Thankful Pictures

Today I thought I'd show you what I'm thankful for, instead of telling you.

Mainstay Farms.  We got their every year to get our Christmas tree and it is a lot of fun for the whole family.

Kids that make me laugh.  Here Claire is wearing a wig from a mannequin at Mainstay Farms.

Hugs from my favorite boy. 

Claire's creativity.  She had me make a Barbie cake, which was basically a bundt cake that we stuck a Barbie in.  Here she is singing "Happy Fake Birthday" and blowing out a candle.

Kids that get along.  Here Claire is actually reading Paul a book.

Exciting adventures in nature.  We often find lizards.  Here Adam and Claire are with a Texas Swift.

A church that loves us all.  Last Sunday, both kids posed in the manger for our church's live nativity.  Many people walked by and not one minded we had two large kids in a manger.

Exciting education.

These are George Washington's teeth.  That's right.  They are currently on display at the Fort Worth Museum.  The Boyettes are thankful for our passes there, where we learn something new at each visit.

Preschool Programs

Paul was an angel this week in his preschool program.  Yes, the child in the stripes, plaid shorts and rainboots was mine.

Diego!

Here Paul is being silly with Diego.  Diego is a student in Claire's class and Paul and I are helping tutor him.  For Christmas we bought him a little Leap Pad laptop and he was so excited about it that he wouldn't even look up from it when I wanted to take his picture.  I programmed it to say his name and he nearly fell out of his chair when he turned it on and the computer said, "Hi, Diego!"

Winter Wonderland Thanks

It's about 35 degrees outside and we are warm inside.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Fall colors
From my chair right now I can see a tree covered with green, another yellow, and another bright red.  I know I often write about being thankful for trees, but every day I walk down the street noticing their beauty.

2.  Cookie baking
Paul and I spent part of the morning baking snicker doodles together.  He looked so cute in his Christmas apron.  He can crack eggs all by himself without any eggshell residue in the bowl.  I'm so proud of him!

3.  Carols
I've been blasting out the Pandora Christmas station all day today.  Paul and I have been dancing and singing to all the tunes.

4.  Food for ducks
This morning I was trying to think of an activity Paul and I could do just for fun.  We decided to go to the duck park and feed the ducks.  We had a pile of stale bread and crackers, so we bundled up and took them to the park.  It was raining and cold, and the ducks were starving.  At least 100 ducks encircled us wanting food.  We have so much fun feeding ducks with aerodynamic pieces of bread.

5.  Our covers wagon
Since the weather has gotten colder, Paul has been taking more naps.  When it's time to pick up Claire from school, I just wrap him in a blanket and lay him in the wagon.  Today not a bit of his head peeked out from the covers.  I'm thankful I don't have to wake him up and that he can be transported from bed to wagon to couch without interrupting his sleep.

6.  Sentimental ornaments
On our tree right now are ornaments from my grandmother's tree in the 1960s, Adam and my family trees from the 1980s, and ornaments that represent our life together.  The crosses were handmade by Adam's 103 year old aunt and several of the ball ornaments have been painted by the kids.  It's nice to look at the tree and remember.

7.  Avoiding the mall
With the exception of a big trip to Toys 'R' Us, Adam and I are almost done with our holiday shopping.  We have successfully avoided the mall.  Claire is reading this and has pointed out that we did have our pictures made at the mall, but we didn't venture beyond the portrait studio.

8.  Cookies for the postal lady
Our postwoman is named Rhonda.  Claire just now ran out and gave her fresh cookies and received a hug.  We love Miss Rhonda.

9.  Barbie cake
I must conclude this post because I am being called to the kitchen.  While Paul is napping, Claire and I are going to make a Barbie cake.

10.  A working oven
Thank God our oven works, or else I couldn't be thankful for most of the items today.

Walking Thankful

This morning I got up on time, so I had a few extra minutes to go on a walk.  I leashed up Sugar Dot, threw a coat over my pjs and got walking.  No one else was around, so I had a chance to compile my thankful list for this morning.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Snores
Everyone in the house except for me and Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette is asleep.  It was easy to slip out of the house undisturbed.

2.  Stars
Last night I was too distracted to notice them.  This morning I was able to recognize several glittering constellations.

3.  Safety
We live in a quiet neighborhood filled with retirees and young families.  I'm grateful I can walk around in the dark and not worry about being hurt.

4.  Sugar Dot
If anyone ever did try to cross my path, I am assured that Sugar Dot would bite the hell out of their ankles and anything else he can jump to reach.  Walking with a dog also takes the weirdness out.  Otherwise, people might wonder who the lunatic is walking through the neighborhood in her pajamas at 5:30 a.m.

5.  Ice crystals
As sparkly as the stars are in the sky, the grass glittered just as much.  A few minutes from now all the ice crystals in the dew will be melted, but I got to enjoy their twinkle at just the right moment.

6.  Crunchy leaves
The kids love to stomp in piles of leaves.  There is quite a satisfying crunch when you step on a stack of dead leaves.  Icy ones are even better because they pack a bigger crunch.

7.  A mummifying scarf
As I wrote before, Adam's godmother Kaa, made me several scarves for Christmas.  This morning I wrapped my entire upper body in a scarf and still had enough left to go again.  I wasn't cold at all.

8.  A warm jacket
We are so spoiled with coats at our house that I can pick one to go with my outfit and the exact temperature outside.  I am grateful.

9.  Quiet
I do my best thinking when there are no distractions.  Sugar Dot and I saw only three cars on our 20 minute walk.  The only sounds I could hear were from the highway, which is about 2 miles away.  Immediately around me it was perfectly quiet.

10.  Darkness
I hadn't brushed my hair or teeth yet and I was walking in my pajamas.  I was glad that it was dark outside and I didn't have to worry about what I looked like.

Thankful for nothingness

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Delicious food
If anyone didn't eat too much over Thanksgiving break, I haven't met them.  We had several days of deliciousness.  And considering that much of the world doesn't even have clean water, I am spoiled.

2.  Time to read
We went to Texarkana for Thanksgiving and I read three books.  I love days when the most pressing item on my agenda is finishing my book.

3.  A husband that enjoys driving.
Adam drove to and from Texarkana.  Yesterday I drove to Kroger, the first time behind the wheel in several days.  He actually enjoys driving.  I am thankful for him.

4.  Kids thankfulness
Every day this past week, Paul has prayed aloud at the table, thanking God for his whole self, his whole family, his dogs, and the food set on the table.

5.  Family time
We spent all our time this weekend together, doing stuff as a family and enjoying it.

6.  Mainstay Farm
Yesterday we took our sixth annual trip to Mainstay Farm in Burleson to get our Christmas tree.  We rode go-carts, slides, a hay ride, and Adam and the kids bounced on a giant pillow.  Fun!

7.  A fresh tree
Although part of our tradition at Mainstay Farm is to cut down our own Christmas tree, the Texas drought cleared them out this year.  Instead, we are currently enjoying a lovely tree from North Carolina, where, according to the salesman, got 80 inches of rain in the last few months.

8.  Wii Sports
Today Paul and I played competitive games on the Wii.  We boxed and played golf like pros, or at least animated ones.

9.  Scarves!  Scarves!  Scarves!
I mentioned to Adam's godmother that I'd like some new scarves.  She sent me home with so many, I can't even count.  Half of them she made herself, which makes them extra special.

10.  Independence regained
Last week, my grandfather asked to be moved back home.  I checked with the appropriate people at the nursing center and took him home on Wednesday.  This did cause a rift with my cousin, who apparently disagreed, but my granddad says he's doing great.

11.  Nothingness
This past week was full of days with nothing on the schedule.  We had fun with each other, ate too much, and had a blast.  I am thankful.

Rattlesnakes!

In March every year in Sweetwater, TX, they have a Rattlesnake Roundup.  I don't really know where all the snakes come from, but they do a lot of slaughtering there. Claire has now been to the Rattlesnake Roundup twice.  Paul's been once.  It's become a daddy-kid destination.  Adam always comes home with interesting tales of watching snakes get killed.  One of my favorite visuals is the beautiful blonde in gorgeous jewelry and nice clothing who dons a white coat and starts hacking a rattlesnake to death.

