THANKFUL THURSDAY - Just In Time

The end of the school year always wreaks havoc on my peace of mind. Too many to do's and not enough time to do them. So, with all the stress I've been feeling, with little or no time to vent or let off a little steam, by the time Thursday rolls around again, I'm feeling hard pressed not thankful. But, focusing on what I've got [to be thankful for] seems the perfect remedy to relieve the stress, chase the blues, and vanquish the blahs. So, here goes:

[1] Thank God there's white vinegar in the house. Yup, forgot to put sunscreen on the old soul for her pool party this afternoon. Can't find the aloe vera lotion so I had to send Sarg to CVS to go buy some more! First sunburn of her short 7 years. Sure I told her to wear the t-shirt top bathing suit so she wouldn't get burned... she didn't! But, I'm the adult and I should have put the sunscreen on her. I remembered as I drove away -- spying the clouds, considering the last 14 days of non-stop rain and thinking she'd be ok -- and I'm kicking myself for not going back. I'm paying now. Unfortunately, so is she! (BTW - It's not a horrible sunburn compared to the 1" blistering burns I got over and over again as a kid... She's not a lobster... just uncomfortably pink... all over! But we're supposed to know better now... Right? Just some more fodder for my I'm-a-bad-mother guilt trip!)

[2] Thank God for the friends who encourage me just by being on the other end of the phone. I don't even have to say anything... Just knowing there's a friend within earshot whose been there/done that is enough. Thanks Nicole!

[3] I'm not sure if I'll care about turning 50 (which is 4 years away yet). But, I'm glad that I'm not 50 right now. I'm not where I want to be physically at 46. And, I think if I were here and 50, I'd feel worse. Last August, I was hoping to be 40 lbs less for the camping trip this August (not gonna happen). Maybe I can lose 10 before then! But I guess I'll just have to shoot for hitting 50 with 40 lbs less force via a healthier life style. How's that for setting short- and long-term goals?

[4] I am sooooo glad that the old soul and the boys have no school for the next 10 days. That means Mommy has 10 commuting-free days too! We're not going anywhere that I can think of [yet, though I desperately WANT to go somewhere] and we've got pets that we love love love for 360 days of the year right up until I feel like jumping in the car with the kids for an impromptu road trip [like I do now] and suddenly realize I can't do that because there's nobody to take care of the pets in my absence. Oh well. It'll be a good 10 days anyway! We're going to vacation at home! Hit the local attractions: Statue of Liberty, Bronx Zoo, USS Intrepid Air and Sea Museum, the Beach, Ice Cream shop, take a day cruise/boat ride, bike ride in a new park (got one in mind that overlooks the LI Sound), go north (to LI's Gold Coast), go east (to the end - aka. Montauk's fishing villages), etc. Should be fun... Maybe even more fun than actually going away because we all get to come home and get a good night's sleep in our own comfy beds every night and I don't even have to pack a suitcase... Yeah!

[5] I'm thankful I have the luxury of deciding whether or not and when my boys annoying little health issues should be addressed via surgery as necessary. Yes, we're considering surgery for another issue... but it's not a MAJOR issue. Actually, their health issues -- while important -- are, thankfully, not life threatening. More quality of life stuff and improved functioning kind of stuff. And, I am so very thankful for this and their general good health.

SPECIAL THANKS: I'm grateful for this beat up old roof over my head. Grateful that, with all this rain, it didn't leak (neither did the basement). And, grateful that -- unlike the man I pointed out to my old soul the other day who's living out of a shopping cart under the train trestle, all his possessions in plastic bags to keep them dry -- we have a home! And, we are incredibly lucky that we do!