Thankful entries #29 and 30

Man. Today I'm thankful that after today, I can end this self-imposed period of daily thankfulness.  I'm thankful for a lot of things on a daily basis, but writing posts about them is becoming somewhat of a chore.  


Yesterday, I was thankful that I had enough random ingredients laying around that I was able to put together a completely unplanned meal that I could throw in a crock-pot at noon and not have to cook dinner after coming in late from a meeting.  I think this may be the first time this has ever happened in my house.  It wasn't the best dinner I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't the worst, and may end up being a go-to meal for busy nights.  


Today's entries are brought to you by the letter Q, for no other reason that I can think of other that that it's the letter my baby is studying in preschool this week.  My imagination done run dry this morning.  

Thankful entries #26-28

Over the weekend, I was thankful for Clorox, white vinegar, and baking soda.  These three things are pretty much all I use to clean my house.  Which is what I spent the weekend doing.

So this morning I am thankful for a clean house.  

Except for the playroom, which looks like Toys-R-Us exploded in it.  But it conveniently has a door which I can shut to help me ignore the mess.  

Today's entries are brought to you by the number 9, the amount of trash bags currently waiting in the bin for pick-up. 

Thankful entries #24 and 25

I cooked and cleaned my way through the day yesterday, so no blog posting even entered my head.  

But I stayed up late last night doing some research, and I am very thankful I did, because I stumbled upon some information I had previously missed, and some other information I had forgotten about.  

Soldier and I have a bit of OCD regarding our ancestry and family heritage.  We have extensive family trees and have done so many hours of research it makes your eyes bleed after awhile.  We are committed to finding out everything we can about everyone we are possibly related to; my ultimate plan is to put it all in book form someday, to be preserved for future generations, so they can simply read it and then go focus on more important things, like saving the world.  Inevitably, when doing genealogical research, cemeteries become quite an important and useful tool.  So much so that now, whenever we see a cemetery that looks old, we pull over to go check it out.  Our kids think we're mentally ill; they go wherever we go, which means they end up coming with us on all these cemetery hunts, and they could not think of anything less fun.  We make a point to go somewhere or do something fun for them on the same day, so they don't feel too bitter about it, but I have a feeling this is what they will someday tell their children and grandchildren: "Mom and dad used to drag us all over the country looking for dead people, all the freaking time."  But when the price to go to Busch Gardens is a two hour visit to a historical church and cemetery, they're usually ok with it.  

Last night I discovered that I have another set of who-knows-how-many-great-greats-grandparents buried not too far from where we currently live.  I had once found this information, but had forgotten about it while researching other branches of the family.  Not only that, I also discovered some photos that some generous soul has posted online of some of those family members.  For a genealogical researcher, photos are like discovering gold.  

I also received a package yesterday from my father, of things that had belonged to his parents.  His mother died some time ago, and his father is in a nursing home, so the family cleaned out the house, took what they wanted to keep, and sold/donated the rest.  My dad had several things in his lot that had been marked for me, and among the various china figurines and tea towels were two pocketwatches.  

This is a big deal for two reasons: #1. I love pocketwatches.  #2. These pocketwatches had originally belonged to my great-grandfather.  They don't work anymore, of course (the winding mechanism is broken of both of them), but what a thing to hold in my hands!  I was beyond thrilled.  If photos are like gold, actual possessions are like winning the ultimate genealogical lottery.  It just doesn't get better than that.  

Today's entries are brought to you by the letters "OMG" which is exactly how I felt last night.  

it's my birthday and I'll age if I want to...

My birthday was this week.  I turned 25 this year.  I've been 21 for the past decade, but I felt that since my precious firstborn child is turning ten very shortly, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to claim the age of 21 anymore.  So I will be 25 for the next couple of years, until my baby sister turns 25, at which point I will automatically become only one year older than her in any given year.  Hopefully, she will subscribe to my 'birthday math' when she turns 28, so we can both stay in our late 20's well into our 80's, at which point we may both have to claim the age of 50 to avoid looking too ridiculous.


