Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

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I have a LOT to be thankful for, so I decided to start just making a list of 10 things every Thursday. That way, on days like today that make me want to scream and shout- and NOT in a good way- I can force myself to calm down and relax and think of at least 10 reasons why I'm actually NOT cursed by God to live in a miserable existence.

I'm kidding! I don't think that.

Usually.

So, here are the rules- well, not RULES, persay. They're more like GUIDELINES:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. I'd love it if you posted the button. It would give me warm fuzzies.

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5 and most importantly, HAVE FUN.

And now, once again, here it goes- my list of 10.

1. I'm thankful for an 11 year old that -I was told by his teachers last night- isn't working up to his potential. At least they KNOW he's not working up to his potential and they aren't accepting that he's a dolt that enjoys doing the bare minimum to get by. That means there's hope, right? I mean, at least he hasn't hit the maximum amount of intelligence that God allowed him.

2. I'm thankful that Nicholas is screaming. It means he has lungs, and I've read that those are important. I'd say that I heard that was important, but I can't really hear anything other than blaring screams.

3. I'm thankful for an inquisitive 5 year old that wondered what would happen if he threw his tacos on the ground- would they bounce or would they stick? You HAVE to be thankful for a child who loves science.

4. I'm thankful for clean carpets. The fact that those clean carpets are in dirty rooms make the rooms, well, ok, I'm just thankful I don't have to clean carpets along with everything else.

5. I'm thankful I don't have a second car and I have to walk to pick up Jacob from kindergarten- it gives me time to myself and I can listen to music that doesn't make me want to scratch my ears off.

6. I'm thankful I didn't die of heat stroke picking up Jacob from kindergarten today.

7. Have mentioned yet how thankful I am for coffee? Yeah- because I am.

8. I'm thankful that my basil plant has survived as long as it has. If you've read anything about me, you know that I PROBABLY shouldn't be given the permission to care for anything living... well, plants at least. My thumb is black and my plants USUALLY attempt herbicide long before now. Maybe this is a turning point?

9. I'm thankful I have a sense of humor.

10. I'm thankful my husband is thankful for ME, because that means that he hasn't run away and THAT means, in a few hours, I'll have a partner... so I can escape and go to Alli's.

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

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I'll be posting my ACTUAL post later- I just couldn't wait to post this.  Thanks, Lexie, for letting me co-host!

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop #5

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I have a LOT to be thankful for, so I decided to start just making a list of 10 things every Thursday. That way, on days like today that make me want to scream and shout- and NOT in a good way- I can force myself to calm down and relax and think of at least 10 reasons why I'm actually NOT cursed by God to live in a miserable existence.

I'm kidding! I don't think that.

Usually.

So, here it goes- my list of 10.

1. Coffee. Yes, its numero uno on my list because my kids are being mean and my husband has left me to go to work. The lucky devil. Coffee will never leave me, though.
2. My kids. Even though they make me search the internet to see if it actually IS legal to sell them via Craigslist, I love them.
3. My husband. He turned 31 yesterday and on his birthday, he decided to help me with the kids, make dinner, and -most importantly- didn't run screaming when the kids chose to turn into demons.
4. Earplugs. Never underestimate the power of good, quality earplugs.
5. Bedtime- theirs, not mine.
6. Blogging. Without a place to vent my frustrations with The Natural Disasters, I might possibly burst.
7. Cake. My thighs aren't thankful for this one, but I haven't really heard them complain about it, either, so who cares what they think?
8. PJs. I can't wear them right now -we're heading to a place soon where you APPARENTLY need to be dressed- but I'm looking forward to the moment when I can put on my soft PJs.
9. Locks. You know- the kind that keep children out. None of those namby pamby ones that only need a small screwdriver to do the job, either. Nope. I like a nice lock that the kids can't figure out... because they're smart. Like the raptors in Jurassic Park.
10. Wine. A nice merlot- even a crisp white. Heck, even a bottle of Two Buck Chuck will do nicely. Ask yourself this: after a couple of glasses, will it make me see my kids as sweet creatures that I don't want to sell on the black market? If your answer is 'yes', then I want it in my glass.