I've never been and don't really have any desire to go.

The first time Adam and Claire went, he took a video of some slaughtering and we posted it on youtube.  Despite all the darling videos of our kids, the rattlesnake slaughter video is by far the most popular with the public.  Last night I noticed it has more than 7,000 views and more than 100 comments.

So today if you have one minute and want to be disturbed, watch this.  If you have five minutes, read the comments.  They are delightful.  Apparently some people are passionate about snakes.  "Kill them all!" or "Snakes are God's creatures, too!"



http://youtu.be/4JeTgJZC72U

This is my all-time favorite comment:
"How sadly ironic that you bring your little Church buddies to this disgusting event which goes against your Gods wishes to only kill animals for necessary sustinance. Might as well quit that Church, you're all going to Hell sweetcheeks."

I love how the word hell is followed by sweet cheeks.  Hilarious.  (And the mistakes were theirs, not mine.)

One of the comments suggested I check into the Facebook group, "Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups".  I did and was able to join.  These people are very passionate about saving rattlesnakes.  I don't really understand it, but I find it entertaining.

I would like to share a picture from my new group.

The guy that got this tattoo really loves rattlesnakes, obviously.  He was asking for suggestions for further tattoos he could get.  Several users suggested other rattlesnake breeds and offered photos for him to take to the tattoo parlor.

Because Adam and I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe, I decided to both post the photo on my FB page and e-mail it out to family.  I claimed it was Adam's new tattoos.  I haven't gotten one response which leads me to believe two things.  1.  Our family is pro-snake slaughtering and anti-snake rights.  2.  They believed me.

So to clear up any confusion, this is not Adam's back.  He would have to find a new wife to accompany this tattoo.  We are neither pro- nor anti- snake rights.  We are intrigued by the campaigns, though.

My Body

Last week I read the book Women, Food, and God.  Basically this book teaches you to be more conscious of what you are eating.  This follows with my personal mantra of late which is, "Pay attention!"  I constantly am reminding myself to pay attention to where I am at that moment so I can appreciate it more.
I'm a thinker, so sometimes I feel like I just live in my brain and that my body is just a vehicle to haul my brain around.  Today my Bible study prompted me to be thankful for my body, so I thought I'd share a thankful list with you about this thing that is much more than a vehicle for my brain and heart.

Today I am thankful for:
1.  My big feet. 
I wear shoe size 10.  If my feet were any bigger, I'd be special ordering shoes.  However, at this size, they are just perfect for providing me with a firm foundation for standing, walking for miles, running barefoot, or whatever I ask them to do.

2.  Legs and knees that answer their call, whatever it is.
I don't have a regular exercise regime, but often I go for long walks, or short runs, or excursions to the park.  Whatever I have in store for my legs, they carry me there with ease.  I am grateful to not report any knee problems or other pain in my legs.

3.  Wide hips
My hips are just wide enough to allow two children to sit in my lap at once.  I'm big enough to be able to embrace both kids while I read them a book.  Sometimes we squeeze a small dog or two in, also.

4.  A stomach that doesn't complain
I am grateful for a stomach and digestive system that is happy with whole grain oatmeal and salads as well as hamburgers and enchiladas.  I'm not a picky eater and I am grateful that my stomach complies with whatever I put in it.

5.  A back that reminds me when I'm over-doing it.
I don't have back problems, but occasionally when I'm cleaning house like a madwoman or doing other manual labor, my back lets me know when I need to quit.  It's also strong enough to give  many piggy-back rides.

6.  A complete set of fingers on a complete set of hands
I have hands that don't hesitate to shake other hands in greeting, to pat friends on the back, to fold laundry, wash dishes, cook a meal, and hold the hands of my husband and children.

7.  Curly, low-maintenance hair
I believe God knew what he was doing when he made me.  My hair is curly and in a way it fixes itself.  I spend approximately one minute on arranging it every day.  I'm grateful that for the most part, that is enough.  It doesn't usually stick out or look bad.

8.  Clear, low-maintenance skin
I clean and moisturize my face, but that's about it.  Some days I wear makeup and some days I don't.  I'm so grateful that I can choose whether or not to add cosmetics to my face.  I look mostly the same regardless.

9.  Ears that work
I can hear two kids conspiring in whispers across a room and I can survive two kids shrieking with joy right next to my ear.  I am grateful for my ears.

10.  My nose
My nose appreciates that sometimes smelling food is just as satisfying as eating it. 

11.  Eyes that see
With the aid of glasses, I can lay on the trampoline and see details on leaves at the top of our cypress tree.  Claire and I did that yesterday, appreciating how tall, strong, and beautiful that tree is.

12.  My brain
I can think of approximately ten items at a time.  While I am writing this, I am also writing my grocery list, to-do list, and thinking how to get Claire to school on time.  There's a few other thoughts as well.

So today I am thankful for my human body.

Thankful Twosday

Last week I didn't get to do this.  I handwrote 10 things I'm thankful for, but I just didn't get to it.

So here's a double dose.  Grab a cup of coffee and make yourself comfortable because the list is long this week.

This week I'm thankful for:

1.  Days off school
Yesterday Claire had the day off of school due to teacher inservice.  Adam took care of himself for lunch, and without lunch obligations or having to pick up a kid from school, we were footloose and fancy free.  We stayed at the zoo longer than we ever have.

2.  Quiet benches at the zoo.
One of the best parts of having a zoo membership is that we can go any time we want for however long we want and we don't feel the pressure of needing to see the entire zoo to justify our appearance.  Yesterday the kids wanted to watch the giraffes, so watch them we did.  We sat on a bench in front of the giraffes while crowds came and went.  We snuggled and just enjoyed observing the animals.

3.  Happy Meal toys
Also yesterday for a special treat, I let the kids get Burger King at the zoo.  We have never eaten at that location before, so the kids were so excited to get the Burger King version of a Happy Meal and sit in front of an aquarium and eat.  The meal included a ring toss, a crown, and a zhu zhu pet.  Several zoo visitors had to step around us, but the kids had a blast scooting their new toys on the floor.

4.  Warm cookies
Today in staff meeting at church, we were served fresh, warm cookies by Sue.  They were delicious!

5.  Medicine that prevents dr. visits
Yesterday Paul was developing a cough, so I made sure to get to CVS and get him some Mucinex.  This afternoon I think he's coughed twice, both times for dramatic effect.  I love it when we can stop sickness right when it starts.

6.  Knowledge of bathroom locations
Several times this past week Paul, who is three, had to go to the restroom immediately.  If we know where we're running, we always make it in time.  Having to ask directions to the restroom usually ends in disaster.

7.  Another Aha! book
Apparently I'm on a roll with reading good books.  This evening I will wrap up my reading of Women, Food, and God.  Much of the book resonated with me and I read it with a highlighter close by.  My next read is "I is an Other", at the recommendation of Rev. Jason Valendy.  I'll let you know how that goes.

8.  Fashion Freedom
Today Paul wore his rainboots.  He wore one fireman rainboot on one foot and a larger, blue rainboot on the other foot.  He paired those with camouflage pants and a striped shirt.  Claire has to wear a school uniform but personalizes it every day with fancy socks and hairbows.  This morning she walked to school with a hand made crown on her head.  I love that my kids feel they can express themselves through the clothes they wear.

9.  Snow hats
Last week when we had a cold snap, Claire wore her snow hat to school.  It was then that I realized not only was her hat too small, it was the same one she'd been wearing since she was six months old.  She was a big baby and I bought her a big hat for that first snow.  Five years later, she's finally grown out of it.  I love all the memories attached to that snow hat, and look forward to the memories she'll make in her new Minnie Mouse hat.  We purchased her a new hat at Target with a pom pom on each side for Minnie Mouse ears.  It is one of the cutest sites I have ever seen.  She's been wearing shorts, flip-flops and her snow hat everywhere since we bought it.

10.  Kids that bathe dogs
The kids bathed both dogs today.  They love it and do a good job.  All I did was turn on the water.  Now I have two sweet smelling dogs and two entertained kids.