My birth ruined Thanksgiving for my mother the year I was born; everyone else in the family went off and had it without her (and me) and she had to eat hospital food instead.  I'm not sure she's ever forgiven them all for that, but luckily she doesn't hold it against me.


However, I do have seven days of thanks to give, so in honor of my birthday, I am thankful for people who have shaped my life:


My mother, who has made such a success of her professional life that even Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel look lazy next to her accomplishments.  And she looks marvelous for her age, which gives me hope for my own future.


My grandmother, who I am named for, and who has given me so many gifts, not least that of my family heritage, which I would know nothing of if she had not taken the time to pester her grandparents about it decades ago.


My second-grade teacher, who was the first left-handed person I ever encountered besides me, and who taught me how to tie my shoes, hold scissors, and write in something resembling legible penmanship.


My husband, for so many reasons that listing them would take me months and you'd get tired of hearing about it.


My oldest son, the unwitting guinea pig of my parenting skills.  So far, he has thrived, which means I must be doing something right.


My middle son, who is the most unique individual I have ever met in my entire life.  Sometimes Soldier and I just look at him, then look at each other, and shake our heads.  This kid is going to grow up to be an actor, an athlete, and a comedian, not to mention beloved by women the world over.  He's also the only one of my kids who looks even remotely like me, which, as a parent, you have to admit is pretty endearing.


My baby, who has already demonstrated at age four that he is smarter than his father, and possibly, even me.


Today's thankful entries are brought to you by the number 5, which is how many days my kids have off for the holiday this week, and the number 0, which is how much patience I will have left by the end of today.

Thankful entry #16

Yesterday I had a flat tire.  Not just any ol' flat tire, where you notice, hey, my tire looks a little low.  Think I'll go put some fix-a-flat in it and air it up.  Nossir. It was fine when I took the older two to school and less than an hour later, it was absolutely flat.  As in, the wheel was touching the driveway, with only a thin smidgen of rubber between it and the concrete.  

Now, I have changed a tire before.  On a little bitty Saturn.  Where the spare was convienently located under a flap of carpet in the trunk along with the jack and the bolt-unscrewer-thingy.  (Yes, I'm all about technical terms.)  And the tire was roughly the size and weight of a dirt bike tire. 

But I am singularly incapable of changing a tire on my big ol' truck.  First of all, I can't even unscrew the bolts on the wheel.  I could wallop He-Man with the strength in my legs and back, but my arms are weak and puny.  Second, the spare is located rather inconveniently underneath the vehicle, bolted to the chassis.  Notsomuch within my realm of capabilities.  Third, I can't even lift the tire itself.  

I called Soldier, who had been anticipating a long day at work following his four-day weekend.  Two hours into his day of trying to get caught up, he gets a phone call from his lovely wife, who informs him that the truck has a tire flatter than a possum who's been run over by three cement mixers.  

So, today I am thankful for my Soldier, for many reasons, but not least because he came home and saved my lovely butt.  Yes, I do have triple-A, but Soldier is so much better looking than those guys, plus he gave me his car to take the baby to preschool, and then took me to lunch while he had the tire replaced.   I love this man.  

Today's entry is brought to you by the number 4:45, which is the time my clock stopped at this morning.  Finding out it's really 6:38 when you think you have two more hours to sleep is not the most pleasant way to start the day. 

Apologies and thankful entries #s 10-15

Heh. Well, you know how it happens. Soldier has four days off and I forget that I even HAVE a blog.  

Sorry about that.  To all two of you who follow me semi-religiously. 

Anyway, back to regularly scheduled programming.  

It looks like I have five days' worth of thanks to give, so heeeeeeeeeeere we go. 

I am thankful that I did not have to walk the crazy dog for four days.  

