Big and little thanks

Suitcases have been packed, unpacked, packed and unpacked here.  We just returned from a quick family trip to Louisiana to appear in court to finalize Finn's adoption.  I  am giddy that Finn finally has our last name and that our social worker visits and calls to our very unorganized attorney are  done!   We showed the big kids where Finn was born, visited an AMAZING playground and of course, swore under oath to love Finn forever and ever.  Every parent should have to do that!

Our plan was to return home for two days, unpack, and repack for our Thanksgiving trip to the East Coast.   And then Mother Nature spoke loud and clear and I had the joy of picking my kiddos up from school to share the news that we were not going to Gigi and Pop's house for Thanksgiving.   Eeks!    I truly think I would have given in to anything to curb their sadness in that moment and since they didn't realize the scope of that (and therefore didn't think to ask for something like a dog or an iguana), off to the McDonalds drive thru we went for shakes AND fries.

I've seen many lovely gratitude lists going around Facebook this week.  I too am so very thankful for the big blessings in my life:  Bart and the kids, family, friends, health, faith, shelter, etc......... but I thought I would list some little things that I am thankful for too because sometimes we tend to overlook the little things. So here it goes:

1.  Leggings.  I love the trend of long sweaters and leggings with boots.  It does not matter if you have been snacking on the Halloween treats for the past few weeks, you can still jump on this trend.  Lets face it - women's fashion is not always comfortable, but the leggings are!

2.  Chupa chup lollipops-  the hotel in Louisiana has a large glass bowl of these.  You remember I talked about them back here.   The big kids loved trying every flavor and they provided some quiet time for baby cakes.

3.  Sesame Street songs.   I love the way Finn dances when he hears them.  Its his personal top 40.  Need to quiet a baby on an airplane?  Cookie and Elmo to the rescue!

4.  Trader Joe's gingerbread men.   Yum.  Just trust me.  So cute, so yummy, such a fun little giftie to take to someone's house.

5.  Crushed ice.  Its no secret that I love drinks - iced tea, pepsi, water.   None of it is tasty without crushed ice.  Our ice machine has never worked, we've had it replaced a few times but its just a manufacturer's defect in our brand of refrigerator.   So, we buy ice.  Yesterday, we ran out and I thought I was on a desert island.  I can not be my best self without crushed ice.

6.  Chapstick.  Old man winter is starting to show his face.   I always defend myself from his blustery winds with that old familiar black and white tube.

7.  HGTV Magazine - by far the best magazine I have ever subscribed to.   I can not wait for this to arrive in my mailbox every month.    It is FULL of ideas and paint colors.  Beautifully done.

8.  Scarves.   Its one of the few reasons to look forward to winter.  I would probably be embarrassed to count the number of scarves I own.  Its enough that they have their own drawer in my closet.   If you see me anytime this winter, I will be wearing a scarf.

9.  Needlepoint.  I am thankful to have a hobby that I love that results in something lovely to share with my family.  I'm starting to be one of those old ladies who carries my needlepoint everywhere.  I'm okay with that.

10.  My calendar.  In the day of tablets and smart phones, I'm still old school when it comes to my calendar.  I like taking pen to paper and flipping open a book to make an appointment.    My calendar is made by erincondren.com

That's my list!  I hope you are thankful for the big things and the little things this Thanksgiving and that you are loved and beloved.

In the thick of things

Yesterday, I was driving in the car and got weepy about my life as a mother.  I was thinking about how one child is soaring high right now,  one is struggling with homework, one is trying to choose a high school and one is frustrated learning limits.    Parenting is hard, but I love it.   I love that Bart and I are their first level of comfort.  We talk things through, we hunker down to do math, we find tutoring programs and figure out new chore incentives - they know we are always on their team.    This is the good stuff.  The funny, the hard, the frustrations, the celebrations, the questions - its all good.  Motherhood is a holy privilege and I am forever honored to fill that role for four growing souls.

Halloween re-cap

Did you have a Happy Halloween?  Our Queen of Hearts, Lego guys and Raggedy Andy had a blast.

No, I did not make the Lego costumes.  Bart made them.  Those costumes became his life's work for about three weeks.  I love this man!

One of my favorite parts about Halloween is the sorting of the loot after trick-or-treating.  I don't like how much there is but I do like remembering how I used to sort with my siblings when I was little and how exciting it is for a child to look over their vast spread of candy.    So I look over and William is doing this:

He organized his Halloween candy into 9 individually labeled ziploc bags and put it all in one larger freezer bag.   In case you're wondering, categories were:  salty, chocolate, gummy, Wonka, tart, peanut butter, lollipop, Butterfinger (large amount this year) and KitKat (his favorite).    I love this kid.  He takes organization to a whole other level!

Happy November everyone.  Let the holiday season begin!   Tomorrow I will start sharing some of my favorite holiday finds.