Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. The darkness and busyness of November caught me this year, and this month has flown by almost unnoticed-- and most certainly unchronicled. Apologies. Life has been quiet, and good to us, and our family is well. A catch up for you today, in light of the holiday: November moments, seen through the lens of deep gratitude.
I'm grateful for this kid. He's such a funny, smart, opinionated, sensitive young man. Here he is with the structure he made from marshmallows one morning earlier this month, because he was up early and there were marshmallows. He does stuff like that. He's also excelling in school (first report card with grades on it: All A's!) and growing like a proverbial weed (8 inches shorter than me!) and he is obsessed with Minecraft and Mineplex and MarioKart and he's a voracious reader and I am so proud of him. So grateful that this tall, healthy, capable boy is mine. Even if I can't believe he's so big so fast.
I am grateful for this girl. My sunshine, my little chicken, my tiny girl (who is not so tiny any more!)-- she truly is a light in the world. She is loving kindergarten, starting to sound out words and happily telling me every detail of every day. She continues to be creative, making up narratives and scenarios and ideas for inventions, every moment of the day. She loves Littlest Pet Shop, her baby dolls, horses, ballet, doing hair, doing makeup, doing nails, and generally being a girl. She is obsessed with babies and cats and pretty despondent that we aren't getting either one in our house anytime soon. She is a constant surprise and almost always a delight and I am so grateful to be the mom of this amazing little thing.
I am grateful to live by this lake. My deep desire to live even closer to it does not eclipse how grateful I am to be as close as we are. We get to the shore, on average, once a week year round. And it is always good for my soul.
November lakefront. My heart.
I am grateful that our chickens have begun laying eggs on a regular basis. Urban farming is rather fulfilling, it turns out.
I am grateful for this little local brewery that has livened up a stretch of Lee Road near us, with it's lovely big space always crowded with community. And I am grateful for an evening off with my honey, to go and share a flight of beer and the company of Hiram Alumni. I am grateful, too, for the continued connections to my Alma Mater, and for the blessing that it was to attend college there.
Lot's of gratitude wrapped up in these 6 little glasses.
I am grateful for our "extended neighborhood," the magnificent University Circle. How lucky we are to live close to all this! Museums, music, academia, and pretty parks. I am grateful that my children will grow up taking this for granted.
I am grateful for this guy. So very grateful. Trite as it is to say it, I truly am married to my best friend. Sometimes I am concerned that we really do share a brain, but most of the time our deep connection serves us well. He is so kind, so patient, so steady. He is brilliant and hilarious and a friend to all. Also he is better than a hammer in his usefulness around our house. He keeps this place running, cares for our children, nurtures my soul. Plus he's a hottie. How lucky am I?
I am grateful for our dog. Corydon, my heart. She's getting on in years and is developing some annoying "old dog" traits, but every day I am grateful that we get to have her as an old dog. She is made of love, this animal, the gentlest and the most beautiful of dogs, and she is a gift to our family.
I am grateful for our friends. Notably, this month, for birthday parties. Our children are surrounded by a tribe of smart, loving adults who have produced an equally exemplary crop of offspring. I love seeing these kids growing up together. Even as our tribe of friends spreads out to new, larger homes in farther flung locales-- I am grateful that we are all still close enough (in all ways!) for our children to have so much fun together.
Also I am grateful for bounce houses.
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| Naomi and Lillian's 6th birthday party! When did the baby girls get to be SIX??? |
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| Our Second Sunday Soup tribe. I love the monthly playroom mess and all that it represents. |
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| I am grateful for a new baby brought in to our group, to fill all our baby-lovin hearts.. |
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| Baby Maya's first birthday party.. |
I am grateful for my job. I am lucky to have secure employment with great benefits and a paycheck that lets us not only eat and have a roof over our heads, but also buy and do about 67% of what we want. Even if it feels like work sucks all my time and energy sometimes, it's not so bad. I've got amazing coworkers who I couldn't do without, and this sweet crop of students who I am lucky to get to help. Its easy to complain as a teacher but mostly, I am grateful for the privilege of doing this work, in a district full of amazing people and plenty of resources.
I am grateful that my children are so stinkin beautiful. No, seriously. This is something to be grateful for because it is a really great survival mechanism. Behind the glowing light and happiness in these photos are a lot of days and evenings ( a LOT) full of squabbling and whining and refusing to eat and talking back and overtired spazziness and homework frustration and messy bedroom and nagging to do chores and... its just a darn good thing they are so beautiful, you know?
Actually, we're all pretty damn good looking. :)
Our extended family, too! I am so grateful for these people. I could not love them more.
I am also grateful for unseasonably warm and sunny November days (of which we've had more than our share this year!). It is easy to be grateful on a day like this...
Maybe not as easy on a day like this...
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| First snow of the season, November 21st |
... but we always try to find a way.
Even in the midst of endless dishes and laundry and early-dark nights and early-start mornings and weekends that fly too fast for words, I am deeply grateful for the richness of my life. I have everything I need and I am working on having that be everything I want.
Happy Thanksgiving!
