Thankful for Three Things Thursday

Say that three times fast! LOL

I've been feeling a bit blah lately and some might even say 'feeling sorry for myself,' so on that note, I am going to start doing a new thing on Thursday of each week: Thankful for Three Things Thursday. And when I have time to look around online, I may even try to find someone to make me a "Thankful for Three Things Thursday" button to put on here. For today, right now I am thankful for.....

1) My husband having a job that pays fairly decently well. We are not rich. We are not poor. We are somewhere in the middle. Some days that is a good thing, some days it is bad. On days when we get some kind of medical bill in the mail that is for an amount that most people would consider enough for a down payment on a car (or in some cases, the entire car!), it is bad. And yes, I mean after the insurance has paid its share. It's those days that I am reminded that rich people can afford those kinds of medical bills, poor people get taxpayers to pay for them, and those of us in the middle are just screwed. I was once again reminded of this while chatting online with my friend, Michelle, who also has a child with autism. We were discussing supplements for our children and she mentioned how no one seems to tell you that if you are going to have an autistic child you need to be sure to get a money tree in your backyard as well.

If it sounds like I am not thankful, don't be fooled. I am very thankful for my husband and the support he is able to provide. Way too often I hear about families who were at one time financially middle class who are now bankrupt because of their autistic child(ren)'s medical bills, which by the way, very often are not covered by insurance. Seriously, there is something wrong with healthcare when a person can smoke three packs of cigarettes per day and get cancer and insurance will help out.......A person can knowingly and purposely go into a pregnancy without financial means to support the child (or eight of them!!! or fourteen!!!) and taxpayers will take care of the child(ren)....but heaven forbid that a family with the financial means to provide a child with a decent upbringing have a child with autism because insurance doesn't recognize many of the proven forms of therapy.

2) I am thankful that I have had the willpower to not stuff my face today. Of course, it's only 10AM right now but that's a start, right? Really though, I do need to eat something because, while it's nice that I have not overeaten, I have not eaten at all....and that's not a good thing either. Maybe I will heat up some of the leftover chicken curry before going to get Reiss from preschool.

I have my husband a little worried that he's not going to get treated to homemade muffins and other goodies here pretty soon. We've been eating really good here lately but now I'm thinking about getting back to low-carbing. And by "good" I mean we have been sticking with the GFCF diet for Reiss (all for one and one for all, right?) but I have also made chocolate chip zucchini muffins and other yummy things....just made a little differently than traditional so that they still qualify as gluten-free, casein-free. Well, now I'm thinking I may want to add low-carb into the mix as well so that I can get some of these extra pounds off again since having Milla. Christine over at "Smiles & Trials" has me a bit motivated.

3) I am thankful for the wonderful view out my back window. We have a modest ranch home with a basement that needs some serious updating from the previous owners' (lack of) taste in interior design. Modest as it is and as out-of-date as some rooms may be, it has a view that many people living in million dollar homes would die to have. We have a nice size yard that rolls down to a small creek. All along our backyard is lined with trees and a thick wooded area, in which at least one of every known critter existing in the Midwest seems to live. We have seen all sorts of birds, possum, fox, deer, coyote, beaver, raccoons, hawks, eagles, cranes, and so many others. You cannot get this kind of view just anywhere. And the best thing is, even with this great landscape in our backyard, the mall is literally only three minutes away from our house. Not that I go there very often....well, to walk when it's too cold to do so outside. And when Gymboree is having Gymbucks earning or redemption going on. Or when I want an Auntie Anne's pretzel. Okay, okay, I admit it - I'm there about once per week or more but really, most of the time it's just to go walking and then I let the kids play in the play area and then we leave. REALLY!