The Top 5 Things I Currently Cannot Live Without

If you were to complete a Top 5 List of things that are making your life awesome currently- what would it entail?

Would you write about the obvious things; Family? Friends?

Or would you go a little off kilter and share some of the little things in day to day life that get you through rough moments, fill you with joy and make everyday just a little more fantastic.

These are my Top 5 things RIGHT now.  I must admit- they change quickly- so bare with me.T

5.  Drive Thru ANYTHING.

I live in Canada.  It is cold here.  Like really cold.  My face feels like it is burning and peeling off when I attempt to go to the mailbox.

Now- as a Mom winter is even more painful.  It involves snowsuits, boots, gloves, runny noses, kids moving at a glacial pace while whining about the cold and lots of cries of “carry me Mom”.  Trips out involve carseats that are not safe when kids are wearing all of their winter gear- which means every time you need to get in or out of the car you essentially need to undress and redress squirming, flailing, unfocused children.  And that’s just the process to get them in and out of the building.  Getting what you actually need, pushing a cart, chasing a toddler, negotiating every five seconds, giving time-outs, putting things back on the shelves repeatedly, carrying all the winter gear that your children peel off- just typing about these things makes me twitchy….

This is why drive thrus are the best thing in the world.  I’m ashamed to admit that in the past I foolishly considered people who used drive thru banking to be lazy.  Now I see it as an absolute life saver.  I will actually drive a crazy amount of distance out of the way to hit up a drive thru bank.  They are my saving grace.

One of my biggest dreams is that every store in the world would get a drive thru window.  The thought of a drive thru grocery store makes me irrationally giddy.

4. Music

When all is going wrong in the day and the thought of watching one more minute of children’s programming does your head in- music is a life saver.  Our Blu-ray player plays CD’s pretty much all day long.  It is the back ground sounds of painting, play doh time, cleaning the house, baking, puzzle doing. Parenting can be lonely.  The days can feel long- but music in the background can transform even the most blah-ish days.

We listen to everything from Raffi and Disney Sountracks, to City and Colour, The Lumineers, Michael Jackson, Mumford and Sons, Queen, Bob Dylan, ACDC…..We love Music- Our kids love music.  In some ways I am proud of the fact that my child knows all of the words to “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift- and then I realize that perhaps I should be working a little bit more on her learning how to count to 20….

Oh well, many days have been saved by the magic of an imprompto dance party. I can’t live without it- and I think perhaps it is the fact that it lets me catch a glimpse of my former- child free self- which amid the spit up, sleepless nights and sweatpants, is exactly what I need now and then.

3. My iPhone.

In the past I must admit that I had been an iHater.  Sure, the technology is cool, Steve Jobs was such an innovator…blah blah blah- but here is my gripe.  I notice that the more “connected” we become- the more disconnected we become.  Sure we have a thousand friends- but who are we really talking to when we need support?  Who is really there for us….physically? Who are we really going to talk to about real things?  We go out with our friends and play on our phones.  We go out on a date, and play with our phones.  Look around a restaurant and count how many families have their children playing on phones at the table instead of interacting with them.  Look at how many couples out for a dinner are staring down at the screen instead of at each other- but I digress…..

When I had Zoey I had a lot of time on my hands.  I scrapbooked, wrote in her baby book daily, journalled letters to her, and pulled out my giant pro-camera daily for photo shoots.  I used to dress her up for Holidays in costumes and take photo after photo.  I’d print them, make them into cards and mail them to family members. 

This time however, things are different.  If I didn’t have my iPhone I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have one tiny thing about Liam’s life documented.  I love both of my kids insanely and the thought that the second child curse would fall upon him is very possible without my iPhone.  It is a way for me to snap pictures, capture moments as they happen- anywhere, anytime.  My picture gallery can catergorize pictures based on dates, post directly on facebook, be sent to far away grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends. 

Best of all, through the power of Facetime Zoey and Liam can see all of their relatives and family almost instantly and daily.  Zoey chats with her cousins, plays hide and go seek with her Uncle and can have her Nana and Papa read her a story. 

Without my iPhone I wouldn’t have been able to catch this moment of Liam being beyond proud of mastering sitting up to send to his Daddy who wasn’t home.  I will always have this moment.  Sweet.

2. Caffeine

Sweet, sweet caffeine.

Coke, coffee, tea, hot chocolate mixed with coffee.  It’s all good.  Thank you Lord.

Some mornings I am swigging a coca-cola at 7am.  And I’m not ashamed. 

1. Naps

I’m not too picky with this one.  It can be when the children nap- or when I nap.  When there is a nap- it is always amazing.  The days both kids nap at the same time I don’t even know what to do with myself.  I drop everything and run to the nearest soft surface and collapse.  Sometimes I am so excited about the concept of getting a nap-I really don’t get any sleep because I am too excited by the possibility of sleep.

I plan my naps about a week in advance.

I schedule appointments to best benefit my naps.

I base my love for you on whether you help me nap, or ruin my nap.

I judge my success of the day on the quality and quantity of nappage.

Sometimes when the kids are both asleep in the car and I am afraid of waking them- I will park my car in a parking garage, a parking lot or our own garage and nap.

Naps are brilliant. 

And napping with the kids- feeling their soft, warm bodies snuggle in and being able to breathe them in and look at their rosy cheeks and long eyelashes- makes my heart full in a way that I can’t even describe.  Oh, how I love naps…

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