Day 28: still grateful

I guess I should be grateful I'm not being graded on this. :)  I've actually been working on a class assignment for the cataloging course I'm taking this semester.  I've taken one other cataloging class years ago.  Yeah.  Still not a fan (although it does make more sense the second time around but not enough that I want to go any further).

So between that and the holiday, I missed a week of gratitude.  Things I've been grateful for over the holiday (much more than one thing a day): getting to see lots of family that we don't see nearly often enough, not much traffic on the Interstate going or coming, that Henry has learned to do the "toot your horn" sign when we pass trucks (even if none ever do) <---well maybe more amused by that than thankful, a very big, very precocious niece who explains that she is no little any longer like Benjamin and Henry when I said something about the littles doing something, a nephew who wants to play Rock, Paper, Scissors while we wait for dinner (and was so excited that he "taught" Henry how to play as well), that same niece and nephew who still think it's cool to go down the stairs at our house on their bottoms like Uncle Paul taught them to do, that it was only windy and cold and terrible outside one day of our visit (and not on a day we were driving), getting to go but getting to come home.

Today, I'm very thankful for a husband who is patient even when I'm pretty grouchy and mean and he's the target of it.  No reason for that behavior today but he was pretty nice about it when I was.

Day 21: music

Before Henry was born, Paul and I discussed TV and baby.  For several reasons, all our own and not really necessary to discuss with others, we agreed that we would try to limit screen time for him and us.  Now, as a 20 month old, Henry has almost zero interest in watching television.  He wasn't feeling well last Thursday so we snuggled and watched cartoons on PBS (we don't even have cable any longer because we watched so little TV).   He will occasionally ask for a Thomas DVD but even then, he doesn't sit and watch.  I'm definitely happy we've started him off on this path because I know the battle over screen time is coming soon enough.

Because I didn't like the quiet (one of the main reasons I even watched TV during the day), when Henry was a little bitty baby, I started playing music almost all the time.  Now that he's older, Henry will request music whenever we are at the house.  He has a handful of CDs he likes--it's funny to watch him put them in the stereo and push play or have a toddler size meltdown when he a DVD doesn't actually play.  I know they play music frequently at his daycare and there are several songs that Henry now "sing"--Itsy Bitsy Spider, the Alphabet, Wheels on the Bus.  Pandora has been wonderful for us--our music, Henry's music, everyone happy.  Any time there is clapping on a song (a live track), Henry will always clap along and throw in a "Yay!"

Just tonight, Henry and I were singing along with his earliest favorite song, which had everyone around clapping hands, stomping feet, and shouting hurray! just to amuse a toddler. If You're Happy and You Know It came on and how could I not be happy when for a good minute, a cheery toddler was clapping and "yay"ing.  Tonight, I am thankful for music and the joy that it brings to our life every day.

Day 20: security

I hate hearing the phrase "in this economy."  I do realize that it is tough times for many, either through their own making or as a result of the economy.  We thankfully have not been directly affected but "this economy" definitely touches our lives and our thoughts.  Paul is always worried about contracts and money.  While no job is completely secure, there is less likelihood that I will be without a job. :knock wood:  Through careful spending and living within our means, we have a comfortable savings.   We have our health, family, friends.  All those things that make me able to sleep without worry about the next meal or concern about bills being paid.  And so tonight, I am thankful for security.

Day 19: Grace

Henry has a CD of Bible songs and This Little Light of Mine includes a chorus that I wasn't familiar with but just love:

On Monday He gave me the gift of love,
Tuesday peace came from above,
On Wednesday He told me to have more faith
Thursday He gave me a little more grace
On Friday He told me to watch and pray,
On Saturday He told me what to say
On Sunday He gave me the power divine,
to let my little light shine.


It makes me stop and think whenever I'm having a day like today.  Henry was tough.  He's still not 100% although so much better, hasn't slept well in several days (so we haven't either), and was just being a pill.  He was busting out every toddler move there is--saying no or mine in response to everything, doing the limp protester move when we'd try to pick him up if he didn't want up, crying if we didn't pick him up when he wanted up, and on and on.  We get so spoiled because he is such a good-natured kid and has been since birth that a bad day makes it hard on everyone.  So today, I'm thankful for grace.  Grace I receive when I'm not at my finest--when I am unloveable yet loved--because remembering that reminds me to extend the same grace to others.

