A Holiday Top Ten List

Ten Things I Was Thankful For During Our Thanksgiving Travels

1. Having two excellent Thanksgiving meals, at two different places, both of which involved my in-laws and my parents because they like each other enough to invite each other over. That's awesome and I couldn't have requested a better family situation. Most people aren't that lucky.

2. Having a "hall pass" from Dr. T to cheat on my low sugar diet for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure she didn't realize that I define "Thanksgiving" as Wednesday night to Sunday morning, and if she doesn't ask for details I don't plan on enlightening her.

3. The lemon pie Kaycie (with help from my mom) made for me. Because it was sooooo good and I haven't had one in ages and thanks to #2, I could actually eat it. Unfortunately my mom sent the leftovers home with me and now I have to face it every time I open the fridge, knowing that my hall pass expired and I'm making weekly trips to the doc now so I really do need to be good. But I WANT IT. Maybe Wednesday after my appointment I can sneak another slice...

4. I slept until 9am three of the four mornings we were traveling. Could have easily slept late the fourth morning, but MicroTot was abusing me to the point that I figured getting up was easier than staying in bed.

5. Live-in child care. Grandparents are the best. thing. ever.

6. This:

Because that's just hysterical. My mom took the pic. I can't take credit, I was at Walmart when it happened, courtesy of #5.

7. The extreme discomfort I was in courtesy of MicroTot. No, it's not fun. And no, I don't enjoy being poked and pummeled and squished from the inside, or serious leg cramps or heartburn or waking up 14 times a night to go pee. But I know he's active and every time he pummels me I'm reassured that he's ok. Even though I'm sure it'll just get worse over the next six weeks, I'd rather be uncomfortable than not.

8. I read a book, cover to cover. Granted, it was the shortest of the three books I took with me, but I started it Wednesday night and finished it Saturday. I feel like I've accomplished something (courtesy of #5, again).

9. Having a video player in the van loaded with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Soooo much better than listening to Kaycie whine and fuss and cry and b pitiful for hours.

10. Having safe travels every step of the way.

Honorable Mention - coming home not only with edible leftovers, but with 5 gallon bags of poultry bones to cook up for stock. First batch of chicken bones is in the crock pot as we speak and should be ready to strain up for freezing tomorrow. I'm curious to see how many batches will be required to use up the bags of turkey bones from two big turkeys. AND I got a ham bone to use in ham and potato soup. I'm probably the only person you know who was stoked about bringing home a cooler half full of bones.

And for the record, I could make a list six times this long and still not cover everything.