Thankful

So, the little bastard Enzo is eating rotten tomatoes out of the garden that I spent three hours cleaning up today - throwing the dead plants and fruits over the fence so the deer can munch, munch, munch until some hunter comes and blows one of them away, and leaves the aftermath of the nightmare for their family.  But I digress...

So Enzo is eating rotten tomatoes like they're dog treats, Gracie had a tick the size of my thumb right between her eyes and I can't, for the life of me, get the little pinchers out despite having squeezed the guts out of the little sucker for a half hour.  She sleeps like a dog all day too - aggravates me to no end.

Tonight, I told Paige that she was twelve.  When she argued with me, I asked her if she remembered being born. 
"No." 
"So, you could be any age right? You can't remember back that far.  You're twelve." 
"No Mommy, I'm seven because I'm in second grade!" She argued. 
I replied, "You're twelve.  You're in second grade because you're stupid." 

Then I laughed so hard I spit water all over the counter and she laughed so hard she spit chocolate chip cookies all over me.  My little girl is brilliant, by the way.

Finally, Tony.  Last week, I had to keep him home from school for a day because he had a fever.  A couple days later, I touched his forehead and asked how he was.  His first reply was, "I'm good."  Then he realized that it was just before school and he quickly changed his mind and said, "I mean.  Not so good.  My head aches, my stomache aches..." 
"Yeah, really?" 
"Yeah." 
"Well, you don't have a fever." 
"And my foot hurts, my knee is soooooooore and I have a blemish on my elbow."
"A blemish on your elbow huh?  That is serious!"
His little face was so concerned, "It is?"
"No, get your backpack you're going to school."
"Ohhhhh, okay."

Rotten tomatoes, thumb-sized ticks, a twelve year old second-grader and blemished elbows.  Day-to-day stuff that makes it my family.  I am so blessed.