Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for a fun after school snack. Christmas tree graham crackers decorated with M & M "ornaments".  The kids had so much fun making them.

I'm thankful Kent's Scrooge-y attitude has worn off a little. The effort he puts forth in preparing for Christmas is equivalent to the amount of effort I put forth in listening when he's talking to me about wrestling.  As Christmas is drawing near, he appears to be getting a little more "in the spirit" of things. I'll keep you posted.

I'm thankful Kael participated in Ankeny Wrestling Club night at the wrestling meet the other night.  The loud music, dimming lights and all the noise was a bit overwhelming but he hung out with his club and got to give high fives to all the varsity wrestlers as they entered the gym. He's growing up.

I'm thankful our ultrasound on Friday revealed a beautiful, healthy baby.  It was just so wonderful to see all those tiny little baby parts up on that screen.  Baby was flipping and rolling all around but we still managed to get a few good pictures.


I'm thankful I have successfully hidden the gender envelope without Kent finding it yet.  He would totally crack and open it if he found it. Speaking of gender and speaking of Scrooge...I've been toying around with the idea of a Gender Reveal get together and Kent is hating on it a little bit.  "Do people really do that?" he asked.  Then when I told him about how we could do the reveal (for example, blue or pink frosting in the middle of cupcakes) and all he said was, "I don't really like cupcakes." Do you see what I have to put up with around here, people? ;)

I'm thankful for a completely unexpected, "Can I pump your gas for you, ma'am?" from the sweet gas station attendant in a Santa hat yesterday.  Honestly, I didn't even know people still did that?

I'm thankful that I FINALLY got around to ordering Christmas cards.  You guys I am not one of those people who tends to get a deal...I always end up needing something the day after the sale expires, or I fall just short of the free shipping required amount, or I forget to use coupons that I have. But not this time.  I ordered off of Shutterfly and the style I ordered was 40% off! Not to mention that they had e-mailed me a 50% off code to use if I ordered by December 18 AND when I ordered Kael's school pictures they included a free $20 Shutterfly voucher with my purchase.  I also got free shipping so my Christmas cards this year ended up costing me a whopping $8! Can you believe it? I know my deal-snagging friend Dawn will be so proud of me. :)

I'm thankful, once again, for our pediatrician.  Forgive me if I've written about this before, but once she offered some very sound advice about Kylee that I often hear running through my head.  During Kylee's 4 year old well child visit, my pediatrician confirmed that yes, Kylee is tall for her age and yes, she is very mature for her age.  "Be mindful, Laura, of what you and others expect of Kylee.  People will assume that she's much older than she is and will expect her to act as such.  Remind them, and yourself, that she's still just a 4 year old girl, even though she is capable of so much."  That's just good advice. 

I'm thankful for all of our Christmases.  When people hear that we celebrate eight Christmases, there is an overwhelming reaction of pity/disbelief: "You poor thing!"  It would be so easy to feel that way and it would be so easy not to go to all of them.  But we are so so blessed by the fact that so many of my kids' great-grandparents and grandparents are alive and well enough to host a Christmas get together.  Not to mention that they all live less than an hour and a half away from us, so I just can't imagine not making it.  Two down, six to go, and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

I'm thankful for the Christmas gift I bought myself.  Before Christmas.  I sort of have a thing about planners and lists.  I think I may have just found the perfect one! Detachable shopping lists, pockets, stickers- you name it, this thing has got it.  It's the little things, ya know?

I'm thankful for "good kids".  At one of our Christmas celebrations my grandpa came up to me and said, "Laura, your kids are so good, so well-behaved.  Really, I mean it.  You're so lucky." I'm a tiny bit ashamed to admit that my first thought was, "Lucky? Yeah, like I don't work my tail off every single day to raise well-mannered, good-hearted, kind, generous, loving, well-behaved kids? Luck has really nothing to do with it...." I didn't say that out loud.  Rather, I glanced over at my kids who, really had been very good that day; I smiled and said, "Yeah, we're pretty lucky."