So, here are the rules- well, not RULES, persay. They're more like GUIDELINES:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. Please post the button somewhere in your entry- beginning, end- doesn't matter. It'll help to grow the hop. Also, I'm planning on using new co-hosts for the hop in the future, and to be considered, you must have the button up. If you post the button and would like to be considered for co-host duty, send me an email @ asoto0703@gmail.com

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5 and most importantly, HAVE FUN.

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop #4

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To recap the rules for Thankful Thursdays, here ya go:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. Please post the button somewhere in your entry- beginning, end- doesn't matter. Not only will it help to grow the hop, but I'll be keeping a running PUBLIC list of those that are participating. Also, I'm planning on using new co-hosts for the hop in the future, and to be considered, you must have the button up. If you post the button and would like to be considered for co-host duty, send me an email @ asoto0703@gmail.com

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5, and most importantly, HAVE FUN.


I'm going to have to start referring to this as Thankful Friday with how late I seem to be getting my posts up. It never seems to fail that I sit down at the computer after a long day of taking care of Baby Monkey Boy, than something else pops up for me to take care of. I'll never complain, though...

...ok, I won't complain A LOT.

I won't complain a LOT because I'm doing what I love.

Well, ONE of the things that I love. Taking care of these animals is right up there for me along with baking, cooking, and breathing.

I had always wanted to be a mom, and being a stay at home mom was a dream- not because I'm lazy (F.Y.I. if you're one of those 'uninformed' individuals, go read my post HERE), but because I was afraid. There were stories all over the place about bad day cares and bad home day cares, bad nannies, bad, bad, bad. There still are,actually. I hadn't been able to be a stay at home mom with Camo, but I was determined to do it with Jacob. Luckily for me, my amazing hubby felt the same way.

We knew it wasn't going to be easy- mentally or financially. The funny thing is, though, when you REALLY want something in this life, you usually find a way to get it. When you're strapped for cash but you know your electric bill is due, you find a way to pay it... if you aren't fond of camping. We wanted to know who was raising our kids and what kind of values they were being raised with, so regardless of what else it cost us, we made the necessary sacrifices to do it.

I know that there are lots of people out there that feel the same way I do, but they aren't able to find a way to make it work, so that's why I'm thankful. Whether its because all the stars aligned JUST SO and that's why we found a way (doubt it) or because God just really thinks that this is what my family needs for our boys right now (more like it), I get to do something that has a special purpose in this life.

How many other people can say that?

And, while there are more than a few days that leave me breathless in a bad way, there are also days that leave me breathless in a good way too.

So, today I'm thankful.

For an amazing hubby that felt the way I did enough to let me do this.

For 3 amazing kids that look to ME to take care of them every day.

And for all those breathless moments that make being a stay at home mom worth it.

Friday's Writing Prompt: Simply Beautiful

Mama's Losing It: Write about the simple things.

Life is a funny thing.

We work our butts off- day in, day out- so we can -not just LIVE- but live WELL. For some reason, someone put the statement out there that life isn't worth living unless you have it all while doing it all.

People watch their marriages crumble because they're so busy keeping up with the Jones' that they neglect their own home. Our kids get into trouble because they're hoping for any kind of attention, but that's ok, because they're wearing those sneakers that the Jones kid wears that they just HAD to have.

*stepping down off my soapbox*

I live in Southern California (some of the only really personal info I'll put out there), and in a place where EVERYthing is only an hour away, my favorite times I've had have been spent with my family just a few miles away: on hikes, traveling down mine and my husband's 'Memory Lane'; sitting in our local mall, people watching; our Date Night's in when we've played games together...

Sure, if we had more money, things would be easier and we'd probably make memories at Disneyland and what not, but the thing about lacking a huge bank roll, is you have to get creative.

Think about it- when you were younger, you didn't have access to money, so what did you make your parents for birthdays and holidays? Macaroni structures, coupon books, pictures on construction paper...

My mom accidentally sliced her finger when I was younger and needed stitches. The only thing I knew I could do to help her feel better was make her a picture. Now, I'm sure she might have one or two cards saved from over the years, but I know for a fact that picture I drew to help her feel better is in one of her photo albums. Its nothing fancy- far less superior to anything I could do today- but to my mom, it was worthy enough to be put into her album of things to remember.

