Those Days

 There is a gal named Booyah’s Momma who writes a funny, charming blog called The Adventures of Chip and Bobo.  Her blog makes me smile every time I visit because, even in the throes of frustrating parenting moments, you can feel her love for Chip and Bobo (her kids, by the way). Booyah’s Momma joins me today to  talk about what she’s thankful for.. Those Days.

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Those days.

If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about.  We all have them.  The days where everything seems like a battle, and tempers flare in both directions.  The days fraught with meltdowns, temper tantrums, and scream fests.  And don’t even get me started on what the kids are doing. 

Those days are the ones I wonder what exactly I signed up for in the first place.  Those days are the ones where I question my abilities as a parent.  Those days are the ones where I find myself counting down the minutes.  Until naptime.  Or bedtime.  Or crack-open-a-beer time.

I had a couple of those days this weekend.  And they had me actually welcoming the arrival of Monday morning, when the kids traipsed off to preschool.

But as I sit here in my quiet house?  It’s easier to step back and see where those days fit into the grand scheme of things.  How, in reality, those days sometimes help me see what I am most thankful for.

I am thankful for green boogies and coughy little rugrats.  Because they make me appreciate the fact that, 90% of the time, my kids are healthy and active.

I am thankful for a strong-willed daughter, who wants to do her own thing.  Who stands her ground and won’t back down no matter how much we plead, cajole or threaten.  As she transitions into an adult, I hope it means she will remain a strong, independent thinker, who stands by her convictions and doesn’t back down amidst peer pressure… and who isn’t afraid to buck the status quo.

I am thankful for squabbling kids.  For a four year-old that plays too rough with her little brother, or who crushes him with hugs so hard that he starts to cry.  For a devilish toddler who antagonizes big sister to no end.  Because, even though they don’t realize it now, they will look back on their rivalry with affection.  And they will be glad they had a sibling to love, torture and tease.  That same sibling might just become the best friend they ever had.

I am thankful for being called out of bed countless times during the middle of the night for a drink of water, Tylenol, or a child who just wants mommy.  And I am oh-so-thankful for the pitter patter of little feet at 4:30 the next morning running to my side.  Because someday, we’ll wake up as empty nesters with all the time in the world to sleep, play poker, and wonder what our kids are doing.

I am thankful for sick, whiny toddlers.  The kind who stay glued underfoot all day long, who prevent me from getting anything done, and who cry incessantly to be pick up.  Because I know that, before long, they will run away from my kisses and hugs, and will be embarrassed by the momma who just yearns to hold them and wish they were little again.

I am thankful for snapping at my equally tired husband because of something trivial he did… or didn’t do.  Because at the end of the day, he always accepts my apology.  And it makes me realize how lucky I am to have someone who loves me even when I’m bitchy… and who gives me back rubs despite this.

I am thankful for the days when I lose my marbles.  I am thankful for the days when I yell at my children, or blow a gasket because of something they did.  Because I am always reminded later about my children’s abilities to forgive, forget and love me unconditionally as if nothing ever happened.  Their acceptance of my flaws make me want to be a better mother.  And, for that, I am thankful.

I am thankful for beer.  Because the worries of the day always seem so much more insignificant once I find myself clutching a cold frosty one.

And as ironic as it sounds, I am thankful for those days.   Because those days make you truly appreciate all of the good days.

The good days always outweigh the bad ones.

For that, I am thankful indeed.

Thanks, Booyah’s Momma! Now make sure you read our other guest poster today, KLZ from Taming Insanity, who writes about War On The Homefront.

Tagged as: Bloggyfriends, Guest Post, Thanksgiving