Thursday Thanks #25

It's been a loooong time since I've written one of these. Way too long. I can't promise this is the start of an every Thursday post, but I'm glad to be sharing these things with you today.

This week, I'm thankful for:

1) My husband's help with the quarterly clean-out of the garage. We got rid of some junk, hauled off a good bit of cardboard for recycling, did some organizing, and I have regained my parking spot.

2) Allergy medicine. I have had some issues with the pollen, which has been much worse than usual this spring. I think I've finally found something that works.

3) The compliments I received about Mister J's reading skills from two teachers and an administrator. He was reading to them while waiting for me to pick him up from school earlier this week.

4) Miss M's two really great days at school this week. She doesn't usually have bad days, but I know it's been a really good day if the teacher mentions it at pick-up.

5) Sunshine! I was able to go out for a wog this morning, and although I'm feeling it a bit now, it sure was nice to get outside and move.

6) Friends who are there for you when plans change on the spur of the moment.

That's what's filling me up this week. What about you?

Thursday Thanks #24

It's been a while. Too long, in fact, since I've posted a Thursday Thanks. This still isn't a return to regular posting (at least I don't think it is), but I'm glad to be here anyway!

Just a few moments ago, I commented on a blog. The question was, "What's your favorite day of the week?" Here's how I answered:

My favorite day of the week is Thursday. It's the day "Thursday Packets" come home from school. I can't resist looking at them as soon as possible! Over dinner, I let the kids talk about what's in their packets. Tucked inside we find school work or art work to talk about, and it gives our kids a good starting point to tell us about their accomplishments.

It's a great opportunity to celebrate their academic or creative achievement, or even talk about things that need a little improvement. Since it's over the dinner table and not at the homework table, we can even discuss potential improvement without it being a 'heavy' talk.

I'm thankful for the opportunity - and motivation - to celebrate the kids each Thursday!

I am here (also Thursday Thanks #23)

Bible study at my church - "When Wallflowers Dance" by Angela Thomas

My apologies for the wildly askew photo (I think I'm channeling a bit of Esbee here). Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here. That things are OK. But that I'm taking some guidance from today's lesson, part of which included the suggestions to "choose to stop the chaos" and "choose to restore order."

I daresay it's been a full month since I've posted regularly. Life has been rich and full. The children are thriving in their new school. I have been busy with church and work commitments, extracurricular activities, and shuttling children from here to there. I haven't posted the first photo of Mister J in his soccer uniform. Of Miss M in her dancewear. Of a lunch in quite a while (though I pack them every night for school the next day). But trying to juggle all of the balls was wearing me out, so I've had to at least slow the chaos. I've pulled back from a few things - namely, the blog, email, and social networking. I've got photos I want to post, memories I want to document, and funny stories I want to tell. But for now, please forgive me for the lack of posts and photos.

I'm also choosing, in my case, to establish order. I'm trying to eliminate the clutter and disorganization in a pretty heavy-handed way around here. I'm trying to repurpose spaces and "stuff" in a way that makes sense for our family. It's going in baby steps, but the small victories keep me motivated.

I'm the midst of all of the de-chaos-ing and re-ordering, I'm taking a bit of time for myself. Not just doing the grocery shopping alone, but some real, adult time with other women in my Bible study. And here's my Thursday Thanks just a bit early.... I am so thankful for the women who are crossing my path as a part of this study. I am learning from them and connecting with them in new ways each time we meet, even if they are women I have known for years. In just a couple of hours a week, I am refreshed and energized in a way I'd forgotten existed.

I'll be back, though it may continue to be sporadic for a time. My goal is to complete some projects around the house, re-claim the calm that comes along with order and organization, and meet a couple of personal goals, including a return to more regular blogging.

See you soon.

Thursday Thanks #22

Fresh basil from the garden of a friend - it made some delicious pesto, which I am going to eat more of now that the kids are asleep. I only got to lick my fingers and then clean the blender and utensils when I made it, so this time I actually get to enjoy it.

Farmer's market corn - delicious with dinner, and I'm using the leftovers to try out a new black bean and corn salad. Update - It's tasty! Even better - the kids tried it, and if I send along some tortilla chips it might be 'kid-approved' for the lunchboxes.

