Ummm…ok. Please explain that to my bronchial lining that threatens me with wheezing if I dare take a breath.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been working more than usual lately. I had the conference call frenzy last week. This week I’ve worked my regular hours plus I’m helping a friend out with her computer network at night. I guess burning the candle at both ends caught up with me. I’m coughing, and hacking, and my voice is almost gone.
My almost-17 year old baby came home from work tonight shivering and crying with a 102° temp. While I wrapped her up in a blanket I immediately remembered why some people say “Moms aren’t allowed to get sick”, it’s because we are moms.
Sure our bodies suffer from symptoms of illness, but as a mom there is always someone to take care of and we often put their needs before our own. We just don’t have time to whine.
Secretly I wouldn’t mind a sick day…but I’ll take a few shots of Nyquil, sip on some tea and honey, and take care of my big little girl.
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Here in the US, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving this month. Instead of waiting until the official holiday to reflect on what we have to be thankful for, why not take some time out to think about it right now.
In our family, our motto is: Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems.
When we learn to recognize and appreciate what we have, it helps us gain perspective on our lives.
Jenn at Everyday Randomness is holding a contest this month - What Are you Thankful For? Check it out for your chance to win some yummy scents for you and your home.
I am thankful for many things this year, but here are a few at the top of my list:
- The safe birth of Baby A
- That our oldest daughter made it through her illness (resulting in a scary ICU stay) without permanent lung damage.
- That all of us are healthy
***11/05/07*** Update: Only one day after I wrote this, my 5 year old cousin died in a car accident. Please keep my family in your prayers - especially her parents as they grieve the loss of their precious girl.
I tucked my children in last night and wept in gratitude that they are safe and we are here together another day. Life is so very precious and we must not take it for granted.
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Are you ready?
Last year, I put a reminder in my Outlook Calendar to alert me when to start my countdown to December 25th. Instead of waiting until October to make my to-do lists, I thought we would benefit from a few extra weeks. My countdown has begun! I really can’t believe there are 99 days left!
This year, my focus is how to simplify our traditions and get the home organized. I also want to scale back on spending. Get the silly stuff out of the way, so we can focus on what is important to our family - spending time together and having fun.
A few ideas I’m tossing around:
- Do an adult grab bag for Mom’s side of the family, limited to a small dollar amount for the gift. My brother has been out of work for 9 months and my other brother is on a sabbatical of sorts. No need for anyone to stress about money and we can have fun with this one.
- Dad’s side of the family would never go for grab bag fun. Instead, we plan on scaling back the amount spent by giving well thought out, meaningful, family gifts.
- When we first got married, our finances were very tight. Dad and I gave each other a “house gift”. Instead of buying individual gifts, we agreed upon a home improvement purchase. One year we bought the materials for a solid oak mantelpiece and built it together. This was more meaningful to me than any store-bought gift. We are doing a “house gift” this year.
- Double the amount of shoeboxes we give this year to Operation Christmas Child. We enjoy this and have already started collecting goodies to fill the boxes.
I will post more in the 99 days to come about how we are saving and organizing.
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