THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

VIA GREER CHICAGO

FEELING: This will be Max's first year to pass out Valentine's Day cards to his classmates and I'm pretty excited. Where will we get them? Should we make something cute? Eek! You guys, this could be our big chance to get something adorable from Meri Meri or Mr. Boddington's Studio. Now to keep him away from the boxed sets at Target so we don't have to hand out something with Ninjago or Paw Patrol! Clearly, I'm making this more about me than my kid, but paper goods ARE my thing. Any postal-lovin' parents who feel me on this one? Sigh. Reel it in there, Fine! Reel. It. In.      

THINKING ABOUT: Max has been fighting a nasty cold for about a month now. Just when things improve, it seems to come back with a vengeance. Last week his fever spiked again and his coughing got worse, so I picked up a bottle of Delsym Children's Cough Relief to pair with his Tylenol. When I got back from the store and he saw the bottle of cough medicine, I expected we'd struggle because of the taste, but instead, he said, "I've seen this stuff on TV!!! It lasts for TWELVE whole hours!!!" I couldn't help but laugh because it's clear their marketing works; however, after taking the meds for a day, Max came downstairs coughing and informed me that he'd like to write a letter to the company because their cough syrup didn't last the full twelve hours. "Mom, their commercial isn't true. I'm still coughing!" 

THANKFUL FOR: Flyboy has been home a full week and it feels like all is right with the world! In fact, when I read what Caitlin Murray from the @bigtimeadulting Instagram account (so hilarious, BTW) had to say about being with your person and that feeling of getting back to home base, I had to screenshot it and send it to FB because it summarized the feeling quite perfectly:

"Some weeks are busy. You're later at work, or I have weeknight plans, and we end up as two ships passing in the night, and that's tough because distance from you takes me farther away from my center. Center is home. Center is our family and the life we have created. The life that only moves forward when we push the weight of it all together. When our schedules once again collide and we are back in the groove, I feel like I can take on so much more. I feel stronger because of you and, for that, I am so deeply grateful for this love. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your appreciation. Thank you for also needing me. I could do it all, I really could if I HAD to, but I'd hate it. Thanks for always taking me back to center." 

WATCHING: We're in the market for a new TV. The one in our bedroom hasn't crapped out on us yet, but Flyboy bought it in college and its days are numbered. The sound quality is pretty awful and there are moments when I go to turn it on and I'm not sure it's going to work, but what do you expect for a boob tube pushing 15 years old? While this isn't the type of purchase I'd usually get excited about (it's kind of a guy thing, honestly), the idea of having all those smart TV options is pretty sweet. Once we find a good deal, you can bet I'll be binge-watching The Morning Show. I've heard great things! Then again, how can you go wrong with Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carrell??     

READING: In an effort to relax and de-stress in the evenings, I've decided I'd like to make it a point to read more this year. I waste far too much time scrolling on my phone before bed and that time could be better-served nose-deep in a book. Now, where do I start? There are oodles of options out there and I've bookmarked numerous recommendations, but I just need to commit already. Dearest bookworms, where should I begin? If you could choose one book...     

DRINKING: A few weeks ago, I was getting groceries at Safeway and was forced to go to a checkout lane with a cashier that's not my go-to gal. For an introvert like myself, this meant I was going to have to open up a conversation with someone new and put my awkward self out there AGAIN (you guys, my regular lady really gets me!!!). Sure I could just be quiet the entire time, but I see the joy extroverts like my mom and Flyboy bring to other people and I feel the need to at least try to be friendly. Well, you could say this situation backfired when I asked her how her day was and she replied, "Meh." I read that response as a sign she didn't want small talk, so I proceeded to put all my energy into loading the groceries bags into the cart when she randomly commented: "Chobani's making milk now?" [Note: Safeway didn't have my usual oat milk by Oatly so I opted to try Chobani's version.] I went on to respond, "Yeah, I figured it's worth a try!" Her response? "Their yogurt's not even that good!" Oy! I contemplated whether or not I should just say "You're right! Go ahead and put it back. What am I thinking?" Instead, I paid for the groceries and left the store having MAJOR regrets about my oat milk. The verdict? Cashier girl was right. The oat milk was awful.   

LISTENING: In the car yesterday morning after preschool drop-off, Get Me Bodied came on Pandora and my first thought after hearing "Nine, four, eight, one, B-Day" was "Wow, Beyonce will be forty next year! I wonder who she's going to invite to her party?" Yes, there I sat at a red light in Dover, Delaware, pondering life's BIG questions, but can you really blame me? I mean, if she sends ginormous boxes to her friends for the unveiling of Ivy Park's latest collection, what will her invitations be like? Some might say this is a waste of brain cells, but I think Mindy Kaling would probably wonder the same thing. It's just too bad we have to wait a full twenty months to get to the bottom of this one. Here's hoping I get stuck in traffic sometime soon so I can start figuring out Bey's guest list. Hehe!

LOVING: I bought this Wall Task Calendar from Appointed last February when Flyboy was deployed and hung it in our kitchen. It helped me pass the time and keep organized while he was away. Since I'm coming up on my last sheet, I asked FB if he thought it would be worth repurchasing and his positive response was so quick, I was taken aback. Ha Ha! Let's be honest, I was going to buy it again no matter what, but I was tickled to death that he's a big fan as well. There's something about Suann Song's simple designs that are just as useful as they are beautiful!    

How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!