My Thankfulness

Yes, that is me riding the Tonka Truck ride at the local mall with Sam...and yes, we have malls in rural Pennsylvania...

Quote of My Day...

How far that little candle throws his beams!So shines a good deed in a weary world.
~William Shakespeare

My Happiness Today...

It is Monday. Not much to be happy about on Mondays but I'm going to try and find something....I guess I am happy that both boys are finally seeing signs of being snot-free and I won't have to wrestle Sam with the Saline bottle or make Hank scream for mercy as I take the snot-sucker to his nose several times a day. And snot-free means happier children, or so I would like to think. We'll see when they wake up from their morning nap...

On My Mind...

With this being the Thanksgiving week, I wasn't sure if I'd have time to blog before the holiday. So today I have been thinking about what I'm thankful for this year. Now, what I'm thinking about are not the usual thankful type sentiments. These are honestly things I am thankful for this year and while some of them may be a little off the wall, anyone who is a mother or father will understand. So here goes...

1. Disposable Diapers--I couldn't even imagine using cloth diapers and dealing with all that comes with using them.
2. Formula--I am unable to breastfeed so I am thankful that someone at some point in time created formula. Now if they could just make it smell a little better...
3. Binkies--when I need some peace and quiet they are there to help me out. Yes, in many ways they are a curse but they are also a blessing when it comes to sleeping through the night, car trips without misery and getting through the witching hour at dinner time with my sanity intact.
4. Elmo Applesauce--The only applesauce--and fruit--my son will eat.
5. Zout--that wonderful stain remover that erases all signs of puke, poop and prunes.
6. Desperate Housewives, Men in Trees, Brothers and Sisters, Gilmore Girls, Two and a Half Men, the History Channel, House, Ellen DeGeneres, Monk, Rescue Me, Everybody Loves Raymond, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, BBC America, the Food Network--all venues of entertainment that remind me that there is a world outside my house and that the drama is not all in my head and in my house and family.
7. Sesame Street--without this wonderful, educational show I would not get a shower every day. It keeps Sam happy and content while I attempt to make myself presentable.
8. My min-van--when it is raining and you have a cart full of groceries and a kid getting wet, those automatic sliding side doors and back door are a blessing. The DVD player inside is also a blessing, even though when we drive to Florida this winter I know I will be totally sick of the movie Cars.
9. Our Hot Tub--we sell them in our stores, so of couse we have one. And it is a nice one, too. When I was pregnant it was the best thing for my sore back and legs. Now it is the best way to relax and get my mind off puke, poop and tantrums. And when the snow comes, and it will come soon, there is nothing better than soaking in the hot tub while the snow falls all around you. It is peace. It is quiet. It is wonderful.
10. The Internet--without it, I'd have no outlet for my creativity. I'd also have not learned that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were actually married in LA before their disqustingly expensive wedding in Rome on Saturday. I'd be clueless as to the status of Brittany Spears' marriage and poor parenting choices. Face it, I'd be out of the loop of life. I am being sarchastic here for those who haven't picked up on that yet...
11. Diet Coke with Lime--my caffeine drink of choice other than coffee. Gotta have it in the fridge. I should drink more water but at least this is a better choice than bourbon.
12. The Daily Item--our fantastic local newspaper that keeps me laughing about news of the weird and updated on all the places I can play bingo on a daily basis. Only in small towns are the newspapers really entertaining. Last week a lady was hospitalized after swinging three poisonous snakes (2 copperheads and a rattle snack) at her husband because she was mad at him. It didn't work out in her favor as the snakes bit her instead of him. Now that is news. And funny. And a pretty pathetic portrait of marriage. And this was our front page news story. Forget Irag, elections, world hunger. We've got snake-swinging domestic violence.
13. Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars--the cheapest way to make my son happy. Can't go to Wal mart without picking one up. We have a fleet of them in our living room. I find them in my bed. Sometimes they are in my bathtub. But hey, they make him happy which makes me happy. He'll probably learn his colors via his cars.
14. Sippy Cups--without them I'd have milk and juice all over my carpets and furniture. Whoever invented these deserves a prize.
15. The Kind Cafe--the local coffee house where I escape for a few hours every week to drink a good cup of coffee, read my book or work on my photography or digital scrapbooking. On a rainy day, there is no place better.
16. The Schwann's Man--not the man himself, but the food he delivers every two weeks to my house. It is good food and it hangs out in my freezer waiting for those nights when I need a quick dinner or ice cream to ease my anxiety.

Of course I am thankful for my husband, children, parents, in-laws, etc. etc. But I wanted to blog about things most people would probably not recite as their thankfulness around the holiday dinner table. I guess I am just being realistic this year...

Funny Video of the Day: TomKat Wedding Video

Too funny...