Day 17 & 18: volunteer opportunity/our health

Yesterday's attempt to post was thwarted by a sick baby and then a meeting in the evening where I stayed and chatted for way too long afterwards.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to do that as well as the opportunity I was given in which I met the people.  It was a bit fortuitous--I was a provisional with Junior League when I met the directors of the organization Once Upon a Theatre.  I'd seen the flyers at school but wasn't able to afford a production of the show as a teacher.  As the librarian, I was able to do fundraising through book fairs, etc. and brought them to the school for all the students.  In the meantime, I became friends with them.  When I moved up to the high school, I was contacted by the director about joining their board.  I happily did so because it is a great organization that has a really great focus--bringing live theater to school children.  Last spring, I had the opportunity to once again combine my involvement with the two groups when JLA was awarding grant money to other nonprofits.  OUT was one of the recipients of the money to provide a show for a low-income school in town.  Love being able to help out both groups.

And today, I'm thankful for our health.  Aside from some general aches and pains and sniffles and what-have-you, we are lucky to enjoy generally good health.  There have been no hospital stays, few doctor visits, and just a general state of wellbeing around these parts.  Of course, I write this on a day in which Henry stayed home from school with a fever of 101+ but it is thankfully just a bad cold and nothing a little extra cuddling and some medicine can't help.  We truly are fortunate (not just us but our entire family which thankfully, also enjoys overall good health).

Day 16: my stuff

I'm sure there are those who would argue it is wrong to be thankful for material things but I'm not really thinking conspicuous consumption type stuff.  I'm thinking of my house, my car, my clothes, all the things around the house that make it a home.  I look around my little house and while there is always something I'd like to change, I really do like this house.  I've liked it since we first wandered into the model home almost 12 years ago.  It is little (cozy in realtor vernacular) but it is ours.  Our cars aren't new or fancy but they are reliable and they are ours.  I might get tired of my clothes when I'm trying to figure out what to wear but how fortunate I am to have so many to choose from!  How fortunate we are to have four walls and heat and A/C and electricity!  We've got comfy furniture and plenty of toys for Henry to play and for us to trip over.  We work hard to have the things we have and we try not to be frivolous with our purchases, and I'm thankful for all of it.

Day 15: technology

I guess it is an odd thing to be thankful for--and there are some days that I'm not happy to have it around--but what a different world we live it because of technology.  Won't it be crazy to explain to Henry how we were in college before we had email addresses?  And in our 20s before we had cell phones?  That at one point in time phones were attached to the wall and we had to walk to change the TV channel?

To be able to sent a quick text to Paul to explain some little something is just so easy.  Random phone calls to ask silly pointless questions?  Love having that ability.  I so appreciate being able to keep up with my family and friends via email or Facebook.  I love seeing their children growing up and hearing about little things that they do day-to-day.  We are all so busy with life and work and living that we don't get a chance to call and chat or write letters.  I try to be good about sending a quick card from time to time but even that has fallen off much more than it should.  But to be able to send a note right then that hey, I'm thinking of you--that's wonderful.

And yes, sometimes it does become a hassle and it would be nice to have dinner without Paul's phone ringing.  But with the good always comes the bad and we usually have the balance between the two.  So, technology.  Woot!

Day 14: together time

Today's gratitude moment is for those moments that we are able to spent with each other.  Those little times that make a nothing-special day a little special.  Make a good day turn into a great one and a make a bad one better.  It can be the time in the evening when the three of us are playing together before bed or the chance for Paul and me to visit after Henry has gone to bed.  Maybe it is enjoying our Saturday morning burritos.  Tonight, Paul was going to play pool early and wouldn't make it home for dinner.  I had a couple of errands to run after getting Henry and Paul asked if we could come up to visit afterward and maybe early dinner.  We were the only people at the restaurant and it was a nice way to spend a little time together.  We all three left, smiling, cheerful, and thankful for that time together.  I love my little family.  I love my little life.