When I was younger, we took yearly trips to an amusement park near us (good 'ol So Cal), and while I can kind of remember little details from a couple of the trips, none of them compare to the week long camping trip my dad took us on where we visited a few different states or the nights my dad would sit reading to us from the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Trips to my Grammie's house are mainly remembered for the trips to the water tower, the walks to 7-11 with my cousins to buy Garbage Pail Kids, the walks to the park, and lying on the trampoline, looking at the stars.

When my kids are grown, I'm hoping that they'll treasure the simple things like I do. Sure, I hope they make a LOT more money and can afford more, but I hope that when they look back, their favorite times are things like our family reunions, playing catch with their dad, helping me in the kitchen, and going fishing with their grampa. I hope that even though they own many nice things, the things they cherish the most will be the things money can't buy.

Because, in the end, you'll come home from that trip, those "things" will get old, broken, or go out of style, but the simple things- those are the things you take the most care of and put in a place where they'll never be destroyed...

your heart.

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop #3: My husband

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To recap the rules for Thankful Thursdays, here ya go:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. Please post the button somewhere in your entry- beginning, end- doesn't matter. Not only will it help to grow the hop, but I'll be keeping a running PUBLIC list of those that are participating. Also, I'm planning on using new co-hosts for the hop in the future, and to be considered, you must have the button up. If you post the button and would like to be considered for co-host duty, send me an email @ asoto0703@gmail.com

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5 and most importantly, HAVE FUN.


Ok, so its better late than never. I meant to get this up earlier- I guess that would be yesterday, now, but- wouldn't ya know it?- LIFE got in the way. Go figure. I've tried telling it that I need some "Me" time, but so far, no dice.

That's ok, though. I'm fine with not having posted this on time, because it gave me one more example to use in this post. What am I thankful for this Thursday? My husband.

I know, its corny, sappy, and oh-so-standard the reply... or is it? I mean, I know that most wives ARE thankful for their husbands (or, I HOPE they are), but how many actually blurt it out just for the sake of having it out there? Lots of us will tell a person to their face how thankful we are for them (or, once again, I would hope so), but how many of us brag on those we love to other people? I think the BEST time to brag on someone is when it truly IS bragging- when there's not a huge chance that person will actually find out what you said, but you just feel the need to put it out there into the ether that the person you love is pretty fantastic. After all, your actions should leave the person you love KNOWING what you think of them already, right?

With that being said- and with no expectancy of receiving return praise- my husband is this week's topic for thankfulness.

My husband is the most amazing man I've ever known. I joke, but after 14 years, he still puts up with me- that alone should earn him a place in Heaven. He works 7 days a week so that I can stay home with the kids- not because he LOVES to do it and not just because day care is expensive; he says its because he thinks its best for our kids. When I start to feel bad about our finances and tell him we'd be better off if I got a job, he tells me that he couldn't do what he does without me doing what I do.

My best friend and I have a standing date once a week to hang out and relax- sans kids- and never -not ONCE- has he ever given me a hard time about it. He works constantly, never gets a break, and then he relieves me of the boys and tells me to go have fun. Once a month, I have a Mom's Night with some of the girls from my moms group- same thing. He'll tell me to have a good time as the boys are wrestling in the background, ready to attack once the door closes. While there is every chance in the world that my husband is a glutton for punishment,...

Nope, that's a VERY big chance, but no matter. He knows what he's getting himself into, and the fact that he keeps doing it, week after week,...

Well, now- that's the definition of insanity, now- isn't it? Maybe that's his secret. He's an insane glutton for punishment. :-D

My husband is the type of guy that everyone loves. You can't meet him and ever actually say you don't like him. Its just not possible. He's a truly NICE guy. He's hardworking, funny, trustworthy...

He's my very best friend.

We went and saw Bill Cosby perform (a present from my wonderful hubby), and Bill made a remark in his performance that husbands and wives can't be friends, and maybe that's true to a degree, but I think that in order to have a REAL relationship with your spouse, there needs to be some sort of friendship there. You need to not just LOVE the person your with, but LIKE them, too.

I genuinely LIKE my husband. He's a fun guy to hang out with.

