Halfway through the fun

As you can probably figure, part of the reason behind my "fun project" is to force myself to continue to find the good things in life as we approach and then pass Nate's last day at daycare. It's kind of like a gratitude journal, but simpler.

Now that I've passed the halfway mark of this 30 day project, I can say I've learned a few things:

• Finding fun every day is a little harder than I thought it'd be, mostly because it requires motivation. Some days I simply feel too mopey to be bothered trying to create a positive experience in my day (or recognize that one happened).
• I find myself continually thinking about the difference between things that make me happy and things that are fun. Intrinsically, I think they're different things, but often they cross over one another.

Day 17

It was a long day at work, so I made sure to take time and eat my lunch and read some of my book. It amazes me every time just how refreshing that is. I always return to my desk feeling a bit renewed.

Day 18

I read Nate a bedtime story that made him laugh so hard that it made ME laugh so hard that half an hour later, my face was still aching from laughing. I tried to recreate the experience the next day while the hubby recorded it but it wasn't the same. 

But if you want to see/hear Nate laughing (and me laughing at him laughing), here you go (this is from yesterday). I triple dog dare you not to laugh.

A few notes:

• The laughter gets really good around the 50 second mark.
• Yes, that is part of lunch on his chest.
• Yes, that's a paper towel he's playing with. (He likes to help clean his tray after he eats now.)
• The camera is shaking because I was shaking my hair around and couldn't do it without shaking the camera, too. I have camera skillz like that.
• Yes, that is ABC carrot that Nate pulls out of his mouth at the end. You're welcome. 

Day 19

I took Nate and Buster for a long morning walk.

I really love taking these walks because it's very quiet. Both of my hands are busy (stroller and leash) so I can't even be tempted to pull out my phone to see if I missed any messages. I just walk, push, and lead while Nate quietly takes in his surroundings and Buster tires himself out.

a tired Buster is an awesome Buster

Mostly I love to look at the houses in my neighborhood. There are some really gorgeous houses around here and I love to look at them (especially the ones for sale) and wonder what it would be like to live there.

Day 20

I tried on these shoes at Target. Black patent Mary Janes with a comfortable heel? WANT. I didn't buy them because (obviously) our budget is more window-shopping than actual purchasing, but it's been a long time since I've even let myself try on shoes. (I tried on a few other pairs, too, ooh.) 

Day 21 (today)

Today had an emotionally difficult start as I dropped Nate off for his last Monday at daycare. I told the two morning teachers that it was his last week, but I couldn't even get through the sentence without crying. And then the first words out of their mouths were, "Aww, we're going to miss him so much."

Okay, so then I REALLY cried. Obviously, it's the best possible first reaction, but also made me so much sadder. After leaving the daycare, I just sat in my car and cried for a few minutes.

So, obviously, that wasn't the fun part of today. Today's fun was quieter and short, but necessary. I had to travel to a different campus for a meeting. Since I got there a little early, I sat outside for 15 minutes and just breathed, taking in the feel of summer on a college campus.

Today being Day 21 means that I'm just 9 days away from being 36. Three-six in nine. Maybe there's something good to those numbers.