Hater

I'm a hater. I shouldn't feel guilty because everyone does it, right? My cousin just posted a blog, 'hating' on her husband. My sister commented, "I hear ya". I know it's all in good fun, but I want to stop being a hater, and start being a lover. It's not as funny and entertaining for others to read about the things that I am grateful for, but I still feel that I need to share them to make it seem like I really do appreciate my husband, my kids, my family, and my life in general. Recently it has seemed to me that most people are quick to share the things that are frustrating them (including me), and they leave out the things that please them, like those things are just a given, expected, and not a gift every day of our lives!

A couple days ago, I was walking with a friend, listening to her rant about her husband. This rant was completely warranted and appropriate (we should be allowed to complain sometimes). The thing that really got to me was that the things she was mad at her husband for, were things that I have done to Brad. She was fed up, and didn't want to take it anymore. This scared the crap out of me, as I imagined Brad walking with a friend saying the exact same things about me. I almost started crying right there on the track.

I can be mean to my husband. It is so easy because he doesn't anger easily...and I do! This just makes me want to be meaner because I want to see him react. He lets everything just roll right off of his back, which I should be thankful for, but it just angers me even more. I REALLY need to work on this. I should spend the majority of my time praising him and telling people how much I appreciate him for putting up with me, instead of criticizing the couple of things he does (or doesn't do) that bug me. I need to stop hating on my husband and start loving on him (in more than one sense of the word).

Brad has been working horrible hours, sleeping all day and then working some more horrible hours. I complain about this, like I have it bad, when he is the one who sits in a windowless building collecting data and writing briefings on boring top secret stuff from 5 pm to 5 am every day, without even a lunch break. He's the one who has to try to sleep all day while there is a loud wife and two loud kids downstairs. He gets home around 5:30 every morning and crawls into bed with me and I don't even notice. I tell him all the time, "You couldn't do my job, I wish we could switch places so you could see how hard it is to be me." Ha. The truth is that he could do my job. I have the best, easiest job in the world! And, if I had his job, I would complain WAY more than he does.

Yesterday, I didn't leave the house. I stayed in my pajamas all day, just because I could. I didn't clean anything. There were toys and bits of snacks all over the living room when I went to bed last night. It was not a pretty sight, but I didn't pick up one thing. You know, I was just way too tired from my busy, busy day of doing absolutely nothing, to pick up at all.

When I woke up this morning and came downstairs, the living room was all picked up. Brad got home after an all night, 12 hour shift, and cleaned the living room. He vacuumed and everything. I feel so guilty for being such a bad housewife, but I am overwhelmed by the amount of appreciation that I have for that man right now.

It's a little thing, but if I can get worked up and mad over little things, I should try to be grateful and appreciative of little things too!

I love Brad, I love our kids, and my life is so easy. I don't know how I can allow it get to me sometimes, when I have so much to be thankful for.

I told Jocelyn she was going to get potty trained a couple of weeks ago. I put her in some panties, and boom, she was potty trained with like two or three accidents. She doesn't even need a diaper at nap time, and she woke up dry this morning. I know mothers who have a super hard time trying to potty train their kids. It takes some people like a year, and lots of frustration. I didn't do anything special, I just got really lucky! I am thankful for that!

Sam goes to sleep at midnight and wakes up at noon every day. When he wakes up, he eats and gets a new diaper, then just hangs out on his tummy for a couple hours until it is time to eat and get a new diaper again. This kid is super easy. Jocelyn was the same way. I have never had trouble getting lots and lots of sleep with either of my kids. They are adorable and healthy and well behaved, for the most part (Jocelyn is about to be two, after all).

Now, I'm not vowing to never complain again, about the kids or about Brad. I just wanted to make it clear that I love them and am thankful for every moment I have with them...even the moments that spur a complaint.

If you ever hear me being unappreciative, tell me to stop being such a hater!

I posted a blog eerily similar to this one in April of 2008. Maybe one of these days I'll actually start practicing what I'm preaching! Seriouslsy though, watch the video in that blog, and you'll gain a whole new appreciation for my husband. :)