Pickles

It's almost midnight.  I spent the day in Tampa working and only saw my kids as they were running to the school bus this morning and Scott whisking away the toddlers to preschool.  I know I should go to bed because of this nonstop ringing in my ear that usually signals that I'm tired.  I love the sound of silence in the house when everyone's asleep and my brain can fully function, well at least partially function.  I also love the sound of the kids coming home from school and sharing their good and bad moments from the day.  Tonight reminded me that everyone, everything and every experience comes into your life for a reason.  I know, it's so chiche but I can give a million examples where God parted the skies, knocked me in the head and said 'how much more obvious can I make this?  you've got it damn good!'.   Tonight I went to dinner with a bunch of coworkers.  They're not just coworkers but good friends.  We all share something similar.  We're working Moms trying to make a difference in the world while raising our kids.  We've all made sacrifices like missing PTO meetings or a class trip here and there but what's so refreshing is that this group of friends totally 'gets' what I'm feeling everyday.  We know that our family's future depends on our success at work.  Many of us never really had the option to stay home.  We work for an incredible company that supports our values inside and outside the office.  We have the opportunity to work from home full time which gives us the flexibility to be there for our kids when we can.  Though we can't always be there, our kids are better for it.  Some days I just pinch myself because I know I have it so good.  On a typical day, I will be on a conference call, clicking on the mute button on my phone, telling the kids to keep it down.  Of course, I've had more than a handful of episodes of kids trying to get into my office during a tantrum, screaming and yelling and I've had to hide inside my closet and pretend I don't hear them.  I've also had small children answering my office phone during work hours.  I'm not sure I can reveal the company I work for, so I won't, but I have never seen a more family supportive company. 

Tonight I had the honor of winning the pickle ornament in our holiday gift exchange.  The pickle is supposed to give me good luck or wealth or both (can't remember) all year round and then I need to bring it back to our exchange next year.

I thought the pickle was so symbolic of what we went through with Ava this year.  First of all, she loves cucumbers and pickles more than chocolate ice cream or bubble gum.  Here's proof.  Ava eating a cucumber at the farmers market in Siauliai, Lithuania with absolutely nothing on it...probably not very clean either because a farmer just gave it to her:

Again, there are no coincidences.  I can't wait till she sees the pickle ornament in the morning when she gets up.  I need to figure out how to incorporate the pickle tradition into the Christmas traditions we already have.  I imagine since the Germans and Polish people celebrate the pickle, Lithuanians would too.  No other vegetable seems appropriate.  Besides, I made a promise to add Lithuanian traditions into our family and this is way better than sauerkraut

soup.