And, yeah- we're one of those sappy couples with tons of inside jokes- that can see black ants and start laughing-

don't ask

-but what do you expect? We've been together for 14 years. We were high school sweethearts. If he can put up with 17 year old me, well, I'm pretty sure he can deal with ME from here on out.

The great thing about him, though, is he doesn't just "put up" with me. He does a million little things that let me know that he LIKES ME, too- taking care of the kids so I can go out is just one of many. He comes home from work and will take the crying baby from me before my head explodes; he buys me my favorite candy just because; he leaves me notes; sends me texts; gets gas in the car after a long shift because he knows the car needs it and he doesn't want me to have to do it the next day; makes me coffee- need I say more?

And if this post is making you gag, then I'm going to tell you what I tell my kids- get a straw, suck it up, and deal with it. After all, YOU'RE the one who keeps reading. Masochistic, much?

So, this week- and every week, honestly- I'm thankful for my hunny. Without him, I couldn't really be me.

So, yes- you can blame him for who I am.

What are YOU thankful for?

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop #2

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To recap the rules for Thankful Thursdays, here ya go:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. Please post the button somewhere in your entry- beginning, end- doesn't matter. Not only will it help to grow the hop, but I'll be keeping a running PUBLIC list of those that are participating. Also, I'm planning on using new co-hosts for the hop in the future, and to be considered, you must have the button up. If you post the button and would like to be considered for co-host duty, send me an email @ asoto0703@gmail.com

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5 and most importantly, HAVE FUN.



First off, I would just like to say that- even though I haven't written a Thankful Thursday blog hop in almost a month- that doesn't mean I haven't been thankful for things. I'm thankful for a LOT of things:

~Netflix
~peace and quiet (or does that count as two?)
~my God given talents for cooking and baking (without it, we'd be broke and living on the streets... ok, so at least we have a home...)
~duct tape...

But I think most of all, Ive been thankful that, even when I go on a hiatus due to my mind being elsewhere, I have you- the great blog-o-sphere- to come back to.

But, this is not what I'm thankful about today.

Nope, today, I'm thankful, grateful, and thanking God above...

for baby gates.

Yes, I said it. I could have touted my love for my husband, my life, -even COFFEE!-, but no.

Baby gates.

If you have ever had a small person that likes to crawl around on all fours and disappear for great lengths of time in other rooms and come out chewing on God-knows-what, then you should understand. When one of those rooms just HAPPENS to be the bathroom where the cat box is located, well, then I REALLY hope you understand.

Baby gates give me peace of mind when my mind is going to pieces. I suppose one could argue "Why do you need baby gates when you should be watching your baby at all times?" And to that person, I say Bravo!...

...you must be the only person on the planet who never went to the bathroom or had to make coffee while being the sole care provider.

Hey- when a gal needs coffee...

I'm just sayin'- baby gates have immeasurable value and should be put on a pedestal with other great inventions- like ice, fire, and sliced bread.

Ok, so ice and fire aren't really INVENTIONS, but you get the picture.

So, kudos to you, Mr. Graco and Mrs. First Years. The day you came up with those beauties was one small crawl for babies and one giant leap for Mommy kind.

And for that, I am thankful.

Sacred Moments

"Its moments like these that remind me why I love motherhood."

For you, maybe that statement is referring to the laughter coming from your kiddos' rooms as they play together; maybe its the smile that lights up your baby's face when he's happy...

For me?  Bedtime.

There is NOTHING that quite reminds me how WONDERFUL peace and quiet is than right after the last kid is tucked in, lights have been turned out, and all the threats of torture and maiming have been put out there (in the event that they think getting out of bed is an option) and I have peace.

Wonderful, blissful, wine guzzling -*ahem, sorry*- wine SIPPING, peace.

Now, one might think that you can achieve this peace just as easily- maybe even more so- without  the aid of children, but I disagree.

What is happiness without sadness?  How can you know what happiness actually IS unless you have something to compare it to?

Having kids is like that person who is living in a construction zone- all day long, nothing but the sounds of chaos and ruckus- and then 5 p.m. comes...

...and bliss.

Sure, they were able to zone it out after a while, but it wasn't until all the workers had gone home for the day that they understood what they had been missing all those LONG, mind numbing hours.