11.  My new wireless mouse
I just got a new mouse for my laptop and it is beautiful.  It moves with such fluidity and perfection that I am in awe.

12.  Trunk or Treat
Each year our church has an event where the family gets dressed up, decorates our trunk and passes out Halloween candy.  It's always a blast.

13.  Theme Halloween costumes
The kids were fish and we were fishermen.  It was pretty cute, even if the designer says so herself.

14.  Generosity of candy
The day after Halloween, the kids decided they wanted to share their candy with Adam.  I told them also that the church collected it to pass out during Christmas.  They filled two gallon bags with candy they wanted to give away and left little for themselves.  I wanted to shout "Hallelujah!" for several reasons, including less hyperness.

15.  Patient, instructive zookeepers
Last week when it was just Paul and me at the zoo, we went to the fish petting tank.  The zookeeper asked Paul if he wanted to pet a giant snail.  He said no.  She calmly encouraged him to pet "just his shell" and "just his side" and before Paul knew it, he was petting the slimy part.  It was a good experience for him and I could tell the zookeeper knew what she was doing.

16.  Mandatory naps
Last Tuesday everything was looking kind of glum for a number of reasons.  After Claire got home from school, I ordered mandatory naps for everyone.  We all felt better and happier after an hour of rest.

17.  Gracious web support
I just revamped our church website.  It's not completely done and it's not perfect, but I did it!  I was quite proud of myself, but I must give props to my web support guy, Scott, who answered my emails quickly and helpfully, even if they were titled, "Auuuugggghhh!"

18.  Catching up with good friends
In the last two weeks I've had some opportunity to put the brakes on the schedule so I can catch up with some of my best friends.  I cherish the times when I can have meaningful, adult conversations with friends.

19.  Backup
My cousin Jeff and I have been sharing the duties of helping care for my grandfather, who is currently in a rehab center.  Jeff does more than I, and I am grateful that we work as a team to make sure my granddad gets the best care possible in the place he's at.

20.  Trees that think it's spring
A few doors down from us a family moved out with haste.  They didn't water their yard for a long time, so their tree was on death's door for a while.  With the rain lately, the tree is now in full bloom.  It's beautiful.

21.  Blankets
When it's cold outside, we have plenty of blankets to cuddle up under.  We have so many that we can actually chose which blankets best fit our decor and the weather outside.  We are spoiled and grateful.

Double Duty Thank You

Last week I was swamped with tasks and I didn't get to type my thankful list.  I always keep a running list going in my car, in my journal, and on various post-in notes, so I'm always recording my thoughts, but last week I just didn't have time to sit down at the keyboard and compose them.  With my grandfather in rehab in Irving, I fear this week will also be hugely busy, so I'm going to give my readers 20 things that I'm thankful for to cover the last seven days and the next seven.

1.  Traffic that makes you stop to observe your surroundings
Since my grandfather has been ill and in the hospital and now rehab, I've been doing a lot of driving and a lot of sitting in traffic.  One night as we were driving home from an errand we were stuck in traffic during a beautiful sunset.  If there hadn't been traffic, we would have gone forward without savoring the beauty.  I'm grateful when life makes me stop.

2.  Entertainment during traffic
Oh the fun games the kids and I play in the car!  Last week we rolled down our windows and started yelling at bales of hay.  "Hey, hay!  Hey, hay!"  Claire was doing the honk horn symbol to everyone that passed.  We were cracking up.

3.  Finding quality care for a loved one
My cousin and I were faced with placing my grandfather in a rehab facility this week and I am grateful we chose one with employees that care about their patients.  When my grandmother was ill we learned that the furnishings of a retirement home have nothing to do with the quality of care that patients receive.  We selected one with decent furnishings and so far, high quality care.

4.  Hand washing
One of my soapboxes (literally) around here is the importance of washing your hands in relation to your overall health.  Adam and I have instilled in both our children that washing hands is part of going to the bathroom.  Now that Claire is in kindergarten, she has taken that knowledge to school and is unknowingly holding janitors accountable to keep the soap dispensers full and her teacher on her toes about making sure at least one child washes her hands with soap and water multiple times a day. 
Also, when I went to see my granddad for the first time in his new abode, I walked in on him washing  his hands very thoroughly.  I don't remember the last time I saw him at a sink taking care of himself.  It was a moment of rejoicing because the day before he seemed not to be able to get out of bed.

5.  Physical therapy for all
Part of my grandfather's physical therapy is practicing to catch and throw balls.  We were visiting him and Paul picked up a ball and joined in the fun.  I have some pictures of the two of them playing ball; something they have never done together.

6.  Text messages that avoid fights
My father has decided that the best way to communicate with his family in North Texas is through text messaging.  Apparently he has chosen the correct way because we've had several courteous conversations that way and when he had to speak to my cousin the other day on the phone, they mutually decided that text messaging was a more positive way to go.  I believe that if we didn't have that avenue, there would be a lot of yelling.

7.  Ghosting neighbors
This week after the kids went to bed, our doorbell rang.  No one was there, but there was a bag of candy with a note.  We had been "ghosted", and our job was to pass it on to two other neighbors.  It was such a cute idea that we chose three houses.  The kids were so excited to run up to a house, ring the doorbell and run away.  We were only discovered once, when both kids were giggling so loud we were caught red-handed.

8.  Flying squirrels
Driving home from church a minute ago, I saw a squirrel jump from the ground, three foot in the air, to land in a tree.  I am so happy when I glance around and happen to time it just right to see sights like that.

9.  Play dates with friends
We had Claire's two best school friends over after school this week for a play date.  Both girls were polite and well behaved.  There was a lot of giggling and no fighting.  I was so happy that for her best friends, she chose the same girls I would have chosen for her.

10.  Knowing my kids are safe and loved
My kids feel quite at home at our church, Arlington Heights UMC.  They feel so at home that they sort of wander around greeting everyone in there path, and accepting cookies from many, many friends.  (One day Paul ate 12 cookies.)  Whenever we're at church, I always know that whatever part of the building the children are in, they are safe and they are loved.  I cannot ask for more.

11.  Smoothly paved roads
As I've been burning rubber on 183 and I-30, I appreciate the good condition our highways are in.  In some parts of the world you cannot travel very fast because of potholes or lack of pavement.  In Fort Worth, Texas, we don't even think about it.  Our only concern is traffic, not the quality of driving surfaces.

12.  Long drives by myself.
A few times I've trekked to Irving alone to see my grandfather.  It's so peaceful in the car.  Usually I don't even turn on the radio; I just listen to all the thoughts in my head until they calm down.  Sometimes I roll the windows down and blare out music that's not really appropriate for children.  Either way, I enjoy being by myself.

13.  Alone time
Adam and the kids have been camping for nearly 24 hours.  I expect to hear of their arrival home any minute now.  For 24 hours I have gratefully acknowledged that no one needed me and I could do and eat what I please.  I shopped, I finished a book, I worked, I watched bad TV, I went out with a friend, I went to worship alone.  It was fabulous, but it also makes me realize how much richer my life is with my kids around.

14.  The Lizard Reality Show
Every night after dark, a family of lizards gathers on the screen of my kitchen window.  From that post, they catch and eat flies and seem to socialize.  It's fascinating to watch them hunt the fly, catch it, chew it, and even watch their stomach muscles begin to digest it.  We call it our own reality show.

15.  Catching up
Until the kids arrive home in about an hour, I can relax knowing I have caught up all the laundry.  Every sock has been matched, folded, and put away, every shirt has been hung....for now.

16.  Listeners
Last night I went to dinner with a friend.  We talked and talked and talked and talked.  We even talked about talking and about how sometimes we know we're not interesting.  She told me about how her husband often tells her stories from work or the news that she might not be interested in, but she listens with interest because he listens to her when she tells him about the bargain she got with a coupon.  Sometimes I know I'm just rambling and not even making sense or possibly even words any more.  I am so grateful that I have a few people in my life that listen anyway, even if I'm just spewing words.

