Saturday, April 5, 2014

Week In Review - Ten Things Of Thankful (42)


Ten Things of Thankful


This week had its moments when I just wanted to hide under my blanket. When stress and the pressure working for 2+ people over the last months or so and ever-new unexpected dealings with the house took its toll and caused quite a health scare. But besides all these issues, I am thankful that there were still so many things to be thankful for this past week.

1. A March picnic. I don't remember ever having had a picnic in March before, but with temperatures in the high 70s and bright-blue skies, I simply couldn't pass up the chance to pack our lunch and blanket and head to the playground a little early before meeting with my co-workers and their children for a fun afternoon outside.

2. Getting to celebrate Missy Violet's 4th birthday today with people close to us celebrating with us. I can't believe that my little "baby" is four now. I don't know, but it is somehow still so hard not looking at her as a baby. In the past year, she's started kindergarten, met new friends, grown in independence and self-confidence while still maintaining her sweet nature (now salted with a good pinch of attitude every once in a while). And she's going to be a big sister, soon!!! So definitely, she's not a baby any more..

3. Sunny-side up cake. SO yummie!!

4. Having our building site manager make a chance trip to our house. Obviously, there's been a really bad misunderstanding between hubby and me about airing out the house and it's been closed up for the past 2 weeks. Any longer, and we'd have had a major mold issue to deal with. Hubby's still in for some clean-up, but the catastrophy was averted. Still hoping to get the gas hooked up by next week!! We now need to heat this house up asap!

5. Beautiful weather for most of the week. On Thursday afternoon, I got ice cream and went for a walk downtown with a co-worker, and it was so much fun!

6. Having a very good work-day Friday. After feeling really, really run down for days I was so productive and got tons of work done that neither I nor my poor, sick colleague will have to deal with next week.

7. Getting to watch Lily's musical today. She did such an awesome job, with all her text. And the entire class staged a simply amazing show. Even my friend, who's a 3rd/4th grade teacher was amazed by their performance.

8. A three-day-weekend to look forward to!

9. My co-workers at the IT support office who let me mooch coffee off them because the coffee at our kitchen is undrinkable.

10. The plant we got more than 3 years ago when we moved into our place. Despite grave neglect and long stretches of starvation, it still hasn't died on me yet. I promise you, plant, to find a nice, bigger pot for you to grow in and a warm and sunny place at the new house!

10 + 1:  Not getting any negative responses to yesterday's post for Janine's Finish The Sentence Friday. It was quite a rant, and I received so many good responses, even from people I haven't seen on my blog before. I don't really know what I expected, but definitely not all these encouragements and stories shared. We're definitely not alone, and there are so many people out there with the same or similar issues on their mind. I'm so thankful having had the opportunity to meet new people that way!


What are you especially thankful for this week?  Please share in your comments.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

PS: If you have a minute and feel like polling around a little, stop by A Third Baby Carriage and take the gender poll. Open until Monday evening (CET)

24 comments:

  1. First, totally jealous about a picnic in March, because as you know this year we really have been having just plain old, cold and nasty weather. Even today was supposed to be 60 degrees and is windy and chilly for 60 degrees. So not far and hoping for better weather soon. Happy 4th Birthday to Lily! My Lily will be 4 in November. Time truly seems to keep flying by. And really so glad that you had such great feedback from yesterday's post. Always nice to get supportive comments even when you sure you might not. Enjoy the weekend once again :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just scrolled up to check if in my tired mind I had written the wrong name, but luckily not (earning a not-totally-crappy-mom point here).. It's actually Violet's 4th birthday :-) Remember, you had all the fun snow over the holidays, and I was so jealous. I hope you get nice spring weather, too! You totally deserve it after all the blinding whiteness for months on end. Again, email me your address and I send you some spring :-)

      Delete
  2. Happy birthday to Lily - and to you, Mom! I often feel the same way with Zilla - hard not to think of her as a baby, but she's such a big girl now at almost six. How does this happen??? She's so fun to have in this stage, but is it wrong that I miss the baby, too? Last night after our night out, she crawled into our bed with me and snuggled up. She wanted to be held tight and we fell asleep. Woke up about an hour later to find the Hub had snuggled in with us, too. I guess we get our baby moments every now and then after all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot, Lisa! It's actually Lily II's birthday today (aka Violet, but somehow, she seems to be "Lily" for everyone, from her grandma to her kindergarten teachers to my FB friends) :-) I think it's never wrong to miss the baby, because somehow, we will always remember them as such. I so love if one (or both) of the girls come cuddle with us in bed. I know that time will pass before we know it...

