What are you thankful for today?

It's Wednesday, hump-day and day 14 of my "30 Days of Thanksgiving" project.

 

I decided to take a break today from all the serious posts and be thankful for something totally trivial - shopping. And not just any shopping my friends...Christmas shopping.

 

Recently, I've been on this kick about getting all of the kid's Christmas shopping finished and out of the way relatively early. And by early, I mean anytime before December 23rd. I mean...there's nothing like waiting until the last minute to shop, stressing out, missing shipping deadlines, finding yourself actually in a store fighting with people and then having to find solace in a bottle somewhere. Which in most instances, it's in the bathroom of the store that I'm in. Listen...don't knock airplane vodka until you try it. They make it pint sized for a reason.

 

Anyway. I accumulated $20 in Kohl's cash and decided to get Ellie's last present with it. I mean...I was going to Kohl's at lunch to purchase one item. It should have been a safe decision, right?

 

Fair Warning.......the holiday madness has already begun.

 

Thank goodness that I wasn't there to shop. I was there for one item and one item only: Gymnast Dora.

 

 

Ellie is all into gymnastics at the moment. And Dora. So...combine the two and you have a win-win Christmas present. Plus...I figured that if she doesn't like it, we'll just blame it on Santa.

Now...here's the best part of my trip. Originally, Gymnast Dora was $32.99. Ridiculous - I know. She was on sale for $23.09 - lucky me. I had $20 in Kohls cash, so Dora only cost $3 plus change!!!

I heart Kohls!

Anyway.

Like I said earlier, I'm thankful that I was able to finish up my Christmas shopping for the kiddos. I mean...if I waited any longer, it would have been a disaster. lol.

What are you thankful for today?
     

Day 13: Finally caught up

It is with this post that I am finally caught up! Woo hoo!

 

Today's thankful post is about friends.

 

Friends come into our lives for reasons beyond our understanding. They may stay for a life time or only for a short time. It totally depends on the purpose of the relationship.

 

Throughout the years, I have made and lost a lot of friends for reason both within and out of my control.

However long the stay, my life has been touched in numerous ways by all of my friends that have come, gone and stayed in my life.

 

Thank you for sharing your life with me - no matter how long the duration. ♥

     

What day are we on anyway?

I know...I know. I've missed a few days. To be honest, I'm not really sure where I left off, so...I'll just pick up here.

Day 12: Today and everyday, I am thankful for my Ellie Bean!

Ellie is my three year old, independent, strong-willed child. She is a complete mini-me: fiercely independent, wild, absolutely hilarious, very opinionated, doesn't know a stranger, full of sass and doesn't really mind putting you in your place when need be.

My mom just laughs and says that she is me through and through. I didn't know if I really believed her until I saw her give me a look that I know that I give. Then it hit me, "Shit! I'm in for a world of trouble!"

And then there are those moments, like this morning, where she comes bouncing into our bedroom at 7:04 am singing, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!" With one swift scoop of my arms, I picked her up, swung her around, and listend to her full belly laugh. A laugh that I hope that I will remember forever.

She is my sunshine, my Ellie Bean and everything in between. I love you Bean and I am so thankful that you chose me to be your mommy.

P.S.  She totally laughs just like me. Can't you almost hear her?

 

Okay...so I skipped a day

I know...I know. I skipped a day. I was thankful for something - promise! I even wrote it on my FB page. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel like blogging about it. So...in case you were wondering, on day eight, I was thankful for the ability to ask for strength. Lucas' parent/teacher conferences were last night and I needed all of the strength that I could summon.

 

ANYWAY...on to Day Nine!!!

 

Today, I am thankful for the ability to own my own business - Persnickety's Resale Fashion Boutique. There is something magical about owning your own brick and mortar store.

 

I'm completely enchanted with the color scheme. I fall in love with our window display every time that I look at it. Over the past year, we've come to know and love our customers like our own family. And of course...I heart that adorable "boutique boy" that knows everything there is to know about our business.