17.  Books you can relate to
I just finished Mitten Strings for God.  It's about being a busy mom, and several times in the book, I wanted to contact the author to find out how she crawled inside my head to know what I needed to read.  I loved that book almost as much as An Altar in the World, which also made me want to shout, "That's what I think, too!"

18.  Wind chimes
We live in a very quiet neighborhood.  Right now the only sound I hear is the wind blowing the wind chimes next door.

19.  My husband
Since my granddad has been in the hospital, my favorite husband has been picking up the slack for me.  He answers the phone and completes chores when I'm resting.  He eats frozen pizza twice in a week.  He helps get the kids to bed.  Right now he's wrapping up 24 hours of taking care of the kids by himself.  I love that man!

20.  Knowing how blessed I am
Several times in the last two weeks I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for something.  I have received a set of gift books from a family who are all unemployed.  The church custodian gave me a Halloween lapel pin this morning.  I've had offers of babysitting from the extremely pregnant and a lady with excruciating back pain.  I've had unexpected hugs from friends.  My children and husband have all been supportive and understanding in this ordeal with my family.  Every day I know I am loved and every day I am grateful.

Day 36 LBJ Lola is sick!

Today Lola was supposed to come over for a playdate but she was sick.  I'm sad that she's not coming.  I'd like to call Bailey, but we don't have her phone number.

The Best Friends are Claire, Lola, Bailey, and Zachary.  Where is Zachary's house? I know he lives on Wessex Avenue.  Can we see his house from our driveway?

Tomorrow I will go to art class again.  I figured out there's a sign with a clip and it says where we will go. 

Here's a joke:  Do you know what I call Jake?  Rhino.

Thankful Twednesday

Hello from the beautiful city of Fort Worth, where we are enjoying a beautiful sunny day after a beautiful rainy night and morning.  Yesterday I was just too tired to type, so today I'm doing my tardy thankful list.

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Days off
From 4:30 a.m. yesterday to 10 p.m. when I collapsed, I was going non-stop.  I love days like that because they are so productive, but I really love days like today that consisted of little productivity and some rest and calm.

2.  The excitement of superheroes
Yesterday Paul was handed down a Batman costume.  He's been wearing it pretty much the entire time he's had it.  This morning I asked him to get Sugar Dot so we could put the dog in his kennel.  Paul chased him out from under the bed and announced, while wearing his Batman costume, that he was a good superhero.  Yes, he is.

3.  The sound of rain
Few sounds are more beautiful that rain falling softly on your window as you sleep.  We've been blessed with several rainstorms this week and after the drought, we are grateful.

4.  Help around the house
Last Thursday, Adam's godparents parked their huge RV in our driveway and dug in to help out.  The official reason was to visit us, but it was apparent after a few days of scrubbing, that the unofficial reason was to help me in the never ending battle with housework.

5.  Finding treasure at the thrift store
I'm working on the kids' Halloween costumes, so we went to my old favorite thrift store, McCart Thrift.  I hadn't been there since Claire was a baby and I forgot what great merchandise they had.  I scored a solid leather Liz Claiborne purse, brand new, for $9.  I also got three new blouses, all under $5/each, all designer names.  Paul got some rain boots (Yes, another pair) and Claire got some peace sign flip flops. (Yes, her second pair of those.)

6.  Not having to shop at the thrift store
As much as I love shopping at the thrift store, I am so grateful that we are not forced to shop there.  We have a variety of places we can afford to shop at; I just love a great bargain.

7.  Kids' gifts in the mail
Adam's mom sent a giant package last week to the kids.  Inside were many treasures for the kids.  They were elated.

8.  Pride at the flea market
On Saturday, we went to the flea market at the Will Rogers Coliseum.  I bought Claire and I each a coin purse and paid a little too much for them, but when I thought about it, I'm glad I did.  I was able to engage the crafter in conversation about her handiwork and how proud she was of it.  Listening to someone take pride in their work is worth a few bucks.

9.  New games
This afternoon Paul engaged me in a game of "tennis."  This involved using tennis rackets as golf clubs in the garage.  He was excited I was doing well, and I was excited that there was no winner in the game.  We were just playing for fun with no mention of who was "winning."  I love that my kids enjoy the process and don't worry so much about the winner.

10.  Peace
Today Paul and I went to see my grandfather.  I mopped his house and completed a few other tasks he had for me.  Paul slept.  He fell asleep in the car on the way over and slept for the entire time we were there.  My grandfather and I just sat silently together for a long time.  He shared some recollections of my grandmother and what he was thinking about other family members.  I listened and enjoyed the silence.  Paul enjoyed not having anyone disturb his nap in his Batman costume.

Thankful Tuesday

Hello!  I made it on Tuesday this week!  Currently my daughter is painting with hot pink paint and my son is crying because I unpacked his school bag, but nonetheless, I am still thankful!

Here's my list this week!

1.  Being on time
After what seemed to be a slippery slope of near tardiness, we got Claire to school right on time today.  I can't get up any earlier, so I'm hoping better time management will help us to make this a habit.

2.  Not getting a ticket
Adam and I both earned a $500 pedestrian violation ticket on Saturday when we left the State Fair, but luckily, the cop let us go with a good talking-to.

3.  Missing the train
We were in a dangerous position on Saturday, in between an opportunity to get crushed by a freight train or hit by a TRE, we escaped both.  Please read.

4.  Neighbor kids
We live in an older neighborhood and there aren't many kids to play with.  My children don't mind, but you would have thought a celebrity came to our house this Sunday when the boy down the street played in the driveway on his scooter.  He's 14, so I doubt he was as excited as the kids were, but he was very sweet to them and showed them his tricks.  He also respected my wish to keep my kids in the driveway.

5.  Bor-ed
I don't think I posted this last week, but if I did, know I'm still grateful for it.  Claire came home the other day and said, "You know so and so in my class?  She told the teacher she was bor-ed.  What is that?"  I laughed because my children have never used that word.  There's too much to do to be bored.  Besides, Claire didn't even pronounce it correctly.

6.  Electric windows
Remember when you had to crank the windows up and down?  I am so spoiled with electric windows in my car, that rolling up windows by hand sounds miserable to me.

7.  Free fun at the State Fair
Since we spent lots of money on train tickets and food, we were grateful for the free quality entertainment at the fair.  We saw African Acrobats, stunt dogs, and stunt BMX riders, all for no additional money.  Woot!

8.  Kleenex
I feel as if I listed this before, but oh well.  When I was young, I had terrible allergies, and my mother was constantly getting on to me about how many kleenex I was "wasting."  Nowadays you can get a box for $1 so I even let my kids make crafts with it.  There's not a sneeze in my house that can't be met with a kleenex.

9.  Kids that entertain themselves
On Saturday, we had to wait an hour for our train.  The kids didn't even notice.  They were too busy playing red light green light with their colored fans from the State Fair.

10.  Emergency ice
Also on Saturday (an eventful day) Paul fell off a bicycle rack he was climbing on.  He had a huge knot on his head and the nearest restaurant was three blocks away.  Luckily the DART police had an ice chest in their car trunk and we fashioned an ice pack without having to walk a long way and beg.  His head was fine within the hour.

Just another Saturday, full of adventures

Yesterday we went to the State Fair of Texas and had a memorable time.  We rode the TRE train there so we wouldn't have to worry about parking or driving to Dallas.  The Barto family joined us for part of the day and fortunately missed all the drama that the end of the day held.

We started the day without a hitch.  We were almost late to the train, but we made it and each sat comfortably.  Adam mapped out every bit of our train schedule and fair map as well as a schedule of fair shows that we wanted to see.  We started with the African Acrobats.

Then we went to a dog trick show, Jump!

This was followed by the obligatory fried food, a visit to the butter sculpture, and a tour through some booths.  In one booth, a man started questioning one of the Barto's daughters about heaven or hell and Christy intervened with a firm affirmation that "We're United Methodist and she knows exactly what we believe about heaven and hell.  I appreciate what you guys are doing, but she knows what we believe."  I wanted to say "Booyah!" but thought it might be inappropriate.