Two free hands on weekday mornings - I am getting used to the new pace, and filled the entire four hours this morning marking things off of my to-do list. It was mainly on-the-go errands, so I still have a major to do list for in-the-house projects before company arrives this weekend, but anything done is worth celebrating!

A call from one of my aunts today - just to say hello, ask how the kids were doing, and visit for a bit before she headed in to visit with her mom (my grandmother) and before I headed to school to pick up Miss M. It's nice to have an unexpected break like that in the middle of all the 'busy-ness' of mom-ing.

The opportunity to peek in on Mr. J when I pick up Miss M from school each day. His class is usually outside, and most of the time I can see them from the pick-up line. This will change next week when the new playground opens, but for now it's a sweet part of my day.

The big smiles and excitement that greet me each day when I pick my kids up from school. I remember doing the same thing when my mom would pick me up from after-school care, and it's really an incredible feeling to be on the other end now.

Previous Thursday Thanks Tank posts

Thursday Thanks #21

What a busy week it has been! School started on Tuesday - kindergarten for Mister J, and a new preschool (at the same school as Mister J) for Miss M. Of course, with a busy, milestone week come lots of thanks!

Last week, we met with the kids' teachers, Mrs G and Mrs J in Pre K-3 and Mrs M in kindergarten. I don't think I could have left the conferences feeling much better than I did. Both Miss M and Mister J were sorely disappointed the following morning when it wasn't a school day. So, I'm thankful for our teachers and for enthusiastic children.

We pulled the last link off of our summer countdown paper chain on Tuesday morning, and everyone was excited! I have a good list of thankful things from Tuesday:
- my alarm clock worked
-Mister J got out of bed with a smile
- minimal tears on my part, and most of them when I was back in the parking lot after dropping the kids off
- a decent to-do list for the morning, to keep me occupied until preschool pick-up
- the kids both ate nearly all of their lunches, especially important since Miss M is a grazer (they have 30 minutes for lunch)
- food allergy safety plans that I am comfortable with (many in place from prior years)
- Miss M's excitement to see me at pick-up, and a good first day
- Mister J's excitement at pick-up, and a good first day

Each day has brought some new tidbit about school from Mister J - I'm recording them in my planner. I'm thankful for these little tidbits - they are like gold to me! I am also thankful for the opportunity to volunteer at school (it's actually a requirement at our school!). Even though I'm not in my kids' classrooms, it gives me a bit of insight about a typical day. I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but in some instances (like food allergies) it's very, very necessary. My first 'shift' was on the first day of school - the result of a last-minute schedule change that worked out perfectly!

Now for a change of topic... It's been a long time since I've been out to girls night on a regular basis, so it was a real treat to have some unexpected time to visit with friends on Saturday morning (a friend I hadn't spent time with in nearly a month) and on Wednesday morning (friends I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks). Truly, the last-minute plans have really worked out well this week!

I'm also very thankful that I'm (finally) catching up on sleep! We are putting the kids to bed a bit earlier, and I'm letting myself off the hook on a few things this week so I can go to bed earlier. I even took a nap this afternoon - lovely!

I got my first bloggy award yesterday - woohoo! I'll be sharing the details in another post very soon.

I'm thankful for the mom who offered to take a photo of me with the kids this morning. I'd forgotten to get one with me in it (typical!) on the first day of school, and I didn't even imagine how hard it would be to get myself and the kids in a photo that I was taking myself - you know, the hold-the-camera-out-and-pray-it-turns-out-ok method - until I actually tried it! I didn't even think to look at the photo until a couple of hours later, and it's cute! I hope to get the 'first day' photos up this weekend - I really am eager to share them.

Thanks for stopping by!

previous Thursday Thanks posts

Thursday Thanks #20

I'm so happy to be sitting on the couch right now, laptop in my lap, starting this post. I am enjoying my quiet time to reflect on the past several days.

We've been busy, and I've been carrying around a lot of stress and anxiety about things that were somewhat beyond my control. My post-vacation, end-of-summer to-do list was very long, and I was worried that I would not be able to enjoy the last week of summer with my kids.

The things I was worried about have turned out just fine, and in retrospect I shouldn't have spent all of that time on worry. Our to-do list is steadily getting shorter. We've completed our school supply purchases and gotten Mister J's library card. We met the kids' teachers today, and are looking forward to the first day of school next week.