Day 13: weekends

Especially weekends like this one that had just enough to do to keep us honest but no so over-scheduled that we couldn't be a little lazy.  I was able to take advantage of the long weekend and do laundry on Friday so yesterday was spent enjoying each other--playing hard in the balloon ball pit we created out of the balloons I brought home from work (just a small dent in the many covering my office floor) and Henry's play pen and then some time at Gymboree.  A serious nap by a little boy afforded me some time to do schoolwork while Paul was up at work.  A trip to the grocery store was followed by more play time and a date night for the grown-ups.  This morning has started off easy--breakfast and some play time.  We'll head to church in a bit and then more naps and a nice finish to the day.  It is definitely weekends like this that leave me refreshed and ready to take on the next week.

day 12: grandparents

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm so thankful for my grandfathers and their fighting in WWII.  I am *so* blessed at 37 to have both sets of biological grandparents and my step-grandfather still alive.  Part of that is good genes, part of that is a factor of having children young, all of it makes me and my child! very lucky.  Even Paul's grandparents were with us until just a couple of years ago and we were both surprised when his last grandfather died a month before Henry was born.  In denial about the state of Owen's health, we were already planning a trip to KS with a tiny tiny baby.

I don't call or write often enough and I definitely don't visit enough but I hope my grandparents all realize how amazingly loved they are and how often they are in my thoughts.  I try to tell them every time I do remember to call or see them.

Day 11: freedom

This one is a gimme given today is Veteran's Day, I think, but one that is definitely heartfelt in expressing my gratitude.  Going back, I have a great-grandfather I didn't know who fought as a doughboy in WWI.  All three of my grandfathers fought in WWII--one enlisted, one drafted, not sure on the third.  My paternal grandmother has talked about the separation after my granddad was drafted (three years, I believe) and how changed he was when he came back.  None of the three are very willing to talk about their experiences.  I can't imagine being a part of something like that so young (17-23ish) and I can't imagine I would want to talk much about it either.  I have a girlfriend who has gone to Iraq three times and an acquaintance who lost his son in Iraq.  My heart absolutely broke when I heard that news and I know I didn't handle it correctly.  No card sent, no email to express my thanks for his ultimate sacrifice.  Lots of prayers for the family and a renewed understanding in the saying freedom isn't free.  I'm eternally grateful that there are those who, for whatever reason, were willing to go to battle for me to enjoy the luxuries I have.

Day 10: laughter

I had something else in mind today about what I was thankful for but as I reflect on the day, I'm thankful for laughter.  Getting to hear my sweet boy's laugh makes my heart swell every time.  Seeing my husband smile and scoff will almost always make me giggle too.  Having the opportunity to spend a few hours with friends and relax, as I got to do tonight, is always good for the soul.  So, it's laughter.  And smiles and giggles and guffaws and snorts and all the chances we get to do that throughout the day.  I know there are days when I don't take advantage of all the opportunities but need to remember to take the time to add a few giggles to my day.

Day 9: our jobs

I am fortunate to have a job that I truly love.  I get frustrated at times by it but that is simply a normal part of being employed.  I'm definitely happy with the place I'm working--I have coworkers I really enjoy, a few I could do without of course, and a positive work environment.  Paul struggles more with his work environment--it's tough to keep a company afloat by yourself and I think he often feels that way.  It keeps him away from us too much at times but it affords us with lots of opportunities and "stuff" that we couldn't have otherwise.  A trade-off, for sure.  I'd love to be able to have him around more at times but we're making it work.  The hours for both of us are a little crazy but it actually works well with Henry for parent/tot time--Paul has him to himself in the mornings after I've gone in and then I've got Henry for a couple of hours in the afternoon before Paul gets home for dinner.

Day 8: birthdays

I'm not always thrilled with the number but I'm thankful to have celebrated 37 healthy birthdays.  It is hard to say the age--I definitely don't feel like I should be closer to 40 than 20 (or even 30) but there you go.  Life is good and I've been blessed each year.

Days 4, 5, 6, 7: friends and family and travel

Henry and I left on the afternoon of the 4th, heading to D/FW to visit Donna and assorted friends in the area.  Today is a belated thanks for the long weekend spent with my sister and friends and the ability to travel.  I'm always grateful to have two sisters who are my friends, my sounding boards, my partners-in-crime.  I often wish we lived closer because I'm so lucky to have these two fabulous women in my life, as much as they irritate me at times.

And my friends!  So fortunate to have these people in my life, each made at different times in my life.  Friends I've known for almost 30 years, with a gap of many years before meeting up again via FB and the truth that it seems like so little time had passed since we last spoke as teenagers.  A friend I met at 18 as a college freshman.  Friends I met online when planning my wedding who I was fortunate enough to have become friends "IRL".  Friends we met as a married couple in ABQ.  Each of these people has been in my life for different amount of time but I'm grateful for the chance to have known all of them.

