1) Family
I've said it before, and I'll reiterate it here: to me, family is the most important thing. Ever. Life can break you down, you can lose a job, you can have a bad run of luck, but true family members will stick by you through thick or thin. They'll love you no matter what. I think once I became a stay-at-home mom, I've realized how much I lean on my family for support, and it's nice to know that they're there for me.
I feel blessed to live relatively close to my parents; it's nice to see them every-so-often, especially for the kids. My dad stopped by on Monday just to take me out to dinner. I talk to them a few times a week. After losing a family member recently, it's that much more important to me that I keep in constant contact with those who mean so much to me.
It's well-known how much it pains me to have my brother and his wife so far away. I know this is what is in their heart to do, and I'm beyond proud of the both of them for the work they are doing. But I miss them. Tremendously.
My mom, brother, sister-in-law and dad.2) My freelancing options
I'm grateful to have supplementary income, no matter how annoyed or frustrated I might get. My main source of income abruptly ceased communication with a majority of its editors/writers earlier this summer, leaving many of us in the lurch. For a while, I was able to work with my old company doing fact-checking work, which wasn't bad, but not very steady. Then I answered an ad on craigslist, and surprisingly, have found steady work (furiously knocking on wood). It's not the world's most exciting work, but it's nice that I can work at home, once the kids are in bed, so we can do fun things, buy nice stuff for Christmas and be comfortable.
I'm not the best at marketing myself, or even promoting myself, so I thought I would be in much more dire straits than I am, so it was wonderful that this job "landed" in my life. It requires me to work 15 hours a week, which at times can be daunting, especially after a rough day with the kids or life in general, but it's been painless so far.
Plus, it doesn't hurt that Phil still has a job that he enjoys and will be getting a nice bonus next month. And he works one day a week at home. So I'm thankful for that.
3) My kids
Yes, certain days they drive me absolutely up the wall. And there are days when I cannot believe that I chose to stay home with them. All. The. Time. And on days like yesterday, when they've both been home due to a day off of school. And I've had to scold them several times. For stupid stuff. Like not sharing toys. Or pestering each other. Or annoying each other. But that's what wine is for.
Those goofy kids.But then there are other days when I can volunteer in Riley's classroom. And watching her play sports. Or having either kid hand me a freshly made picture. Or days when all Jeremy wants to do is play games and tickle.
This was taken a few years ago. Look how little the kids are!And the kids crack me up. Literally, there is not a day that passes where I don't laugh at something. Just tonight, I covered Jeremy up with his blankets, and he asked, "Mom, I don't know where I am." Or at our mini-Thanksgiving dinner tonight, where Jeremy took one bite of the turkey and pronounced: "This is absolutely delicious!"
4) My husband
I might not talk about how wonderful he is, but he is at times. He knows that I need a break, and he insists that I take an hour for myself each day. He knows how much I enjoy Dairy Queen, so every week he drives over there and gets me my weekly Blizzard. (By the way, DQ closes in just a few weeks, so that's always a sad day in my world.) When I was pregnant with Jeremy, he would draw a bath for me every Friday. Just because. And it was heaven.
Our wedding day, 8+ years ago.He puts up with my nagging, my never-ending lists and my overall crabby moods. He knows when to take the kids in the basement after pjs to just let loose. He knows when to have massive tickle fights. He knows in the summer when to take them outside and play bat and ball, throw the Frisbee around or bust out the bubbles. He's the best dad to those kids, and I've never once doubted his ability to do what's best for those kids. They greet him with massive hugs and a welcome that could make anyone smile.
He knows me better than anyone, which is good and bad. It prevents me from getting away with anything, but we all need someone who can put us in our place. We've been together 10+ years now, and I can't imagine my life without him. I hope he knows that.
5) Hockey
Yeah, that's right. I'm SO grateful for hockey. As an early Christmas present, Phil got me tickets to a Blackhawks game earlier this month. We just purchased a new camera, and I've yet to install the software needed to view the pictures, but the game was fantastic. It was Jeremy Roenick heritage night, and those who know me know that I'm a HUGE JR fan. In fact, we named Jeremy after him.
It was an awesome game as the Hawks won 4-3 in a shootout. The crowd was the largest of the season (so far), and it was fantastic to be a part of the team's success this season. I've been enjoying the games on television and cannot wait to see how the rest of the season pans out.
It does make me sad that I no longer work in the professional sports arena. In '98 turned down a job to work for the Chicago Wolves minor-league hockey team. I thought they were offering me too little of money to do too much work. I know, though, that I would've missed out on so many aspects of life if I would've taken that job, but it does make me wistful.
Anyway, the kids know several of the players by name, and they're always asking if Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews scored. I think it's pretty cute. I cannot wait until they are old enough to enjoy attending a game. Of course, we'll have to refinance the house to do that when the time comes. Maybe I should start getting Jeremy on those ice skates so he can be a Hawk someday. Wouldn't that be great?!
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