 

I am uterly thankful and blessed that we are able to live the American dream and show our children what owning a business is like - the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with it. It's so important for Lucas and Ellie to know and understand that with hard work and persistance, owning a local community establishment is totally feasible.

 

I feel blessed that we able able to connect with our community by offering the trendiest and funkiest children's clothing and accessories at affordable prices. What I find humbling and truly amazing, is that in turn, we have been bleesed by the members of our community. We have been welcomed with open arms and have become a "family" of sorts.

 

And for that...I am truly thankful.

 

 

Day Seven: A re-commitment to myself

I can't believe it...I've made it seven whole days of giving thanks for lots of different people and things in my life.

Today, I'm taking a moment to be thankful for fresh starts.

It's not really a secret - I've been quite the slacker the past few months in regards to my eating habits and my exercise activity. There's no excuse really, although I'm sure that I could blame it on my vacation in September.

Instead of continuing down the road of unheathy heating, oversized portions and a sedintary lifestyle, I decided to re-commit to myself today. I deserve to be healthy and fit...dammit!

So...I checked in at FF Anonymous, have logged everything that I have put into my pie hole, and have committed to going out for a run this evening.

While searching Google today for a little inspiration, I ran across this:

Every time that I run, I always feel like I can't breathe and that I'm going to die. lol. This just proves that running is as much of a mental sport as it is physical.

So...I've psyched myself up and I'm going to "keep going". As a matter of fact, I've decided that the only way that I would really push myself was to sign up for a race. On April 7, 2013, I am running my first half marathon.

Duh, duh, duh......dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I want to do it. I know that I can do it. I just need a little motivation.

Well...lucky for me, my motivation comes in the shape of a little oval sticker that says 13.1. That's right folks...I want the fucking sticker for my car. I don't care what my time is or if I have to crawl across the finish line. I am going to finish and I am going to put that stupid sticker on my car!

So...here's to training for the next four months. Let's hope that I don't croak in the process!
 

Day Six: The March of Dimes

It's November 6th and most people are captivated by the election and exercising their right to vote. While my constitutional right is important to me, I decided to be thankful for an organization near and dear to my heart: The March of Dimes.

 

As you may or may not know, premature birth runs rampant in our family. Lucas was born eight weeks early and Ellie was born six weeks early.

 

I remember those days incredibly clear. My water broke while I was at work - January 10, 2006. I remember calling the hospital and the woman asked me if I was positive that my water broke. She then asked me if I "peed" on myself. Um.......................pretty sure I wasn't sure what to say to that one.

 

My hospital stay was horrible. I received antibiotics because my water broke early and Lucas needed to stay put for as long as possible, I was allergic to the antibiotics, I received an amniocentesis to check his lung function (which wasn't good), and to top it all off...Just wasn't allowed to spend the night with me because I had a roommate.

 

On Friday the 13th, I remember crawling to the bathroom so that I could get sick. I was also bleeding and 5 cm dialated. Thank goodness my mom decided to come early for breakfast. She found me on the floor and called the nurses. Thus began the delivery from HELL.

 

I'll spare you the gory details of his birth. lol. You can go ahead and thank me now...or later. Which ever is convenient for you.

 

Anyway. When Lucas was born, he was blue. Or so I was told. I didn't see him. All I know is that he was wisked off to the NICU and I received some much needed pain meds.

 

I remember the nurses telling me that he was the fatest baby in the NICU - he weighted 6 pounds 1 ounce when he was born.

 

When I saw him for the first time, I didn't even recognize him - he was attached to a vent, had all sorts of tubes connected to him, was under the bili lights and was being extensively monitored. I couldn't even touch him - his body was too sensitive.

 

I remember feeling hopeless and helpless. Why was this happening to my baby? When I look back...he was the healthiest baby in the NICU - I just didn't see it at the time.