I've let all of these 'big' things crowd my mind, and finding time to be thankful was not at the top of my priority list. But I do have plenty of things for which to be thankful.

A dear friend who celebrated a birthday.
A minimum of silliness from the kids while we had portraits made for the church directory.
Running into friends at lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Kids that were well-behaved at lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Being welcomed back to Bible study after missing the last two meetings.
That Mister J didn't actually get sick, though his queasiness kept us home from the pool early in the week.
That we did make it to the pool the next day, and even had pizza delivered for dinner (a real treat!).
Enjoying the last summer kids' movie at a local theatre.
Running into friends at the movie theatre - the first unexpected surprise of the week.
Winning a prize from my friend's contest - the second unexpected surprise of the week.
My $5 subscription to Real Simple - the first issue arrived this week.
Comments on my recent blog posts and photos uploaded to facebook - always so encouraging!
Time to run errands with Mister J today - I enjoyed the one-on-one time that is so rare.

I'm also thankful for the lesson that I have learned this week.

Amidst the worry and to-dos, when I'm overtired and even cranky, I have so much for which to be thankful - and those things are just the small stuff.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thursday Thanks #19

If you've been keeping up with my blog for the last several days, you might have realized on Saturday (and on last Thursday if you are well-acquainted with where I live) that we've been out of town. We've been to Seattle, where we spent at week with family. The weather was lovely - 70ish, low humidity, and sun for at least a little while each day. Yes - we got there after the heat wave! So, this week, I'm thankful for our wonderful getaway, our safe travel (non-stop, cross-country flight each way), kids that were well-behaved (especially on the flights), and our wonderful hosts (Hi B and Uncle J!). We took in as much of Seattle as we could, and we're already thinking about what to do the next time! (I'll catch you up on the details of our trip very soon!)

This week (well, every week, but especially on this milestone week), I'm also thankful for my bloggy friend Jane Anne over at Gravity of Motion. She is celebrating 100 weeks of Thursday Thanks posts today. She's how I got started with Thursday Thanks, she taught me how to put a link into blog comments, and she's a fellow mom to a PA kid. Each week, I look forward to seeing her Thursday Thanks (coffee usually makes an appearance), and I look forward to sharing mine because I know she'll stop by with a sweet comment. Writing this list helps me stay mindful of all of the gifts I have in my life, and gives me an opportunity to reflect on them during a few quiet moments when I write.

Aside from Thursday Thanks, Jane Anne has written some other beautiful posts as well. I encourage you to visit her blog and check out these posts:
Without Fear: Telling My Story of Thankfulness - the story of how she got started with Thursday Thanks posts
Rocks in the Sand - the most recent of several of JA's Musings
Catch and Release - my favorite Musing (so far!)
What I'd Like for You to Know: Dealing with Food Allergies in a Child - Jane Anne's guest post over at Rocks In My Dryer - it's the first time I encountered JA in the blog world. As you can imagine, I could really relate to her experience. I headed on over to her blog to comment, and then kept going back.

To celebrate her milestone, JA is having a contest. And it's not a little contest, either - there are 10 prizes! Head on over to congratulate Jane Anne! If you leave a comment telling something that you are thankful for, you'll get an entry into her contest. If you tell her that you found her through Mom's Magic (or RLR's blog), I'll get an entry, too. There are several ways to enter, so be sure to read them all! Most importantly, though, keep going back - it's simply a wonderful blog and you must read more!

One more thing I'm thankful for - each of you that stops by my blog. Oh, I'd still post even if you didn't - but it's so nice to know that others are stopping by to catch up on our news, to know what Works for Me, or to see what I'm Thankful for, or even to ask questions. (Hey, everyone who commented while we were gone, I will respond to you!) The blog-o-verse is such a nicer place to be when you know others out there are stopping my your little place in space. Thank you!

Congratulations Jane Anne!

Thursday Thanks #18

Ok, so I'm a little late. Technically, it's Friday. But, since I haven't gone to sleep yet, I'm considering it still Thursday. So, without too much delay since eventually I do have to sleep, here is what's filling up my Thanks Tank this week!

