I am not one of those people who wakes up vomiting gratitude every day.  I wish I was, but I’m not AND I am a little busy right now just trying to wake up with a smile.  Instead, I am one of those people who gets caught up in the small stuff far too often.

Why yes, that is me you see in the car next to you screaming at the eighty year old driver who is going five miles per hour under the speed limit. BUT, I am running behind and if I drop my teenager off late to school and he has to be HUMILIATED (his words, not mine) by walking into class late, he may not speak to me for a month and since he just started talking again after a year of hormonal teen silence I am willing to do ANYTHING to keep him talking.  So yes, I stress over the small shit. Now get the hell out of my way old man. I am fairly certain that comment just earned me an hour in hell.

I have been doing this thing since I was a small child being raised by a bunch of hyenas where I remind myself every day that there are people who have no food, no home and no love.  I suppose that could be viewed as a form of gratitude. However, that whole "living and breathing in a constant state of gratitude" thing?  As far as I can tell only Oprah can pull that shit off.  Then again, Oprah has never awakened to a toddler who has peed himself at 4:00 a.m. and once you get him all cleaned up he can’t go back to sleep so you are stuck lying in bed trying to get some shut eye with the SCREECHING of Curious George in the background now HAS SHE? Sorry for yelling.

Anyway J has been out of town a lot lately and by 3:00 p.m. yesterday I was searching out ice picks to shove through my ear drums from all the “momming” and whining going on around here.  SO, I threw ColtonColton aka: Moose, Duece, Colt, CJ
Age: 3
Favorite Word: Fart
Hobbies:  Playing in the dirt, setting off fire alarms at preschool and bossing people around.
Best Qualities:  The sweetest disposition this side of the Mississippi. into his car seat and drove down to the beach.

A sunset, the ocean and the crashing waves drowning out all sounds of his whining. What could be better?  Well, since I asked, a glass of wine would have definitely enhanced the experience but, there I go again sweating the small stuff.

Since I started this whole trend yesterday, I would like to dedicate this post to the ocean. I am thankful that I am fortunate enough to live within miles of it’s beauty.  It makes whining toddlers, eye-rolling teenagers and stinging texts from your mother, simply melt away. 

And no, it's not just you.  I am starting to nauseate myself too.