Happiness is. . .

. . .a successful potty-training boot camp. We're on the road away from diapers. Woohoo!

. . .new shade plants in the garden.

. . .a dozen broccoli plants in the ground.

. . .big tomatoes (finally) ripening on the three tomato plants, with indications of tomatoes for at least the next month.

. . .an honest-to-goodness ear of corn growing in my sad, stunted little plot of corn. (More than half the seeds I planted were discovered by scrub jays, so I'm lucky anything grew at all.)

. . .lots of baby watermelons.

. . .baking chocolate chip cookies for an almost 3-year-old who is wearing big-boy underpants instead of diapers.

. . .a weekend of 81- and 85-degree days after a Thursday and Friday hovering around 105 degrees.

. . .strong, but not fierce, breezes to accompany these spring-like temperatures. My favorite weather!

. . .a sprint through Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft (to replace my favorite pair of Ann Taylor pants, which Obi chewed up) during a sale, coupons in hand. ~$350 netted me five pairs of fabulous pants (a real achievement for me), three shirts, a lovely green cardigan, a barrette, and a necklace. Plus I now have six coupons--which I can use all at once--for $25 off each $50 I spent at Ann Taylor Loft during the next six weeks or so. Yes--that means if I can scrape together $150, I get $300 worth of clothes from a place that seems to make slacks just for my paunchy belly, flat butt, and longish legs. W00t. (Lest you think I'm a big spender on new clothes, I tend to shop twice a year and buy everything I need to fill the holes in my wardrobe for two or three seasons.)

. . .a nice BBQ with friends--at their house.

. . .seeing Lucas play without fear in the bounce house at our friends' BBQ.

. . .a weekend where Obi didn't destroy too many things. I think he's going to be a puppy for a long, long time.

. . .reconnecting, however briefly, with a couple of creative pursuits.

How was your weekend?