Warm Hearts Happy Family

One of my main frustrations with my husband is…well… it’s rather quite vain if we are being honest.  But bother me it does. 

He doesn’t look good in pictures–ever. Not because he isn’t totally studly in every way, but because he looks like he belongs in a prison cell and not in our living room.  In almost every picture.

He can not seem to figure out how to smile like a normal person for the camera.  But I am not complaining about that–it is a small miracle if he even attempts a smile.  Most of the time I get this:

Do you see where my frustration comes in? We all look so happy, and my husband looks like he is dead inside–living a life of dull boredom that is killing him slowly from the inside out.

The opposite is true however. He is the LIFE of the party, a giant kid really–trapped in an adult body. He is full of energy and happiness in general.

Except when I say lets take a family picture. In true bratty 7 year old form he pouts and refuses to smile.

So dear husband of mine, if I were you I would start smiling or else our children’s children are going to look back and think you were one grumpy ass old man.

The End.

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You are, aren’t you?  Sneaky little holiday season you.

Well I am ready for you so bring it.

Bring on the Christmas music weeks before we have our Thankful Feast cause I’m listening!

Go ahead retail, woo me with your holiday cheer and door buster sales.  I love it!

Go on neighbor, put up those lights so I can arrive home to some twinkling happiness.

Holiday food you say?  Yes please, and seconds.  Weight Watchers will forgive me.

Stress can’t hold me down!.  We will buy what we can afford and make up the rest in quality family time, joy, and appreciation.

On this Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for, and thankful is exactly what I am.  This is what I am choosing this holiday season–to count my blessings and to teach my kids to do the same. 

Could we use a new mattress?  Yes, desperately so.  But we have a warm bed to sleep in and I am grateful for it.

Do we need new windows? Someday, but the view out of our current ones is filled with beautiful houses with neighbors to match.

How about new clothes? I have lost 26 pounds thank-you-very-much which has greatly expanded my wardrobe. I am quite thankful for that!

Toys you say?  My basement (and living room, and bedrooms, and car, you name it) is covered in them.  More toys the kids do not need.

This leaves room for the good stuff.  For appreciation of family and all of the little things that warm our hearts. 

Like driving around and enjoying all of the lights.

Or having hot chocolate after dinner with a family movie.

Watching my kids fall in love with Ralphie and his red ryder BB gun just like I did.

And teaching our kids that holidays are about celebrating the love that a family can create.

I do not care if this year ended without presents.  I am truly grateful for the people in my life and am content to just celebrate our humanity, our successes, and our contributions to one another.

And no worries, the kids will also celebrate the wonder and excitement of unwrapping their presents–while mom and dad sit back and smile at our beautiful corner of the world.

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Happy anniversary love.  I can’t believe it has been 6 years since our wedding.  2 kids and 50 pounds later, I love you more than I did then.  You are still my best friend and my most favorite person.

Big fat smooches.

Here is to less irritation with each other, and more appreciation. Can’t wait to see what this next year brings.

Here is a photo montage starting with us in 1999, and ending this past weekend.

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My phone conversation with my husband yesterday:

Tim:  Even though our kids may not always listen, the one thing they do have is great manners. 

Me:  Yes they do…(cut off as usual by him)

Tim:  They say please and thank-you so well and they mean it.  They are such sweet kids. 

Me:  I know, they are the sweetest…(cut off.  again.)

Tim:  I don’t know where they get it from either.  Its like they were just born to have manners, its so weird.

Me:  *I actually moved the phone away from my ear and just stared at it.  Silent and blinking.  To make sure I processed what I had just heard correctly*

Tim:  Hello?

Me:  They just magically learned their manners?

Tim:  Well you know what I mean.

Me:  Actually Timmy, I worked really hard to teach our kids to be polite.  And I have been pretty succesful despite who their outrageously annoying fun-loving father is.

Tim:  Huh.  OK, gotta go.

Click.

PS Babe:  When I remind you to say please and thank-you–and heaven help us–excuse-me when the appropriate time calls, it isn’t to be a beastly nag.  It is because kids do as their parents do.  So with a little nagging nudging by me you have actually taught our babies their manners too! 

Crazy concept I know.

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When I first heard about a Detroit blogger meet-up organized by the kick ass RockDrool from RockandDrool.com my first thought was “eff yes I want to go!”  Which was promptly followed by nerves and self doubt and anxiety.  I just don’t step out of my comfort zone often–so the fact that I went was  a big deal for the self proclaimed social disaster. 

And honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all which is crazy.  I felt at ease immediately when I met up and drove with Melissa (aka RockDrool) and the conversation flowed nice and naturally all night.  Teacher Mommy from diapersanddragons.blogspot.com came almost immediately followed by MomZombie from mom-zombie.com and TJList who has his blog marinating in his head just waiting to explode into the blogosphere.

I think I felt so at ease because we were all in the same boat–not quite sure what to expect–but all wanting to connect with other bloggers.  Other people that share a passion for language, writing, social networking, and so much more.  And what an amazing group we were.  Such interesting backgrounds, such different stories.  I think we could have gone on for several more hours talking–we were never at a loss for topics. 

I very rarely get out without my husband and kids so last night was great for me–a nice refreshing reminder that I am my own person.  Seperate from a wife and mother and all of the other cliches that come along with that.  I made connections.  I learned about people that prior to yesterday were complete strangers.  I was a grown up. 

So thank you again Melissa, and to everybody that saw the potential in this idea like I did and had the balls to come.  Can’t wait for the next one! 

Huddle up…hands in the middle…123 Michigan Bloggers…BREAK!

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