Then the Bartos went home and we took the kids to the midway.  Paul was so happy he couldn't even keep his eyes open.  (In case you don't recognize him, he's in the rear of this picture.)

Then we saw BMX stunts and enjoyed more expensive fried food.

At the car show, Claire was excitedly going on "errands" to get pamphlets about new cars.  She got plenty for her, Paul, and Paw-Paw.  We saw what looked like a concept car, but turned out to be an advertising stunt.  Basically in this picture, you're seeing a remote controlled airplane shaped like a car.  It was still really cool.

And then we were beat.  Adam said we had to get back to the train station, and then the drama began.

First, we went out the wrong gate.  We were turned around and knew time was ticking.  Adam reoriented us and then we were RUNNING down Fair Park Avenue.  The train came, but apparently you cannot walk on the sidewalks when a train is approaching.  Pedestrian railroad crossing signs blocked the sidewalk, but our train was approaching and we were about to miss it.  Adam swiftly ducked under the crossing bars and pulled the wagon through.  I was panting hard from all that running and just sidestepped the crossing.  At the next crossing bar, Adam ducked again and I didn't see anyway around it, either.  I cursed and bent over as low as I could go.  We were running to catch the train, but a motorcycle policeman barreled up the sidewalk to warn us of the dangers of a train.  Somehow he decided not to give us the $500 ticket we just earned. 

We missed the train, but we were all alive and didn't have a ticket, so we were fine.  We took the next one and arrived at our station.  Unfortunately our next train wouldn't arrive for an hour.  We discussed what to do while the kids played on the bicycle bar.  Paul fell and a huge knot swelled up on his head.  We had to find some ice, but I knew from experience, when you're at the American Airlines Center, the nearest restaurant is a few blocks away.  Luckily some DART police helped us and gave Paul ice from their personal cooler.  So icepack on head, we went back to wait for the train.  Paul's head returned to normal and the kids entertained themselves with playing Red Light Green Light.

It was seven minutes before our train was scheduled to arrive when another train pulled up.  The freight train scared the kids because we had never been so close to a moving train.  Then it stopped.  We were stuck on one side of the freight train and we knew that our TRE train would come on the other side.  People were panicking and climbing on and over the freight train.  We thought that was ridiculous.  One man was spending some time trying to convince his daughter to cross under the train car.  She was mortified and refused to do it.

Adam helped a family across and was about to convince us we needed to climb on the freight train, but all three of us were skeptical and scared.  Then the TRE arrived in the distance.  No matter how long we had to wait at that station, we were not going to climb onto an active freight train and then run in front of a moving passenger train.  Then the freight train started moving and we were all thanking God that we hadn't gotten on it, because we would have been stuck or even killed.  Adam was jumping up and down trying to flag the TRE as the freight train passed.  Luckily they waited for us, and when the freight train rolled away, we were safe, all in one piece, with the TRE waiting patiently for us.

We made it home without injury or ticket.  We were all grateful.

Thankful Twednesday

Yesterday was Thankful Tuesday but I was so worn out I just couldn't make it.  It's okay.

Here's my thankful list this week:

1.  Presents that are nearly priceless
Last week my friend Mary Annelle alerted me to a way to get a new board game for $1.  I got two.  I also used my $10 Kohl's coupon to buy Adam a Christmas present.  This morning I started my vistaprint.com holiday shopping.  I ordered notecards, postcards, notepads, a mousepad, and magnets, all with my kids' pictures on them, all for the cost of shipping only.  We're doing Christmas on a budget.

2.  Just Between Friends Consignment Sale
This sale is where I purchase most of my kids' clothing.  If you ever see Claire in a gorgeous, expensive looking dress, you know where I got it.  I take the kids twice a year and basically say, "Whatever you want, you can have."  They love it just as much as I do.

3.  Day in the District
Last Saturday, every museum in Fort Worth had free admission.  We were able to take the kids to two art museums and teach them art appreciation in the process.  Each kid was thoughtful with their comments, telling why they did or didn't like a work of art.  I was impressed at the depth of thought they put into it. 

4.  Last minute babysitters
We had a friend having a birthday party on Saturday.  We were going back and forth on whether we wanted to go, but when we finally decided, we were able to secure a great babysitter.  The kids played in their tent and didn't even miss us.

5.  Trips down memory lane
Before we went to the party on Saturday, we stopped by the Half Price Bookstore that I used to work at.  One of my friends was still there and caught me up to speed on the latest news.  Then Adam and I drove around UTA and reminisced about our college days. 

6.  Calm
Yesterday we had a busy day.  This morning Paul and I rode the Forest Park mini train together, snuggling, half-dozing, and just enjoying not having to be anywhere but where we were.

7.  Reconnecting with an old friend
My friend Jo is elderly and dying.  I have taken the kids to see her several times lately but her nurse said it was a bad time. Finally on a whim on Saturday, the whole family rang her doorbell.  Success!  We all got to give her the hug we've been wanting to give her for a while.

8.  Empty laundry hampers
They mean I at least have all the clothes washed.

9.  A computer found
Yesterday I was so proud of Paul's cowboy outfit, I was showing him off.  Unfortunately, my focus was on him and now carrying my computer to the car.  I got home and was afraid I had lost my laptop.  Thankfully, I just left it in my office and it is locked up until I can retrieve it.

10.  Swings in the backyard
Nothing makes the kids happier than me to push them as high as possible on their swing set.  Nothing makes me happier, either.

Thankful Twednesday

Yesterday was a full day from the time I got up at 5 until my head hit the pillow at 10:30.  I absolutely didn't have time to type this up, but that doesn't mean I wasn't thankful!  I almost wrote this on Monday, and actually restrained myself to wait.

Here's my thankful list today:

1.  Rain
There was actually wetness from the sky more than once in the last week. 

2.  Flowers that say "Thank you."
The morning after the rain, I was pushing Paul in the swing and I noticed several flowers in our yard that weren't there the previous day.  We have blooms on several plants in the yard, one of which I didn't even realized bloomed.  Also, an indoor plant bloomed for the first time ever that day.  It was as if all the flowers reached up to the sky to offer their gratitude.

3. The ability to turn a bad day into a good one.
Last Wednesday I sitting in the recliner at 5 a.m., drinking my coffee, praying and journaling.  Paul woke up and wanted to snuggle, so he snored on my lap as I continued.  Then he had an accident in his sleep.  Normally that would make me grouchy and set off a chain of events for the whole day.  This time, I decided to bite my tongue and carry on.  By intentionally not being grouchy, I was able to have a great day.

4.  A tongue that is slower than my brain.
My Bible study assignment last week was to find five different ways to pray.  One day I attempted to pray aloud.  Something I discovered during this exercise is that my brain works twice as fast as my tongue.  I am grateful for this because I hadn't realized I did have that much time to filter my words.  I'd hate to listen to myself if I actually voiced every thought. 

5.  A truck that keeps on going.
Adam's Toyota Tacoma crossed over the 200,000 mile mark this week and he is still proudly driving it with no problems.  We have taken that truck to Key West, Niagara Falls, the U.S./Mexico border and seemingly everywhere in between. 

6.  Being at the right place at the right time.
Sunday morning, I was in a bit of a rush.  I was going to drive my friend Ann-Marie to Dallas to go to her daughter's baby shower.  We were trying to leave church, but we just couldn't get out.  Every time I thought we could leave, I was approached by another friend that needed a hug or wanted to talk.  I finally got free and went to the bathroom only to run into another friend who just received bad news and was crying.  Had I been 30 seconds earlier or 30 seconds later, I would have been unable to give her the hug she needed at that moment.  I was at the right place at the right time.

7.  Parades
When I was driving Ann-Marie back to Fort Worth, we stopped for coffee.  We were getting frustrated because we were having a hard time finding coffee in downtown Dallas.  We waited in line at Whataburger, only to get to the window and hear that even though we ordered it, they couldn't give us any coffee.  However, as we were leaving Whataburger, we ran into a Gay Pride parade.  It was fantastic and totally worth the Whataburger disappointment.

