Just a Few of the Reasons I'm Thankful

I know it's a little early for a "Thanksgiving" post, but as I just said goodbye to my parents this morning before their trip back to Connecticut after a two week visit, I am feeling a bit melancholy and this is where it led... I am thankful for:

• my wonderful parents who continue to make the long trip out to visit us even though they HATE plane travel. My dad's back is often just getting better when it is time to get back on that cramped airplane and torture himself for all those hours again. And my mom seems to be sat next to someone coughing and hacking on the plane and ends up sick almost every time. (Fingers crossed-not this time!)


• my wonderful kids who continue to get SOOO excited that Grammy and Grampa are coming, and wanting to spend all the time they can with them while they are here.


• my wonderful husband who knows just how important extended family is to his wife, and puts up with the chaos and disruption of typical household life during visits (including his wife prioritizing everything else but him during these visits), and weeks long absences during the summer when I pick up and take the kids back east for more "extended family" visits.


• my wonderful friends, for WAY too many reasons to list, but including last minute drop off/pick up of kids to various places, scheduled drop off and pick up of kids to various places, last minute babysitting, always being available to listen to whatever I am rambling about at the moment, making my family feel welcome by putting together an amazing breakfast "party", agreeing with some of my hairbrained ideas, and then helping me to make them work :) ,picking me up when I am beating myself up for ohhh, any number of reasons...


• football season


• my oldest daughter who wants so badly to grow up, and so badly to be a kid.


• my son who is as thoughtful and giving as they come.


• my youngest daughter who is so full of life and energy and mischief.


• my sisters and brothers who make it a priority to come out and spend time with my kids even though they could be traveling for a "real" vacation. And put up with being put to work out here to boot! (I agreed to do blah, blah, blah, could you help?)


• poker


• my husband again, for getting angry that I overextend myself, but still helping me climb out of whatever hole I have dug myself into.

There is a whole lot more that I am thankful for in my life, but these things came to mind in just the few seconds that I was thinking about it. So, thanks, and I love you guys!

grocery list

I had just walked in from a run first thing this morning, and Tyler asked if I had bought apple juice (I hadn't). I debated running straight to the store right then before I hopped in the shower, but decided I was going to need a few things, and would rather shower and make a list. Tyler asked if he could make the list, so I said "sure". Here it is just as he wrote it...


juice
strawberries
lucky charms
frosted flakes
ritz
cheese nips
popcicles
monsters vs alians dvid
vinnilla ice cream
clondike bars
pretzels
Gatorade
ice cream sandwich

Glad he doesn't do the shopping!!

Huh??

A conversation at the breakfast table this morning.

Tyler to me: "I thought you didn't like this song."
Me: "I don't."
Tyler: "Then why are you dancing in your seat?"
Me: "Because I like music and I like to dance."
Tyler: "Hmm."
Gabrielle: "That's just how she rolls."

couples (mis)communication

Dennis called me on my cell phone this morning. So I answered the phone and then asked "Why are you calling me on my cell?" And he replied "Because I thought you were working today." At which point I laughed, then laughed some more, and then couldn't stop.

This was because I was thinking "How do you not know I don't work Thursdays anymore; my work schedule changed when we got back from vacation on the 30th of June." Except I DO know how he doesn't know that. When he gets home at 6:30, the kids jump all over him and tell him of their day, and then it's dinner time, and the kids still monopolize the conversation or ask him about his day, then dishes, baths, sometimes reading, and bed. By the time the kids are in bed, I am either trying to catch up on phone calls I haven't made because the kids URGENTLY need me as soon as I get on the phone, or folding some laundry that I just remembered was in the dryer, or collapsing on the couch exhausted.

And then I was remembering a conversation with a friend when she described being puzzled at how Dennis and I could live in the same house and not have talked about something or other for a few days in a row, but how now she understands because she and her husband are also in that too-busy-to-stay-on-top-of-everything mode.

So as he explained he was calling to tell me he'd be late, and I explained that I now worked Tuesdays and WEDNESDAYS, I giggled all the harder. To which Dennis then inquired "Are you drinking wine??"

I heard "Are you thinking wine?"

So I replied (shocked) "It's 11;45 am and I have 3 kids in the house that aren't even mine. Why would you think I would be thinking about wine??"

And then thought..."I could be thinking wine...for later on...maybe with a couple of friends over since you're going to be late... Is it too short of notice to call friends and invite them over for wine?"

Youngest Learns First

Evie is learning about gender interaction sooner than you'd think she would need to. Her friend Walter was over, and she, Tyler, Gabrielle, and Walter all decided to play pirates. Walter and Tyler went into Tyler's room to "get ready" (read: put on bandanas and capes, practice brandishing plastic swords and saying "arrr").

Walter comes running out of the room just as Evie steps out of Gabrielle's room. Now, mind you, Evie had been wearing her new favorite piece of clothing which is a black leotard with an attached skirt. She added, for her pirate garb, a shiny pink lame cape trimmed in fur, and a necklace.

Walter looked at her and says, disappointed, "I thought we were dressing up as pirates."

And Evie says, dejected, "You don't like what I'm wearing??"

Luckily, Eileen (or Lee) are training Walter right, because his reply was "No, I like it alright."

PHEW! Tears averted!

She's a PT's daughter for sure!

After looking through some old pictures the other day and finding one of herself at about age 2, Gabrielle said "Oh no mommy, look, I was W-sitting!"

An early lesson in relationships.

A conversation at the breakfast table the other morning...

Evie: "Luke hardly talks to me anymore." (Luke is a preschool friend)
Mom: "Why not?"
Evie: "I don't know. He just hardly even plays with me anymore."
Mom: "Hmm." (somewhat distracted, finishing up making the other two's lunches)
Evie: "It's so FRUSTRATING!"
Mom to herself: "welcome to the next twenty years of your life honey!" Didn't have the heart to say it outloud though.