Saturday, August 17, 2013

Ten Things of Thankful: Week 11

Ten Things of Thankful


Well, frankly I have no clue where the week went. And with that I must say that I’m not 100% certain I took time to stop and be thankful in those moments which I SHOULD have. But I shall try to recall events and have a thankful heart nonetheless.

One thing I do want to preface this with is that I have a few things of thankful regarding my 10yo. My 12yo got a little bit of play in the local media (ok, only in my blog if we’re being completely honest), so I felt as though I should give my 10yo some bloggy love.

With that, away we go:

  1. I am thankful that my 10yo went to last week-end’s soccer tournament for his brother and complained nary a bit. Granted he didn’t watch a whole lot of the games, with the exception of the last game…his competitive spirit was awakened and he was INTO that game. And perhaps more disappointed by the loss than his brother.
  2. I am thankful for my 10yo’s touched heart…this week he was moved to tears (while reading his history lesson for the day…we are just entering WWII in our timeline) at the thought of all the men and women who have died to protect our freedom. I was stunned.
  3. I am thankful for a seemingly-touched heart of the 10yo who was so (allegedly) upset that his brother was sick that he (the 10yo) lobbied for a shorter work day…for his brother, of course. The fact that he would also have a lighter load was simply a side-effect. (For the record, neither of them ended up having a lighter load…I’m mean like that.)
  4. I am thankful for the 10yo’s spirit and his drive. Even though he opted not to (ok, I didn’t let him) play football this fall, he still maintains that he’s going to be an NFL kicker. Now, that’s not the part I am thankful for; even though I’m still not thrilled with this staunch desire, I am thankful that he’s showing some passion and taking the initiative to go out with his football &  stand, and practice his kicking. ON.HIS.OWN.
  5. I am thankful for 10 and 12yo minds that know when their bodies need to release some energy and who will stop and do a bunch of jumping jacks to relieve said energy. If only I could BOTTLE that extra energy and use it to power the hall lights which continue to be left on when no one needs them. No I’m not bitter about that…why do you ask?
  6. I am still thankful for a first paid writing gig…and not only that, another one (with the same publication) came my way this week. It was not one I sought out and I was UBER nervous about the interview. I had not done a formal interview with someone in YEARS. So all that to say, I am thankful to have my initial one over and done with. And no, it didn’t go as I had hoped/expected/anticipated. Honestly it was weird, but in an effort to not disparage anyone, I shall say no more. Moving on.
  7. I am thankful that I successfully made liquid hand soap this week (recipe forthcoming…I’m sure you’re all on the edge of your seats now!), and have found a recipe for fabric softener which I am DYING to try. No worries…I’ll be sure to share that too.
  8. I am thankful that the weird bug which has affected my 12yo this week (alluded to above) didn’t keep him totally knocked down/drug out, but was only mildly irritating. And it seems to be gone (that’s the biggest part of thankfulness). It was especially irritating when he would get up in the middle of the night (or at the ungodly hour of 5 am. Oh wait…that’s the time my alarm is set…I won’t say it’s the time I always get up, because that would be a lie. And I am to always tell the truth…or at least the truth as I know it.)
  9. So make that my next item of thankfulness: I have been able to actually get up on time this week, even if it is due to the moaning and groaning of my 12yo attempting to vomit and not the soothing “beep, beep, beep” of my alarm clock.
  10. And last but not least, I am thankful that even though they may (ok, there’s no “may” about it…they DO) hate it, my boys still wear their helmets when they ride bikes. And they appear to be the only ones in the pack of neighborhood kids who do. And lest you think I’m a helicopter mom, it’s merely to help me cling to my “Meanest Mom Ever” title.





23 comments:

  1. oh if I only had a nickel for all the "you are the meanest ever! Im so glad your not my real mother..."adoption...the gift that keeps on giving...Im grateful that we now laugh hysterically at those times...hes 24 now... Love the sensitive 10 yo ...such a rarity to find one so conscious of something like sacrifice of war...

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  2. One question: You don't teach anymore AND you homeschool. Why? Why do you set the alarm for 5:00???

    I was wondering why the 10yo wasn't playing...Meanie. :)

    Good job making the boys wear their helmets. It doesn't matter that they will make fun of you when they are older.

    Sweet 10yo.

