like to hear you tell yours the same. An example: my friend Lori once dropped off a non-slumber party kid to his home and when the Mom asked if everything went alright, Lori replied, "Well, they were up pretty late, there was a lot of laughing" and the Mom smiled at her son and said, "Oh, he does have such an infectious laugh" with all the love and pride as if the kid had just saved a baby from a burning building.
• They grow fast. They stop wanting to come to your bed, to cuddle, to kiss at a much earlier age now. Don't waste a second of it. The dishes will still be there when they're in bed.
• and for my Hubby: Building forts, sleeping in the living room and making messes are what builds fond memories of "home". It cleans up. One day our house will be so clean we'll be begging neighborhood children to bring their hotwheels over for us to step on in the dark. For now, we're having a picnic in the living room and you're invited.