thankful thoughts

I turned on the news this morning to see that there had been another crash or something in which two aircraft were involved and the possibility for survivors is little to none. It's been a bad month for things that fly, or at least there has been more coverage of it.

It makes me think... a lot, and it makes me want to hold my family closer and appreciate the little things that really, aren't so little.

I am thankful for every poopy diaper I change.... because every dirty bottom is attached to a sweet face that gives me kisses.

I'm thankful for every hand print left on my white walls.... because every dirty hand is attached to the arms that wrap around me so snugly for hugs.

I'm thankful for every dinner I make that is less then gourmet.... because we have food.

I'm thankful every time the sticky food covered child who sits next to me steals food off my plate.... because at least we are together to eat as a family.

I'm thankful for the times that my husband is late getting home when all I want is a break.... because that means he's here to come home.

I'm thankful for getting caught in a downpour at getting drenched and then having to go pick up dash-1 at school looking like a wet dog.... because at least I'm able to be there to pick him up and share his day with him.

I'm thankful for (granted its hard to be at the time) temper tantrums and nasty attitudes.... because it allows me to show my children that I love them irregardless.

I'm thankful for the downs... because it makes the ups mean so much more.

What are you thankful for?

Honest mommy moment

There is something different around here lately. There is a change in the air and I'm not talking about a poopy diaper needing to be changed. Although there are plenty of those.

I hate to think that it's taken me almost five years of motherhood to catch on but lately I'm feeling like a different sort of mom. Shoot I still think there are plenty of times that I'm "that mom" and my kids are "those kids" but the thing is....

I don't care.

Yeah that's it, I'm putting it out there, I don't so much care anymore what on lookers think.

Here's my honest mommy moment. I can't control my kids. Or rather I can't always control my kids.

I know there are people thinking, "your the mom of course you can control them" and to you I say HA! And I have a lovely bridge I'd like to sell you.

Kids will be kids, they will throw tantrums in stores or in the parking lot of school during pickup time (not that that happened to me today or anything), they will embarrass you, mortify you, confuse you, hurt your feelings, and all that can be not just in one day but in 5 minutes.

And bottom line, you can't always control that.

Kids are adapt at figuring out situations in which they have you pigeon holed.

But I have figured something out and maybe I'm slow in coming to this but, hey better late then never, I've figured out that while I can't always control them, I can control my reaction.

Hard to believe but I used to be a yeller. I still do occasionally yell when life and limb are in danger, which with three boys can happen on a regular basis. I would let them get so far under my skin that I just felt crazy and sometimes I snapped. And I hated it.

And somehow, something has changed. I'm more at peace lately.

Of course that could be my underachiever streak coming out. (See I haven't totally changed I'm still totally unable to let things go)

My new mantra is I can't always control them, but I can always control me.

And that's my honest mommy moment of the day.

Halloween irritation

I'm mildly irritated at my husband.

Oh wait, let me start with, I love my husband.

But I'm mildly irritated with him. And if he's reading this he probably thinks it's because he called me a life long underachiever yesterday. He tried to take it back and said he was kidding but I know him....

He doesn't kid.

Perhaps I'll delve into the underachieving thing in a different post, this post really isn't about that, that's not why I'm irritated with him.

I'm irritated cause he wont go as Maverick for Halloween. I ask him every year and ever year its the same answer. Well not so much an answer more a glare that speaks volumes to me....

And makes me think I should sleep with one eye open if I press the subject.

You see, in case your new around here, my husband flies, and earlier on in his aviation days he got the classic bomber jacket, just like the one in Top Gun. He is in love with that jacket.

Me, not so much, but it would be PERFECT for Halloween.

Put on a white tee shirt, jeans, his aviator sunglasses, which I also could do without, and BAM, he's Maverick.

I really want to dress up the boys, one as Goose and the other as Iceman, I think these days Iceman would have to be Dash-2. How cute would the three of them be? I even said I'd get in on the action and go as Kelly McGillis' character.

But alas *sigh* it's a no. Dash-1 is going as, surprise surprise an astronaut for the third year in a row, and dash-2 is going as a Komodo dragon. No Maverick, Goose, or Iceman around here. Not this year.

Althought next year is a new year....