Thursday Thankfulness

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein

Yesterday I was looking for my miracles. Here's what I found:

- Chinese Food.
- Having a talented massage therapist as a friend that's willing to check something out for someone just cause you ask.
- Extra coffee in the morning with a few extra minutes to enjoy it.
- Wednesday means that I have the next 4 days with my daughter.
- Light traffic on the way home from work.
- Catching up on paperwork at the office so there won't be as much come Monday.
- Reruns of Grey's Anatomy on Lifetime.
- Comments on the blog... and comments on Facebook (I did mention that was my new obsession).
- Hanging my gorgeous "we can do hard things" sign in just the right spot.
- Sitting down for 10 minutes with uninterrupted silence.
- In general, this blog, because I have been blessed with a minimum of 3 new friends.

I hope you found your miracles yesterday. I hope you find many more today.

Love to you all,

C-

Thursday Thankfulness

Dear Friends,

It's been a while since I've had a chance to sit down and breathe. I'm making some time for myself right now... following laundry and everything else that a Thursday requires. I am thankful that I have reminded myself to sit down and shut up for a little while. I've missed my "quiet" time and I'm feeling a little more sanity slipping in, even if the energy level is still at negative 20.

I've been in the process of recovering from the bridal shower for Tall Willowy Blonde this past weekend and it's taking me a lot more time than I thought it would. It took a lot more effort and a lot more errands to pull off a stellar (if I do say so myself) event than I ever thought it would. Although, I am seriously considering a second career in party planning (with unlimited budgets, of course). It's nice to sit here and do something that doesn't require stress or anxiety. I hope that everyone else can find a few minutes like this for themselves today.

So, in honor of my stress free minutes I am posting a few pictures from Mothers Day. Josh took Lexy most of the day and you can see what they did...









So, this Thursday I am thankful for cardboard houses and sanity. Not a bad combination.

Love to you all,

C-

Thursday Thankfulness

Dear Friends,

Thursday. Ah, beautiful Thursday. My first day of Stay-At-Home Mommy-ness for the week. The beginning of my 4 beautiful days with my daughter (and my housework). I love Wednesday nights, too, as I get to relax and know that if I don't get the dishes put away it's okay because I don't have to rush through anything the following morning. Today I am thankful that I have Thursdays. This probably should have been the first "Thursday Thankfulness" post, but I wasn't smart enough to think of it then. So, here we are.

Today's Thursday should be extra special. Today I get to go and meet my Jennifer's new baby boy, Todd. I was trying to give her some time to settle in. Time to get her older son used to the schedule and routine of the little one, and just some room to breathe and become accustomed to being a mommy of 2. But, it's been long enough and I am SO ready to make the trip to see her. Lexy is dying to see Adam and I am DYING to hold that little baby. It's been too long since I've gotten to hold a baby. Watch out, Josh, it may make my uterus warm (as my dear friend Monica used to say). I have been looking forward to today for weeks.

Thursdays are always good days for us. Typically Lexy and I will make a morning run to the grocery store and then we spend the rest of the morning playing together. Lexy loves going to the grocery store, looking at all the things and watching all the people. She is a major people watcher. I love going to the grocery store because it's time she's trapped in a grocery cart and I know she can't escape. It's some nice quality time. And while she doesn't stop talking at all, ever, nonstop babbling and questions, I don't have to keep up with her physically or transition from toy to toy or think of a new game to play. It's time with Lexy without too much exhaustion. I remember loving going to the store with my mom when I was little. I used to get to take a coupon and go off and find the item that she needed. I doubt that in today's society I will ever let Lexy do that, but I'm hoping we can figure something else out. But, to have a fridge full of food with so many options for dinner (not that Josh would eat, but to have the option in just a mental plus) is a happy thing and makes me feel comforted.

Thursdays also mean nap time. Ah, the blessed nap time. To have 2 hours (or more... sometimes less, but usually more) to do what I need to do. To not have to rush through chores. To watch TV while I fold the laundry or listen to music while I swiffer the floors. I know it sounds like a little thing, but if I can get the majority of my housework done Thursday during nap time I will have 3 days of nap time when I can do something for myself. I can sit and read. I can catch up on email and facebook. I can watch something off the tivo. I can take a nap. Oh, the glorious adult nap. I am obsessed with the adult nap. I never really understood what a beautiful thing the adult nap was until I had Lexy. And now I cherish them. And all of this can happen because of the amazing Lexy nap time on Thursday so I can do work. I look forward to doing housework. I think I may be officially nuts.

So, here is where I give homage to the single mom. Or the full-time working mom. Or the stay-at-home mom that spends all her time teaching her kids to do much of anything else. I just want to wash your feet. To give you major love. I don't know how anyone can have the time or energy to do what has to be done in a household over 2 days in a weekend or at 10:00 at night. I don't have that stamina. My home would look like something out of Clean House or Hoarders if I had to do this with something other than a part-time job. It just wouldn't get done. It's a struggle with the part-time job and I still fall short of how I think my home should look. Of course, I have this crazy Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn idea in my head so that probably doesn't add to the reality of the situation. And my house is overloaded with toys at this point, too, so that doesn't help. But Thursdays I get to rearrange and clean and organize. I love you mom's that can do this and function on little to no sleep. You are amazing people.

My Thursdays are my blessing today. I will remember to be thankful for my free time and my cleaning time and my time with Lexy. I will try and be thankful in an outward manner, to show by example that I have so many blessings and they start with Thursday. What is your Thankfulness today?

Love to you all,

C-

Thursday Thankfulness

Dear Friends,

My Thursday Thankfulness idea was supposed to make the whole blogging thing a little easier. I thought that if I had a topic the subject would come easier. Instead it sometimes makes things a little bit more difficult. I have been thinking all day about faith and writing about that as my thankfulness. In fact I have started and stopped writing about it about 5 times already. I haven't been able to put it into the correct words. It somehow feels fake or wrong and I'm not sure why. I think about it easily, but trying to put the words down on page is much different. And so, I will make this a short post.

