I AmThankful

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
...
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church or synagogue meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

Ten on Tuesday

I have noticed a few other bloggers do this and I think it's fun. So here goes:
10 Things you have been wondering (or maybe not)about us this Tuesday

1. We had Uncle Greg over for pot roast on Monday so the house was clean :)
2. The kids were off of school for voting day
3. We went to the 5 Below store for them to spend their Halloween contest winnings. Hannah picked a webkin. Allison (who won $10) picked Shrinky Dinks, a word search book, and a stuffed animal key-chain. Thomas picked a small transformer and a key car.
4. Kevin and I had a short date night on Saturday (Thanks Dad J!) and we saw 50/50. I highly recommend it.
5. Thomas and the girls too, have been really enjoying playing with the Geo-Trax trains this week. They are all over the living room but I don't mind (mostly). I love to see the imaginations at play!
6. Thomas has been writing his name by himself. It is really cute.
7. Allison is really coming along with her reading. We went to the library yesterday and picked some new books to interest her.
8. Hannah made a little purse out of some fabric scraps and staples. It's pretty cute. I think she should take a sewing class this summer.
9. I feel pretty sore from Monday's yoga. But I feel really good about sticking with it and working on bettering myself. I also really enjoy the classes.
10. I am NOT ready for Christmas music or anything that goes with it. I really feel like Thanksgiving should be a bigger holiday than Halloween. I wish I new how to make it more important.

I think I will think about that at Yoga this week. How can we make Thanksgiving more important to us. I would like us to focus on being thankful this month. Christmas and all the family fun it brings will be here soon enough. :)

Naughty and Nice

While playing super mario with Thomas tonight his guy falls in a hole and this silliness ensues
T: Dammit
Me: Buddy you can't say that, it's a bad word
T: (totally innocent)Well can I say shit?
Me: (biting my cheek so as not to laugh)No bud, that is a bad word too
T: well what CAN I say?

After some conversation we decide on Drat. In the story "Big Pumpkin" the characters say Drat when they can't get the pumpkin off the vine. This is acceptable to him.

I love my son.

Late Night Cacophony

At around 2am, I am sound asleep in the very dark basement. Seemingly all of a sudden I hear:

"MOMMY I NEED YOU!" from Allison somewhere up the stairs.

I sit straight up and yell "Coming!" Then I start to crawl across the bed and over Kevin's legs. I am worried. What could be wrong? Stomach ache? Sore throat? I trip (is it still called tripping when you are crawling?) over Kevin and flip and fall off the bed hitting my leg on the metal frame and landing somewhat on the dog. I yelp. Lucy licks me as if to say "Are you ok?" and also "What the hell?" I then hop up and limp a few steps, partly from the fall and partly from the yoga I did earlier. I run up the stairs and find Allie in the kitchen waiting for me. I look her over and kneel down beside her. What kind of catastrophe awaits? I look up into her beautiful sleepy eyes and ask "What's wrong?" To which she replies: "I had-ed to go potty and wanted you to tuck me back in". She then pivots on her heel swishing those lovely curls around and walks to her room. I stand and straighten my back like an old women. I look at the heavens and let out a long breath (trying to apply some yoga?). Then I follow her to tuck her in and let her know she is loved and safe.

I am a Mom. This is my job.