Thankful Thursday

Today, I'm thankful that my littles get excited over new books - picked out just for them at my school book fair!

Thankful Thursday

It's been awhile...

Today I'm thankful for several things:

I am thankful for Jack's creativity.  He continues to astound me on a daily basis.  Really, I'm just in awe, and it makes me wonder what he'll end up being when he grows up...

Just the other day, when Brad realized Japanese beetles are attacking his beloved Crepe Myrtle, Jack made a bug trap.

How adorable is that?  I only helped by giving him the empty box, and he did the rest.

Luring the bugs in with other bug friends...

Ladybugs...

Bumble bees...

Lightning bugs?

And inside the box, a spider.  I helped him cut out the circles and the legs, but Jack did the gluing and that fancy design on its body.

Then I came downstairs yesterday to find my little man making a knight helmet.

And so, I'm thankful for the creative little boy that is all ours:)

I'm also thankful for longtime friends.  I had lunch with my friend Jeannette today, and we had a great time catching up at Burger King while Jack and Hannah chased each other through the tunnels.  It's nice to sit and talk to another adult and catch up on our jobs and families.  I miss working with her, and so it was good to see her again.

I'm thankful for this little boy (below), who has stolen my heart.  And for his Momma, who has stepped into this role with nothing but grace.

I'm thankful for Hannah's big, blue eyes.  Seriously, they make me swoon.

I'm seriously a happy girl.

Thankful Thursday

Tonight, I'm thankful for this crew:

Because, really?  How could you not be?

Thankful Thursday

It's been too long since my last Thankful Thursday post, so here goes...

I'm thankful for 80 degree weather in March.

I'm thankful for afternoons at the park with my little ones and our friends.

{By the way, wouldn't this be a cute picture on their wedding program one day?  Just sayin'.}

I'm thankful for Kimmee who constantly works to help me stay organized (but not too organized) at work.

I'm thankful for Jack's teachers for giving his class time to dance each and every afternoon.

I'm thankful for Hannah's teachers who love on her and make her smile and taught her how to clap her hands with glee (she hasn't stopped since)!

I'm thankful that Jack is such a good big brother that he can have an entire conversation with his baby sister while she says not a word:

J: Hannah Bear, how was your day?  

H: (nada)

J: Was it good?  

H: (nada)

J: Did you play?  

H: (nada)

J: What did you play?

H: (nada)

I'm thankful for late-night conversations with my hubby once the babies are in bed.  It's nice to finish a sentence uninterrupted every once in awhile.

Thankful Thursday

I realize that it's actually Friday, and I was going to blog this last night, but unfortunately even if I'd held my eyelids open with toothpicks, I still would've fallen asleep.  Yes, I was that tired.  Why do you ask?  Well, Brad traveled for work this week and I had our little lovelies for (ohmygoodness, only) two nights, but it felt like a lot longer.  Anyway, it was the first time in a long time that he traveled, the first time since Jack's been able to comprehend the fact that he's gone, and the first time since Miss Hannah joined our lives.  Sheer craziness, I tell you.

So today, I actually have a lot to be thankful for:

* I am thankful for my husband.  I take for granted all that he does around here, and it becomes very obvious what all that is when he's not here.  We were so excited to see his face when he came home last night before swimming.  Oh, so excited:)

* I am thankful for my in-laws.  Not only do they adoringly watch our baby girl every day when I go to work (just like they did with Baby Jack), but this week, they warmly welcomed Jack and Hannah at 6:30 in the morning (such sleepy, hungry, need a new diaper, well one of them, children) when I had to train teachers on a day when Brad was out of town and couldn't help out with drop off.  I love you both, and I am so glad that our babies get to spend so much time with you.  I know it is hard to watch a baby all day, every day, and I just want you to know how much I really do appreciate all of your help.  I never have to worry about our little lovelies when I drop them off.  It is a priceless gift each and every day.

* I am thankful for my mom.  Each Wednesday afternoon she picks Jack-Jack up from school so that this Momma can have some one-on-one time with my baby girl and a much more relaxing evening than I would have had otherwise.  I actually get some stuff done on Wednesday evenings, and it's really rather nice.  This past Wednesday, I treated myself to a massage, in fact, because she also agreed to watch Hannah for a bit.  I am very lucky to have so much extra help and family that love my babies as much as I do living so close to us.  Not everyone is so lucky, and I get it.  I love you - thank you for giving up one of your relaxing weeknights each week to play with Jack!  I know he's busy-busy after school, and sometimes rather clingy, but he loves going to Grammy's to play:)

* I am thankful for writing workshop training sessions.  I love writing workshop.  Love it.  Capital L.  If I could go back to the primary classroom and only teach writing, or really the whole language arts block, I'd do it.  Writing is just my favorite, and I love that training day with teachers.  I love browsing through children's books I've heard about through various conferences with teachers and showing them how to look at all those beautiful pages through the eyes of a writer.  I just find it to be a very powerful day, and I'm glad I get to be a part of writing workshop in classrooms even though I don't have my own classroom anymore.

