Brought to you by the letter . . .

I saw this on Calicobebop's blog - it's called "Brought to you by the letter . . ." She was assigned the letter C and had to write 10 things she loves that begin with that letter. I requested a letter, and she assigned me S. If you'd like a letter, leave a note in the comments and I'll send you one.

Ten Things That Start With S

1. Sisters - My sister and I are almost 7 years apart in age, which means we weren't close as kids: I was the mean big sister, and she was the pesky little sister. But my older girls are just two years apart and are very close. One of the best things about being their mother is watching them be sisters. They have their moments when they hate each other, but 95% of the time, they are best buddies. When we're out for a walk, they'll hold each other's hand without any prompting. And one of their favorite things is having a slumber party with each other, which is pretty funny given that they share a room. When they have their slumber parties they get out their sleeping bags and make a big nest on the floor and giggle until all hours. I'll be interested to see how Elizabeth fits into the sister dynamic around here when she gets bigger.

2. Keeffer - I know this doesn't start with S, but it's my sister, and her name does start with S and I don't know that she'd want me publishing it for all the world to see. Even though she was the pesky little sister when we were growing up, she's turned into a really cool adult. She was 11 when I moved out for college, and I still tend to think of her as being a kid. But she's all grown up and living in Los Angeles with a real job, at which she's very good. I'm very proud of her and what she's accomplished.

3. Shoes - Specifically, running shoes. I don't get all that excited about every day shoes; I suppose it's because I work from home and don't have to get dressed up. But I have yet to lose my kid-like enthusiasm for new running shoes. I often wear them home from the store. I have a very hard time getting rid of pairs once I've run them into the ground. Currently, there are 8 pairs in my closet, which represents 3 years' worth of running.

4. Suburban - I love my new car. Yesterday I took Lily cupcakes at school for her birthday and picked up all the carpool kids at the same time. I had 6 kids in the back of the car - the four school kids plus Campbell and Elizabeth - and there was room for everyone. I figure I'm making up for my carbon footprint at least a little by being able to drive everyone to and from school; I'm saving two other families from having to make trips.

5. Sand - I grew up in a small beach town on the west coast of Florida - at least it was small when we lived there. It's now apparently grown beyond all recognition. I spent a lot of time at the beach, and it is still my favorite place to be. I love the sand in my toes and the salt in the air and floating in the water. Even though last year's trip to the beach was a bit of a disaster, I'm counting the months until we go again in August.

6. Sun - I'm pretty sure I'm solar powered. I love being out in the sun. During my years as a swim coach in Florida I spent entire days out in the sun (coated in sunblock, of course). I think part of the reason summers here bother me so much is that it's too hot to be out in the sun. I end up getting cabin fever from being trapped inside.

This is getting hard . . .

7. Stories - I love stories, both telling them and having them told to me. One man I used to work with once told me that he could tell what kind of mood I was in by the stories I told him. Unfortunately, my love of stories has not led to any kind of talent for creative writing. I'm very good at analytical writing, but I can't write something creative like a short story, and believe me, I've tried.

8. Snapshots - I love taking pictures and always have my camera close at hand. I'm not a good photographer, and I know nothing about taking pictures from the technical side. I rely more on the law of averages - if I take enough pictures, some will turn out well. My beloved camera died on me last month, and it killed me to not have it working. I dithered and dithered about what to buy to replace it, and then I saw a review of a new Olympus model that's coming out in March. It combines all the best of a point-and-shoot and an SLR, and it sounds perfect for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't go that long without a camera, especially not with Lily's birthday and a smiley baby in the house. So yesterday I bought a cheap point-and-shoot to tide me over. When I get my new camera, I'll give the little one to the girls to use.

9. Silliness - I am, at heart, a very silly person. I love silly jokes and movies. I usually wake the girls up in the morning by singing them songs I've made up with silly rhymes. Ella has gotten old enough that she just rolls her eyes at me, but Lily still giggles. I'm glad I have two more kids to be silly with once the big girls outgrow me.

10. Son - When I had Campbell, everyone warned me that boys are different, and I didn't believe them. Now I get it completely. Boys have such a different energy to them, and there's definitely a different mother-son dynamic. Lord help me, because I adore Campbell. If I'm not careful, he's going to get away with murder in the house because I just can't resist his curls and his big dimpled smile - and he already knows it.

Phew - 10 things that start with S. Let me know if you want a letter.