A fantastic week of Vacation Bible School - I'm helping with the elementary science class. Yes, I said science. VBS sure has changed in the 25 years few years since I was a participant! The kids are learning a lot, and I am always interested to hear the analogies that link the experiments to the Bible lessons. Combined with crafts, storytelling, and recreation, it's really a great way to reach children of all learning styles. Mister J and Miss M are having a blast! They go to all of the the 'classes' just like the big kids (but geared to the younger crowd), so they are super-engaged and love telling Big J and me about everything they did at VBS.

My job - I'm talking about being a SAHM, thought I'm certainly thankful for that! I'm talking about my part-time, flex-hours, work-from-home job. In a time when the economy isn't great, even having a job is a wonderful thing. It's been a busy month for our family and for my job - you may have noticed a scarcity of blog posts... - but I'm thankful I have this job to juggle along with my other roles.

My wonderful 'sisters'- Ladies, our time together the past few months has been really hard to come by. I just wanted to let you know that I love you all so much, I miss our time together, and I can't wait to meet for dinner again soon (though it looks like Mondays are out due to soccer, unless you want to have a picnic dinner with me during practice)! I've had bits and pieces of time here and there to visit/email/IM you, but it's just not the same. Miss you!!!

My mom friends - Whether we are linked because we are/were neighbors, because our children play or attend school/church together, because we share a similar parenting experience, or simply because a mutual friend introduced us and we hit it off, I am thankful for each and every one of those links-turned-friends. This summer, I seem to be (re)connecting with nearly everyone we've ever met since we've lived here. It's been such a joy, and it has strengthened me in a way that I really needed. Thank you to each of you! And to those of you that I keep missing, I'm committed to correcting that!

I know that there's so much more, but I have to admit that I'm tired. And I have to get up in less than 6 hours. And I'm not asleep yet since I needed some late-day caffeine to make it through VBS (more than double my average work hours this month - thankful, remember, but worn out!). I think I'm turning old. I'm ok with that, I suppose, as long as you don't tell my kids that I'm not young, fun, and cool!

By the way, hop on over and visit my bloggy friend Jane Anne, who introduced me to Thursday Thanks. She's reaching a big bloggy milestone soon!

previous Thursday Thanks posts

Thursday Thanks #17

First and foremost this week, I am SO thankful that Miss M was not hurt badly when she took a tumble on Sunday afternoon. I'm also thankful for all of the prayers that were said for her (and for me!) when we took our first trip to the emergency room!

I'm thankful for a wonderful opportunity to stretch my blogging wings and to share my thoughts on an issue that's very important to our family.

I'm thankful for the lovely weather we've had the last few weeks - simply lovely - and for the time we've had to enjoy the outdoors.

I'm thankful for time to visit with friends. We were able to cook out with friends over the weekend, and also had a friend come up for a visit yesterday. The time to catch up with each other was wonderful - and long overdue!

Thursday Thanks #16

If you think that this post sounds striking similar to this post, then perhaps as your read this week's thanks, you'll be reminded of this post.

I'm thankful for the fantastic summer camp that Miss M is attending, and for the wonderful mom-and-son time that Mister J and I have shared while she's been there! (follow that link to take you to the post I'm continually updating about our week)

Yes, two opposite-but-very-much-the-same weeks! In each instance, I have really enjoyed the time spent one-on-one. I've had a unique opportunity to see who they are when they are without the other, and I've gotten very special peeks at their individual natures. We have had uninterrupted conversations, tried new things, and done some 'ordinary' things made 'extraordinary' simply by being 'just the two of us'! Lovely!

Previous Thursday Thanks posts

Thursday Thanks #15

It's Thursday again, and boy did it ever sneak up on me this week! I have two big thanks items this week - both related to the other.

I'm thankful for the fantastic summer camp that Mister J is atetnding, and for the wonderful girl time that Miss M and I have shared while he's been there! (follow that link to take you to the post I'm continually updating about our week)

The week's not over yet, and neither is the camp - rest assured this is not the last you will hear about it. I'm looking forward to the CD of music from camp - we get it tomorrow after the closing program. Yes, my friends, a closing program! From the CD to the healthy snacks to the fact that Miss M is already learning the songs and she's not even attending, I love this camp, and my kids will attend every year they are eligible!

(I'm also thankful for my friend, Cynthia, who passed along the contact information about this camp!)

Previous Thursday Thanks posts

Thursday Thanks #14

A short post this week, since I'm heading into a busy weekend. Why so busy? Check out my list below to learn more....