And for Southwest Airlines.  They get a bad rap on the news at time but they've never done me wrong.  They give us the opportunity to fly off for a weekend to see those who are important to us or to just get away, as their slogan goes.  We have umpteen free flights with them and a companion pass that we don't use often enough because my husband doesn't always want to get on another plane after traveling for work.  Yeah, it's not first class and those peanuts get a little tiresome but I'm grateful they fly where I need them to for the most part.  I know Amarillo is just right there but sometimes, it was nice to not have to log the road miles.

Sweet Henry just took his third trip via airplane and let me tell you, having a good traveler is definitely something I'm thankful for.  A little trepidation on his part when the plane left the ground and he was signing done well before the flight was over but hey, I was done too (and always feel a little trepidation on the take-off and landing).  He was a trooper through short naps and late bedtimes.  Spent lots of seat time traveling to see people and was a little gentleman meeting all those new people.  Love that kid.

Day 3: my inlaws and my parents

Paul and I are blessed to have two sets of wonderful parents who are great examples of how marriage can work, both in different ways.  Paul's parents were college sweethearts who have been married for 50 years.   This is a second marriage for both my parents but they have 33 years under their belt.  May we be as blessed to have all those years together--and still seem to enjoy each other as much as our parents do.

Since Henry has been thrown into the mix (it always come back to him, doesn't it?), I truly have realized how much my parents did for me, growing up and now.  I think Paul would say the same thing.  I'm not sure I understood pre-child how much parents do give up just in terms of their time and their beings.  Paul and I still go and do individually but it's definitely takes so much more planning and arranging that I never realized.

I'm so thankful that the couple of times Henry has decided he needed to be sick, a grandparent has been around to help us out--mostly one of our moms but Paul's dad will happily take a sick Henry too.  Just this week, Henry decided he needed to run a little fever.  Not enough that we would have had to keep him home from daycare but we knew he would get better quicker if we did.  Paul's parents came over to deal with a feverish Henry yesterday and his mom was here with an ornery Henry today.  And we were able to be at work knowing Henry was getting plenty of attention and affection.

Day 2: for my husband

It has been twelve years since we got married and sixteen years since we started dating.  It is hard to believe when I see that written down or say it aloud.  Sixteen years!

One of the things that made me fall in love so many years ago was just how thoughtful he could be--not big gifts because honestly (and I think he'll admit this),  he's not that great with the presents.  But he does do little things that are always so thoughtful.  He bought me a new umbrella in college after mine was broken in a wind gust because he knew I needed it.  When we were dating in college, he left very quickly following the completion of his thesis to move back to ABQ and start work.  He had about a week but because of his parents' schedule, it was only about two days between when he finished and when he moved out.  I was heartbroken that he wouldn't be around all the time any longer and was moping around the apartment when a knock came at the door.  Paul had driven back to Lubbock from ABQ because he hadn't said good-bye.  :melt:  That's when I was pretty much a goner for that silly boy.

He leaves silly little notes around the house or does something to catch me off-guard (because it's totally normal to open the fridge and find a game piece dwarf fighting the gallon of milk).  Once or twice week, I'll get a picture of he and Henry doing something in the morning when I've already left for work.  My email is always filled with links he think I'll like or funny pictures.

I'm constantly challenged, frustrated, amazed, comforted and cheered by Paul and I'm so thankful to have him in my life.  He never fails to make me smile (even when I'm trying not to) and seeing him interact with Henry never ceases to fill my heart with joy.

Day 1: Thankful for Henry

I'll sneak back into the world of blogging to list my 30 days of gratitude for November and hopefully get back into the habit of posting over here.  So much has happened in the year since I last wrote anything.  I keep intending to write down all the wonderful/amazing/funny/fabulous/unbelievable/etc. things he does every day.  This morning, Paul and I were chatting on the phone after I'd gone to work and he made a comment that maybe it was a just a parent thing but he was so amazed with what Henry had done this morning while playing.  He was getting all his Little People and lining them up very precisely on the shelf by the stairs.  Admittedly, not that amazing, but still!  In a nice neat line.  And getting more of them to line up!  This evening, he took the all down and put them in the bus to put them away.  We find ourself in awe of what he does and learns every day.

So today (and every day), I am thankful Paul and I have been given the chance to guide this amazing little creature through his life and help him discover all the little bits about the world while he's teaching us so much more.