Thankful Tuesday May 31, 2011

I've lost count of my Thankful Tuesdays, so I'll just go with the date.

Today I am thankful for:
1.  Pool parties -- the mess stays outside.  We served kids ice cream on Saturday with the option of jumping in the pool to get off the sticky afterward.

2.  Claire Bear-- She's five now!  She's a big help around here and a good example for her little brother Paul.

3.  Kaa and Big Paul -- Adam's godparents are here visiting.  They bring their own RV, lots of food and wine, and they clean our house!  They are amazing and I am grateful.  Yesterday Paul spent hours scrubbing my stove.  The only time I've seen it that clean was the last time he did it.

4.  Grocery stores-- Yesterday I ran some errands with Kaa and we ended up stopping at two different grocery stores, both within four miles of my house.  I kept whining that I didn't know where anything is in those stores and they didn't have my brand of wine, blah blah blah.  I prefer to go to a different store, whine, whine, whine.  But really, we are quite blessed to have so many grocery stores that we can actually be picky about it!  There are people all over the world, even some in our area, who would love to be picky about grocery stores and have both the money and the opportunity to do so!

5.  Inside jokes -- Yesterday my friend Stacy's stepmom asked me if Claire would eat a "nanner."  She knew the silly joke Stacy and I have shared since high school.  I love cheesy humor that just won't die.

6.  Books -- Our entire family is blessed with a plethora of books overflowing every bookshelf we own.  Any time Paul wants to learn about Tamarins or Claire wants to know about moos Mr. Brown can do, they can just grab a book off their shelf.  Adam has books on history, evolution, and religious debates, so he can always educate himself.  I have a mixture of everything, so whatever my mood is, I have a book to accomodate.  Literature is important over here.

7.  Personalized prayers -- A month ago, we started veering away from the "God is Great" rote prayers and started letting the kids come up with their own.  It is so sweet to hear Claire thanking God for the beautiful flowers, her food, and the wonderful world.  I love to hear Paul say, "Dear God, I love you so much!"  I love that neither Adam nor I have ever given direction on what to say during blessings, but they come up with their own appropriate messages.

8.  Spinach -- Everyone around here loves it, including the kids!  If I ever overhear someone telling the kids that most people don't care for spinach, that person better brace themself for a whooping.

9.  Wildlife out our window -- We live in the city, but our backyard is still teeming with wildlife.  I love to watch the courtship rituals of squirrels and blue jays.

10.  My brain -- To me, being smart is more important than being beautiful.  I am so glad that I am blessed with intelligence and a love of learning.  Without that, I just wouldn't be me.