It's that time of year again. Time to focus on all that is good and wonderful in your life that you are thankful for. Like all parents, I am always thankful for my children (ok, almost always. A lot of the time. Definitely two or three times a week... maybe). I'm thankful for my husband, family, and friends. I tell them this (I think) so instead I choose to focus on and be thankful for the other, less obvious things that make my life easier and give it more meaning. You know, like Facebook and YouTube. Are you with me?
Facebook
Oh, Facebook. Is there anything better to help a frazzled mom get through her day? I think not! I wake up each morning and eagerly check the statuses of my friends. "Oh, Mathilda's bathroom pipes burst! Messy! And Olga had leftover Chinese food for breakfast - again!" Can it get annoying? Sure, but that has more to do with jealousy that people have time to sit and play Bejeweled Blitz and Farmville for hours a day (where are the children, dear friends? Share your secret with me!). How else could I have reconnected with long-lost friends from preschool through college? Nevermind the fact that Ideliberately avoided many of these people for years or that I need a yearbook to figure out who wants to be my friend; now I can keep tabs on them without having to actually interact with them. It's just a bonus that it helps me stay in touch with true friends.
Bubble Breaker
It took me months to learn how to answer my cell phone when I received an incoming call, but it took mere seconds to locate and become addicted to Bubble Breaker on it. Bubble Breaker is my personal drug of choice and I freely overdose on a daily basis. I can play it anywhere: In line at the grocery store, waiting rooms, during school musicals, and even dinner (ask my husband!). There is something about lining up those colorful bubbles and watching them pop that makes me tingle. All day I long for the moment when my kids are in bed so I can curl up with my cell phone and break bubbles.
Kindle
I adore my Kindle. As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, please believe that I resisted the Kindle as long as possible. When it was presented to me as a gift, I tried to refrain from opening the package but quickly found my fingernails slipping under the cellophane wrapping. Before I realized it, I was holding that lightweight piece of heaven in my hands and as the ad states, in less than 60 seconds I was reading a book. I was instantly hooked as well as torn between wanting to honor my true love for reading in its original form. The thing is, I've now realized that books are so... bulky. And heavy. And now I don't get paper cuts from turning pages too quickly. The one drawback? It's ridiculously easy to purchase books and receive instant gratification when you really want to read a certain book. I've had to learn self-restraint and force myself to remember that place called 'The Library.'
YouTube
There was a time when I hated YouTube. It became loathsome to me that my gossip websites began to regularly require me to watch videos to get the full scoop. I just wanted to read about Britney's meltdown, not see it (until I saw it, then I wanted more!). I soon discovered that YouTube has a plethora of clips from Disney Princess movies that keeps my kids entertained while I make dinner, read, or play Bubble Breaker. Instead of having to sit through Cinderella twelve times a day, we can simply watch our favorite scenes or see the princesses sing. Brilliant! Not to mention the fact that I can look up old interviews from favorite actors or watch inspiring movie clips (like ones with Leo DiCaprio... shout out to the one person who knows what I'm talking about). YouTube is just one more tool that helps me enhance/avoid my parenting duties throughout the day.
Dyson vacuums
I have a crush on James Dyson, the man who changed my life and gave cleaning a whole new meaning. Surely you have heard of the Dyson vacuum, the one that never loses suction? I am completely, wholeheartedly, 100% in love with it. I have had one for five years but this past year has seen near daily use because of my cleaning obsession (that's the nice way my friends phrase it) and an active household that thrives on creating challenges for my Dyson and I. My kids and husband track in dirt, my cats shed like crazy, and I even suspect the fish is in on this somehow. No worries, however, as my trusty Dyson and I are able to quickly eliminate the dust, dirt, fur, cereal, crumbs, and the more than occasional small toy. I even have the little handheld Dyson. I never thought it was possible to love vacuuming this much, but it is.Go ahead, laugh at me. I'm off to waltz around the livingroom with the best partner I've ever had - Dyson.
Happy Thanksgiving.
~Michele