Gratitude - Day 5 (Fall)

Today I am thankful for fall. How generic is that? But it was such a beautiful day today. A cold morning warming to a sunny afternoon. A breeze sending showers of red and gold swirling off the trees. I felt like I was back in high school strolling home down a sidewalk crunchy with leaves, wearing a striped scarf, carrying a load of school books and gossiping with my girlfriend about the high school quarterback.

Except that when I was in high school I would never have worn a scarf to school, and I'm pretty sure I didn't know who our quarterback was. And I rode the bus.

But the point is, fall is here and it's GLORIOUS. Suddenly I feel like sipping spiced cider or mulled wine. I want to bake gingery pumpkin bread, or apple pie with pecans. I want to brew big pots of too spicy chili.

Hmmm. Actually, maybe it's just fall foods I am thankful for. But that works too.

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Oh! And sometime this weekend I am going to hit my 300th post. Glory, that's a lot of talking about myself. And to celebrate still having people come here after 121,432 grammatically creative words, I am doing another giveaway. I am just not sure exactly what I am giving away but it will be more of my favorite things. More of my favorite things that I can obtain for really, really cheap. Or free. Cause I'm klassy like that.

So tune in next week for round two of "Joy's favorite things that she ccould get for next to nothing" giveaway. I know you can't wait.

Gratitude - Day 4 (I voted)

Today I voted for my choice of candidate for president of the United States. The people in my life are passionately polarized in their opinions on who I should have voted for. I researched my options more carefully this election than ever before. I wanted to make sure that my vote was my own, and not a result of my associations or preconceived notions. I can tell you now, the candidate I voted for did not win. And for that I am disappointed, but not surprised.

And yet, I am thankful. The gratitude that was so elusive yesterday abounded in me today. I went cheerfully, book in hand to pass the time, (I didn't need it, the line was crazy short!) to stand in line to make my opinion known on whom I wanted to represent me, my state, and my country. This is a right many people have died for in our history. A right still denied to millions and millions of people in our world.

The election did not turn out the way I wanted. But I had a vote, a say in the outcome. And in the end it turned out the way the people of the United States chose. And whether we are conservative or liberal, black or white, a donkey or an elephant, I hope we never forget what a blessing it is to be permitted to choose. I pray that someday the rest of the world will also be so blessed.

You are here. Now go there...

While you are voting today Kaytar is having her surgery to have her feeding tube put in. And her tonsils and adenoids removed. And to check on the progression of her hearing loss.

I know!

It has to be a lot for Kyla and Josh to handle. So go here and give them some support. We all know Kaytar is going to be just fine, but I am sure they could use your prayers for comfort and peace. And a little extra cyber-lovin.

The encouraging kind. Not the creepy kind.

Gratitude - Day 3

I confess that I came to the computer tonight ready to go through the motions of gratitude. Throughout the day today I had been making note of blessings (Gas for $2.15 a gallon! Clara playing happily in the sandbox for nearly an hour. A new friendship.) to list on my post tonight. That process in itself is valuable, but by the time I sat down tonight to record them, my heart wasn't in it.

This evening I found out that Allison did not make it into All-state chorus. Because of some misinformation we had received on the cut-off scores, we thought she had. So, when I finally connected with her chorus teacher tonight we were both surprised to find out she had missed the cut off by half a point. With a score that would have qualified her the last three years. She was sad. And I was sad for her. She worked very hard to prepare for the audition, harder than I had seen her work towards anything. And it wasn't enough. It's a stinky life lesson to learn.

For her, I put on an encouraging face. I told her how I proud I was of her efforts (I am!) and how close she came, and how she always has next year (she does!). But I wasn't feeling gratitude, I was feeling sulky and disappointed and like the whole thing seemed cosmically unfair.

But as I was putzing around on my computer, trying to drum up the right frame of mind to write my post, I saw a comment from my sister-in-law stating that she was going to play along on this gratitude thing. I went and read her post and it was beautiful. She expressed thanks for devoted moms doing their best, for missionaries giving their all and then...for her twin sons' autism.

And provided my sulky, self-righteous-mama-bear self with some much needed perspective.

So Lynn, today I am thankful for you. For the warrior mama you are. For the inspiration you provide. And for giving me an (unintentional) kick in the tail.

Gratitude - Day 2 (Someday...)

Someday...