I'm thankful that I am able to participate in a summer Bible study (we're studying this). I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the group - there are many new faces.

I'm thankful that my kids had a great time at camp this week. They were in a 1/2 day camp at a local church, so I had some free time this week.

I'm thankful for the free time I had this week! I was able to get several things done in preparation for the weekend.

I'm thankful for my daughter, who will be three years old tomorrow! Her birthday party is on Saturday.

Thursday Thanks #13

This week, I'm thankful for...

My daughter's imagination - whether she's having conversations on her calculator 'phone' or stirring up pancakes in my storage baskets with her magic wand 'spoon,' being able to overhear her imaginative play has been a wonderful treat!

Visiting with Grandpa H, Memaw, and Aunt L last week - I love cooking for a crowd (ok, a small crowd!), and we all enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together!

The sun finally shining again today! We spent about 3 hours at the pool - and it was wonderful!

Hearing my children say their prayers at night - or reminding me if I forget! I made up a short bedtime prayer a few years ago for Mister J. I began saying it with Miss M several months ago, and in just the last few weeks she has started to say it on her own. The first few tries, she began with "God is great..." and would then ask me to help her "say the right words." Now, she can say it on her own. I'm so thankful (and proud!) of both of them!

Dear God,
Thank you for another wonderful day.
Thank you for my family and friends.
Help me have patience and make good choices.
Amen.

A Dozen Thursday Thanks

It's my 12th Thursday Thanks post, so I'm going to celebrate by listing a dozen things for which I am thankful this week! And since my last thanks post was a day late, I'm starting with Saturday.

1) I am thankful for my mom's help with what turned out to be a great garage sale on Saturday morning. The weather was just perfect, and we had lots of shoppers! After the sale, we packed up what was left and took half of it to Goodwill. There are about 6 boxes left to deal with. I am way more than pleased about that.

2) Big J and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday. We went out for dinner (actually, just appetizers and dessert), and then went to a movie. I don't remember the last movie we saw together in a theater!

3) Receiving an unexpected invitation. (Sorry, but that's all I'll say for now.)

4) The opportunity to cook for a houseful of people this week. I love, love, love to cook, and especially try some new recipes. I'm (mostly) mixing some tried-and-loved recipes with new sides.

5) Grocery shopping while Big J watched the kids. If you have ever taken even one child shopping with you, you know what I mean. And, since I love to go grocery shopping, it was an extra-special treat for me.

6) And end to my aversion to restaurant pizza. I know, this one seems kind of silly, but it's a big deal around here. I developed an aversion to pizza during my second pregnancy, and it just never went away. Miss M will be three in a few weeks. It's been a long time since I've really wanted to eat pizza, but over the last few weeks it has become appetizing again.

7) Sunny afternoons. Until school is out on Friday, the pool is only open from 3-8pm. It's pop-up shower season where we live. Last week we were racing the weather most afternoons to get to the pool before the thunder or lightning started. (Next week will be even better since the pool will be open in the mornings!)

8) Encouragement from friends.

9) A quiet work week. Normally, I'd be at a conference the first part of June. I'm missing out on a trip to Boston this week, but if I was there I'd be missing out on the chance to visit with family later in the week.

10) Not hurting myself worse than I did when I stepped on the end of a bedrail today while vacuuming (don't ask.... okay, if you must know, I was rearranging the guest/toy room....)

11) Listening to my daughter's imaginary play this afternoon. So, so sweet!

12) The assurance that God has a plan for me, even when it comes to the small things. I'm especially reminded of that as I write this week's list.

Thursday Thanks #11

Yes, I know it's Friday. And I was going to skip this week. I even told one of my bloggy friends that I'd just write a longer list next week. And then I started to empty the dishwasher. No, I didn't come back to my laptop just because it's so much more fun than unloading the dishwasher (which, by the way, is my least favorite chore of all time). I just decided I couldn't skip this week. Late IS better than never. So, a list of the things that I'm thankful for this week:

Getting an appointment with Miss M's allergist. I was calling to get a late summer appointment, but found out that the allergist was booked until September (surely with all of the other kids who, like Miss M, need updated paperwork for school in the fall). There had been a cancellation, though, and we got in the same day that I called.