8.  Freedom for flexibility
Yesterday when Claire came home from school, she wanted to play with Paul.  Every day I document her school story, but yesterday she wanted to put on a birthday party for her baby doll instead of writing.  I was happy to oblige and happy that my kids get along so well and that we have the freedom to be flexible.  I've got freedom of flexibility, too...I'm writing my Tuesday entry on Wednesday.

9.  Cooler temperatures and open windows
The weather has been so beautiful this week that I've driven everywhere with the windows down.  This results in a giant frizz ball head, but I don't mind.  Adam has also been opening our windows at night and I've been enjoying the nighttime sounds of the neighborhood.

10.  Productive play dates
On Monday, my friend Mary Annelle asked me if Paul wanted to come to her house to play.  I dropped him off at 9:52 and was able to do all my shopping at Costco and Wal-Mart and be back at her house at 11.  It was amazing how fast I can shop when there is no one underfoot.  I was so productive that I wanted to return the favor.  I brought her son over here and was able to do my laundry and work around the house while he and Paul played happily.  The boys had fun and the moms got our work done.  I am grateful.

Thankful Tuesday

Hello!  I am writing in a cushy chair in an air-conditioned house in the best state of the best country in the world.  If that wasn't enough to be thankful for, here's more:

1.  Clean Public Restrooms
I've always been grateful for the opportunity to use a clean public facility, but when I had kids, my gratitude multiplied.  You never know what the little hands will touch next, so I am grateful when that surface is clean.

2.  My live-in copy editor
Besides my blog, Adam edits nearly everything I put my pen to.  I always have issues with commas, and he gets his red pen and stops any errors from leaving the house.

3.  Meaningful memorials
Sunday was the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.  Instead of going to early service at church, we opted to go to the Museum of Science and History to be a part of the Fort Worth memorial service of the tragedy.  Everyone in the crowd had a flag, and another giant flag was suspended from two fire truck ladders.  The crowd was sprinkled with uniformed soldiers, police officers, and firemen.  Inside the museum is a steel beam from the World Trade Center.  It was an easy way to explain to the kids the importance of the tragedy and its aftermath as well as personally thank those who risk their lives daily to protect us.

4.  Having a platform for our voices
If you don't know yet, Claire has a blog.  Every day when she gets home from school and changes her clothes, we sit at the computer and she dictates to me her adventures of the day.  I type word for word what she says.  It's been an entertaining and informative way for her to express herself.

5.  Meerkat Peekaboo
Yesterday I took Paul to the zoo.  We were talking to the meerkats and they appeared to be listening.  When one went in a hole, I told Paul, "He's trying to play hide and seek with you!"  So Paul would cover his eyes and say, "1-2-3-4 Ready or not, here I come!"  It was hilarious.

6.  Easy volunteering
Yesterday morning Paul and I spent about an hour and a half at Claire's school volunteering in the library.  It was a breeze.  He played on the computer while I shelved and labeled books.  We actually finished all our work in time to be at the zoo for opening.

7.  Happy endings
This past Lent, we raised some ducks.  Adam bought them at a feed store when they were three days old and we raised them in a coop in our kitchen.  We did the best we could for them, and then when they were too big for us, we took them to the local pond.  The problem was, we didn't realize that even though there were a variety of ducks there, our ducks were still outsiders and wouldn't be accepted.  We came back the next day and they were gone.  We saw a few that we speculated were ours, but we weren't sure.  Recently on a trip to the duck park, we talked to a lady who lives across the street.  She found our ducks the night we released them and took them home to live with her.  They currently are fat and happy swimming in their own private pool and pond.  Every night they sleep on a raft.  We were delighted they were rescued and not, we feared, eaten by a fox.

8.  Quiet time that's quiet
A few mornings this week I was able to crawl out of bed without alerting anyone but the dogs.  I was able to drink my coffee in peace and read my Bible and journal.  I do this every morning, but I am grateful for the mornings I'm able to do this without a kid in my lap.

9.  Quiet time that's not so quiet
For every day that I get a quiet quiet time, I also have one that is interrupted by a tired kid who wants to snuggle.  I know the kids won't want to snuggle for long, so I just scoot my books over and try to soak up the love.

10.  Craft drawers
We have two drawers at our house that are crammed full of craft supplies.  I never know what will be created.  Yesterday I asked Claire to get Paul a pair of socks, so she got in the craft drawer and made him a pair from construction paper.  Currently the kids are making me "gifts" that consist of homemade cards and wrapped up Hot Wheels.  I am grateful.

An Evening in Sundance Square

Last night we didn't have plans and Adam had to work, so the kids and I went to downtown Fort Worth to see what kind of adventures we could find.  We found a lot, mostly expressed in pictures below.

First we went to the Central Public Library.  We stayed until closing and checked out many books.  We kept hearing closing announcements over the PA system, to which Paul kept saying, "We're going to get trapped in here!"

Then we stopped to look at a partially demolished building, shown below.

We found this interesting because it seemed incomplete.  It looked like the demolition company started their job and then punched out at 5 p.m. on Friday, regardless of whether or not they were finished.

After staring at the building for a while, we rode Molly the Trolley, a free shuttle around downtown.  We met many interesting people, all with wineglasses in their hands, all celebrating one gentleman's birthday.  We also sidled up next to a car of newlyweds, still in their gown and tuxedo.  They waved cheerfully and we clapped for them.

We got off the trolley and started walking around downtown, looking for more adventure.  We met this lady below, who had a bad day and decided to reverse her mood by standing at a street corner with a sign.  We gave her several hugs throughout the evening.  As we toured around, we kept ending up at her street corner to give her more hugs.  She said she turned out to have a great day.

After hugs, we enjoyed some gelato before returning for more hugs.  I warned the kids that their gelato might get on her pristine white outfit, so in this photo, they are keeping their distance.

We saw several people marching in protest of Palestine's lack of recognition as a country.  I didn't explain all that to the kids, but Claire recognized the word Obama, so I said they didn't like his job.  We called this a parade...These people were marching through downtown with their banner, singing, "Give Peace a Chance."  We only saw them for about ten minutes and then they disappeared, so I wonder if they didn't have parade permit.

There were many carriages downtown, but Paul's favorite was the one pulled by Michelle, shown here.  The horse owners were friendly and let us stand talking to and petting their horses for a while.  Claire pet a horse named Bucky.  The kids were also highly entertained that behind the horses was a special sack to hold their poop. 

After all this excitement, we headed home, but not before riding an escalator and waving and folks from a sky bridge.  The entire evening cost me $17, but the fun we had was priceless.

Thankful TWednesday

I know I'm a day late, but I absolutely did not have time to post yesterday.  I'm still thankful and I'll be back on schedule next week.

Here's my thankful TWednesday list today:

1.  Loose teeth
Claire has a loose tooth and it's a hot topic at our house.  Every little bit she says, "Is my tooth still there?" 

2.  Open and honest conversations
On Sunday Paul rode to church with Adam so Claire and I rode in my car and talked.  She told me all about her fear of the cafeteria monitor at her school.  We talked for a while about what she doesn't like at school and I was proud that she was willing to tell me.  I hope I was able to ease some anxiety and put some light on some situations.  Right now her worries are small, but I hope that she continues to feel she can share them with me.

3.  Beautiful Weather
Just when it was so hot for so long that even the lovers of summer were giving up, we got some cool weather.  Yesterday Paul told me he thought it would definitely snow.  I doubt that, but we are loving the lower temperatures.

4.  Family Uno games
Both kids love to play Uno Attack and are pretty good at it.  Saturday we had family over and the kids showed no mercy in playing Uno.

5.  Good teachers
Paul started preschool yesterday.  Last week when we went to church to meet his new teacher, several of the boys started to make a huge mess with some dried beans.  I asked her if that bothered her and she said, "No, it's developmentally appropriate.  When they develop their motor skills more, they'll stop doing that."  I would like to now label my house as developmentally appropriately messy.

6.  Storytime in the recliner
I can still (barely) fit both kids in my lap at one time to read a book.  Nothing makes me happier than sharing a good book with them while they snuggle down and listen.