* I am thankful for Kimmee.  Last night, as I sat at my kitchen table and finished up dinner with Channing and Brad (Jack and Hannah had long since finished), I watched as Kimmee cleaned our kitchen and unloaded and loaded our dishwasher.  I know that sounds horrible, but it really was amazing.  I don't always love to ask for help or let people help all the time, but the truth is I always need help.  So as weird as it was to sit there while my best friend straightened up after a play date and dinner at our house, I just took a deep breath, relinquished control, and allowed it.  And it was nice.  It wasn't until Kimmee and Channing left and we were rushing to swimming at 7:15 that I realized what a huge sacrifice it was for Kimmee to stay and help us get ready for swimming.  Kimmee and Channing are usually heading upstairs at 6:45 to get ready for a bath and bedtime.  And I know this because Kimmee is very scheduled at home and every night runs exactly the same.  She was 1/2 an hour behind schedule and Channing had to be bathed and in bed in 45 minutes.  I know that Channing was still in bed by 8 because that's how Kimmee is.  She's wonder-woman.  I don't know how she does it.  My kids haven't bathed in days (does the pool count?) because I couldn't figure out how to do that without Brad.  But somehow Kimmee managed to bathe Channing and get him to bed on time even though she gave up her schedule a bit to help a friend in need.  Which I'm sure wasn't easy, and I didn't even see her glance at a clock.  Not once.  So thank you - I love you.  I know how you are with your schedule, and I really did appreciate all of your help:)

I am a lucky girl.  And I know it.

Thankful Thursday (with pictures)

Today I am thankful for...

* morning naps

* beautiful afternoons at the park with my babies

{my camera lens for allowing me to take that picture...the clearest I think I've ever taken.  Can you see me and my camera in those crystal clear eyes?  And that bit of baby drool on her chin?  Priceless.}

{again, my crazy camera lens}

* music - it makes everything more fun...cleaning, showering, driving...

* grilled cheese and soup dinners

* Jack's swimming coach who successfully got these results during today's lesson:

Thankful Thursday

So many things to be thankful for today...

~ morning snuggles from my little man

~ Kimmee-time (while Channing and Jack got to play, my BFF, Kimmee, and I got to hang out)

~ a swimming coach who knows just how to convince a three-year old who doesn't like to get his ears and/or face wet to give swimming underwater a try (Yay! for Baby Jack)

~ Etsy

~ my hubby who has taken over Jack's morning drop-off so that this Mama can get a little more sleep and spend a little more time in her jammies

~ the fact that I'm wearing non-maternity jeans for the first time in a very long time

~ this adorable cutie who grabbed a toy for the first time today:

~ my phone which allowed me to capture that precious moment and then immediately email it to her Daddy at work

~ iTunes - I absolutely love downloading new music and then dancing my heart out as I do chores around the house

~  pink lint (I realize this sounds a little crazy, but just hear me out.  Every time I do a load of Hannah's laundry and clean pink lint out of the dryer, I squeal with joy just knowing that we have a little girl.) 

~ the fact that in exactly one month my little sister will marry the man of her dreams, and I get to be right next to her when she does it

Thankful Thursday

So many things to be thankful for today...

* the fact that the shorts that did not fit just last week, fit rather nicely this morning

* that seven years ago this week, my hubby asked me to marry him while on a vacation I'll never forget

* my wedding rings are back on my finger!  A little snug, but still...

* the technology skills that Jack is already learning at a mere three years old, like how to watch Disney cartoons on my Mac or play alphabet and counting games on the iPad

* While it might make me sad to hear some of the things that Jack has to say ~

     Jack: I don't want a Hannah Bear

     Me: Why not?

     Jack: Because I just want it to be me.

I'm thankful for his ability to articulate his thoughts.  

* I'm also thankful that he showers her with kisses and always wants her to be awake.  And that he can't wait to show her off to all of his friends at school:)

* Baby yawns

* The ability to see life through the eyes of my children.  Just yesterday, Jack bounded outside early in the morning (when I was still trying to focus on being awake), announced what a pretty day it was, and proceeded to "chase the wind."  

* That Hannah doesn't mind "carrying" Jack's things for him on the way to and from school.  

* That Jack allows Hannah to "hold" his things while he's at school.  He's perfectly fine for her "to bring them back when she comes" to get him from school.

Thankful Thursday

This mama just has so many things to be thankful for, but here's a few from the top of my list today:

* my perfect day yesterday with my little man

* the fact that I still get summers off to be able to spend more time with my family

* pedicures

* 'Smores.  Need I say more?

* country music.  Lately, I'm kind of addicted.

* a great check-up proving that Peanut is strong and healthy (today's BPM ranged from 155-165 - she was ON THE GO!)

* the beautiful baby girl things that I've been organizing and putting in her room after my surprise shower last week...which by the way, here are some of the photos of the goodies we received:

Someone wanted in on the action

And not surprisingly at all, as my co-workers predicted, Jack tried out his sister's princess gear right away.