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    1. I get up at 5 (in theory not always a reality) because I'm a morning person. It's what we do. As you may recall I was in my jammies at 8 the night you came by with Cuckoo and his new set of wheels...it's a vicious cycle, I tell you.

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    2. But wouldn't a true morning person not need an alarm to wake her up in the morning? :)

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    3. Oh no...all it means is that she gets up and is at her personal best first thing in the morning...which is why she's in her jammies at 8 pm (or 5:30 like today...don't judge).

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    4. I would never judge. Laugh, maybe, but never judge. :)

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  3. congrats on the writing job! very cool! (at least from my perspective as someone who has come to enjoy the effort to develop a skill in that arena..watch others and learning from that, sounds like you will be sought after as a writer.
    good post

    the energy... the excess energy! ayiiee amazing is it not?

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    1. Thanks so much...we shall see how it goes. It has been forever since I actually anyone edit my work that I'm not entirely certain that I am up for the "criticism"...time will tell! And the idea of cash in my pocket might out-weigh my injured pride. :)

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  4. Made me giggle!
    I used to make homemade laundry soap but I could never get it to smell strong enough....I love SUPER good-smelling-laundry.
    I'm interested in your hand soap recipe!

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    1. The hand soap is easy breezey lemon squeezey...I'll be posting it soon! Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. @Cyndy -- I add those Downy or Gain "scent crystal" things to the detergent mixture, giving a much smellier smell.

      I am anxious to hear about the hand soap...

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    3. Hand soap recipe is posted in case you are interested! :)

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  5. Congratulations on the writing jobs! Haven't tried homemade soap yet, but have wanted to try. My sister had a horrible virus that's been going around - my sympathies to your household! Never a fun time. Hope all are feeling better.

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    1. Thanks for the sympathies...we seem to be on the mend from the stomach bug and now a summer cold is making the rounds. Oh well...it could be worse and I'm really not complaining! :)

      BTW the hand soap recipe is posted in case you are interested! :)

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  6. My kids always had to wear their helmets, too. I think my son will never let me forget that if I hadn't been such a "mean mom," he would never have been bitten by the black widow (which was in his helmet!) However, even after that incident I still required helmets; I just advised checking for spiders before putting them on!

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    1. Thanks for the tip...I am always afraid of the Brown Recluse...that's the big one where we live. YUCK-O!

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  7. Awww, you have such a thoughtful 10yr old :)

    I love the thought of your home-made soap - I have a friend who makes me some regularly, although it's block soap, and I do love a liquid soap - but home-made is so much nicer than shop-bought, so I look forward to the recipe :)

    I always insisted that my daughter wear her helmet, even when she was in her teens - but better safe than sorry, say I :)

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    1. The hand soap recipe is posted in case you are interested! :)

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  8. I'm another one of the meanest moms in the world, because I, too, insisted my kids wear helmets when they rode. My daughter didn't want to wear one, because it messed up her hair and gave her helmet hair, so she just refused to learn how to ride a bike. Taught US, yes, she did. Now she's 14 and can't ride a bike.

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    1. Well, it sounds like she DID teach you...life lessons are no fun sometimes..congrats on being a good mom and sticking to your guns!

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  9. Great post! Kids are great, aren't they? Well, MOST of the time. :-D

    Congrats on the writing gig! Awesome!

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    1. Thanks...yes, kids are great. I knew before I had them that they were, but somehow they just get better the older I get. Does that make any sense? And yes, they do have their moments, for sure!

      Thanks for the congrats...I am excited but nervous. It's been so long that I had to actually take feedback/criticism about my writing...I hope I'm really up to it! :)

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  10. Your kids are an absolute credit to you - they sound like awesome, well-rounded young men.

    WHOOT about the paid writing gig! That's amazing stuff. GO YOU!

    And re helmets - please please please keep making them wear them. Because it's rarely the silliness of the cyclist which results in an accident. As someone who was doing 30mph downhill and got pulled out in front of by a stupid, inattentive driver, I can safely say that I wouldn't be here without my helmet - I flew off the bike, over the bonnet and landed ON MY HEAD in the road. Without that helmet, that woulda been my brains across the tarmac. Be a helicopter, be branded a meanie, get laughed at, but KEEP THEM SAFE!

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