7.  Compliments about my kids
At Claire's open house, her teacher said that she was a pleasure to have in class.  She said Claire is very "intuitive, caring, and mature."  She also said she was proud of how smart she was.  I'm grateful.

8.  Tag team parenting
Often when Adam and I are at church or another large, busy place, we have to tag-team with the kids.  It's easier to keep up with one in a crowd than two.  Whenever we get in a situation where that's appropriate, we don't have a discussion, we just tell one another which kid we have and move on.  It's so nice to just know the drill and do it.

9.  Color Blindness
Claire kept coming home from school talking about her friend Bailey.  I kept hearing about Bailey's birthday and how every time Bailey spoke in class, Claire would say "Birthday girl."  When we went to open house, we got to meet the infamous Bailey and found out she was African-American.  That's not a big deal.  What was a big deal to me was that didn't even occur to Claire to tell me.  I was amazed and pleased that her friend's race was so little on the scale of importance that it didn't even bear mentioning as a descriptor.

10.  A life saved
Last week we were riding our bikes home from school and Claire almost got hit by a car speeding through the school zone.  Claire swerved and kept honking her bike horn, but I honestly don't know how she didn't get hit.  I'm working on pulling some political strings to get a speed bump put in there, but that won't lessen my gratitude for her escape from a speeding car.  She could have been killed or confined to a wheelchair.  Every time we cross that street now, I saw a prayer of thanks for her survival.

Tuesday Thankfulness

Hello!  Welcome to Thankful Tuesday.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Time to catch up.
Nearly the entire church staff was elsewhere today, so I actually had several quiet hours alone in my office.  I got so much work done, I was able to get a jump on my work for next week.

2.  Compliments when you need them.
Last week was difficult for many reasons.  Claire started back to school, and Paul only had me to play with.  The entire family was exhausted, and I somehow pulled together a church newsletter.  Right after sending it out, I received a compliment on a job well done.  Considering I felt like I was barely concious and stressed out, those kind words meant a great deal to me.

3.  Shopping tips
Recently my friend Mary Annelle shared yet another great way to save money on groceries.  She reads all the sales papers and simply types up the bargains she wants.  Then she goes to Wal-Mart and requests price matches on those items on sale at other stores.  She only has to go to one store, and she gets all the bargains.  Considering we are on a strict budget around here, that news is worth rejoicing over.

4.  Time to sit and think.
Yesterday morning was cloudy and cool, so I took Paul to the park.  Even though I kept running through my to-do list in my head, I made myself sit there and watch him play and join in where appropriate.  We got to focus on feeding the ducks with one piece of bread at a time, and we made several discoveries.  We never noticed the giant, nearly three-feet long fish in the pond, or the way they steal the bread from the big turtles.  We also got to pet a duck which we have tentatively identified as Claire's duck from Lent.

5.  Grace
Several times in the last week I needed grace and received it abundantly.  No one was upset that my work was a day late, and Adam forgave a brief temper explosion.  Also, I had to step down from a volunteer position that I hadn't started yet.  I had offered to coordinate communications for the Benbrook Early Childhood PTA, and the closer we got to kickoff, the more I realized I was in over my head.  I stepped down with fear that I would have to leave the group.  Every member met me with understanding and grace.  No one was upset that I had overcommitted and I am grateful.

6.  Long hugs
Last week was the last week of our summer season of helping homeless ladies.  One of the ladies has been working hard by taking classes at the community college.  She told me she's not likely to see me again because she will transfer to a four year college in the spring.  She gave me one of the best hugs I've received.  When I kept thinking it was over, she kept on hugging.  It was humbling.

7.  Creative kids
Claire has figured out how to make penguins with construction paper and glue.  She has made an entire flock, but I love it.  I am always proud of items that she creates successfully, and of her own volition.  Right this second, Paul is tearing xerox paper and setting it on my shoulders so I can have wings.

8.  Sermons that make you think later on
We have a new senior pastor at church, and she preached an excellent sermon on Sunday.  I won't do it justice by summarizing it, but what I took from it is that every day you should be concious of where you saw God that day.  I sat in the pew and made a list right there, and I'm still thinking.

9.  Kids that take pride in their work.
I have been noticing that Claire's schoolwork has a lot of pencil checkmarks on it.  Yesterday I asked her who did that, and she said, "I put check marks on there so you know I did a fantastic job."  Why yes, she did.

10.  Creative pet names
You might already know our two dogs are named "Wesley Eugene Boyette" and "Capt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette."  What you don't know is that Paul's favorite stuffed dog animal is named "Wind The Bobbin Ding Dong" and Claire's pig is named "Piggie-Pig Pig."  I named Wesley, but everything else around here is named by the kids.  I even get new names, and often am forced to answer to the name "Mommy Dog."

Thankful Tuesday Aug. 23, 2011

Hello!  It's time for Thankful Tuesday, when I record my gratitude for the small and the big.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Sardine Sandwiches
Today at the Hemminger home, Clyde fed Paul a sardine sandwich.  He enjoyed it and washed it down with a Coca-Cola.  I have never given Paul either one of those, but am happy for him to experience new tastes.  I'm not going to buy him sodas or sardines, so I'm glad he enjoyed them while he had them.

2.  Useful advice
When we registered Claire for school in June, the school secretary told me to go to the store immediately and buy all the uniforms I could find.  I did, and when the crowds started hitting the shops, we were done.  I was grateful that we knew to shop early, thanks to that advice.

3.  Family walks
So far we've all four walked Claire to school both mornings of kindergarten.  I hope to have everyone out of bed and ready to go so we can do this every morning.  Nothing is cuter than Claire walking in her uniform with her backpack on, right next to Adam in his business attire, and Paul and I bringing up the rear in whatever fashion we please.

4.  Early bedtimes
Getting up early means getting to bed earlier.  I am savoring nights when both kids are in bed by 7:15 p.m.  I feel like I have an entire evening ahead of me, even though I am hitting the pillow earlier as well.

5.  Family field trips
Adam took off half a day on Friday and we went to the Museum of Science and History.  We were able to talk the kids into watching the 3D video about gas drilling that they had been too scared to do before.  Saturday, we rode the TRE to the Nasher Sculpture Museum and had a fantastic time spending 30 minutes walking through the balloon room.  It was so nice going out as a family all weekend.

6.  Drinking water
Because we rode the TRE on Saturday, we did a lot of trekking around downtown Dallas.  We walked to the West End for lunch and then the downtown library to see the Declaration of Independence.  We were hot, but thankful that I had packed four bottles of water that were disappearing as fast as we could drink them.  Twice that day, I saw men going through the trash, looking for a drop to drink.  One man was pouring empty soda cans into his bottle, trying to get the last drop.  Another was sucking on straws of discarded cups, trying to get a drink from used McDonald's cups.  We were able to give one of them a bottle of water, but it broke my heart to see how some suffer in the heat.  I am grateful that not only do we have bottles of water to refill or discard, we also have a tap that is solely for our use. 

7.  Experienced teachers
Claire had a lot of anxiety about school starting, and we were able to fineagle a tour from the secretary.  I kept saying that she was anxious and everyone was so nice and caring.  When we left, Adam told me that Claire wasn't the one with anxiety.  Obviously, it was me.  I am glad, though, that her teacher has been teaching 29 years and I'm sure I'm not the first mom who's off her rocker.  Claire is now adjusting well and has a blog to prove it.  Read it at http://clairegoestoschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/kindergarten-day-2.html.

8.  Church choices
Last week, I took the kids to visit my grandmother.  I was talking about church and our new senior pastor, who happens to be female.  My grandmother let me know that she felt that was only a man's job, and I replied, "Well, thankfully, you don't go to my church."  Her Southern Baptist church suits her just as well as my Methodist church suits me.  I'm glad that we do have options and in the United States, you can go to whatever church suits your fancy.

9.  Love notes
At least four times a week I get a craft that says something about "I love Mommy."  I am blessed, even by the ones that are illegible.

10.  Wildflowers
Today when I was driving to church, I noticed a patch of wildflowers growing in the median of a busy street.  In these 100 + degree days, it's nearly impossible to keep anything alive.  It was refreshing to see that somethings apparently survive on their own.

