58 Days Grateful- sidewalk saints

(From Saturday)

I am grateful for these two industrious women who chiseled and shoveled the ice and snow off of the public sidewalk (only one agreed to have her photograph taken).




The hard-packed snow had turned into a 2-3 inch thick layer of ice. You can see a big chunk of it on the right. What a woman!
It was quite treacherous. I had tried going over this area moments earlier with the stroller and found it challenging, but it was worse for my kids who were trying to walk on it.

Thank you for your service, ladies!

~•~

57 Days Grateful- breakfast for dinner

That was a round pancake at one point.

I love having breakfast for dinner. It's fast, easy and the kids love it.
Interpretation: It's last minute dinner decision-making time and I don't want to think about it. Plus, Dan usually cooks it.

~•~

56 Days Grateful- "musical night"

Today, my daughter said she wanted to have a "musical night" where we all play and sing like a band.

I was supposed to play the drums (my lap), but I just sat back and watched the girls play the maracas and the ukulele along with the guitar. They made sweet music.

~•~

54 Days Grateful- the rain

Why the rain?
Because that means it's not cold enough to snow, and it's washing some of that dirty snow away. Yay!

BTW, I am so done with winter ):P

*******

If you've noticed, and/or care, I have withheld a few "days of grateful" from being shared on the blog merely because they are just too mundane and boring, like how yesterday I was grateful that I saved $25.41 (20%) on my groceries. I mean, who wants to see a picture of my receipt?
I'll try spare you those insignificant details of my life.

52 Days Grateful- the end of the day

I don't want to sound negative or anything, but I am so glad for this day to come to an end.



~•~

51 Days Grateful- first run of the year

I finally got to go running outside!

It was a sweltering 47˚ (without the wind), so I took advantage of it and went for my first outdoor run of the year.
It was about time!
It felt so good.

~•~

50 Days Grateful- when Friday night becomes take-out night

We don't do it often which makes it taste even better.

~•~

49 Days Grateful- good health

Sometimes, most of the time, I take our good health for granted. We have had no real health issues in our immediate family, thus far.
I know, and know of, SO many people that have dealt with or are dealing with sicknesses, "conditions", serious allergies, diseases and unfortunately, death caused by health problems.
When I think of all these souls, young to old, I realize I have everything I need-- my family. I am grateful for the blessing of a family in good health.

~•~

48 Days Grateful- playmates in the making

For so long, Jane was quite indifferent toward Claire. I have often tried to get her interested in her sister, but it always seemed forced.
Now, these two are finally starting to play together. Part of it is that Claire is becoming more capable and can "play" with the same things the older girls do. The other part is that Jane just seems to be growing up, becoming more tolerant of her baby sister. She also loves how Claire will laugh at her.
There are still issues that a middle child and baby of the family will share, and Jane is still learning how to treat a baby, but I feel like progress is being made in their relationship. Yay!

47 Days Grateful- a quarter from a stranger

This guy didn't know I had had a long busy day, that I had struggled traveling to the store with my three girls and the stroller in the snow, that we needed something to do until we could go back home, that we were out during dinner time and hadn't eaten.

Our realtor wanted to show our place twice last night, once at 6:15 and then again at 7:00, and my husband wasn't going to be able to be home to help. I didn't make us a real dinner to avoid a mess. I had spent the day keeping the girls entertained during the constant snowfall and once I finally got the place cleaned, I corralled them out the door just in time for the showing.
At first I didn't know where we'd go. I thought about hanging out in the car, even though I didn't know where it was parked (typical), but I decided we needed some things at the store two blocks away so there we went.

The walk was a trek. Strollers and snow don't work well together, and I knew that. I wouldn't have taken it, but we usually take it out when we show the place, because it's the first thing you see when you open our door. It's not that pretty.

ANYWAY, after our leisurely time in the store, we still had time to kill, but what do you do with little hungry kids in the snow, dark and cold? (Am I sounding pathetic yet?)
Outside of the store, there is a horse that I used to let Hannah ride (Jane used to be scared of it), but we haven't used it since they hiked the price up to two whole quarters. Hannah asked to ride it, and both girls climbed on. They probably would have been fine just sitting there pretending, but I grabbed my wallet, and I rummaged for quarters. I pulled one out, and suddenly from behind me, came a hand with a quarter in it. I accepted it gratefully. The young man (younger than me, anyway) tried to give me another one, and the friend he was with started to pull one out of his pocket. I told them I had one, and I thanked them both very much, twice.

So, my girls got to ride the horse. Woot! Woot!
(Evidently, Jane's not afraid anymore)

Seriously, it wasn't that big of a deal that my girls rode on a one-minute horse ride. I don't know why this post has lasted this long with all these ramblings. But last night, at that moment, it meant so much to me that someone would offer a small token so that I could give my girls a reward for sticking out the day with me.

So thank you for the quarter, stranger. You lightened my load ever so slightly.

~•~

46 Days Grateful- this girl!

She just turned five!

