A mom is thankful for

Thanksgiving is here. A time to be grateful and remember the precious things in life that God has blessed you with. Although, I am very thankful for my life, my family and my friends, I think it's also important to be thankful for the little things as well. Before I was a mom, these things didn't even cross my mind, but since becoming a mom, I'm now grateful for these following things:

1. Frozen waffles and bags of donuts. Sure saves me a lot of time on crazy mornings.

2. Sippy cups. Less mess, means less stress!

3. Toothpaste with flip top lids. Nothing better than brushing your teeth with the hard, crusty top section of toothpaste that results from your kids losing the toothpaste lid.

4. Locks on bathroom doors. One uninterrupted shower can do wonders for a mom's spirit.

5. Washable markers. A genius invention, to say the least!

6. Portable movie players. Movies have saved my sanity on many a road trip!

7. Cordless phones/Cell phones. Remember the days when mom was confined to wherever the phone was hanging, and only able to spank you if the phone cord could reach you? We use to get the finger snap and mean face. Now the kids can't run away if there being naughty.

8. Coffee. I grew up thinking coffee tasted nasty, but these days, it's my life line.

9. Start-delay timers on appliances. I know that sounds dumb, but it keeps my laundry going all day or starts my dishwasher in the middle of the night.

10. Drive thru anything. With babies, anything that you can drive thru and do saves a ton of hassle. I think drive thru drycleaning, post office, and groceries should be a standard. If there was a drive thru place to pick up milk, they'd be rolling in the dough!

11. Hand Sanitizer. Being a germ -a-phobe, I use that stuff like it's going out of style and have my kids do the same. Not that we don't get sick, but sure makes me feel better knowing I tried.

12. Santa Claus. That man is solely responsible for getting some rooms cleaned, toys picked up and end some cat fights in my house. One threat to call Santa is all it takes to get done what needs to be done.

13. Goldfish crackers. That is THE No. 1 snack ever. What did we do as kids, before goldfish crackers?

14. Naps. That really should be on the top of the list. I dreaded taking naps as a kid and hated when my mom did, but naps have become one of my very favorite things in life! I love when kids nap and I love when I get a nap. All around, naps rock!

Now I'll go a little old school. My grandma often reminds me that moms these days ought to be thankful for these things because it was so much harder in her day. I agree, so here's some basic things I'm very thankful for but often take for granted:

1. Disposable diapers. And I'll add wipes to that too. I've heard stories of cloth diaper days and I know environmentally, disposable diapers aren't too popular, but they have to be one of the Top Five best inventions for moms today.

2. Indoor plumbing. Duh! No wonder in the black and white pictures of the old days, all the moms had grouchy faces and were all slumped over. How do you ever be happy when you have to use outhouses and get all your water from a well pump? I'd be pretty crabby myself!

3. Microwaves. A huge timesaver that I've had pretty much my whole life and don't think twice about.

4. Dishwashers. It only takes a broken down one, to remember how much you appreciate a dishwasher. I really think we're roughing it when we stay somewhere without one and have to wash dishes every day. If there's no TV either, then I feel like a bona fide pioneer woman.

5. Washer and Dryers. I complain about the mounds of laundry facing me every week, but instead I should be thankful I have it so easy.

The list of things I'm thankful for can go on and on, and this is a good time of year to reflect on all these blessings, whether big or small. It's hard during the hustle and bustle of a mom's life to remember to always be thankful, but the next time I'm belly aching about scrubbing toilets or messy rooms, I will try to be grateful for the basic gifts; a roof over my head, warm clothes to wear, food in my fridge and the freedoms of this country, including the freedom to write this weekly column. Thanks to you and have a Happy Thanksgiving!