Having kids -boys- is a lot like that- more so, actually, because I don't get sick days, paid holidays or vacation days, so I'm in -literally IN- the construction zone day in, day out, all year long.

And, yes, boys -IMO- are worse than girls. I'm sure there are lots of people who will try and disagree with me- point out the fact that I don't have girls so how could I know?

Excuse me?  I AM a girl.  I was a tomboy, actually, so I know EXACTLY how bad it could get having a rambunctious tomboy.  I was a barbed-wire scaling, tree-climbing, dirt digging, sibling wrestling (WWF-style, thank you very much) girl...

...and my BOYS are worse.

So, when the lights are finally out, the last kiddo has closed his eyes, and I finally get my brain back, I'm able to truly give thanks.

Thank you, God, for 3 loud, obnoxious boys that were born without recognition of the term 'inside voices'.

Thank you, God, for 2 boys that -while they have superb aim in certain Wii games and other outdoor sports- cannot pee IN the toilet.

Thanks, God, for 2 boys that think fighting is a sport and practice as if it could one day land them in the Olympics.

Thanks so much, God, for reminding me with every scream, whine, argument, complaint, and fight, that silence is sacred and should be cherished because morning- the waking hours- come much too quickly.

But thank you, God, most especially, for 8:30 p.m. for, without it, I would not have the brain cells enough to even remember my name, much less, give thanks.

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop #1

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With 45 minutes left in the day, here is my 'Thankful Thursday' post.

I find that people spend far too much time complaining about what they don't have and far too little time contemplating what they do- which is sad, since most people aren't satisfied when they finally get hold of what they've been craving.

I guess its appropriate, then, that we only celebrate Thanksgiving once a year. The other 364 days are ones we set aside for working and praying for the things we want to be thankful FOR on that one Thursday in November.

But what would happen if we all decided to give thanks EVERY day? After all, even if you have nothing more than your life and the clothes on your back, those are 2 more things than some people in other parts of the world have, and isn't THAT something to be thankful for?

So, its not a huge step, but I thought that I would dedicate Thursdays to being thankful. On a site I'm a part of- The Motherhood- they do a daily '3 things I'm thankful for', so while I know what I'm doing isn't much, its a start; and maybe- just maybe- if everyone else took the time to focus on their 'haves' instead of their 'have nots' once a week, this world might start to change.

Like Ozzy Osborne said in one of his songs, "I'm just a dreamer", but every great thing in life started off as someone's dream, right?

So, what am I thankful for today?

I'm thankful for my boys. Ever since becoming a mom, I appreciate peace and quiet so much more. The person who wrote the song 'Silence is Golden'? A mom, I'd bet. My boys have opened my eyes to the finer things in life: a clean bowl for cereal, a full jug of milk, a toilet seat without pee on it, a living room floor you can see...

...my boys make me so much more grateful for these things.

And while this post might come off as condescending and sarcastic, its really anything but. Even if the rest of my days were filled with dirty bowls and living rooms filled with toys, I'd take that over stuffy old silence any day.

I mean, really- I never said I was thankful for SANITY.

Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop

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Watch me, getting all creative and stuff.

I thought that I would start my own Blog Hop (thanks for the idea, Tenetia!). It might turn out to be a blog FLOP, but you never know.

And what better thing to have posted ALL over the internet than a bunch of entries on what people are thankful for?

So, here's my idea- Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop. Before you write, though, here are the rules:

1. Don't follow me unless you really want to. I don't want this to be purely about getting new followers- I'd really like to see people flooding the internet with "Thankful" posts. If you'd like me to follow YOU, though, let me know.

2. Please post the button somewhere in your entry- beginning, end- doesn't matter. Not only will it help to grow the hop, but I'll be keeping a running PUBLIC list of those that are participating. Also, I'm planning on using new co-hosts for the hop in the future, and to be considered, you must have the button up. If you post the button and would like to be considered for co-host duty, send me an email @ asoto0703@gmail.com

3. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

4. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Thankful Thursdays Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

And #5 and most importantly, HAVE FUN.

I'm posting my actual 'Thankful Thursdays' entry next, so be on the lookout!