I am thankful that Soldier and I share the same strange interests, like looking at old cemeteries and playing with model trains. 

I am thankful that I got to play Dungeons and Dragons with all of the human males in my house for the first time ever.  It was entertaining. I'm not sure how the game is really supposed to be played, but when you play it with a two elementary school kids and preschooler, there's a lot of sound effects and shouting over each other and pouting.  My baby even rescued me from the bad guy who was holding me hostage. 

I am thankful that I get to show my kids pieces of history, instead of just having them read it out of a book.  We try to visit historical sites as much as we can, not only for the educational context, but also because Soldier and I are kind of history buffs.  This weekend we went to Lincoln's Birthplace and Boyhood Home here in Kentucky.    

I am thankful that I got to spend yesterday afternoon on a date with Soldier.

Today's entries are brought to you by the letter P, for pumpkin pie, peanut butter, and pretzels, for which I am also thankful. 

Thankful entry #9

Today I am thankful  (and shocked) that Soldier took the dog out to pee before he left for work.  Let me just be very clear: this never happens.  He never takes the dog out on a workday.  Weekends, days off: yes.  Workdays: never.

It's not just because I don't like having to get out in the cold morning air (or rain, or snow, or whathaveyou.) This dog is a maniac. He is a German Shepherd  (read: big dog) with some severe form of canine ADHD and is almost stronger than I am.  He's hurt my arms and back on more than one occasion yanking so hard on his leash.  He's almost to the point of being totally uncontrollable.  I despise having to walk this dog.  I have to do it in the mornings and again at noon during the workweek, and 3 times a day when Soldier is gone.  I don't hate the dog.  But I hate having to walk him.

Today's entry is brought to you by the number 1, which is most likely the number of times this phenomenon will ever occur.

Thankful entries # 7 and 8

Man.  I can't seem to get it together enough to post an entry every day.

Anyway, yesterday I was thankful for macaroni and cheese.  The kind you bake in the oven, with the really thick, creamy cheesy-ness and the bread crumbs on top.  With a tall glass of milk.

Admit it. Now you want some. You're welcome.

Today I'm thankful I have boys.  I was thinking about this while taking them to school this morning: girls are so much more high-maintenance than boys.  Boys don't cry at the drop of a hat.  Boys don't have hissy fits if their clothes don't match (they don't even know when their clothes don't match.) Boys don't have hair that must be brushed and styled.  Boys don't have 48,000 accessories to keep track of.  Boys don't have 86 pairs of shoes. Boys don't have to be taught how to wear makeup, bras, or tampons.  Boys don't have hormonal mood swings when they're three.  Boys don't have unrealistic notions that they're going to grow up to be princesses, and thus, feel as though they should be treated as such their entire childhoods.  Boys aren't (generally) manipulative and passive-aggressive when they don't get their way. Boys don't request glamour shots, want to wear your high heels and jewelry, or dress like strippers to attract the attention of the opposite sex.  

My boys may be messy, unmatched, dirty, loud, argumentative, stubborn, aggressive, and able to eat everything in the grocery store and still be hungry, but I'll take that every day of the week over typical girl behavior.  I used to think I wanted a daughter.  But God knew better and I'm thankful He did, because as it turns out, I'm not a fan of girls after they reach the age of three. I have met a few so far that I think are precious and darling, but they are in the indescribably small minority.  I only hope that I can get over this deep-seated aversion before my boys graduate high school and start bringing girls they want to marry home to see me.

Today's entries are brought to you by the symbol  *****  for the atrocities I was screaming inside my own head while the baby was screaming  "I want my treasure chest! Mom! I waaaaaant my treaaaaaaasure chessssst!" the entire way to school this morning.  (How is it possible that this child never outgrew the terrible twos? He's four. When will the tantrums end? Well, at least he's not whining, like a girl.)

