trying for a little optimism

Annie's STILL sick (poor girl is so upset that I'm making her stay home from school--she's missing a field trip). Max is extraordinarily belligerent these days (potty training is not sitting well with him, not to mention that it's a complete failure anyway). Even the weather has turned cold and dreary. This has been one shitty (pardon the pun) week.

I know, however, in the grand scheme of things, I am one incredibly lucky woman. I'm loved. I'm fed. I'm relatively healthy. I have a roof over my head. And these are things that are way too easy to take for granted. I shouldn't, but I do. I will try harder not to.

And in the meantime, I'm going to make an effort here to look at the bright side even when it comes to the little things...
**Annie has a stomach virus and that sucks...but her asthma has been under control for a while now--no hospitalizations for quite some time, in fact, no ER trips for a while. (Actually, this is not a little thing--it's a pretty big, wonderful thing!)
**Yes, it's cold and dreary and rainy, but we actually need the rain. Winter only brought a third of our normal snowfall, so we're a bit dry around here.
**Rich has a fairly short day today...he gives his first final of the semester this morning, has a department meeting where he has to present his proposal for a class on evolution he wants to teach, then has a short budget-type meeting. Should be home by 3:00 at the latest. At which point, I am going to sneak away for at least 30 minutes of relaxation. Don't know if I'll scrapbook and watch some more of the movie I started last weekend or if I'll hide away and read Cathy Zielske's new book (already read it once, but it's soooo damn good I have to read it again!). Whatever I decide to do, I am going to thoroughly enjoy 30 minutes to myself!
**My brilliant little Gray made me laugh this morning. As I was brushing his teeth this morning, I said to him, "How on earth did you get so darn handsome?" After spitting out a mouthful of toothpaste, he looked up at me with this exasperated look and said, "Some things are just a mystery." Oh how I love this kid!
**My in-laws postponed their visit until next weekend. Don't get me wrong...it's not that I don't want to see them. I'm really looking forward to their visit, in fact. It's just that I think this family needs the weekend to recover from this crappy week...I know I certainly do.
**We got a Target gift card and a Borders gift card (rewards for credit card points). The Target one will go for necessities, I imagine (like a birthday gift for a slumber party Annie's going to this weekend if she ever gets better, diapers for Max since he needs them at night even if he ever does get this potty training thing down, etc.). But the Borders one...watch out--the Stevens family on the loose in a book store with "free" money. Woo Hoo. (This is one book-loving family!)

Yep, it's been a tough week. We all have them, right? But I really am a lucky woman...and hey, I'm even smart enough to realize it!