Top Ten: Why the Glass is Half Full

Ha, bet you thought I forgot about you? It’s been one of those weeks. I just thought Sunday was the end. It went from bad to worse. Clare got a double ear infection so we got her into the doctor and on antibiotics, only to find out she’s allergic to amoxicillin. Lovely. I started running a fever last night…yadda, yadda, yadda…and we’re all better today (ever see that Seinfeld episode?)

But, enough “woe is me.” That really was going to be the topic for today’s top ten. Something along the lines of what a rough week it had been. And then I got an email (I’ll explain below) this morning and thought to myself, life ‘ain’t so bad. So, in honor of that perspective shift, here’s this week’s…

TOP TEN REASONS THE GLASS IS HALF FULL

1. I’m a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). Yea, granted, there are days (like Monday) where you seriously want to call in sick, jump in the tub and turn up Neil Diamond (uh oh, did I say that out loud?) But, when the kids were all screaming, they wanted to sit in my lap. And, even though you’re covered in throw-up, spit-up, squished bananas, crushed cheerios, leftover breakfast juice and a stinky sock up your nose – you know you’re loved. And, really, what says love more than a two-day-old sock?

2. I have a washing machine and dryer. Yes, and they do great work. Except fold the clothes. And put them up. But, I’m not shlepping to the backyard to wash the clothes over the washboard or pinning them up on the clothesline to dry. Let’s face it, if that were the case, we’d wear the same clothes all year or go naked.

3. My house is lived in. Translated…there is crap all over the place. Hey, I mean it people. Martha Stewart has left the building and has been replaced by Roseanne. I finally cleaned the dishes that have been sitting in my sink for 3 days. And, that load of laundry my mother-in-law put in there on Saturday, finally got folded TODAY.

4. We have DVR. My sister-in-law was right. It is a gateway drug. While I was feeling like I was in the seventh ring of hell on Saturday, at least I could watch some Young & the Restless I recorded last week.

5. My husband knows his way around the grocery store. Ladies, I did marry the perfect man (don’t tell Scott). He loves going to the store. I mean it. His dad owned and operated a small chain in north Texas for many years and he grew up in the grocery business. So, he was kind enough to go for me last night. Downside? He just has a hard time leaving without all sorts of new products to try out. Shoot, this is supposed to be positive. Ok, try again. Upside? I didn’t have to go.

6. My kids keep on laughing. Amidst the chaos this week, we still laughed, a lot. Mostly due to them. I love having four children. More people should try it. Really.

7. Mother’s Day Out. Had it not been for that, you could have looked me up in the crazy pages on Tuesday. Anna-Laura and John Paul had a blast and I finally found that stack of bills I’ve been meaning to pay for like, 3 weeks. Sheez, the office looks like a train wreck, but I’m pacing myself. You know, not to get too organized too fast.

8. For modern medicine. Yes, even though we spent over an hour waiting on our doctor Monday morning, we have one. Even though the diagnosis was EXACTLY what I suspected (double ear infection), we were able to fill the prescription and get Clare on the path to healing. Even though the pharmacy lost our scrip from the pediatrician, at least we have ready / cheap access to meds. What children are healed from in days in the states, they die from in other countries. We’re blessed and we don’t even realize it.

9. Good friends. Several of them heard me vent. Big ups to Halle, Melanie, Angela, the lady at Walgreen’s, the nurses – maybe it was TMI? And, a shout out to Mary Ann. She’s the mom of a son who has autism. She shows me that we all have crosses. But, God gave us our children at this moment. You just gotta do the best you can.

10. I have no problem speaking my mind. Oh, wow, I maybe should’ve warned you? That’s incredibly mindblowing to many, I know… I find solace and peace in knowing that God gave me an independent nature (a trait my kids are developing quite nicely, thankyouverymuch). I’m learning to stop worrying about what other people think (read: what other parents think about how we live our life and raise our children). Perfect Parent World does not exist. And, just because we do it differently doesn’t mean that we think your way is wrong. Our way is just right…for us.