Thankful entry #6

Yeah, I know it's late.  But with yet another earthquake in OK yesterday, along with high winds from a wanna-be tornado (yes, only in Oklahoma, people), I was a little distracted last night.  This crap has got to stop.  

Yesterday I was thankful for lunch at a new Mexican place in the city, with Soldier; I've been wanting to try it for months now and it was the best lunch I've had in about a year.  Definitely will be going back.  

This entry is brought to you by the number 25, which is how much gas money it cost to get me to said restaurant and back home.  But it was so worth it.

Thankful entry #6

Today I'm thankful for having a long conversation with my sister over the phone and google chat, about her wedding and various other subjects.  This is significant because growing up, we were never close.  She is nearly nine years younger than me and almost the exact opposite in terms of looks and personality.  But as she's grown up and become an adult, we find more and more similarities in ourselves.  We still don't talk often (we're both busy these days) but when we do, it's heartening to discover those ties.  


Today's entry is brought to you by the letter E, for the earthquake that happened as I was talking to her on the phone last night.  This was the second major earthquake to hit Oklahoma in 24 hours.  Last year at about this same time, another large earthquake hit our hometown, where our house is, right after we'd moved.  Now, I'm sure the land there misses us living on it and all, but these tantrums it's throwing have got to stop.  There are several fault lines in Oklahoma, but they're usually inactive and largely unnoticeable even when they do shift.  None of us who live there ever thought we'd need earthquake riders on our homeowners' insurance, but you can bet I'll be calling my company first thing on Monday to add it. No word yet on our house, but no structural damage has been reported by people who live by it, so I hope it's ok.  

Thankful entries 4 and 5

Yeah, I realize I didn't post anything yesterday.  For the two of you who read this blog, I am deeply and sincerely sorry.


But I'm making up for it today.


Yesterday I was thankful that Soldier got back from his conference.  Bonus points that the boys and I got done with the school carnival at about the same time so we all got to eat dinner together.


Today, I am thankful for outerwear sales.  I had the unfortunate experience of having to take all three boys winter-wear shopping at the same time, but the fact that I saved over $120 and spent less than $100 for 3 winter coats, heavy-duty gloves, and double-layered knit caps makes me thankful indeed, even if it did entail a few "Go to hell and take your kids with you" looks from other shoppers.  


Today's entry is brought to you by the letters O and U; here's hoping we beat the crap out of Texas A&M today.

Thankful entry #3

Today's entry: I am thankful for cranberry-pomegranate juice.  And Starbucks red velvet whoopie pies. 

Today's entry is brought to you by the number 24, which is how many pounds I still have left to lose.  

Thankful entry #2

Today I am thankful for preschool, which allowed me to go to the grocery store, the bank, and the rec center without my suddenly-tantrum-predisposed four-year-old.  I love this kid forever, but his five full-body, full-throttle-decibel tantrums in the course of two days have left me on the verge of throwing one myself.


Today's entry is brought to you by the number 1982, which is where it appeared the woman I saw in the store today was still living, with her threadbare poufy crinkled neon-pink-and-green warm-up suit, keds, and peroxide hair.

Trend of the Month

Since everybody's doin' it, and I like to be part of the popular crowd, I'm going to write at least one thing every day this month that I am thankful for. 


Today's entry: toilets that flush.


This entry is brought to you by the letter F, which is what I utter every time I remember that the toilet in my master bathroom does not flush at the moment.  We are waiting on the owner to call a plumber to fix the leaky seal in the tank, which ran up our water bill over twice the amount it usually is, so Soldier turned the water off at the base so it wouldn't run til it gets fixed.  

Status update

Five (5) of the ten (10) lbs I lost over the last two weeks has now returned, thanks to Halloween. 

Today I am going to the rec center to pick up my new gym pass for the month, because obviously, I'm going to need it. 

Today I also have to go grocery shopping.  Diet lettuce, diet celery, diet kale....

No, no, just kidding.  I don't eat green vegetables.