Thankful [Day 8]

LIBBY'S LIFE
I stumbled upon this wonderful blog today.
Between her short, but so sweet, "Thankful" posts,
this blogger had a [beautiful] baby!

Have you smiled yet today?  All 9 "Thankful" posts are listed on the right side of her blog [under November].  Here is the first.

Today I am thankful for choices.  And, for bad chocolate, because bad chocolate reminds me of how thankful I am for good chocolate.

There are times it seems we don't have a choice, or that our choice doesn't matter.  There are times when I wish I didn't have a choice, because it isn't easy to choose.  Ultimately, I'll always be thankful for the choice at all.  And, for moments of clarity when a choice appears where you didn't believe you had one. 

Each day is full of choices...

+  hot or cold water

+  warmer or cooler clothes

+  any choice we have between multiples of one thing, like shirts or shoes.  Or vehicles...

+  the freedom to voice our opinion

+  what to eat

+  what to watch, or listen to

+  where to go for the best price on groceries

  

I wonder how many we could list...have one I haven't listed?

I've made a few key choices in the last two weeks:

+  I voted [and I love that my 1-year-old thinks it's hilarious to stick things to his forehead, because now I have this photo]!

+  I have accepted a new church assignment, and I expect I'll be teaching my last Sunday School lesson this Sunday...

+  I've decided to quit my part-time, home-based job to be a full-time wife and mom.

I realize that this final topic tends to ignite fiery debates. Having a job has certainly afforded me many of the choices I've listed.  And certainly, too many are feeling the negative effects the lack of a job and a dependable paycheck can have.  

Working is just one of those things you do.  It wasn't until I realized how dangerously close I was personally to utter burnout that I had to re-examine just what choices I had...  

Quitting would mean no more drive-thru or impulse purchases...far fewer trips to Target [because apparently I have no self-control there]...fewer outings to places like the children's museum [at least without a coupon]...and even rethinking the holidays...

Even so, the mental and emotional relief that I feel [so soon] is surprising.  Hubby has noticed, and continues to be extremely supportive.  I must be smiling more because I haven't heard one of Big Brother's regular questions recently:  "Are you happy?"

I am thankful to have met a very kind, generous man who offered me a job immediately after we moved into our new home, and who has allowed me to work from home these 4 years.  The added income was certainly a blessing.  

Now, on to learning for the first time how to be a full-time mom!

Thankful [Day 7]

I'm callin' it,
11-7-12
my darling 3-year-old 
is
POTTY-TRAINED.

Today I am thankful have just one bottom to diaper.

Either something clicked, or he was finally ready.  It's possible he had exactly the right amount of encouragement from people away from home to realize that going in the toilet was a real thing, and not just one of Mom's strange ideas.  

But then, we may owe all of the credit to this DIY game board!

The Objective:  [for our Halloween-themed board]
Get to "the safe place" from the spooky graveyard. 
[each pee and poop earns 1 space]

Big Brother's awesome aunt J spray-painted a magnet board for the game board, and decorated magnets for the player pieces---we kept the board upright and they never slid.

These little scenes are too cute, I must share:

Big Brother could see and count the number of spaces to the next labeled space, and they were an incentive to wait on the toilet a few extra minutes.  Every time he went he knew how many spaces he'd earned and he never let me delay or forget his turn.

The number of things we've used to track the pees/poops is impressive...and the rewards...from pebbles [to drop into a plastic cup, worth a toy of his choice once filled] to Disneyland [if he pooped 8 times in a row, without an accident].  I've plucked my baby from his crib to take him and Big Brother to Toys "R" Us [in their pajamas] 30 minutes before the doors closed to make good on a [desperate] promise.  

I am THANKFUL for sisters who support my efforts as a mom and who will bring my son an Elmo coloring book/potty chart, or make him a fantastic game board, to encourage him.  And I am thankful to Hubby for initiating this great effort. 

Big Brother has reached the end of his game board!

...an accurate portrayal of how I'm feeling :)

Thankful [Day 5]

This lovely post applies today,
A CHARMED YOGI

I am thankful for this day.

A beautiful young woman, and a mother to 5 children, passed away yesterday after suffering a stroke.  

My husband and I are stunned by the news.  The three of us went to the same high school, and she and I were in the same graduating class.  My husband took her out on a date, twice.  

She was kind to me...a beautiful, genuine girl with a great smile. While others changed their style, behavior, or friends from year to year she never appeared to, and maintained this quiet and unique confidence.  In all the years I knew her, I never knew her to have said anything insensitive to or about another person.  We didn't cross paths after high school, but to this day I have a positive memory of her.  

Certain tasks that felt urgent this morning, don't feel urgent at all now.  I'm holding my boys a little longer and a little closer, and throwing in extra kisses.

I expect there have been, and will be, many as stunned and saddened by the news.  We know that her family is heartbroken, and we are praying for comfort and peace to flood their lives.  I'm confident that all who were loved and cared for by this young woman, will in turn love and care for hers.

All comments will be shared with K's family.  

We hope you will feel welcome to leave one.

I am also thankful that when we lose someone we love, we may comfort in this truth:  we will live again because of our Savior, Jesus Christ:

more...

Thankful [Day 3, Day 4]

Read a great post about a thankful tree, and
THE COOKE FAMILY shares their Thankful Tree label, here.

Yesterday, I was thankful to have arrived safely home from a play my brother earned a lead roll in.  He gave a great performance.

Today, I am thankful for warmth:  heated water...a warm stew...a heated home...warm beds for my boys...and the peace and warmth my membership in my church brings into my life.

Thankful [Day 2]

I dare you not to smile as you read through the Comments, at
MARTA WRITES
The original project thankful post, here
project thankful - round two, here

I am thankful for saving graces...

+ my 3-year-old taking himself to the toilet without an alarm, or a prompt from me!  [Two days in a row now!]  

+ a napping child

+ Hubby's mom who, when with little notice I bowed out of an activity I agreed to host at my house, was kind and empathetic.

+ inspiration

 }  when you leave a comment

with what you are grateful for at this moment, 

we'll share a link with Marta

to thank her for inspiring thankfulness!

Thankful [Day 1]

Free Download/Thankful For cards
COORDINATELY YOURS

I am thankful for my two young, funny, loving, smart, beautiful boys and for my husband, who passed all of these wonderful qualities on to each of them.

13 Days of Halloween: #11

#11:  A MONSTER EGG HUNT

Though we spent much of last Sunday recovering from a busy week, I'd found this cute Monster Egg Hunt Party Game at Target.  

I assigned Hubby the task of 'hiding' the eggs in the yard, and he hid them in exactly the right places for our boys' "hunting" abilities...

"Daaad, the bag will just slow me down! 
I have a golden egg to find..."

And, Little Brother did find it.

Big Brother was standing by to relieve LB of any castaways.

We were pleasantly surprised that the candy provided
was pretty good.

...LB will show you...

We didn't need a golden egg to tell us ;)

Fun...simple...[apparently] memorable...and reusable!  [Big Brother is still talking about the monster egg hunt.]  

Until next hunt, monster eggs!