soon the bells will start

1. I am grateful that when I suggested to Somebody that perhaps we should put up our Christmas decorations this weekend so that we made sure they actually went up this year and didn't get lost in the post-baby chaos that he immediately agreed. It's kind of strange to look into the living room and see stockings (especially when, this year, for the first time, I've been less than delighted with the Christmas music on the radio because it is "too soon. too soon") and lights and the tree, but I'm sure that in three weeks I will be thrilled that it is out and done and ready to be enjoyed. Or maybe I'll be sick of it. Uh...I doubt it.

2. I am grateful that there was a pear tree in the yard of the house where my dad was staying in Arizona and that he picked buckets and buckets of pears and brought them back with him. We were able to can a dozen pints last night and also make some pear-sauce and pear juice. Now, when I say "we" I obviously mean that I sat on the couch and offered helpful advice to my dad and Somebody as they peeled, cut, cooked, jarred, and processed the pears, but I really feel like I was involved in the process because I came up with the perfect sugar/water ratio for these particular pears. At one point when I expressed how tired I was, Somebody said, "You've just been sitting there all night." And I said, "I know. It's SO hard to be me." And everyone actually agreed: yes, it IS hard to be Jennifer right now. Here, have another piece of Halloween candy.

3. I am grateful that we turned our clocks back last night and I was able to get an extra hour of sleep. After the really hard evening I had (see gratitude #2) I really needed all the sleep I could get and ten hours turned out to be the perfect amount. Who on earth sleeps for ten hours? Babies and pregnant women who have taken a sleeping pill, that's who. And as a bonus, I'd like to say that I'm thankful that sleeping pills are something I can actually take because otherwise last night would have been more like sleep for two hours, awake for two hours, sleep for three hours, awake for two hours, sleep for one hour. And that, my friends, is not nearly as restful as a ten-hour snooze.