Good Day Criteria and The Oregon Trail

Reading today about pioneers moving west on The Oregon Trail, we were all awed by the fact that amid the grueling conditions involved in covering miles and miles each day on foot, preparing every meal from scratch over an open fire, camping out for months on end, protecting all owned possessions day and night, caring for animals and small children in a less than ideal environment, and constant exposure to the unpredictable elements, it was considered a good day if:

There were no rivers to ford, there were no mountains to cross, the land still offered water to drink, no one was hurt, no one became sick, no animals were lost. 

Goodness. Gracious. Goodnessgracious. 

It made us think of how much we take for granted and how little it takes for us to consider our very good days sullied. 

The lines were long at Wal~Mart where I picked up a cart full of food I didn't have to plant, grow, grind, process, or butcher. (I must have waited a half hour!)

The DVR didn't record my favorite t.v. show.

The Broncos lost to the Patriots. Again. 

The Broncos will probably lose to the Patriots. Again. 

My brother destroyed my lego house.

Our ice maker broke. We have to make ice now. In trays. 

My sister stole a piece of my Halloween candy. 

My husband had to turn the water off as he worked on the plumbing in our newly renovated bathroom. For like, an HOUR! 

So, we made lists. Of what our criteria for a good day are. Or maybe what they should be. If we were grateful for the simple things and didn't expect quite so much.

Flint: When I don't fight with my brothers. When I make a new lego ship. When I finish a chapter book. When we get books to read. When I finish my school work. When people throw their trash away. When mom cooks. (Um, always, my friend. Pretty much always. Mom is cooking alllllll the days!) When someone does not get sick. When we get food to eat. (As opposed to when we don't get food to eat.) When we get to play outside.

Meadow: When there is not a bunch of fighting. When it is warm outside. When the house is not a big mess. When most people are in a good mood. When dad is home. (p.s. We do still have a good day without him.) When mom sings. (p.s. She is great at it.) (That's my girl!) When I do well in school. If it is cold when we all sit in front of the fire and play games or read. When we all watch a movie as a family. When I have a pretty hair style from Jayla. 

Tyden: A good dinner. No one dies. I have a good school day. I don't get in trouble. I don't get injured. Neither does anyone else. Jedi does not pee. (He holds it all day!) Nothing breaks. (Never happens! 4 boys!) The weather is good. I get educated. 

Jayla: No one's sick. You learned something. You ate and drank. You saw your family. Everyone's safe. The house is pretty clean. You got exercise. You kept mom happy. (My little ray of codependent sunshine!) Everyone gets along. You slept well. 

Stryder: That mom has a good day. Dad has a good day. No one breaks a bone. Our dogs don't run away. I make mom happy. That lava doesn't fall on us. That the house doesn't start on fire. None of us start on fire. Dad finishes his project. Mom doesn't cut herself. 

Onyx: No one died. School went well. We had three meals plus snacks. We got to go outside. We have clothes to wear. (Which is in direct opposition to what we call Naked Days.) We have plenty of water. We have books to read. We have a house to live in. We have coats to wear. We have pencils and paper. 

Dad working on the new boys' bathroom renovation which he will, by no means, finish today. He is home. (Good day!) He won't complete his project. (Bad day!)