The Ordinary Extraordinary. We had another one of those moments just yesterday. I'm also thankful that I can post from my cell phone. It was a great way to capture my little girl doing something she loves and post about it while it was on my mind. I'm very good at forgetting blog ideas that come to me when we are on the go....

The delicious pancakes that Big J made for dinner. Miss M's last-minute appointment with the allergist, combined with the showers that 'stranded' us at the grocery store meant dinner was running behind schedule. Even though he was on call, and had to step away before we all sat down for the meal, he made the best pancakes - delicious!

The Potty Fairy came to visit last night! I know what you are thinking.... "The what?" Miss M had her very first accident-free day yesterday, and the Potty Fairy brought her a special reward - a tutu and flower headband set. Apparently, the PF already knew that Miss M had a set of dress-up fairy wings, and the new duds are pink to match. I envision plenty of pretend play, and you know I'll post some pictures. I must admit that she hasn't tried on the tutu yet, but the flower headband looks SO CUTE on her!

Girls Night Out last Sunday evening. Four of the five of us were able to get together for the first time in nearly six weeks. (It's been three months since we've been able to get together on a weekly basis.) I don't have to tell anyone how nice it was.

We moved more stuff into my neighbor's garage for the sale we are having tomorrow morning. It's nice to be able to reclaim the space and get rid of the things we no longer need, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without a lot of help. Here's hoping that, even though it's been rainy for three days now, we will have a nice morning tomorrow and lots of people will stop by!

I'm going to do my best to return to my practice of writing this post throughout the week and scheduling it for publication on Thursdays. That means it might be a bulleted list, and it might have spelling/grammar errors, but it will get posted - on time. I'm thankful Blogger will let me schedule posts and publish them for me!

Thursday Thanks #10

What a week it's been since my last Thursday Thanks Tank post!

My Mom came to visit for five days! While she was here, she got to spend some time with her sisters, one of her brothers, and her mom, all of whom live in the area. Of course, we all enjoyed her visit, as well! I'm especially thankful, though, that she came to help me with a huge task. I've been sorting through boxes of 'stuff' that have collected over the years - sorting, tossing, organizing, and getting ready to have a garage sale. I also went through the kids' toy room a couple of weeks ago, but didn't quite finish. Mom and I pretty much wrapped that project up, too, though Mister J will have to make a few decisions on his own this week. I'm ready to set a limit on the number of toy cars around here, and I also want him to decide on a few other toys (keep or sell). I think he's old enough to start learning that we can't keep it all forever.

As if having my mom's help wasn't enough, I have an awesome former neighbor who is letting me use her vacant-for-now garage to store my 'stuff' until garage sale time. Her house in under contract, but won't close until the end of June. In a week and a half, I'm going to wake up early, walk next door, open the garage door, and hopefully sell everything in sight! I can't even begin to explain what a blessing her generosity has been, even though I'm sad that she moved (across town). I'm being completely honest when I tell you that if her garage hadn't become available, I don't think I'd have been able to get motivated to clear out Chez Chaos.

Today is the first day of summer break for us! While I would LOVE to be sleeping in, I am counting down to that garage sale, making the most of our pool membership, watching a garden grow, and looking forward to Fun Day Mondays with our church family (more to come on those later) and all of the other activities summer has to offer. I'm also starting the Countdown to Kindergarten. I'll keep you posted on how well I hold up!

Thursday Thanks #9

Now that we are in the final countdown until summer, I think it's most appropriate today to thank our preschool teachers for everything they have done this year.

Most of the moms I know - myself included - love preschool for the kid-free time we get a couple of days each week. Kid-free time during daylight hours. Kid-free time during time during daylight hours that we spend running errands with only our purse/keys/cell phone to keep track of - things that don't usually wander off alone while we ponder the merits of two different dishwashing detergents. Or maybe we just meet up for coffee with friends. Coffee with friends that is not interrupted by someone that wants another milk/juice/cookie or that dropped a crayon. But that's certainly not what preschool is all about, and these are the least of the reasons for which I am thankful.

Today I want to tell you what I truly appreciate about my kids' preschool teachers. This is by no means an exhaustive list - mainly because I'm so exhausted already, and summer's not even here.

