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Saturday, November 3, 2012

The Gratitude Project - 2012

For the past few years during the month of November, I've posted "The Gratitude Project" - where I list something every day that I was grateful for. You can wait until the end to read it all, or follow me on FB or Twitter, or check back on this post periodically!
I totally forgot about doing this earlier, so I'm starting today! Feel free to start a list too! Jump in any time! At the end, I'll host a linky meme for everyone to share their list posts! (Or if you can somehow have your list in another public sharing forum such as a public Facebook note or in a photo file on flickr, and can post a link to it, then you don't even need a blog!)


3 - Today I am thankful for my MOMS Club friends. I don't like meeting new people, so I never saw the point of joining a group for ME. I joined when Z was 1, To find more things to do outside the house with her and help her socialize. 
But I ended up meeting a bunch of great ladies, friends I can't imagine living without.


4 - Today I am thankful for The Little Gym. We've been going to one location or another with the same franchise owners since Z was around 9-months old. As her "quirks" developed into "issues," The Little Gym has remained a constant "safe place" where she could be herself and gain confidence in herself and her abilities. Where they celebrate her strengths, rather than fret over her weaknesses. Where I don't even have to tell the teachers how best to interact with her - they seem to know it instinctively!

5 - Today I am thankful that my little Big Girl not only got to school and home on the bus in one piece, she seemed to enjoy her new class. Whew!

6 - Oops. Forgot.

7 - Today I am thankful that despite my lax housekeeping and parenting style, my babies have thus far managed not to strangle themselves on a cord, suffocate on a plastic baggie, or choke to death in something chokery. Or permanently damage themselves from a tumble off our bed.

8 - Today I am thankful that tomorrow is Friday and we have no preschool. I am going to sleep in, and I will not be waking up early for love* nor money!


*Okay. I'll wake up for love. But at 1, 3, 5, and 6 am, love feels a whole lot more like wishing you had a dog instead.


9 - Today I am thankful that, while sick, both girls just have a cold. Don't get me wrong. Gobbets of snookies flying across the room with every sneeze is no walk in the park. But it beats the pukies!

10 - Today I am thankful that Z wasn't overwhelmed meeting my friend and her five (!!!) kids. I had been worried, since she doesn't always handle social situations well, and often gets overwhelmed in a crowd. But she loves birthday cake, Kiddie Museums, and her baby sister, so was able to bond over those!

11 - Today I am thankful for the brave men and women, past and present, who have selflessly served to preserve our freedoms. Happy Veteran's Day!


12 - Today I am thankful that my husband gets paid enough to support us all, doing what he loves. I especially have to remind myself of this when it butts into "our" time (ie: whenever he's home and I fob the kids off on him and "clock out.") 
Yes, he's socializing and playing games all weekend. But really it's networking (making valuable contacts and relationships that will help us build our future,) and designing and playtesting games with other designer friends and game publishers. *sigh*
13 - Today I am thankful for: Ninjas!



14 - Today I am thankful for cheese. She is eating steamed broccoli and LOVING IT! YESSSSSSS! Why haven't I been adding on cheese before now?! I KNOW I've read it multiple places. But steaming small servings of broccoli seemed like so much WORK. And grating the cheese. Bah. 

But it was easier and quicker than I thought. And her omnomnoms were worth the extra effort! SCOOOOORE!
15 - Today I am thankful for my friends. All of them, since I put practically no effort into maintaining my relationships, it's all them!


But today a shout-out to my bento buddies. The best group of ladies (and Keith) you could never meet! (Although I've actually met a few in person! Squeee!)

16 - Today I am thankful that my girls love each other so much. I know Z will outgrow her baby sis soon enough, but for now she's like a second mama. 

Except she thwarts my efforts to make Baby try and do things on her own! Trying to encourage Baby to crawl, I would put toys just out of her reach. She'd mewl for them, and Big Sis would come running from the other end of the house "There, there, Little One. I'm here. Here's your toy!" then rocket back to whatever she had been doing! 
And of course Baby idolizes her Big Sis!


17 - 
Today I am thankful that my little girl is making friends. Last year was the first time she's been interested in her peers, despite seeing the same kids over several years through my moms club and co-op preschool. At her drop-off preschool last year, suddenly she was talking about other kids and what they were doing. This year is more of the same at that school, and I'm loving that not only does she like some of them, but THEY like HER too!

And it's nice finally getting invited to birthday parties again.


18 - 
Today I am thankful that I'm not a sucker. Because my baby is VERY tricksy. If I tell her she can't have any of my chocolate, you would think she had just been slapped the way she caterwauls. She has learned VERY quickly how hard she has to cry to get what she needs, so has moved it from NEEDS to WANTS.

19 - Today I am thankful that I get exclusive private performances of the songs she's learning at preschool for her upcoming Fall Feast pageant. Especially as I may have to miss the performance if I can't get a sitter for Baby.

20 - Today I am thankful that my littlest one hasn't killed herself yet. She's certainly trying her best! My first one never explored kitchen or bathroom cupboards. Or tried to eat out of the garbage (*just the cat box that one time.) Or chewed on electric cords. Or crawled head-first off the bed (*while awake.)
All that crazy stuff you hear about weird ways kids die, or bizarre reasons a toy was recalled, that's all the stuff this one is going to do! I'm not prepared for this kind of kid! I'm far too lax and lazy!
21 - Today I am thankful that my husband supports my "art." He puts up with mounds of bento gear, washes fiddly little things (with no "accidental" losses down the disposal so far!) and even takes pictures of them for me when I can't!


22 - (Thanksgiving Day) Today I am thankful for Family. I am thankful that I love my in-laws, and they love me. I am thankful that my family all gets along (more or less.) And I am especially thankful for my husband and two little miracles. I cannot imagine life without them.

23 - I don't know if I'll be thankful for anything today. After 2 nights of Baby waking constantly, and less than 8 hours sleep (VERY interrupted) between the two nights, for all I know I'm typing jibberish.


24 - Today I am thankful that not only did Baby sleep "normally" last night (only woke up for her 2am and 6am feedings,) but it was my day to sleep in, so Hubby took over at 6, and let me sleep until 11! Ahhhh!


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