The Frog

I was recently introduced to the idea of eating a live frog. The thought is this: If the first thing you do when you wake up each morning is eat a live frog, nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day. You should go watch the movie, it's cute and short. But in case you're busy I'll summarize it for you. The frog is symbolic of a crappy task. If you get up and do something really awful, just a horrible task you'd rather not do, the rest of the day will be a breeze. Here's hoping that's true, because this is how I woke up this morning.

It was 2:00 a.m. I swear I went to bed at midnight, but it felt like I had barely closed my eyes. A tiny scratchy voice croaked "water, I need water." Then that tiny scratchy voice threw up all over my carpet. I jumped out of bed and pushed the small body into my bathroom where there is tile, and where they promptly threw up again. One more push, stepping in puke along the way, and the child was in front of my toilet. Said child then proceeded to throw up one final time, beside rather than in the toilet.

It was all bile. The smell of bile hit me, and I began to dry heave. I broke out in a thick slimy sweat, my vision started to go black. I wondered which I would do first, vomit or pass out.

I backed up a few steps, still slipping in vomit, but finding new air. It wasn't exactly fresh air, but it lacked the smell of bile, so it was enough to clear my vision.

At this point The Greatest was awake and fumbling sleepily down the steps for the broken spot bot. It doesn't run on its own anymore, and the hand attachment doesn't spray water anymore, but if you dump soapy water on the spot you can use the hand attachment to scrub the spot and suck the water up. Its a lot of work, but its better than nothing.

Small child was done puking, took a grateful drink of water and was ready to return to bed. There was more stepping in puke all along the hallway. The entire house reeked of bile.

Thankfully the bed didn't need new sheets. We just needed new carpet. Small child back in bed, carpets scrubbed and vacuumed, windows opened, candles lit, and an hour later we were wearily crawling back in bed.

So I think it's safe to say I "ate the frog" and the day can only get better from here right? Despite the fact that I need to make a two week menu, write a shopping list, go to the post office and the grocery store, and make cookies for the cookie exchange tonight, and do laundry because the children are out of matching clothes and look like they're homeless. And I am hindered by the space/time continuum, with only a few hours allotted to me to to get things done. But I started my day with vomit. Things can only go up from here right? I need a good day. Especially since today is my anniversary.

Eleven year with this man!

He doesn't read my blog. He likes my blog. He will suggest things for me to blog. He'll even help with the children sometimes to give me time to blog. But he doesn't read it. Which is fine. But I still feel the need to publicly declare my love for him.

I often wonder what our parents thought when we got married so suddenly after knowing each other only four months. Did they stay awake at night worrying about us? We were such babies with no idea of what a marriage really meant, all the trial, and work, and fights, and joy, and laughter, and smiles, and tears, and memories that are built day after day of sharing your life together. We had no idea how our relationship would grow and change with each breath, each decision, each move, each child, each day that slipped past us. I know I didn't comprehend the magnitude of what I was doing when I stood there and vowed to intertwine my life so completely to this man.

But I've never regretted that decision for a moment.

He is my best friend, my love, the father of my children, my confidant, my protector, the other half of my soul. All the good things in my life can be connected in a straight line directly back to the decision to marry him. I love him so.

The last year of marriage brought a new baby into our family, bringing with it all the adventures and firsts that only a new baby can bring. We bought a house and made a home. New friends joined our life. The Greatest finished his field training for work and became a full fledged Law Enforcement Officer. Meaty started school. Grandpa came to visit twice. We went back home once. So many big happy events in a year. 365 days slipping seamless past one another. Pages on a calendar relentlessly turning, moving forward.

I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I'm so grateful I get to share the adventure with The Greatest.