What Am I Thankful For?

Well, Thanksgiving is upon us and I am sitting here pondering all the things that make me a thankful parent. When I really stop and think about ALL of the things that make me thankful and bring me joy, the abundance is so overwhelming I wonder why I am not daily floating around on my cloud of bliss. Maybe I need to spend more time contemplating all the things that make me thankful instead of taking them for granted. It is a darn good thing New Year's is coming!

This year we made our Thanksgiving countdown turkey which Maryn is way more into than she was last year! We have the countdown rings for each day. All the rings turn into feathers that they place on the turkey each morning. And on each feather is written one thing they are thankful for. Some of the things Maryn was thankful for this year, okay I shouldn't really say this year since toddlers really have only a concept of what 2 minutes feels like, so let's just change that to the things Maryn was happy for 5 days ago at the precise moment we made our list. And they were; Jesus, Connor, Jessica & Zoe, costumes, Mommy & Daddy, Papa Bear & Grandmama, Granny & Aunt Kim, Coloring, & Charlie Brown. Some of the things Dylan was thankful for were coloring, Charlie Brown, cinnamon rolls, Connor, Jesus, Daddy (I didn't make his list this year), Papa Bear & Grandmama, Granny, and Time Out. That's right folks! Dylan obviously sees the need for discipline in his life! What a blessing that is!!

So on to some of the things that Mommy is thankful for this year:

1. I am thankful for my amazingly wonderful family!

2. I am thankful for Dylan's enthusiasm. I am also thankful that when Dylan now displays this enthusiasm while sitting in my lap that I don't get cracked in the head nearly as much as last year.

3. I am thankful for all of the kisses. Especially Maryn's very long and wet ones. It seems she is practicing for her upcoming debut as Juliet and her kisses have become very focused and intentional, with enough slobber to water a very thirsty plant.

4. I am thankful that Dylan does not hug me with limp noodle arms. He really squeezes and I totally love that!

5. I am thankful for hot dogs, chicken nuggets, microwavable Macaroni & Cheese, yogurt, and cheese sticks without which my children would starve to death.

6. I am thankful for children's medicine that guarantees drowsiness.

7. I am thankful for how much fun we have when we go out as a family. The panic attacks brought on by a clear understanding that someone was going to pitch a fit at the worst possible moment, or throw up with no warning, or have a potty accident when we left everything at home, or clearly be way past due for a nap, or the millions of other things that could possibly happen on any given day are mostly gone now.

8. I am thankful for how much my children love their school and teachers.

9. I am so thankful for the wonderful conversations that I can now have with my children.

10. I am thankful that my kids still want so much of my time and attention. Really! Most of the time I am really thankful for this!

11. I am thankful for the time I get to snuggle them in between bath and pj's when they are all damp and yummy smelling. I seem to enjoy this much more when it wasn't my night to do bath!

12. I am thankful that in Maryn's world, a hug will solve just about anything.

13. I am thankful that Dylan still has his chunky little block feet that I love so much!

14. I am the most thankful that my kids know without a doubt how very much I love them.

15. I am thankful for the peace of mind I have knowing they are God's children.

And there you have it! Happy Thanksgiving! I pray that everyone feels as blessed as I do!

Sensitivity Perfected!

Oh, my little Dylan. Our little cherub-faced boy. A harsh word can send him reeling into a pit of unknown-to-mankind despair. Sometimes he just seems so fragile, that at the moment you see it coming on you just want stop time and run in reverse.

Daddy had the misfortune of inheriting a trait where the moment a spill is evident a flash of anger comes over him. I will not divulge whom he claims is a part of this genetic disposition! :) The other day at breakfast, Dylan's cup collided with the kitchen floor. It happens, right? Well, Rex's instinct kicked in and he uttered Dylan's name a little too sharply for Dylan's taste....and then it began!

First comes the quivering lip, like a red carpet for all the sadness and devastation he can muster. He looks at you directly in the eyes periodically and then covers his face. Like he just can't bear the thought of such cruelty. The tears are spilling over and if there is anything in that moment you wish you could do, it would be to take it back. You want so desperately to take it back. Poor little thing!

What I am really loving right now is how he tells me goodbye when I drop him at school. His classroom faces the parking lot. For the first couple of weeks in his new big boy class the teacher would hold him at the window crying so he could wave goodbye to me as I drove away. Now, when he goes in he walks directly to the window, grabs a chair from the stack, and he stands there watching me walk to my car, anxious to wave his little hand. As I drive away, I can see his face from about the nose up and he waves, so happy and confident. He waves until I can't see him any longer. I head to work anxious to see his face again!

Hooray - Side Rails and Night Owls!

Well, a mere year older than Maryn was, we finally removed the side rail of Dylan's bed. He is completely open to roam as he chooses - and we completely expected him to. However, to our amazement, not only is he not roaming but he is sleeping much better. Before we made the decision, he had started waking up again on and off throughout the night. This time, however, when we would go in to check on him he would have one leg over the rail. I don't think he would have gone all the way. He always seemed to get to the point where he couldn't go any further, but he knew there was no turning back. Now, my little man insists on crawling into his bed all by himself.

But, wait, don't assume my household is completely free of night-owl toddler roaming! Yep, you guessed it! Maryn is my roamer. She has always been a great sleeper and she still is. But now she has suddenly made a habit of getting up at least once after we have put them both to bed. At first we teetered on scolding. That didn't seem like the right thing to do because we want her to know she can get up if she truly needs us or needs to go to the bathroom. So we began to thoroughly explain this to her. We say, "ONLY get up if you have to potty or it is an emergency." So, now I am going to fill you in on the latest emergency which brought her out of bed, and in her normal night-owl fashion, sliding quietly down the hallway wall towards the living room to ask a very, VERY important question.

Three days ago we had a conversation about how animals become food. This has apparently been weighing on her mind.

MARYN: Are spiders food?
RACHEL: No, honey. Spiders are not food.
MARYN: Yes they are, they are animals.
RACHEL: Spiders are bugs, it isn't the same.
MARYN: No, mom they are food.
RACHEL: Okay fine....back to bed.
MARYN: What about frogs?
RACHEL: Yes, frogs.
MARYN: Elephants?
RACHEL: Yes, elephants.
MARYN: NO, elephants are too big! Need to cut elephants.
MARYN: Probably chewy.
RACHEL: Yes, I bet you are right.

Phew! Emergency averted!!

Additional note from mommy (11-8-06): Seriously, the very night I wrote this, Dylan must have gotten out of bed 4 times!!! That will teach me to open my big ole mouth!!! :) Needless to say, he didn't seem to want very much. Rex had fallen asleep on the sofa watching the election coverage and twice Dylan woke him up by crawling on top of him. When Rex finally came to bed and told me, I thought surely he must be too sleepy to get up by now. Five minutes later, I hear the door open and shut and watch as Dylan toddles to the dark living room. I get up so he won't be scared when he realizes Daddy is not in there anymore. I talked to him for just a bit, he gives Daddy a hug and goes back to bed very easily. I realized five more minutes later that he went so willingly because he knew the game wasn't yet over. One more time and he seemed finished and we all got some sleep! I am looking forward to see what happens this evening! In all honesty though, it was a little cute watching him figure this whole freedom thing out!