I am thankful for my faith. I am thankful that when I wander, struggle, argue, and don't behave the way that I should I am able to return and that I am welcomed and loved and forgiven and accepted and soothed. I am thankful for that peace and the knowledge that I don't have to be perfect, it's not expected but it's expected in the attempt. I am thankful that I can now have this venue to express myself and to make me stop and think and breathe and that I can acknowledge aspects of myself that I don't tend to discuss with people. I am thankful that I can learn and grow in my faith and that I can accept my faults and my hardships and learn from them because of it.

I hope that all my friends feel comfortable in this setting to express what they believe or don't, that they feel love and safety and the strength of camaraderie. I hope that you are all thankful for something and that it brings you the same peace and warmth and love that I find in my faith as a Christian.

Love to you all,

C-

Thursday Thankfulness

Dear Friends,

I'm drafting this Wednesday night and it's been a bit stressful of an afternoon/evening so I'm hoping that this post provides for a little bit of centering and attitude adjustment.

This is the day that the pacifier has gone "bye-bye". I never thought I would let any child of mine reach 2 years while still having a pacifier, but here I am at 2 years 3 months... but, there she is in her crib with her stuffed animals and her night light on. No pacifier. And for at least the first 20 minutes of the night, no tears. The child continues to amaze me in her reactions to things. Bumblebees and ants cause massive freak outs, but take away the pacifier she loves and asks for at nap time and bedtime with only a little bit of discussion and she is good to go. So far. We'll see how the rest of the night goes and nap time tomorrow. That one I'm so not looking forward to.

So for my Thursday Thankfulness I choose to be most thankful that my little baby girl, the one I still call "Baby" is being a big girl. I am thankful that she did well enough when she was in the NICU to get that swallow reflex down with enough mastery to use a pacifier for 2 years. I am thankful that she is smart enough to understand the things that I explain to her, like the pacifier going away but that she won't be alone because she has her softies and her mommy outside her door. I am thankful that while she's not asleep 30 minutes after she was put to bed, she's being quiet and lying in her crib talking with her animals and being generally good. I am thankful that she continues to surprise me everyday with the things she learns and the things she says.

I have to say that this little bit of thankfulness is making me a little sad. The pacifier seems like a connection to that part of the baby that is left in my toddler. It's hard for me to think that she's grown up enough that she doesn't need it, that she's actually old enough to be getting rid of it. Where did the last 2 years go? How is it possible that 27 months can go by so fast. How is it possible that I can't slow time down or stop it for just a little while so that I can love and enjoy this age and all the new experiences more? It's so bittersweet. I have all the pride in the world for her and want to let everyone know how remarkable she is and at the same time want to lock all the doors and not let anyone in to see it for themselves but keep it all for me.

I am so thankful. I hope that you're just as thankful for your daughters, sons, parents, siblings, friends, loved ones. I hope that you know who your blessings are and tell them everyday like I get to tell Lexy. Love love love. Thankful beyond thankful that she is growing up so big and strong.

So, I say, I am thankful to ALL of you, my dear friends. I love you all and you all are amazing. And I am thankful there are no more pacifiers in my household.

C-

Thursday Thankfulness

Dear Friends,

I've been reading some other blogs in the last few days and one of the things I've noticed that I think is fun is that a lot of them have weekly segments for their posts. One of the things I've been thinking about lately are all the blessings that I have and how lucky I am. And so "Thursday Thankfulness" is born. Hopefully this will allow for anyone reading along to think of their own blessings and remind of us of all the wonderful things we have instead of thinking of all the things that are wrong or not how we want them. I am attempting to be "Glass Half Full Girl" versus "Glass Half Empty Girl".

So, obvious blessings: I have a wonderful husband (socks on the floor aside) and an amazing daughter (2 year old whining ignored).

Okay, so what are the not so obvious blessings... the things I want to try and think of and remind myself of? I am thankful for my basement. I know that seems a little silly. I should be thankful for health and solid employment, deep and moving things like that. But first, a little back story. When Josh and I were first looking to move from our townhouse, we had a contract on a house that we both liked in the neighborhood we both liked. Fortunately the contract was contingent on the sale of our townhouse which didn't happen. Once that contract fell through we ended up with the same model house, on a cul-de-sac, with a finished attic, larger master bedroom, and a finished basement. All around a better house. We love it.

The finished basement has become our playroom for Lexy. It has saved my bacon on so many of the snowy and rainy days that we've had this past winter and early spring it's hard to imagine what I would have done without it. We have been able to migrate so many toys downstairs and there is so much room for her it's amazing. She has room to run and play, she has room to take her toy stroller for a walk. We have a TV, sleeper sofa, kids table and chair, and there's enough room for her doll house and 2 bookshelves for her books and toys. Gotta love storage. And, there's still enough room for a blow-up ball pit.



The nice thing about that picture is that it doesn't show the other half of the room. Actually, more than half. Of course, right now there is a huge ball pit taking up what seems like a third of the floor space, but Lexy loves it so much that I hate to deflate it. When she sees it she runs into it and flings herself inside and yells "Balls EVERYWHERE". I mean, really, could you deflate it?

For me, anything that makes parenting easier is a blessing and something I should think of and be thankful for. Being able to change locations and have different toys in different areas of the house makes for a much better stay-at-home day, especially when the weather is freezing and there happens to be 30 inches of snow outside like we had this past winter. So, to the previous owners of this house I say "Thank you so much for finishing off the basement. Lexy and I both love it. I appreciate your helping to make it easier for me to raise my daughter."