Tales of a Tireless Mom: Things to be Thankful For

Before we head over the river and through the woods to the most delicious feast of the year, I thought I’d take time to call out just a few of the things I’m thankful for.

While obviously I’m grateful for my health and overall happiness, this year I’d like to give some of those “unsung heroes” their due as well.

Everything below makes my life just a little happier and a lot easier, and a working mom like myself NEVER takes those for granted.

1. Georgia’s laugh – I don’t know how she does it, but it starts from way down in her chest and by the time it reaches your ears you can’t help but start giggling too. My favorite version is the one where her brothers make her crack up and she doesn’t know I’m listening; it’s rare, but it’s amazing.

2. Fernando and Andrea – this adorable couple comes once a month to clean our house. Not only are they so sweet and kind but also their ability to make my nasty stovetop 100% crumb-free and shine like new is nothing short of miraculous. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…no matter what the financial situation we might find ourselves in, I’d feed my family cat food before I said goodbye to these two.

3. The iPod jack in my car – I recently traded in my leased car for a 2012 model and while I was “sold” on the fact that I would be saving money on gas, it would be easier to parallel park in Boston and has that great new-car smell, the real kicker is that I can always listen to my OWN music. Within the past few months it seems as though every radio station has become an “Open-a-Vein, Top-10-and-Hip-Hop” nightmare that my kids always demand, so when I’m alone in the car I can hear whatever I want. Even if I’m just driving a mile down the road, my music is exactly what I want to listen to.

4. Food shopping choices – I don’t know how it happened but I honestly believe that I hit the lottery of grocery store locations. For quick trips, I have Star around the corner. If I want my bags carried to my car, I’ll drive a whopping five minutes to Roche Brothers. Find myself on Route 1? I’ll hit Stop and Shop. Ready to splurge for organic? I’ve got Whole Foods. When I need to buy in bulk it’s off to BJ’s. And of course there’s specialty markets like Vincenzo’s, Tutto Italiano or Salem Food. TOTAL CULINARY JACKPOT.

5. My job – you know, here’s one that has truly made me thankful this year. Not only do I love and respect who I’m working for, but I’m having more fun than I’ve had in years and have even been able to find a pretty reasonable work/life balance. I mean, it’s not perfect but it’s just about as close as I’ve ever had. And after having tried on other jobs and companies that didn’t “fit,” I can truly appreciate one that actually does.

Now of course, I’m thankful for my family and friends – I consider myself lucky beyond belief – but sometimes it’s ok to appreciate the little luxuries in life.

And hey, even if I had to drive 10 miles to get milk, listen to Justin Bieber on a constant loop (sometimes it feels like it anyway), cook on a funky stove and have a boring job, the sound of Georgia’s laugh would be enough to get me through.

From my family to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!