Gratitudes

Okay -- I'm totally stealing from my friend Meaghan - but really, I'd like to start posts like this.

Yesterday was an absolutely unbelievable day. One of my daycare moms did something amazing for me. Though I call her a "daycare mom" she is most certainly someone that I call a friend too (although we never really talk outside of the drop off/pick up times). I am so grateful to have someone so special in my life.

She comes in the morning, bringing me my chosen son for the day. In her hand is a box. We had just finished having a conversation on my dayhome fanpage about Eric Carle books, and I also noted her facebook status regarding shopping at Indigo. So...I assume that it's a little gift of Eric Carle board books. She says to me "Open in, but not until I leave."

I take my chosen son down to my chosen daughters and son and say "O's mom brought us a gift! Let's all open it!" Everyone takes turns ripping off a piece of paper -- what do I find?? Most certainly NOT Eric Carle Board Books --- nope, it's a Sony Reader.

It's not often that someone hears (or reads) something that you say, remembers it and then goes out of their way to get that thing for you. I had mentioned on Facebook sometime last week that I wanted to buy a Kindle (same thing as a sony reader, except it only takes Amazon E-books)...She went and called her husband and the two of them conspired to buy me something amazing.

I am so grateful and am still having a little bit of trouble accepting this. I am not one who regularly shows my emotions. I don't like to cry in front of others, but I cried when I called her to thank her, and I'm beginning to get that lump in my throat again just writing about this.

Thank you again...

Now -- just a list of some of the other things that I'm grateful for:

- 2 assignments handed in to that hard*** teacher...both got an A!

- kind words from good friends

- my thoughtful husband

- my wonderful children

I'm so upset with myself

I'm tired. I'm grumpy. I'm hurt...and most of all, I'm disappointed. Frustrating homework that got nowhere all day long ended up in a grumpy me and angry outbursts for no reason. Boo.

My husband, my hero...

So, if you've read my last few posts, you'll know that I've been having a rough time. Between school and sick kids, life this last few weeks has been rough.

I wasn't expecting much more for today; after all, the baby was up all night with the stuffed nose, sore ears, teething pain. It was pretty much a repeat of yesterday (whining for everything, yet wanting nothing), except that today I was sans husband and had the addition of two daycare kids.

Things were going as well as could be expected, all things considered. We had lunch, put the dishes in the dishwasher and went for naps. All was well with the world. Shortly before nap is done, I go to put the clean dishes away. I opened the door of the dishwasher, and what do I find?? Steamy, dirty dishes. "hmmm," I think to myself, "I'll just run it again." Run it again, and once more, I have hot, steamy, dirty dishes.

*sigh*

You must realize that I am not a woman of "labour". I mean, I'm not one of those women who wears an apron, with perfect hair and makeup who bakes 5 course meals, raises perfect children and has a spectacularly clean house. I'm good at all of these things, but not all at the same time. Lately, I'm concentrating on the kids thing - it is, after all, my job.

So, when faced with the dilemma of having to wash my dishes by hand, I nearly died. You see, I washed dishes by hand for 8 years. Now that I have a dishwasher, my opinion is "if it doesn't go in the dishwasher, it shouldn't come into my house." I am not that kinda lady. These hands were made for diamonds, not dishes. Nope, not me. My husband affirms this; he has told me on numerous occasions that my blood type should be "O-la-la".


I call him in a panic..."Babe, I've been doing dishes for 10 minutes....by hand!!!....Yes, I know I used to do dishes by hand before. But now I have a dishwasher, and it's BROKEN!!!"

He comes home and looks at it and says "hmm. It's not working." (yeah! that's what I said!!)

I go off to do my other duties...I take care of my chosen children, as well as my own. I straighten up the play room and try to conceive how I will now live my life having to do all the dishes by hand. I resign myself to the fact that I will no longer care about the environment, and will just go the disposable way. Plastic forks and spoons, paper plates and cups...Yup..that's how I will function.

Once my chosen children go home to their families, I wander upstairs to find that my husband has completely dismantled the dishwasher. Racks and bits and tubes are all over the kitchen floor. "What are you doing?!?!" I ask, "You're not a licensed technician! We're screwed!!!"

I eat supper, with my stomach doing flops...I imagine family gatherings with a Turkey on a bed of paper plates and a giant black garbage bag in the corner...I start having palpitations.

After supper is done, I begin preparing for the tedious task ahead...not only do I have to do the dishes from supper, but from breakfast and lunch, too. I pout pretend it doesn't bother me. Meanwhile, hubby puts back the pieces and sets it for a "test run".

IT WORKS!!!


Never doubted he could do it for a minute!