THANKFUL THURSDAY

What a beautiful, seemingly Spring-like day outside. Though I haven't actually stepped foot outside -- the morning's wake-up ritual is upon me -- it seems we might just have turned a corner on Spring. Much the same way we've recently turned a few other corners...

[1] We've turned the corner on Brian's recovery, FINALLY. You can't imagine how very thankful I am for this. Though he's not voluntarily drinking his usual volume of apple juice, he is accepting the fluids I offer him on a regular enough basis without me having to muscle him down and force the syringe of Gatorade into his mouth every 20 minutes... as has been my task the past 2 weeks. I felt like an abusive mother doing what I had to do to keep him from going back to the hospital for another IV. Now that we're mostly clear of the possibility of dehydration, we're sort of free to enjoy ourselves again. I'm sure Brian will appreciate the break even more than I will.

[2] IT WORKED! THEY SLEEP! All's clear in their nasal passages and their throats! They fall asleep and stay asleep in nearly the same position they begin in with very little snoring and no stop breathing that I've detected so far. That means they're not waking themselves up over and over again throughout the night due to obstructive sleep apnea. The obstruction -- their tonsils -- is gone. Now, of course, the problem is waking them up. Because they don't stop breathe and wake themselves up in the morning.... NOTHING wakes them up. As a matter of fact, Michael is STILL sleeping as I type. Somehow I have to get them on a normal sleep schedule. Of course, I don't really know what normal is because they've never been able to sleep soundly before. It'll be interesting to try and discover what their natural sleep schedule is!

[3] SPRING BREAK! We have off from school for the next 12 days! And, with the boys healthy again, I am hoping to visit the zoos and parks, go hiking, maybe biking, and walking and feeding ducks. You name it, I'm planning on it... Planning on having tons of fun to make up for some of the misery they've been through the last 2 weeks. And, when we return to school we're in the final stretch to Summer! Talk about a great corner to turn! Yeah!!!

[4] I'm thankful that Tim has turned the corner on his work-week too. He has the next 2 days off so he can enjoy spending some time with me and the kids. After the last 2 very stressful weeks of surgery and hospital stays, he needs the break too... a nice, relaxing break. Maybe a leisurely walk in the woods at the Queens Zoo today!

[5] And, finally, the Jaggi's are back! My friend Tammy, her hubby, Mike, and their 2 beautiful girls, Sam and Kaitlin, are back from Wintering in the Bahamas as they do every year. Tammy's a great friend and one of the very few girlfriends I actually see on a regular basis since I've had kids. Though her youngest is Olivia's age, she has no problem stepping back into toddler-hood with me and my boys. And, I love spending time with Tammy and her family because she consistently makes me laugh with her view of the world. There's always some fun around the corner when Tammy's in town. (Pic: The Jaggi and Hagan kids)

It always feels good to acknowledge the blessings in my life. And, there are so many. Truly so many more -- and some really important ones -- than those I've committed to this computer screen. Thankful Thursdays keep me mindful of all of my blessings as I sift through my brain for the 5 blessings I'd like to share on any given Thursday. So, today, I'd like to take a moment to say a quick thanks to all of you friends and blog-readers. Each of you are a special blessing for me. I appreciate that you humor me by reading this blog. I do love to write. It's always been a great outlet and source of happiness for me. So, thanks for contributing to my happiness in your own special way.