TMD9

I forgot to ask the girls what they are thankful for today.

I'm thankful for:
-a friend to do a month-long challenge with (you know who you are!)
-monthly ladies' meetings and the lovely lady who opens her home to host them and also often teaches the devotional.
-bottled drinking water.
-indoor plumbing -- it's been pretty cold lately and ... well, I think you get my gist. Especially after that water reference.
-occasional visits from Batprincess.

Your turn!

TMD8

Today the Boogie is thankful that we weren't in an accident (there was no narrow miss or anything but there was an accident in front of the church right before we left.)
Peabody is thankful that we drove the "fun way" home from church.

I'm thankful for:
-homeschooling which means I don't have to get up and go anywhere tomorrow or get anyone else ready to go anywhere tomorrow.
-"I Love Lucy" ... we've been buying the seasons and watching them together. I forgot how funny it is.

-funny Boogie-isms. She doesn't come up with them as often as she used to, but sometimes we hear things like this: "Honey, when I exhale all the way and relax my body, I weigh more. And when I breathe in, I get lighter. I just figured that out!" I guess she must breathe helium instead of oxygen.
-party food leftovers for lunch today.
-hardly any cake leftovers, thanks to Mr. A's Birthday Party 2.0, which was really just cake at church tonight, which in all honesty was actually just me trying to get rid of the rest of the cake since we only ate the top tier at yesterday's party. And he was called up to the front so everyone could sing to him. I wish we'd gotten video because when everyone started singing he got a big smile on his face, and then he got embarrassed and buried his face in FIL's shoulder, but he couldn't resist looking out at everyone again.

TMD7, or Mr. A Has a Party

Today the Boogie is thankful for aquariums.
Peabody is thankful for water to drink.

I'm thankful for:
-family who took the time today to celebrate Mr. A's birthday.

-my ILs opening up their home for us to have the party, since squeezing 20 people into our house would have been quite a feat.
-for a happy birthday boy! He won't let me look in his mouth but maybe that molar is finally all the way through.
-cameras and phones with which to take lots and lots of pictures!
-having the party I wanted for Mr. A. Normally I have a laid-back attitude about birthdays, but I've been thinking about and planning this one for a while, and I'm thankful that God allowed it to come together the way I'd hoped.

And now ... the pictures. I did, wonder of wonders, remember to take the camera with me AND remember to take batteries AND remember to actually take pictures. Then I left it at 52. So I'll add those pictures later. But MIL sent me some that she took and Eric took a lot with his phone. 

I spent hours and hours this past week working on stuff like these crab cookies,

fondant crab cake toppers,

 

a birthday cake,

 

 

and a smash cake.

I was really happy with how everything turned out, especially since I'd never worked with fondant before. There were, however, multiple times during the process when I thought, "What is wrong with me?! Why did I decide to do this?!"

MIL and I (and Costco and Chikfila) collaborated on food.

And a friend made the birthday boy's shirt! 

Both sets of great-grandparents came over the river from Delaware, which was so nice of them.

 

And there were lots of cousins.

 

Reenie came too! I told her she is family, whether she likes it or not. Ha!

He got lots of gifts. Mostly he was interested in the wrapping and packaging, and would cheer for himself when he pulled tissue paper out of a bag or wrapping paper off of a box ...

 

... but occasionally a toy would grab his interest and he would start to wander off with it

or sit down and start playing with it. He got lots of things with buttons to push, which are his favorite.

 

Then it was time for cake.

He wasn't very sure about all of those people singing to him.

 

Then he started hamming it up

and digging in.

 

It was quite a satisfactory day!

TMD6, or Mr. A's Birthday

Today I'm thankful for my little fella. How can it have been a year already since he was born? He brings such delight to all of us, and as with the girls, I enjoy each new stage just a little more than the last.

I surely do love that boy.

Happy birthday, Mr. A!

TMD5

Today the Boogie is thankful for, in her own words, "animals that we can kill and eat." Eric said, "You mean you're thankful for meat?" "No," she said patiently, "I'm thankful for animals we can kill and eat." I was not expecting that sentiment from the Boogie who wants to be a veterinarian!
Peabody is thankful for God.

I missed posting theirs yesterday because I've been staying up very late every night, posting right before I go to bed, and by that time I can't remember anything that anyone said to me over the course of the day. The only reason I remembered today's was because I wrote it down right when they told me!

Anyway.