 

Fortunately for us, we had a great support system with the NICU staff and the local March of Dimes chapter. As a matter of fact, Lucas only spent eight days in the NICU and was finally able to come home on January 21, 2006. One of the happiest days of my life.

 

Then three years later, our sweetie girl decided to make an early entrance to the world.

 

I went for a massage on March 21, 2009 and was told that they didn't have my appointment on the books. I remember feeling completely heartbroken because the girl that I was talking to booked the appointment the week prior.

 

I got in my car and cried the whole way home. Stupid hormones.

 

I called my mom in the afternoon and told her that I thought that I was having contractions, but that I wasn't positive. Like any amazing mom, she told me to call the doctor. And like any stubborn daughter that didn't want to have a baby in March, I didn't.

 

Justin was working that evening and I decided that I wasn't going into labor. She wasn't due for six more weeks.

 

I watched the same Discovery Channel special about Abraham Lincoln six times. I paced, and paced, and paced some more.

 

Finally, Justin called the doctor at 5:00 am and we were told to get to the hospital! Naturally, that meant that I should take my time. lol.

 

When we arrived, I was 7 cm dialated and the nurse asked me if I was having the baby naturally! Um...HELL NO!!!!

 

Again...I'll spare you the details of her birth. I know...I know. You're welcome.

 

When Ellie was born, she was so red that she was almost purple. Her bilirubin was through the roof and her sugar was low.

 

Despite those facts, she was sent to the regular floor and I was able to take her home two days later.

 

Unfortunately, that didn't last. She was re-admitted to the hospital and placed in the NICU.

 

Her liver wasn't expelling blood platelets, her bilirubin was still through the roof and she had a broken clavicle.

 

Again...I felt helpless. I couldn't fight this battle for her. And yet we had a support system that helped us through her hospital stay.

 

Her dedicated nursing staff was amazing. They always took my calls, answered questions, and took the best care of her when I couldn't be there.

 

And for a second time, we were re-acquainted with the local March of Dimes chapter. It's amazing to feel the support of others that have a passion for helping babies and their familes fight the fight.

 

With a little help from our friends and family, we made it through five days of what seemed like an eternity. Ellie was released from the hospital on March 30, 2009.

 

 

Lucas, age 6 and Ellie, age 3

 

 

Everybody's story is different. Yet we all share one common denominator - our children didn't get their full nine months.

 

With the help of the March of Dimes, babies are getting their full nine months, families are receiving much needed education, and support is being offered to all of those who want and need it.

 

The March of Dimes helped my family through those dark days of uncertainty in the beginning. I encourage you to check out this article and learn more about how they are helping those who need it most. http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com/?p=12353

 

 

Day Five: You had me at...rubber bands/

Holy hell...I've made it to day five without missing a day or a beat. That's a small win in my book!

 

I decided to write about rubber bands today. I know...why write about rubber bands when I can write about the love for my children, husband or the like? Well...I'll tell you why.

 

My hair is out of control.

 

Justin asked me to try some new shampoo. Instead of getting my shampoo and conditioner separately, he got the all-in-one kind. Unfortunately, his attempt to be frugal backfired. Instead of saving time and money, it left my hair staticky and stuck to my face every single day.

 

Now granted...the all-in-one shampoo and conditioner might have worked if my hair were shorter. You see, I haven't gotten a haircut in almost six months. To be totally transparent, it's driving me bat shit crazy!

 

Anyway...I digress. Back to rubber bands.

 

As life would have it, my hair was sticking to my face - due to the static. I couldn't handle it one more second.

 

So...I rummaged through my desk drawer and found an oversized rubber band. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and secured it with said rubber band.

 

 

  And there you have it folks...a ponytail  

I guess I did learn something from the Girl Scouts afterall...use your resources wisely! Pulling my hair back out of my face was most definitely a resouceful decision.

 

So, here's to rubber bands for saving the day and my hair crisis!!!