More

Here go some more for you gluttons for my written punishment.

8. I'm thankful for the realization that there is a reason people do this each day. Coming up with 7 in one day is a daunting task. I don't know that I will learn a lesson, but I did only say I was  thankful for the realization.

9. I'm thankful for second, third, fourth, and fifth chances at parenting. As I have mentioned, and many you have observed first-hand, parenting is not one of the skills I would put at the top of my list of killer party tricks. It's more of a work-in-progress or, more accurately, one step shy of disaster. Today involved in episode where it was unclear who was the two-year old, AV or me. It was ugly. It ended. (Thank you, Jesus.) And all is well again after a drinkable yogurt, half an hour sitting on the potty with zero production and a couple episodes of Max and Ruby. We are both new women. Oh, and just for clarification, AV was the one on the potty.

10. I'm thankful that after 7 years in this country, living in the state of Puebla, I will finally FINALLY fly out of the Puebla airport. The airport has one runway, two gates and even though we have a 7 am flight on December 23rd, we still won't have to get there until 6 at the earliest, because any earlier and the airport will still be closed.

11. I'm thankful for hand-me-down magazines. I don't care when their publishing date was and the crappier the magazine the better. Later on I will be reading Southern Living (which is correct in the sense that I live fairly far south and for no other reason) from November 2010 and will love every second of it.

12. I'm thankful for 40 degree temperature changes during the day. It means that even if I'm cold in the morning, I know I won't be in a little bit. It means I get to use air-conditioning and heat in my car every day. It means that it can be 40 degrees at 6:45 am and 80 degrees at 2:45 pm.

13. I'm thankful that I finally have enough money in my bank account to be able to go to the store just because I feel like it and need shampoo. I can buy the shampoo, and about 15 other things just cause I feel like it and it doesn't mean that I now have to be extra careful with my spending the rest of the month. Maybe it's wrong to be thankful for the ability to be a frivolous spender in some occasions, but it feels real nice.

14. I'm thankful for fresh cranberries existing in Mexico. Fi Nuh Lee. I may have spent an arm and two legs for 4 (count 'em) bags of fresh cranberries. I have no idea how many cranberries it takes to make cranberry sauce and I need to make it for three (count 'em) Thanksgivings. I have never been so pumped about this little bean-shaped fruit in my life. The bag says they're a product of Mexico. Just where do you think the cranberry bogs are in this country?