Small Successes and Thankful Thursdays • Vol. 14

My fourteenth weekly edition of Small Successes for moms (hosted over at Faith and Family Live)...as they say, it’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph.

This was a long week.

My successes, in no particular order...

1. I survived the process of selling my house.
   In the period of two weeks, I went back to work, went to Reno for the American Cancer Society, had Thomas baptized and hosted a BBQ, negotiated the final details to the sale of the house, celebrated my first Mother's Day, arranged for a last (somewhat major) replacement to the electrical panel in the house, moved my bedroom and living room furniture out and down to the farm, and finally sold the house...8 months after it went on the market. I now understand why I am so exhausted.
2. We made it through last night.
   Thomas woke up every two hours to nurse, and if we're not on the verge of some teeth poking through, Jonathan and I may just go crazy. It seemed like the three of us had finally truly fallen asleep and my alarm woke us up to get me out of bed at 4:15. We added rice cereal to Thomas's tummy tonight to hopefully help him sleep a bit better.
3. I have made most of our meals this week from scratch.
   Preparing ahead on Mondays has been a godsend - the basics like brown rice, chicken breasts, dividing up the veggies for lunches ahead and dinners. It's so much easier to put things together on the busy Tuesday-Thursday schedule when I only need to select a few items and pull them together.

And the things I am thankful for...

• Amy Gallwas, also known as G-Pity. She's home from Franciscan University for a few weeks, and it was so good to see her and spend some one-on-one time together + Thomas. I am so amazed by her - going back to college after time off, and going through some incredible life changes while she's been there. I feel so honored to have her in my life, and to be part of hers. It's hard to believe we met nearly 6 years ago!
• Fr. Raftis. A long overdue coffee/oatmeal morning after daily Mass...who graciously picked up the tab when I realized that my melted-down midweek brain forgot my wallet at home - an hour away. A good taste of humble pie for me - when I am treated by a priest who has taken a vow of poverty! Thank you, Father! :)
• The gal who bought my house.
• A quietly sleeping baby. At least for now.
• My husband, who makes me laugh even when I'm frustrated. Case in point...tonight, as he was heading off to the fire commissioners meeting. He had just finished playing Punchout on the Wii (the Wii remake of Mike Tyson's Punchout for Nintendo...serious walk down memory lane!) with the Wee Ski as his Punchout coach. I'd just finished cleaning the whole kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, and the chickens decided to start flying in their cage, sending water, feathers and wood shavings all over my clean counter and floor. I lost it. Jonathan started cracking jokes...and there's a good chance I may have started yelling at him...finally telling him that there may be a tent on the front lawn for him when he got home from the meeting. His response, excited... "Do the three of us get to go camping tonight?"

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The verdict on the rice cereal?

The Wee Ski's not quite sold on it yet. :)