      Delete
  3. You had me at ice cream...
    I'm really sorry that you have a rough week. I really admire that you can still find all them good bits to be thankful for. They're the ones that push us through time and time again.
    I have a plant that is ten years old. It was our first plant when we moved into our very first house. It's survived our neglect on holidays, a dog who is oblivious to any solid objects, and my son...when he was a toddler, he plucked all of the leaves off of it...he's 5 now.
    PS. Four is a great age. Hell, any age is cool but I love it when he started school and his personality really took stride.
    I hope that you have a better week. ENjoy more picnics and ice cream for me :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will do, Kimberly :-) Our older daughter is 6 now, about to start elementary school in fall. It is indeed such an exciting time with both of them. Even though we've been through this age with Lily, we know it'll be totally different with Violet since the two of them are so different. So we're definitely looking forward what tomorrow, next week, and the next 10 or 20 years have in store for us :-)

      Delete
  4. Normally, I am good to houseplants, but for some reason the past year has turned me into a serial (plant) killer! Need to make a few promises to my green (errrrr....brown?) friends too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a notorious black thumb, May. Still, I got not one but TWO orchids from my co-workers for my birthday( it has become somewhat of a tradition that we get an orchid for our 30th birthday). A little over a month later, they are still alive and looking pretty good. I wonder for how long :-) Thanks so much for stopping by, May!

      Delete
  5. What's a sunny side up cake?

    I'm glad you had gorgeous weather and a picnic, too.

    Happy birthday to Violet :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It looks like a whole bunch of eggs sunny side up (actually apricots on a cheese-cake-like topping).

      Thanks so much for the well-wishes, I'll let her know, Lizzi! Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  6. Well, I did not know you were expecting! Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot! Don't write much about it on here, to not turn this blog into a pregnancy blog, so I made a separate one :-)

      Delete
  7. I"m sorry you had such a rough week. I'm glad you had nice weather to help lighten your spirits, though. A walk with a friend while eating ice cream sounds like a perfect combination.
    Oh, I hope this house gets finished soon. The stress it is causing you is awful!
    And, I'm off to read that other post. Go on vacation for one week, and I miss so many things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved your vacation pictures, Christine! I'm glad you got all that fun time with your family! We can't wait for the move either. We definitely want to be moved and settled once the little one arrives, and those next few months will pass so quickly, just like the first months did. Hope to be moving sometime in June..

      Delete
  8. I'm sorry to hear you've had a rough week but you still managed to find a whole list of good in it...that sure says something! A picnic and ice cream and Violet's 4th birthday are all wonderful things. (Happy Birthday, Violet!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot, Sandy, I'll let Missy know :-) It was quite a rough week, and I'm feeling sorry for the little one for being pumped up with all those stress hormones, but this shall pass, too! Have a great week, Sandy!

      Delete
  9. bummer on the week...but hey a MARCH picnic! Whats a sunnyside up cake...did I miss that? Man that house stress is major! a birthday and a play in one week! SOmetimes even the good stress is just that too cuz of the time but sooooo worth it! I have often said that if a plant cant survive on neglect its probably not gonna make it at my house!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The March picnic was definitely something, so relaxing, and the girls' hair smelled like sunshine at the end of the day :-) Sunny side up cake is a cake that looks like a bunch of eggs sunny-side-up (apricots ion a cream cheese topping). So yummie! Eating some left-overs from yesterday right now :-) Have a great new week, Zoe!

      Delete
  10. (total climate envy!! not that I would be all 'lets have a picnic'… those of us from Y Chromia are too serious for that…. but March warm!!! damn!)

    good to see a difficult week net out on the positive side, come Saturday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We've had temperatures in the 80s today, can't believe that!! You know, hubby is not a fan of picnics either, but last year he surprised me just as I was coming home from work with a spontaneous picnic at the playground. That was extra-special for me as I know that he's not into it usually but wants to make me happy :-)

      Delete
  11. Yay for a March picnic!!! Can never go wrong with beautiful weather. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true! Right now, I bet weather here in Germany is almost as good as in TX?? But forecast says rain for tomorrow.. We'll see..

      Delete
  12. I can't keep a plant alive at all. Joe got me one for my birthday and promised he'd keep it alive for me!

    ReplyDelete