Thankfulness

Sometimes it's hard to remember to be thankful. Some years are harder than others. This one has been challenging in many ways. It has at times been hard to remember to be thankful. I have been reminded that I have much to be thankful for. So I decided to share a list of some of the things, because it's a good reminder for me. Here it is, in no particular order:

• the kid's very FIRST loose tooth!!!! Oh, my boy is getting so grown up (also, who knows how much the tooth fairy is doling out these days??)
• Starbucks. I've only really begun to appreciate it in the last year. It's now a dear friend.
• My lovely fleece blanket that I snuggle with nightly. I adore it's cuddliness.
• My sweet boys. They are dear and hilarious and I am incapable of describing how thankful I am for them.
• My momma. Our loss of MIL has made me cherish her even more.
• Books. Yeah, like all of them. I just love to read.
• The more than 12 donors who have fed baby E in the way I only dreamed of doing. You women are my hero's.
• Lady Gaga. Yeah, I kinda love her music. And so do my boys. I love how they groove and sing along whenever she comes on.
• My dear hubby who cleans and cooks and loves me in spite of and because of all my flaws, and even though I've gotten fat and haven't even shaved my legs in more than a month. (And, wow, did I just admit that to the entire world...?).
• The kid's reading teacher who IS nurturing and motivates him to want to read and write.
• The gymnastics classes we've found for the kid. To see him grin from ear to ear for a solid hour every week, to watch him excel and learn, it is just a gift.
• My co-workers, past and present. I have been blessed with wonderful co-workers who have accepted me and made me feel welcome. I so appreciate them!
• Our fabulous sitter. Without her, I don't know how I would go to work every day. Because I of her, I can support other people's children, without worrying about my own. I know baby E is loved when he is with her.
• My dear friends who truly know me, feed my soul, brain, and indulge my need to see Breaking Dawn more than once.
• Domperidone, the medicine that made it possible for me to provide baby E with at least some milk from my own body.
• My clients who invite me into their lives and teach me so much about myself, both professionally and personally.
• Cloth diapers - they keep my baby's sweet little bum healthy, and are great for the environment to boot. Um, and they're adorable too, way cuter than disposables.
• As always, I am beyond thankful for the people who made me a mother - L and D, and R and D. This year, I am so very thankful that L and D found their way back into our lives as it is such a gift for the kid! They have arrived at just the perfect time, when the kid seems to need them.

Today's lesson - giving ourselves over to thankfulness, if even for a moment, is a gift we give to ourselves. What a wonderful way to start the Christmas season.