Another Thanksgiving List

Ok, it's Thanksgiving morning. Happy turkey day everyone! Yesterday I wrote a "serious" blog post about the holiday, where I listed four of my blessings that I am really truly thankful for. As I sit here at 6:30am, listening to Joseph shuffle and snort in his swing (and cross my fingers that he stays sleeping long enough for me to finish my cup of coffee) I thought it might be a good time to list some of the small, sort of insignificant things that i'm thankful for.As you read this list, keep in mind that, while they may seem insignificant on the surface, they are actually very, very important for my well-being and sanity!

-My smartphone. I very rarely have time to use the computer anymore, so I depend on my phone to keep up with my email/social-media/blog addictions. Plus to check the weather, the news...anything I can do one-handed while holding a newborn in the middle of the night.

-TV. I watch a lot of it in the middle of the night, to keep myself awake during the epic feedings.

-My keurig. I can get a delicious, hot cup of coffee in about 5 seconds, which makes all the difference to me as I stumble into the kitchen at the crack of dawn.

-My microwave. Without it, I would be forever forced to drink luke-warm coffee, since it rarely stays hot long enough for me to drink it the first time around.

-Dunkin Donuts. Yes I have a keurig, and yes I brew Dunkin K-cups. But there is something about having someone else make and prepare it. It makes me feel pampered, and like i'm treating myself to something whenever I buy a coffee. And I swear, it just doesn't taste quite the same when it's homemade.

-The dust-buster. I hate mess, especially crumbs, which are par for the course when you have a toddler. These days, pulling the vacuum out every day seems like much too much of an effort (I save that for my once-a-week cleaning binges) so I depend on this little device to eliminate the many, many crumbs that fall to the floor after every meal and snack.

-Wine. Some nights I just need a glass to decompress.

-Friends (the show, not the real life kind. Although I'm very thankful for them too, of course.) No other show has the ability to make me laugh as hard as this one. And when i'm knee-deep in baby spit up, and listening to both of my children scream at the top of their lungs, a little Friends can go a long way.

-Chocolate. Similar to wine, it helps me decompress after a long day.

-Christmas music. It brings a smile to my face, and a warm feeling to my heart. The Christmas season evokes such happiness that anytime I feel down, I just play some seasonal music and everything seems better.

-Showering. There's the obvious things about taking a shower...feeling clean, refreshed, etc. But for me, the shower is the one and only place where I can be alone. (I don't even always get that benefit when i'm going to the bathroom. Stephanie is typically my constant companion.) Seriously, there are days when that 5 minutes in the shower really is the only time i'm by myself.

-Super Why. And Elmo, and Baby Einstein and Calliou. When Stephanie is deep in the throes of a toddler tantrum, I resort to one of these DVDs. (And ok, sometimes I also put them on when I want a few minutes of not having her underfoot. Like if I need to cook or feed the baby.)

So, there you have it. My list of things that I would be lost without. Small things? Sure. But things that really do make such a difference. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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