Gas Powered

Among the MANY things I appreciate about The Hubster is how he's always willing to take the time out to answer our children's questions.

This week's question: Daddy, how do reindeer fly?

The answer: Well, on Christmas Eve Santa feeds the reindeer lots and lots of chili. Then, they just use their "toots" to push them along.

The good news is that the kids didn't believe him - at all.

The extra good news is that our kids are learning the life lesson of not always accepting every answer you're given, but digging deeper.

The follow-up question: Mom, how do reindeer REALLY fly?

My answer: Uh... magic hay?

Next life lesson - ask someone who actually has a clue.

Thankful For...

Oh come on, it's the week of Thanksgiving. Of course I'm going to do a totally cliche post about the things I'm thankful for. Or am I?
I could begin by saying something about how lovely it is to sit here listening to my three kids playing down in the freshly cleaned playroom while I dabble on-line.

But the truth is that I can smell J-Bear's poopy diaper from up here and it's almost potent enough to ruin my festive mood. No worries, I'll continue to deny the truth until I've wrapped up this post.

Now, to the point of my rambling.

So this morning I was - gasp - thinking about things I'm thankful for and the obvious "big guys" made the list such as family, friends, faith and freedom. Oh, hey, how about that. They all start with "F". That's Fantastic and Freaky.

Anyhow, I started thinking more about the freedom thing - even though it isn't July, I believe it's okay to be grateful for my freedoms - and the thing that struck me is how I always think about the big freedoms like freedom of religion or freedom of speech, but what I never think about is the "Freedom From's".

So, today, in honor of the looming Thanksgiving holiday, I present a short glimpse of my Freedom From's list:


1- I'm grateful that I have the freedom to NOT eat anchovies. Ever. And no one cares.

2 - I'm grateful that I'm free to NOT consume tofurkey. And as a side note, I'm thankful for my my carnivorous family. Holla!

3 - I'm grateful that even though I pretend to have the knowledge, I will NEVER have to change my own flat tire. (Yes, I tempted fate by throwing that in. But my dad will live forever because I said so.)

4 - I'm grateful that I'm free from faux friendships with rude-butt-jerks and Debbie Downers. I can choose my own friends. And I have the freedom to NOT feel guilty about that.

I don't want to bore you with my rather lengthy list - there are a few Chuck Norris references on there that not everyone would relate to - but let's just say that there are a lot of things that I don't have to deal with thanks to our founding fathers.

And that leaves me with plenty of FREE time to focus on the things that I really enjoy.

What are you happy to be free from?

You Get What You Get...

And you don't throw a fit!

This has become my new life motto. As I've sorted through my new reality post-loss, I've come to realize that sometimes you just have to make the best of the hand you're dealt.

Growing up we all have a picture in our minds of where we'll end up. And not to be a downer, but most of us don't end up exactly where we thought we'd be.

For some people marriage doesn't happen, or comes much later in life. Some people can't have children. Some people can't STOP having children. Some people live far from their families. Divorce and death are an unwanted reality for many.

But what it all comes down to is trying not to grieve for what we don't have, but to rejoice in what we do have.

Besides, who's to say that this new and different path won't end up being much better than the one we had planned!?!

Afterall, once upon a time I wanted to be a schoolbus driver...

It's a BuMpY Ride!

In no particular order, here are the things I’m LOVING about living with a 2 year-old.

•Life is a constant game of hide-n-seek. Where are my dvds? Where is my jewelry? Has anyone seen my wallet? And my personal favorite: Where’s that smell?

•I’ve learned to never become complacent. He keeps me on my toes. One day he loves nothing more than hot dogs. The next day he turns his nose up at them. Every day is a food adventure.

•My skills as a negotiator are unparalleled. I can offer options faster than he can shoot them down. I’m also really good at walking away when he can’t be satisfied. I do not negotiate with terrorists.

•My ability to feel guilt has been almost extinguished. If he doesn’t want to come inside the house when we get home, he’s welcome to sit in the car and scream as long as he wants. I’ll leave the garage door closed (so he doesn’t run away) and the house door open. He can walk in when he’s done attempting to communicate with his fellow screaming banshees. Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy some alone time.

•Just when I start to think that my college days of keeping odd hours are behind me, he’ll help me relive my past by waking up at all hours and wanting to party.

•I appreciate how he helps me keep away all those men who might be interested in me. He “brands” me by wiping his snot on my shoulder, or spilling his juice on my pants. It’s such a relief to not have to spurn unwanted advances. What a relief!

If life is a journey, J-Bear is the train conductor. And what a journey it’s turning out to be.

Thankful

So it bugs me that my last post is just hanging there like bad breath in the morning. I've been trying to find something humorous to share in an effort to move forward. But it hasn't been a very funny week.

However, with it being November, and with recent events, I have been thinking about things that I'm appreciative of right now. So, here is the short list.

1 - Ms. Els saw our iron a little while ago and asked me what it was for. At first I wasn't sure if I should feel guilty that my almost 7 year-old has no idea what a clothing iron is, but I've chosen instead to be grateful that I don't iron... and no one cares. My husband never complains and seems to accept his life as "The Wrinkle Guy".

2 - We've had an overwhelming amount of people bring meals over the past week (and even one Pizza Hut gift card!). I'm grateful that people seem to know I hate cooking and are willing to serve me by taking away that much dreaded chore. My family is grateful too!

3 - With the surge of hormones finally leaving my body, I'm thrilled to report that my acne is decreasing and I do believe growth of chin hair is also leveling out. Sweet. Because I'm sick of my daughters asking what's up with my face.

4 - J-Bear has finally begun to understand all about the "1,2,3" of discipline. It's awesome. He pouts, but he moves that little body where I need it to go. I'm grateful that I'm not carrying him everywhere right now.

5 - I'm grateful for the fact that I'm pretty sure my younger kids aren't forming permanent memories right now. At least, I'm banking on that. And denial has worked well for me in the past. Because I don't want their memories to mainly be of television and mom reading a novel in the corner. On that note...

6 - I'm pretty darn grateful for TV and library cards. And a husband who is willing to embarrass himself by going to the library and pick up romance novels for me.

7 - I'm grateful that the neighbors dogs threw me a "bone" this week and haven't been barking as much.

8 - And thank you too, Mother Nature, for letting the sun shine and the leaves change color. It's beautiful outside right now.

Happy Thankful Time!