I am thankful for our preschool teachers because:

• They take a personal interest in our children, worry about our children, pray for our children, and pray for us when we have challenges as parents
• They are teaching our children lessons and Scripture from the Bible, as well as the lessons that they need to be successful in school. We also have a great music teacher who loves the children, and who the children look forward to seeing each week!
• They really know our children - their likes/dislikes, their health issues, and other very child-specific details
• They have the patience to do to love a job that exhausted me after one day of substitute teaching
• They don't hesitate to call when they have questions or concerns, or to take time out to meet with me when needed
• They make special days really special - like the Christmas and Spring Music Programs, 100th Day Party, Mother's Day Tea and yesterday's graduation
• They encourage our children to reach beyond their limits and celebrate their successes
• They never fail to comfort our children with a hug, whether it's needed for separation anxiety, a boo-boo, or some other source of disappointment
• They never fail to comfort me with a hug - because certainly we moms need comforting sometimes, too!

Our preschool also has two wonderful administrators who keep things running smoothly. They wear so many different hats - including many of the above! My gratitude extends to each of them as well for the work they do for the children, the parents, and the teachers!

As this year comes to a close - the last year Mister J and Miss M will be at our preschool - I'm reminded of just how important these people have been in our lives over the past two years. Although I'm looking forward to enrolling them in our new school - and continuing to have them in the same school - it has been very bittersweet for me to think about them leaving preschool at the same time. Too many milestones for this mama, but I know we I will make it through!

Thursday Thanks #8

Delicious fruits and veggies from the co-op we joined last week. I'm looking forward to eating healthier meals (with more veggies) and snacks, saving money on groceries, and trying new recipes (cantaloupe smoothies, cantaloupe popsicles, cantaloupe....)!
Sweet snuggles with my son
Best.Mother's.Day.Ever - including a renewed back porch and a sweet Mother's Day Tea
My father-in-law - who came up last weekend to work on our house, when surely he has his own to-do list. We couldn't have done it without him, though!
A spontaneous evening of scoops and sparkles!
My son's unknowing encouragement Tuesday afternoon to get out and run on a day that I wasn't feeling motivated

Thursday Thanks #7

Pardon me for missing a few weeks. It's not that I haven't had things to be thankful for, it's that I haven't found - no, MADE - the time to post about them. In the brief time I have this morning before I move on to other things, I CHOOSE to post about what I'm thankful for this week.

1) A great run jog this morning. Those of you who know me in real life are thinking, "What?!?" Go ahead, it's ok. My husband probably thinks the same thing. I'm really trying to lose some weight, and gym memberships just don't work for me. Since I just told everyone I know, and some folks that I don't, perhaps I'll be sticking to it now. I've run 4 times since last Friday, and this morning was the best one yet (probably because I wasn't pushing Miss M in the jog stroller, but I still smiled when I noticed the improvement).

2)Learning how to use the strikethrough font in Blogger. I'm sure it's just some html code, and lots of people smarter than me already knew how to do this.

3) That my husband resurrected my laptop. The freedom to work anywhere in the house is such a luxury. The time when it wasn't working was a reminder of how many things I take for granted every day.

Of course there are many more, but right now I need a shower. Then I have to go pick up the kids from preschool. Then lunch/quiet time for the kids/work time for me.

You know, I'm not the best writer out there. I don't have the best 'thankful' list. Most of my things are material things. I'm hopeful that this practice will help me dig a bit deeper. Once I get past the material things, I can't wait to see what I find!

Thursday Thanks Tank #6

I didn't write a Thursday Thanks last week. I was totally overwhelmed with a busy week, and to top it off, my husband was out of town. To say that last week was crazy was an understatement. So, for starters, I am thankful that my husband is home! (Yes, only a few days late, but still thankful since this week is rather busy, too!)
I'm thankful for the visits with family we had over the Easter weekend.
I'm thankful for a broken arm that was only a broken arm, though it could have turned out much worse (love you Memaw and Grandpa H!).
I'm thankful for my Circle friends at church, and the time we spent together this evening (I was feeling rather in need of some fellowship, and tonight's meeting was productive in so many ways).
I'm thankful that my Thursday plans have fallen through. I'm disappointed for sure, but I know that this is an opportunity to knock out a few more to-dos on what I anticipate to be a very busy day for my part-time job. (Meg, I'm still checking my calendar to see when we can reschedule!) Both kids will be in preschool, so I should have a very productive morning. In turn, that allows me to spend more time with them, completely focused on them. It should be a great afternoon!