Today I am thankful for those adjustable waist elastic tab button things that they put inside pants. I am glad that you can now find them everywhere. Without this development my food challenged son would always be wearing pants 2 sizes too short. Or experience repeat performances of the time his pants fell to his ankles in the church parking lot.
(Oh dear drawstring, how I miss thee)
So thanks to all the brands that have come forward to give aide to the cause of skinny kids. Sewing impaired mamas everywhere are in your debt.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Gratitude - Day 7 (Allie)
I'm crawling back to the computer exhausted again tonight. It's 11:3oPM and I just now finally made home for the first time today for longer than 15 minutes. I'm operating on 5 hours of sleep and just took 2 sleeping pills. I have about twenty minutes before I start drooling on the keyboard.
That being said, it was a great day with so many things to be grateful for. But as my brain is turning to mush as I write this, I will just focus on one.
Today I checked Allie out of school. She's been having a bit of a hard time lately so I decided to take her out for dessert and hot chocolate.
By the way, have you TRIED Starbucks new Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate? Oh. My. Goodness! But I digress.
Allie and I chatted over marble loaf about my friends and her friends, her school and my work and what we would do when she turned thirteen and was finally allowed to wear makeup. (The important stuff.) Then I took her to get her hair cut. She looked lovely and sweet with her blonde bob and it was so easy for me to see in her the little girl who used to sing a silly song about me being her best friend. We were always together then. She thought I hung the moon in the sky.
We have displaced each other in our rolls in recent years. She, with new friends and interests, and me with two new little blonde fans. It's been a difficult transition for both us, having to share. And my fall from grace in her eyes has been more than a little painful for me.
But in these simple, quiet (and way to rare) moments together, I see a glimpse of something even lovelier that may yet come between us. A relationship not based on me holding up the sky for her, but on each of us holding it up for each other. Based on equal footing, and shared memories, and - I am hopeful - friendship.
She's only twelve now. There's still a long - and probably bumpy - road ahead of us to get from here to there. But I'm looking forward to it. Because my girl, she's gonna make a wonderful friend.
That being said, it was a great day with so many things to be grateful for. But as my brain is turning to mush as I write this, I will just focus on one.
Today I checked Allie out of school. She's been having a bit of a hard time lately so I decided to take her out for dessert and hot chocolate.
By the way, have you TRIED Starbucks new Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate? Oh. My. Goodness! But I digress.
Allie and I chatted over marble loaf about my friends and her friends, her school and my work and what we would do when she turned thirteen and was finally allowed to wear makeup. (The important stuff.) Then I took her to get her hair cut. She looked lovely and sweet with her blonde bob and it was so easy for me to see in her the little girl who used to sing a silly song about me being her best friend. We were always together then. She thought I hung the moon in the sky.
We have displaced each other in our rolls in recent years. She, with new friends and interests, and me with two new little blonde fans. It's been a difficult transition for both us, having to share. And my fall from grace in her eyes has been more than a little painful for me.
But in these simple, quiet (and way to rare) moments together, I see a glimpse of something even lovelier that may yet come between us. A relationship not based on me holding up the sky for her, but on each of us holding it up for each other. Based on equal footing, and shared memories, and - I am hopeful - friendship.
She's only twelve now. There's still a long - and probably bumpy - road ahead of us to get from here to there. But I'm looking forward to it. Because my girl, she's gonna make a wonderful friend.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Gratitude - Day 6 (Random stuff)
I'm really tired tonight. It's been a long busy day. And I have promised myself not to let this 30 Days of Thanks thing stress me out. So I am going to keep this simple.
Today, I am thankful for:
Today, I am thankful for:
- One hour photo development.
- Gas at $1.99 a gallon!
- My job, that allows my children to attend the preschool they L.O.V.E. for free and lets me speak to adults two mornings a week.
- My children's preschool which they L.O.V.E!
- Ben sitting in the back of my car adding an "s" to every word he could think of. It went something like this. "If you add that little "s" to the end of car, you get cars. If you add that little "s" to the end of Army Man you get Army Mans." Oh, the cuteness of hearing him saying "that little s" over and over again! I couldn't stand it! And oh, the joy that comes from watching your kid learn to put letters together into words!
- Exclamation Points!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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.
**********
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.
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.
**********
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.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Monday, November 3, 2008
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.
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.
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