• When the clocks fall back, I actually will get an extra hours sleep.
• When I stumble out of bed I will not trip on toys on the way to the kitchen.
• I will get to use the bathroom all by myself. When I take a shower it will not be to the soundtrack of a toddler wailing and pounding at the door.
• When I get ready for church on a Sunday morning it will only be my hair I have to wash, my teeth I have to brush, my clothes I have to iron, my shoes I have to find.
• My van will not smell like sour milk. Or be littered with cheerios and goldfish and Happy Meal toys. In fact, someday my van might not even be a van. It might be something infinitely cooler. Like a car.
• When I mop the kitchen floor I will not have to mop it again fifteen minutes later. And then again in an hour.
• My living room will not look like a romper room.
• There will be no more arguments left to referee or time-outs to enforce or groundings to police.
• I will walk through the grocery store again leisurely. Comparing prices on fruit and never once uttering the words "Stop hitting your brother" or "No, you CAN NOT HAVE THAT."
• Not a single room in my house will smell like a diaper pail.
• I will be able to eat an entire meal without getting up to retrieve a fork, clean a spill, or cut someone's food.
• I will not have a calendar hanging on my pantry door with multiple entries for every day of the week.
• I will only have to run the dishwasher once a day.
• I will only have to sort two sets of socks.
  
• I have plenty of time to write on this blog.

But right now, while children are giggling and my husband is wrestling and my dining room is littered with enough toys and clothes to create a formidable obstacle course...I am thankful. Very, very thankful that day is not today.

30 Days of Thanks-Day 1 (Halloween)

This Halloween season got off to a rough start. It was the costume thing. We thought we had it figured out ages ago. Ben was going to be a Pirate and Clara was going to be Tinkerbell. (We were going through a Peter Pan phase.) Ben chose a Pirate costume out of the Costume Express catalog and my sister-in-law graciously offered to lend us a Tinkerbell tutu. A month before Halloween and my ducks were in a row. Virtually unheard of in the Chaotic household.

Fast forward two weeks and things have taken a considerable turn for the worse in the costume saga. Costume Express called us when our costume was supposed to be arriving to let us know that they were sold out of the Pirate Costume we ordered. And all other pirate costumes in size 4/5. But our eye-patch and sword would be there soon. You know, in case he wanted to be a naked pirate.

And, to make matters worse, Clara screamed bloody murder every time we try to put the Tinkerbell costume on her and Party city, Target, and Wal-mart are all out of Pirate costumes in Ben's size.

Fast forward one more week and I have ordered a handmade pirate costume from Ebay for a reasonable price. I am feeling relieved and proud-of-myself until the costume arrives in the mail.

Ben hates it.
And, Clara has rejected the hodgepodge of other costumes we have from Halloweens past: Ladybug, Butterfly, Princess, Fireman. She screams at each and every one. At this point I am thinking of canceling the holiday entirely, because really, what's the point if the kids aren't having fun? EXCEPT, my Brother, sister-in-law and two adorable nieces are planning on coming in town to spend the night and trick-or-treat with us.

Fast forward to last night and somehow we managed to pull it off. With lots and lots of encouragement from teachers at school:

(thanks guys)

and family members Ben accepted (although never entirely loved) his pirate costume with the puffy shirt. And I was able to trick Clara into a semi-costume by throwing some cat ears on her head and pairing them with a leopard vest. She was adorable in spite of her best efforts.

And last night was so. much. fun.

The dread pirate Benjamin

Lady AllisonPumpkin designed by Allie.

And, as for what I am thankful for today, well that's easy. I am thankful for my brother and his family. They recently moved a couple hours away and I have missed them (especially my nieces) terribly. I was so happy they came last night to spend the holiday with us. It wouldn't have been the same without them.

Ben and his cousins.

30 Days of Thanks - Here we go again!

Last November I stumbled upon a NaBloPoMo thread, hosted by Boogiemum, focused on gratitude: 30 Days of Thanks. The description read:

“Why not take a few minutes everyday in the month of November and post a short blurb on something that you are thankful for? I did this last year for NaBloPoMo and found it very therapeutic and some great blogging material.

Let’s make Thanksgiving not just a one day celebration, but a whole month!”

I jumped on board immediately. What a wonderful idea! I can stop each day and focus on it's blessings. It's only five minutes after all.

Bwahahahaha.

This is what I wrote on November 30, 2007.

"What I am thankful for today: November is over! I have posted 36 posts in November. THIRTY-SIX. Talk about self-indulgent ridiculousness. And the idea that I would just be popping on to write a quick line of thanks. That was pure stupidity on my part. It's been a time sucking machine. So when next November comes, if I even think of participating in this daily posting thing, someone please shoot me. Seriously."

Well get our your guns, Internets, because I'm coming back for more. I have once again been drawn in by the lure of counting my blessings during what is, for me, a particularly stressful month. And what's more, I am challenging my friends to participate with me and post something they are thankful for each day in November.

And please don't use my tendency towards long-windedness as a deterrent. A one sentence post declaring your gratitude for pumpkin pie (because, who isn't grateful for pumpkin pie?) is perfectly acceptable.

Also, I started a day late last year and so I only did 29 days of thanks. So, I'm giving you my personal permission to get a late start. Which carries absolutely no weight whatsoever, but whatever. If you do decide to participate, be sure to stop by Boogiemum's place and add your name to the linky thing.

I'm off now, to write my first gratitude post. Gluten for punishment, that's me!