Hmmm...

Well...let's be honest...today was one of those days where it is hard to feel grateful about a lot.  Not because I didn't have a good day or get the things accomplished that I set out to do.  No, I actually DID get Chloe's, Parker's AND my room cleaned today!  Doesn't sound like much?...well, you didn't see them when I started, did you!!?!??! 

Like I do most every Saturday, I call the kids up from their Saturday morning cartoons or movie and hand them their list of chores.  They know the drill.  Get it done - have a great rest of the day playing and doing whatever.  Whine and complain and be rude...earn extra jobs!  Well, let's just say that a certain child of mine wasn't too in the mood to do the work asked and decided that throwing fits and doing half-way jobs (my pet-peeve) ALL day would be a better decision.  Hmmm...I am not sure it was such a good decision on this childs part.  Extra jobs were handed out and extra whining, complaining and being rude followed.  Thus, my thoughts haven't quite been on the gratitude scale they should be today. 

But, I did have some time of peace and nice-ness from said child, so I did try to remind myself to think of something I was grateful for.  And here are my thoughts today....

Darling little Parker decided that 6:45 AM was wake-up time....on a Saturday!  BOO!  BUT...what I am grateful for is that my nice hubby got up with him (and the other two kids that soon were up) and took them downstairs for a bowl of cereal.  He then did the dishes (yes, yes...from last night...hey...it wasn't my dishnight!!  He was quite exhausted last night from a horrible day at work.), and kept the kids down there with him.  An hour later he returns with Parker-pants so he could go get started out in the garage like we had planned he would.  An hour?  Did I really get to doze back off to sleep for a whole hour!?!?!  Oh yes, I was grateful!  This bladder of mine seems to not want to work at night and I am up quite a lot these days!  So thanks Chris for the extra sleep!

Chris also did something else for me today.  I am not quite sure WHAT it was that he did, I just know he did something.  Something with the breaks on my van.  You see, quite some time ago, Chris changed my breaks on the van and ever since, when I back down our driveway, they squeak and squeal. Yes, annoying and embarrasing, but sometimes if I did it just right, it wouldn't squeak.  So last week, he finally got around to getting them fixed (it may or may not have been because I threatened to take it to the shop), and walla! No more squeaking!!!....just a scratching noise when I stopped.  He said the rotors just needed to be turned.  Well, tonight when I drove the van...there was nothing.  NO sounds!!  I don't know what he did to fix it...but it was a lovely thing to not hear anything!  So, I am super grateful for that!  I guess Chris won a bunch of bonus points today, eh?

The last thing I am thankful for today is the fact that even though my little 1 1/2 year old decided that nap-time was "jump-in-my-bed-as-high-as-I-can" time today all while saying "Mommy, come here!" over and over - he still managed to be a super darling, happy little huggable kid all day long!  I have drilled into him the following statement, to which he promptly and happily replies....

Me: "Parker, guess what?!?"
Parker: "Huh?"
Me: "Mommy loves...."
Parker: "Parker!"
Me: "Parker loves...."
Parker: "Mommy!"

(Photo taken January 2010 - he's a lot bigger now!!)

Sometimes he will want to tease me and fill in the blanks with different names.  Most always, that is how we say it and then he usually will give me a "squeezee hug" and kiss!  I love my baby! (who's not really a baby anymore!)  I am all geared up to potty train soon...!  Yikes!  But he is totally ready, it is just me that is not quite sure I am.  He loves to sit on the big toilet and go both, so, hopefully soon, we will get started with that.  Wish us (I mean me!) luck!!