I Really Like My Husband and My Children - I have a great life!!

Makana really wanted tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner.  But we had no canned tomato soup, so I offerred to make her homemade tomato soup.  I usually can't remember which book the tomato soup recipe that I like is in, but tonight I easily found it.  I had to stop making it to help Kanoa for a while (nurse, diaper change, connection) and then set up the dvd player in the kitchen so I could cook and be close to him.  Threw in some laundry and began to chop onions and press garlic and add spices.  Only have skim cow's milk though.  Asked Li if he would still have the soup if I used that, he said he would prefer going to the store for rice milk.  Checked the time.  It was just about the time Jim might be leaving work.  Called him and he was willing to stop by the store on his way home.  He even made a list of what other things we needed and agreed to get them (as he is a great guy and knows it is much easier overall than taking the three younger kids with me, although we often do shop together).  So....we're waiting for him and will appreciate him not only working all day, but stopping on the way home too.  Thanks Wolfie, I love you!  And this is only one of the gazillion reasons why!! 

I also want to write that I love Katie so much....she is such a wonderful, fun, bright, cheerful person almost all the time!  I love her attitude and who she is - a truly good person, a delight and a sunny person who lifts others up by her very energy and spirit!  It makes me feel so good that she is doing the things in life that make her feel good and has friends who make her laugh and that she enjoys spending time with.  I once read a snippet of a book written by a man who wrote about his experience having teenagers who got so busy it seemed that they were hardly ever home.  Then after his kids had moved out, he realized how they did still live at home when they were sort of using it like a base from where they took their adventures as when they truly weren't living there, he didn't find any evidence of them being around like socks and things and dishes and such and he really missed that and them.  Reading that made me feel sad for him and was a good reminder to appreciate the time that my kids do spend with me and are living at home.  And when I do have a moment where I wish something was put back in it's place, I remember this man and what he felt and it helps to bring me back to what is important and what I can appreciate now.  Once I feel grateful for evidence that those I love live here, I am feeling like I have my priorities straight again.

I do have moments though where I get off track.  Example of Wolfie helping me remember what is important: I took Katie and Zach to the ice skating rink a couple weeks ago.  It was Zach's first time skating.  Katie took her skates with her.  When I brought them home, she had left them in the back of the van.  No big deal, but I really like to keep the van clear in the back so I can put groceries and such in it (okay....I love things organized too!).  A day or so went by and I put them in the mudroom right on the stairs so she could easily spot them and hopefully take them upstairs and put them back in her closet on the ice skate pile.  Well, they sat there for days (and I didn't remember to ask her to take them up as it wasn't high on my list of things to do, but was something I did want put back eventually).  One morning I was saying goodbye to Jim in the mudroom and made a comment about the skates still sitting there.  Jim said "She has alot going on.  Remember when you were fourteen."  His comments reminded me that she does have a whole 'nother world going on and this was not anything important to get bothered by.  In fact, it was easy for me to simply bring the skates up to the skate pile and be grateful for her being alive and having so many other things that she is interested in.  I smiled and thanked Jim for saying that and he said "Yeah, well don't ask me at night when I'm tired!"  lol!  Love that we can be there for each other like this!