The Ballard Bunch

Today I am grateful for:

Hayden. My little spitfire. She's so fun and silly and cute. She's a snuggler, is sweet with her baby brother and patient with her big sister and loves her dad to no end. And, as she's gotten older, really quite the instigator of mischief. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Happy Meals. I'm not ashamed to admit that I use the kid-coveted Happy Meal as a bribe here and there. And sometimes, I'm just plain lazy and I know they'll be happy getting one for lunch. A mom's got to do what a mom's got to do, and occasionally this mom's gotta do Mickey Donald's to survive the day. I'm afraid, after reading all 26 entries, some of you might figure that I'm not as capable as I may seem. Or maybe you'll give yourself a break here and there and not feel guilty that you gave them pre-prepared food from the drive through instead of making it from scratch at home. Either way, it's all good. Just to clarify; I bribe my kids with Happy Meals, I use the TV as a babysitter & sometimes I let my babies cry themselves to sleep. So far, so good.

Health. The last year and a half or so has brought on more health scares for our little family than I'd like to ever experience again. I am so grateful that all of my kids {despite the occasional bump, bruise, break or bleed} are healthy and thriving. I'm happy that Beau is strong and energetic and is able to provide for our family without much physical distress. I'm grateful that I'm able to keep up with my kids {for the most part} and run and play and jump with them from time to time. This is one thing I hope to never take for granted...we're all so lucky.

Humour. I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you. And I love it, I love funny. I love funny people. I love when people think I'm funny. I love a good joke. I love a good story. I love remembering a funny experience and laughing from my gut as if it's just happened for the first time. I love seeing people I love laugh and smile. I love a funny movie. I love laughing loud.

Help. There is no way I could survive without it. I love that I have my reserve of friends to call upon when I need a kid-less trip to the grocery store or a date night with my husband. I am so happy when my kids help out, especially without nagging from mom. I love unsolicited help and I'm learning to accept and ask for help without guilt. I'm learning that as I accept help, I'm not only lightening my load, but also allowing someone the opportunity to have that awesome feeling you get when you've made someone's day just a little easier. Try it, you'll like it.

Halloween. I've always liked Halloween. But now that I have kids, it's probably one of my favorite holidays. Costumes, trick-or-treating, parties, treats...it's all the more fun when you have little people to dress up. I don't know about your house, but as soon as one Halloween is over, my kids are already planning for the next.