Thankful Tuesday...under the wire!

Today's been quite a busy day.  I started early; right at 5 a.m., followed by getting the troops up in time for our "back to school drill."  We get ready as if it's a school day and walk to the school to see the playground and then back home.  I also worked today, took the kids to the Kimbell Art Museum, went to Wal-Mart, and made a home-cooked meal.  I'm worn out, but couldn't go to bed without letting my readers know what I'm thankful for this week.

1.  Rain
Last Friday the sky darkened and everyone rejoiced.  I had told the kids that since it's been so long since we've seen rain, we would go dance in it the first chance we got.  The kids grabbed their umbrellas and we waited, ready to dance.  And we waited some more.  A few drops came down, but not enough to be conducive to a rain celebration dance.  The next morning the rain was coming steadier, so I took the kids with their galoshes and umbrellas on a walk.  We're all thankful for the brief respite from the heat, which also allowed for a glorious day at the zoo.

2.  Rainy days at the zoo
If you ask me, a zoo regular, when the best time to go, I will tell you to never go on a Wednesday.  (Yes, it's half price day, but there's double the crowd.)  I'll also tell you to head to the zoo whenever precipitation is falling from the sky.  Not only does rain clear the crowds out, the animals are more active and mischeivious.  It makes for a better experience all around.

3.  Two vehicles with working air-conditioners
It has been so hot; today my car said it was 109.  I am so grateful that not just one, but both of our cars have great air conditioners.  Daily, I am also grateful that Adam and I bought a new air conditioner for our home last summer.

4.  Trivial Trivia
The kids eat off of educational placemats.  We've got an international map, where yesterday we pointed out Libya and discussed war there.  We've also got a map of the United States, where we showed Paul that Rick Perry lives in the same state as us.  Today we were working on the presidential placemat.  I was doing well teaching Claire and Paul the names of the presidents, but Adam gave us all sorts of entertaining points to help remember them with.  Apparently Zachary Taylor died of gastroenteritis, which means he was going to the restroom a lot just before his death.  The kids thought that was funny.

5.  Flashing school zone lights
There's a new school zone on Hulen Street, and I am thankful every time I drive through it, because I wouldn't notice it if it weren't for the flashing lights.  I love that not only do we have school zones, we have lights that flash at you and say, "Hey you!  It's a school zone!  Slow down!"

6.  Trashmen
This morning we walked to Claire's school and were captivated by the trashman.  Apparently the teachers have been throwing out shelves as well as acres of paper, and the dumpster was weighed down.  It took several minutes for the trashman to configure the prongs on his truck to lift up the heavy dumpster.  After he dumped it, he had to get out of his truck and climb up a ladder on his windshield so he could get to the top to make sure it all cleared the opening.  We were excited to watch the prongs on the truck lift the 1,000+ pound dumpster as well as the guy climb up his windshield on a ladder.  So often I take it for granted that after I push it to the curb, the trash doesn't disappear on its own.  I'm thankful for our sanitation engineers.

7.  Church Staff Meetings
Once a week I get to participate in a productive, thoughtful meeting full of intelligent and caring people.  I'm the communications coordinator at our church, so I go to staff meetings, and I just get so excited about the adult conversation.  This is the one time during the week in which one of my conversations has nothing to do with chores or child-rearing and I actually feel like a productive member of society and not just a mom.

8.  Roads paved with bricks
Our church, Arlington Heights United Methodist, is located on Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth.  Camp Bowie is one of the few roads in the area that is still paved with bricks.  After the Depression, under the direction of President Roosevelt, Camp Bowie Boulevard, and other streets like it across the United States, were paved with bricks, giving local people jobs.  I'm thankful that that thread of the past is still something that I drive on regularly.

9.  Lydia the Literary Ladybug
On Sunday, Claire caught a ladybug in our pool.  It is still alive, living in a Mason jar in the kitchen.  The kids take that jar on errands with us.  Just today Lydia went to Ann-Marie's house, Wal-Mart, and the Kimbell Art Museum.  She's a well-travelled ladybug and I am grateful that she is still alive, for the moment.  The kids are so proud of Lydia the Literary Ladybug.

10.  Dancing in the kitchen
We have a large, long kitchen.  Several times last week when I was cooking dinner, the kids and I cranked up the music and just danced to our hearts' content.  During moments like that, I want to freeze time and savor it.  Dancing carefree to Madonna is an event to be savored.

11.  Free stuff
Today I was given a new Bible and a calendar for free.  The Common English Bible is barely in print, it's so new, and I now have a copy.  I also have an official Methodist Calendar for 2012.  So yes, while I usally stop at 10, I got free stuff today, so I had to add it.  I am excited and grateful.  Excuse me while I go read my brand new Bible.

Thankful Tuesday

Hello!  Here's another edition of Thankful Tuesday.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  The pause button on the remote
I just taught Claire how to use that yesterday.  I love fast-forwarding through commercials and pausing action to go run to the kitchen or the bathroom.

2.  Balloon animals
Friday was our big grocery day.  When we walked into Wal-Mart, we noticed a man crafting balloon animals.  Then we noticed our friend Caitlyn, the cashier from Aldi.  She generously told the kids to pick out what they wanted and she would pay for it.  A few minutes later we were walking away with a dinosaur and turtle.  Then we went to get our free cookie stickers (they were out) but a gentleman on a bench gave the kids pocket change so they could put it in the MDA donation bin.  We were doubly grateful.

3.  Politeness at Chuck E. Cheese
We took Claire and Paul to Chuck E. Cheese the other night where we met the most polite kids I have ever seen.  The daughter was running around like a crazy loon, enjoying all the place has to offer.  Her dad stopped her and said, "Are you having fun?"  "Yes, sir!" she replied with glee.  I was amazed.  When I asked him about it, he said, "Ain't no other way."  I had been a little lax on enforcing it at our house, but I was convinced.  We're yes sir and yes ma'am 100 percent of the time now.

4.  Laughter
Today I am thankful for having the opportunity to make my children laugh so hard they can't breathe.  That is true joy, and whether it comes from tickling or acting silly, I am grateful.

5.  My parents
Yes, I said it.  I disagree with them on 99.999999999% of things in this world, but my mom gave birth to me and with my father, raised me with love.  I am grateful.

6.  Conversation with homeless ladies
Weekly, we are grateful to have the opportunity to visit with the homeless ladies that come to spend Thursday nights at our church.  Talking to them puts my problems in perspective.  It always makes me chuckle, too, to learn how much we have in common.  Last week I was telling one how great the Wal-Mart optometrist is and that he actually was the best eye doctor Adam had ever seen.  We were comparing prices on eye exams and hair conditioner.  There's no pretension with these ladies.  The kids and I both look forward to seeing them.

7.  The love of reading
I LOVE to read.  Yes, I know that all caps means I'm yelling, but it's true.  I read voraciously from a wide range of subjects.  Right now I am reading simultaneously Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Death of a Celebrity.  I read my Bible every morning.  In the last two years, Adam has caught the reading bug and I'm happy to say that both kids love reading.  Claire is beginning to read on her own and I'm so proud of her.

8. Generous kids
Nearly every store is collecting money at the register now for their selected charity.  We're on a budget, so I don't even think about it and just say no thanks.  On Monday we were at Tom Thumb and Claire saw a poster of kids with Muscular Dystrophy.  She asked about it and I explained that the kids had a muscle disease and the grocery store was collecting money for their doctor's bills.  "Oh," she said.  "I wish I had some money and I'd give it to them. Even if it was a dollar."  Of course you know I looked in my wallet and pulled out a dollar bill.

9. A sense of wonder
The kids and I often take detours to explore new construction or other exciting sites on our way to a destination.  I am grateful that they do have strong sense of wonder and that they mostly absorb what I teach them.  I'm pouring information in them non-stop and I'm so grateful that most of it sticks.

10.  My locket
Before she died, my grandmother gave me a locket that my grandfather had given her on Valentine's Day in 1947.  In this gold heart, they are forever preserved in their youth.  I wear it often and treasure it.