Day Seven

I am thankful for weekends.


So obvious yet so true. I am so very thankful for two whole uninterrupted days with my family. I am thankful for being able to spend the entire day with the Beast and especially thankful for being able to go back to sleep after his 5am wake up call.


I am thankful for walks around the neighborhood with the Beast in his big boy stroller all bundled up. Ok, this hasn't been the case lately because it is freaking a million degrees in Southern California in November! Al Gore may have been right...




I am thankful for watching my boys watch football together. I am especially thankful when Michigan wins because then I don't have to deal with a fussy husband.




Starting this weekend, I am thankful for eating breakfast with my big boy sitting in his highchair beside me. He is not ready to join in the eating fun yet but having his highchair in the kitchen has been great. I was able to sit down and eat breakfast while he played. I cleaned the kitchen and cooked a lasagna while he watched me. I even sang songs and did little dances to keep him entertained. I got so much more done this weekend with him in the kitchen with me.





Every weekend I am thankful to run errands with my husband. First, I like running errands because I like getting stuff done and errands almost always include a trip to Target, my happy place. Second, I just really like running errands with my husband. Isn't that a little weird? I feel like we have had some great conversations while at Home Depot about our plans for the future (which includes painting our bedroom and office), grabbing lunch always ends up being a really pleasant meal, and sometimes we go to open houses just to keep tabs on the real estate market and for fun which always results into an in depth conversation about what we want in a home. Plus, you see some crazy decor in these open houses. We've seen wall-to-wall zebra carpet and the freaky wall of porcelain d0lls (not in the same house thankfully).


Even though the weekends are always too short, I am extremely thankful for them.

Days Four, Five, and Six

Good Lord I fell behind on my little project. Its not my fault, I swear. This week has been crazy at work and the husband was in Arkansas all week so it was just me and the Beast and the bullies to fend for ourselves.

For days four, five, and six, I am thankful that there are little things in the world that make me happy and brighten my day. I am thankful that I am able to find joy in small pleasures. That I have not become so cynical and stressed out that I lost the ability to stop and smell the roses. Here are a few of my favorite (little things):

1. Starbucks - I know its so yuppie and cliche, but seriously Starbucks can pull me out of a deep funk anytime. I freaking love it. Pumpkin spice lattes, iced coffee, peppermint mocha, zen green tea (veinte, two bags, and an inch of soy). It is just so damn good and consistent. I can walk into any Starbucks and know that I will receive a little piece of happiness.

2. Bad pop music - In high school I was really into alternative rock, punk, and ska. I loved Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Lagwagon, Save Ferris, the Aquabats, and a bunch of little indie bands. I didn't listen to any pop music. In fact, I can't even tell you what the pop music existed when I was in high school. I'm making up for lost time now. I love me so Britney, Taylor and Katie. I don't care if it is crap (and it is). This week I had a particularly rough morning dropping the Beast off at daycare. He watched me leave the room and it broke my heart. But I got myself an iced coffee and turned on the radio. Hello Britney! Before I knew, it I was rocking out to Britney (with full on car dancing) and feeling much better.

3. Granola Bars - Specifically, Quaker 90 calorie chocolate chip granola bars. I am obsessed with these. I eat them constantly and they are only 90 calories. And granola is good for you. Its a win all around.

I am definitely going to get back on track with my project tomorrow. Now I need a nap because I was at the dentist at 8am this morning, got 2 cavities filled, and then got a speeding ticket on the way home. Awesome. I might need a latte, some Britney, and a granola bar to make this day better.

Day Three

*Please note that the things I am thankful for are posted in no particular order. Each thing that I am thankful for has its own special place and is its given due weight.

Today I am thankful for my job. Hell, I'm thankful just to have a job these days; but I am thankful for my particular job. Unfortunately, I cannot go into too many details here about my job. But I will say that I am an attorney and I work in education.

I am thankful to have a job that I love. I am thankful that I have a job that helps people and that gives me a sense of purpose. I am thankful that I get to use my analytical skills, research skills, writing skills, negotiation skills, communication skill, and people skills every day.

I am thankful that my office is supportive of me being a new mom and did not care when I took off two days in my first month to take care of the Beast when he was sick. I am thankful that no one has walked in on me while pumping.

So there is my Day Three, I am thankful for my job. And with that being said, is it Friday yet?

A Little Truth

I read a lot of blogs and message boards about being a working mom. I'm always interested to see how other moms deal with juggling careers and motherhood, how they get everything done, and somehow manage to not go crazy.

In this reading I see a lot of working moms write about the advantages of being a working mother. While I think there are many advantages, I think some things need to be cleared up. Here is my list of the advantages of being a working mom and the truth behind them.

1. Working moms get to eat a hot lunch every day.

This is partially true. I do eat a hot lunch every day. But it is a hot lean cuisine. And it is more like a lukewarm lean cuisine because I cannot possibly wait the entire three minutes for my lean cuisine to finish in the microwave. And I eat it at my desk. Not exactly glamorous. My hot lunch is nothing to brag about but I would rather spend five minutes scarfing down a lean cuisine than taking an hour and half lunch and having to stay at work later to make up that time.

2. Working moms get to have adult conversations.

Again, this is partially true. I do talk to adults while at work. But I'm an attorney so most of my adult conversations consist of me calmly explaining to people the appropriate and legal way to do things and hearing their excuses as to why they did not follow the law. And then I get to talk to opposing counsel which is the equivalent of listening to a bratty kid whine and stomp their feet.

3. Working moms get to pee alone.

This one is not true. I get to use a bathroom with a row of stalls. And even though there are about ten stalls and they are all open, someone always decides they have to use the stall next to the one I am in. Awkward. I work in a very large office building and people do weird things in the bathroom. Like brush their teeth and then just put their toothbrush on the counter....of the public restroom. Um, disgusting. And I always see the one lady who must wipe down all the counters before she leaves. So weird.

4. Working moms get to dress up every day.

Again, partially true. I do get to dress up every day which means I'm back to spending $200 a month on my freaking dry cleaning bill. I miss wearing work maternity clothes. Everything was cotton and stretchy and could be washed at home. And comfy, so comfy.

And now you know the truth. Don't get me wrong, there are pluses to being a working mom (a paycheck, sense of fulfillment, etc.) and I'm loving my new role in life but I had to clear the air just a bit.

Day Two

I am thankful for my husband and everything he does for our family. I complain a lot that he does nothing. It is true that he does not vacuum, do dishes, do laundry, or make the bed. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty, the really important stuff, he makes sure that everything is ok. Plus he picks up the dog poop and I would much rather vacuum than pick up the dog poop.



When there are tough decisions to make, tough issues to deal with, he is always there, leading the way. He works hard for our family and I am very thankful for that.

And I am thankful that when we go to weddings and I have too much Chardonnay, he is always willing to take weird pictures with me and deal with my tipsy (aka drunk) ramblings.

Day One

I have a friend on facebook who is posting something she is thankful for on facebok every day for the month of November. I thought that was a good idea and I could use a reality check on all the things in my life that I am thankful for, so here I go. (I know it is November 2nd, I'm a day behind so I'll post two things that I'm thankful for today.)

The first one is easy...I am thankful for my son. So absolutely and completely thankful. I am thankful that he is happy and healthy, that he sleeps through the night, that he is all smiles when he sees me and when I give him kisses.



I am thankful for all the coos and babbles and little baby shrieks.




I am thankful that he has given me excuses to buy toys, watch cartoons, and plan trips to Sea World.



I am so thankful that my amazing little boy is in my life. Even when he gives me the stink eye for putting him in a puffy dragon costume.