I know I'm supposed to say "I can't believe it" but I can.
She has always seemed so much older than she actually is.
Maybe it's because she's so tall, or because she had a vocabulary of 150 words at 18 months, or because she cares so much about other people, or because she understands things I wouldn't expect from someone her age. I guess it's all those things and more.
She doesn't act too old though. She still has a fresh, young, playful spirit and gets excited over the smallest things.

To my Hannah,
You have charmed my life.
You are such a good example to me and you teach me so much.
Thank you for being so fun, for giving so much love, for helping me be a better mom, for being the best big sister anyone could ask for, for always smiling when a smile is given to you, and even for all those little quirky things that sometimes drive me batty. You wouldn't be you without any of it, and I love the "you" you are.
Happy Birthday, sweet girl!
Mom

45 Days Grateful- the loves of my life

Happy Valentine's Day!

43 Days Grateful- flowers for his Valentines

Dan brought home flowers for all of his girls, even the baby.
Just sweet.

~•~

42 Days Grateful- Music to move to...

because I was not self-motivated enough to get my to-do's done on my own.



This little baby got me through the day. Thanks, Arpel! (I know at least one person out there that gets it ;)

*******
Hmm... How many things can I make into a heart this weekend???

~•~

41 Days Grateful- handmade Valentines

I loved getting Valentines ready for school when I was a kid. This is the first time I have been able to do it with my kids.

Hannah made 80% of these little cards (8). Not bad. I let her stop when she said her fingers hurt, but then she went on to coloring on some other paper???
She's like me-- she needs to change tasks often or she gets bored.

Anyway, we're both excited for her to take her Valentines (attached to a huge cookie) to school tomorrow for her little party.
I kind of wish I could go. The memories...

~•~

40 Days Grateful- fresh homemade bread

Need I say more?

~•~

39 Day Grateful- simple advice, little voice

I was a grump today. I can easily attribute it to lack of sleep.
On a day that I feel better rested, it might not bother me that I had to fish a couple of things out of the toilet, that I sprayed myself soaked while trying to clean the refrigerator shelves, that I burned the macaroni and cheese (I know, I didn't think it was possible either), that I picked up my daughter late from school. Not bother me as much, anyway.

So, Hannah knew I was having a bad day...

H: Mom, just fix it, 'cause you can fix anything.

First, I laughed because she thinks that. Then I realized I was glad that she thinks that.

Me: Ok. I'll be right back.

H: Where are you going?

Me: In my room. I'm going to fix it.

H: Can I help you?

Me: That's OK. Be right back.

So, I went in, closed the door for a while, even changed my clothes (so as to feel more attractive?) and I got a do-over on my day.

~•~

38 Days Grateful- sweet ride

RI -> NYC

Husband driving. Kids asleep. Feet on the dash.

Girl Scout cookies :)


~•~

37 Days Grateful- kids bowling

The girls were so funny to watch try to bowl today.
Hannah didn't care if she knocked down one or ten pins (ten never happened), she was always excited.
Jane... she had a meltdown halfway through the game. Just tired, I guess.
Still, we need to take the girls bowling more often. I'd like to take myself more often too. My game score was shameful.

~•~

36 Days Grateful- young sitters

I've been loving these young people that have been taking care of my baby. They do it eagerly and they are good at it.
I can't wait until Hannah is old enough to babysit. Well, I can wait, but you know what I mean.

~•~

35 Days Grateful- a forgiving husband

I made a mistake. I made a stupid mistake. I made an embarrassing, stupid mistake (albeit not a terrible one) that I was afraid to tell my husband about. Why, I don't know, because I know my husband.
Anyway, I am grateful for a forgiving and unconditionally loving husband who is so understanding and would never blame me for anything.
He makes my heart want to burst.

No, I cannot share my mistake with you.

~•~

34 Days Grateful- a warm wood fire

I'll be the first one to admit that I have no idea what I am doing when photographing flames, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for a nice warm fire.

I'm in Rhode Island and it's cold. My friends made a fire for us to cozy up to. It's been a long time since I sat in front of a wood fire inside.

And then we ate ice cream.

~•~

33 Days Grateful- the coolest toy ever

Any toy that can keep my girls occupied for an hour or more gets an A+ in my book.

We first saw Magformers at my B-I-L's family cabin and we had to get them for Christmas. They are super strong as a magnetic force, indestructible (so far :) and the amount of objects that can be made from them seems endless.

I love to play with them as much as the girls, but today they had them to themselves while I got work done. They beat a movie any day.

The only problem with these is that there will probably never be enough as we always want more pieces to build with. Oh, and we have to keep them from Baby Destruct-O. Her magnetic force to anything being built is stronger than all the tiles put together.

(Look for them on sale. We got ours for half the retail price.)

~•~

32 Days Grateful- First steps

I had to act fast to get this.

Claire is taking her first steps. They are a bit wobbly but she's gotta start somewhere.
I get so excited over this sort of thing. You'd think by your third, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I get all giddy when she does it.
Most people I know wouldn't want this so soon (she's a little over 10 months). I say, why prolong the inevitable? Soon, I'll actually be able to put her down where I wouldn't have previously. On the laundry room floor, for example.

Go Claire!

~•~