I'm thankful for:
-conversations with the 4-year-old. Tonight's went like this ...
Me: "Peabody, are you an introvert?"
P: "What does that mean?"
Me: "Do you get exhausted in social situations?"
P: "Well, sometimes, when Poppop is preaching, I get really tired and I want to go to sleep."
Ha!
-Tylenol for little people who are cutting their molars and who are, therefore, very crabby at naptime. And at other random times during the day.
-a certain crabby little person wanting his mama to hold him. I don't get a lot of snuggle time with this one, so I gotta take what he's willing to give me!
-a full tank of heating oil.
-God's faithfulness.

"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."

I Timothy 2:13

TMD4

Today I'm thankful for my Pops. It's his birthday so I've been thinking about him all day. :) When I was growing up he made sure to take me places with him sometimes, just us two. He always gave me a card or flowers or candy for Valentine's Day. Sometimes he would bring something special home for me, just because. He made sure I knew that he loved me! He still does that, and I'm so thankful for him. A girl couldn't ask for a better Pops.

I'm also thankful for:
-good ol' Google.
-a project turning out pretty well (pictures to come later this week.)
-a 45-degree day! That meant a walk around the block and kids playing in the yard. Mama Dog has gotten so fat I could barely buckle her harness around her.
-daylight at 5:30 p.m. I love longer days.

So? What are you thankful for?

TMD3

Today the Boogie is thankful that Mr. A didn't swallow the tack he found.
Peabody said she's thankful for me. Awww.

I'm thankful:
-that I don't have to earn God's love. It's a good thing, too, because there is no way I could even come close to earning it!
-for a playdate with little friends today and the opportunity to (try to) be a blessing to someone.
-that missing Silly Putty was found by me (and not by Mr. A), resting harmlessly on a solid surface, and not smashed into the fur of a beloved stuffed animal or squished into the hair of a beloved doll. Or worse, the hair of a kid!
-that my kids and their friend saw God answer prayer today, something seemingly insignificant, showing them that He cares enough for them to hear their concerns and answer them.
-that I saw Mr. A with that tack in his mouth and that he spit it out immediately. Ugh, what if he'd swallowed it? And where in the world did it come from? I haven't used tacks in ages!

No pictures today! I'll do better tomorrow. What are you thankful for?

Thankfulness Month Day 2

Today the Boogie is thankful for 3 meals a day.
Peabody is thankful for Mama Dog.

I'm thankful for:
-discovering I can cook steel-cut oats in my rice cooker.
-people who learn how to do things, write tutorials, take pictures, and film videos, then post them on the interwebz for other people (like me) to learn from.
-being able to borrow something that I will most likely only use once.
-quilts that make me think of the people who made them every time I snuggle up under one.
-this lovely bit of spring in my windowsill. Bonus: it smells amazing!

Your turn! What are you thankful for?

Thankfulness Month 3.0

It's that time again, folks. It's the middle of winter -- when the cold feels never ending, when the forecast of yet more snow makes you want to weep, and when your skin and lips are so chapped that you decide to buy stock in Jergens and Chapstick. And so, it is time for the annual Thankfulness Month.

I kinda sorta missed it last year. (Actually I completely, totally missed it last year. But saying that I only kinda sorta missed it makes it seem not so bad.) Being 87 months pregnant and then bringing home a brand-new baby makes you forget some things. (I'm full of exaggeration today.)

This year I will be joined in thankfulness by Peabody and the Boogie as well as a few others (you know who you are!) Here's hoping I can remember to write every day after a year of hardly blogging at all ...

Today the Boogie is thankful for a warm house.
Peabody is thankful for Mr. A.
I am thankful for:
-all of us being able to go to church together, for both services, for the first time in 3 weeks.
-a fun time of fellowship with good friends.
-watching Mr. A naturally do those "boy" things like throwing balls and playing with hockey sticks.
-instant communication with my family in Warshington (I just got a text from my Pops. I love that.)
-these three cuties!

Okay, it's your turn! Come on, I challenge you too! It doesn't have to be five things (that's my own personal challenge) but I know you can come up with at least one thing every day.

Mamaw Sally Comes To Visit

Mamaw Sally flew out to visit us on August 18, right before my birthday. She stayed for two weeks and we loved every minute! Sadly, Mr. A had a cold and shared it with her -- when she gets sick she gets really sick, so she didn't feel very well for the second week and we didn't do much, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

We took her to Ocean City and walked up and down the boardwalk a little bit, and had seafood for dinner. It was Mr. A's first trip to the shore.

 She walked miles with Mr. A (maybe a slight exaggeration, but they did walk around a lot!)

She read stories to the girls, played games with them, and took them for walks.

We took her to our favorite diner for breakfast.

 
She rocked this boy to sleep more times than I can count. She certainly had the magic touch with him!

I think it was really good for her to come -- I know it was really good for us to have her here! We're hoping to do it again and again for as long as she is able.