Boogers on the Wall

I’m writing this in a terribly grouchy mood on Thanksgiving Eve. Why am I grouchy? I really can’t say. I’ve spent the day with my kids. I worked on several projects around the house. I even snuck in eating some chocolate chip cookie dough and no one noticed – so I didn’t have to share!

But I’m grouchy.

And that makes me embarrassed.

I have way too many blessings in my life to walk around in grumpy pants.

So I’m going to do what I do every year on the eve of my least favorite holiday. I’m going to write a short list of the things I’m thankful for. Maybe that will transform my mood.

First, I am thankful for my family. I have five beautiful, beautiful children. They make me laugh, they make me cry and they drive me absolutely insane. But I love them with all my heart.

I have an amazingly supportive husband. He lets me run around the house from project to project and often has to finish when I get in over my head. He calms me down when I’m acting crazy and he lets me laugh/cry when I haven’t had enough sleep. Which is pretty much all the time. And if you don’t know what laugh/crying is, I’ll call you next time I’m having a fit.

I am thankful that I got to spend an entire month in a beautiful foreign country with my favorite people. Seriously, who gets to do that? We spent day after day together exploring Italy and it’s rich culture and history. It was crazy, it was hard, it was fun, it was amazing.

But leaving America made me realize how thankful I am for the land of the free. There are so many things here that I’m thankful for. I’ll name two – seedless grapes and free public restrooms that have toilet seats. Two things that were very difficult to find in Rome.

I’m thankful that the tree house is finished. My husband and kids slept in there Tuesday night. It was cold, but so much fun. I can never be thankful enough for all the friends, family and police officers that supported us through all of that.

I’m thankful for my college education. Although I choose to live the stay-at-home mom life, I am so grateful for all the things I learned while in school.

I’m thankful that we have the ability for me to stay home.

I’m thankful that my husband works hard for our family and has a great job he enjoys.

I’m thankful that my kids have forgiving hearts. Because I am going to have to ask for their forgiveness on being such a grouchy person – tonight and on many other occasions.

I’m thankful for gelato. I’m thankful for music. I’m thankful for my puppy – yes we have come a long way me and Fia.

I am thankful for so many more things but I want to include one more thing on my list this year – technology.

I am thankful that I can call, chat, text or video message friends and family thousands of miles away. I am thankful I can keep up with friends and family across the world through pictures and posts online.

I am thankful for my Google calendar that helps me stay on track. I’m thankful for my electronic grocery list. I am thankful for my digital checkbook app. I’m thankful that my TV remote is on my cell phone. The list goes on and on. Finally, I am thankful for online shopping. And so I leave you to go surf the web. I’m hoping to snag a big black Friday purchase online in less than an hour.

Thankfully I can do it in my pajamas in the comfort of my living room.