As you know, for four years now I have embarked on my yearly Top Ten Thankfuls because gratitude is the bomdiggity, y’all.

Here’s a quick peek at a past reminder of all things thankful in the life of Momsie. I would also like to add that the cat memes are a strong overriding theme here, and that WILL NEVER CHANGE.

I would also like to point out that these Thankfuls are in no particular order. As the husband so sweetly pointed out to me, “Why am I after the cats? The cats always get first billing. Stupid rodents.” He’s a darling man, I tell you. And, I dunno. I guess the cats are top billing because usually when I am writing this there is a cat plopped down in my lap. And then I go, “Huh, cat in lap. Must write about cute cat in lap.” As I rarely find the husband one to plop down on my lap, then he gets later billing. Out of lap, out of mind, I guess.

This post is getting weird. Too many husband and lap references.

Ok, so lets get the ball rolling here. I bring to you… *drumroll please*…

MOMSIE’S 2018 TOP TEN THANKFULS!

1. Like you didn’t see this coming.

 

LOOK UPON THIS SLIGHTLY BLURRY HOTNESS, PEOPLE. HE’S ALLLLLL MIIIIIIINE, LADEEZ.

I had to take a picture of him in his “loungewear.” This is pretty much a uniform of champions. I so wanted to get footage of him with the sandals on the socks, but he said that would make my camera explode. He’s a sizzler, I tell you.

I love him.

2.

 

 

Blonde: Wee ten year old. Super smart, curious, and just a tad bit on the intense side. Last Halloween he unloaded on a few friends at school that this holiday was Satan’s holiday, and he would not participate. This was a bit over the top, and the look on the kid’s face that got this explanation was a bit… overwhelmed. We told Blonde to dial it down. Jesus probably didn’t thwack people over the head with theology.

I admire his spirit and fire. I also have a lot of… clashes with him. It’s perhaps because we are so similar. Or perhaps because he tends to say things like, “You are way older than my other kids’ moms.”  Perhaps.

I love him.

3.

Wee Red: He’s curious, clever, and very very talented at dancing. Also, he makes tortoises chuckle. We refer to him as One Who’ll Not Be Rushed.

He’s funny. He likes jokes – both to tell and to hear. He tends to stay up too late planning mansions for his cats and how to make the best dinosaur Lego figure, and thus he is terribly terribly cranky in the mornings. Like, I have offered the kid a cup of coffee in desperation. I know caffeine isn’t so good for little ones, but so getting thumped by his brother for being a grump.

I love him.

4. Ok, usually Steve makes the list and I AM grateful… but this time I give you this beauty:

I call this, “Bob and His Kid”

Bob is a delicate, phlegmy little soul. You can read about her more in my book, Perfect. She has a whole chapter. I looooooove her.

5. Perfect. 

It’s been a couple months since it came out, and it’s been crazy, humbling, busy, terrifying, and overwhelming, all at once. I don’t know if that is normal for most authors, but I do know there were times when I felt very much like this regarding all matters of publication:  “EEEAAAAAahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

And I mean that in the “I’m totally freaking out but I’m so excited” kind of way, not in the “I just saw a flying spider” kind of way.

6.

7. The internets. I have had plenty of opportunities to not like it. Perhaps you can relate to this. There have been times where the internet seems to be a mired tangle of loud opinions, facts that are sneakily festooned with non-facts, anger, and annoying pictures of perfect mom-ing on Pinterest involving chalk font, long beachy waves (the hair not the water), a meadow, and large felt hats.

But, y’all, when I started Momsie I made a vow. It was a very serious vow. I dropped to the ground, shook my fist in the air and said, in a very Southern accent:

“As God is my witness, I will never stop trying to make people laugh!”

And so, I did. Or tried to, at least. So, I leave you with this, brought to me via the Tweetings, because it makes me cackle, and also reminds me terrifically of something my dad would do:

9. Speaking of fathers:

I am grateful for my mother and my father. Jim and Julie. Here’s an image:

No, they’re not from Chicago.

My dad taught me how to play poker. And my mum taught me the necessity of knowing how to make giblet gravy at Thanksgiving (or any other time, for that matter). And they both taught me to love Jesus (Mom is primarily responsible for bringing me to Christ in my late twenties and I don’t even know if she knows this).

 

9. Dad’s been sober so many years now I don’t even know how many. I am thankful for that. I am thankful for my brother, Chris, who keeps me sober. And my sisters, Jen and Sherry, who love me and encourage me and are just nutty enough to totally understand me.

Lookit… we are so cuddly…

10. Sober.

I send you love and God’s blessing this holiday. How wonderful it is to have a day to sit in ones pajamas, drink way too much coffee, and eat your face off. How wonderful it is to not long for a drink, but only long for more family. More God. More time. And more gravy.

It’s when I figured out, finally, that I was Enough. And that’s when the More came.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Bonus:

11. I’m grateful that I’ve never experienced any of those side effects in medication commercials. “If your arm falls off and you experience dry mouth and numbness in your head and you can no longer speak except in small squeaks because you know think you are a marsupial, don’t take Snarkatrix.”