Sunday, December 1, 2013

Ten Things of Thankful: Week 26


Intro? Ha! Ain’t nobody got time for that…so here’s my list, frankly because I have shopping to do and cards to finish. It’s December 1, for crying out loud, people! I am seriously beginning to panic (ok, not really but sometimes I get caught up in the emotions of others…don’t judge.)

So, in an effort to be more concise, here is my list...which is slightly longer than "ten" but I felt compelled to include them all.

1. We enjoyed the first fire of the season in our fireplace. The PBA and I did not get to go and help cut firewood as we did last year, unfortunately…the schedule just didn’t work out. But we are thankful nonetheless for the free (and delicious-smelling) firewood we get from our dear friends.

2. And we’re thankful for those friends too…especially considering we almost lost one of them this past year. God is good to allow her to survive the crash and to make small steps toward recovery.

3. We are thankful for the PBA’s involvement with Christian Youth Theater (from here referred to as CYT)…they are both getting the chance to work backstage in a musical production of “Narnia” (I still cannot fathom what that looks like…I have read the books and seen the movies and I do not understand how it could be a musical. But CYT is a reputable organization and I know it wouldn’t be cheesy or hokey, so I’ll have to wait until I see the show to make my assessment.

4. The PBA are also taking a new class through CYT during this winter session (because frankly, we found that we had one night each week in which we were being forced to interact with one another and we took the necessary steps to rectify that…). So anyway, the class that are taking is “Stunts and Combat”. I would like to take this class (which might be awkward and embarassing, since it is for children...but I am the size of a large child...would that count?), but for boys especially (the PBA specifically), how fantastic could this be?

5. They have been showing off what they’ve already learned, and reenacted, with full-narration, their beginning attempts at sword fighting. Awesome.

6. AND…the instructor of the class I have known forever and ever. I nannied for his 3 boys during a couple summers when I was in high school; it was at that point I knew I would not have boys and I would not give them names beginning with the same first letter (you don’t know this b/c I don’t include their names in here, but I have done just that). The only difference is that I knew I would most certainly not get a girl on a third attempt so we stopped at the two. All this to say, I am thankful to reconnect with him and his lovely family after …a-hem…a “few” years.

7. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve at church with my husband and the PBA. The PBA have been around little kids (preschoolers) but not like they have recently. We volunteer every other month in the Sunday morning preschool and it has been a blessing to all of us to spend that time together, serving God as a family.

8. And the 10yo has recently been volunteering to read the Bible Story each time. I love watching him read the story and then show the pictures to the kiddos. You don’t realize what a skill that is, until you watch someone try it who has never done it. 

9. Switching gears completely: That my 12yo is content to spend time shooting arrows at a rotting pumpkin. In our backyard. In the freezing cold. And by himself. That's really all I have to say about that...seems pretty self-explanatory, doesn't it?

10. Also regarding the rotting pumpkin: that the dog didn't vomit all over the house (or at all, actually) after he got ahold of that pumpkin and ate a decent amount before we could pull him away.

11. In my attempts at Christmas decorating each year, I put all our live plants in my bedroom. I don't know why, but I always do. Anyway, in my haste, I put a plant on an antique school desk. And what do we know about antique school desks (no worries if you don't know...I'm about to tell you)? The desks are slanted for easy use. And as an aside, if no one is sitting at said desk to hold things in place, they slide off. Such was the case (as I'm sure you guessed) with my plant. "So, why were you thankful?", you might be asking...well, because the plant was highly dried out. So much so that there was no moisture at all and clean-up was quite simple. With a vacuum.

OK, here's where the list gets abbreviated b/c the dog is begging to go to a walk (ok, maybe because I accidently mentioned it in front of him and now he's impatient) and I have a new book to read (thanks for the recommendation, Mom...I'm hoping to start "The Book Thief" this afternoon...following the walk).

So...the new book is #12 on my list.

13. A walk outside in 50 degree and sunny weather on December 1...that doesn't happen much in Indiana!

14. Time yesterday to go shopping with my mom!

15. A lovely Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers too!

16. And I didn't have to clean my house for company on Thanksgiving...because I had no company (we went to someone else's house). And my house got cleaned anyway...but NOT for company (there is a difference in thoroughness of cleaning: company vs. no company have different standards)

17. A dog which tolerates being dressed up. What else can I say (you might need to follow Indy on Facebook to see those pictures...)

18. A lovely chat, dessert and shopping at Goodwill with “In the Coop” for her birthday…with one of my birthday freebies at Smokey Bones. She'd never been to Smoke Bones and seemed pleasantly surprised. 

And my last few have to do with our orthodontist appointment from this week; if you missed the recap, you can take a look here. And these are my praises (so far) from it:

19. That we began treatment on him 3 years ago; had we just now brought him in, who knows how bad things would be.

20. That we live in a country where it can be fixed.

21. That we live in a time period when it can be fixed and there is ample anesthesia (I am certain he will be thinking about this when he gets ready to be put under…and no worries; I WILL have the camera ready to record!)

22. That only one of my boys has to have this done…it could very well have been both, you know, with genetics being what they are.

23. That this will make a great story for him (and us) to tell when he’s older…and through it. I'm always looking for good fodder for the blog!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous week!

15 comments:

  1. Ohhh you are going to love The Book Thief! Curl up on front of the fireplace I am so jealous about and enjoy!

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    1. I am excited to start it. As I should have expected my afternoon did not go as planned so I may have to wait until tomorrow. But thanks for the review...I am looking forard to reading it!

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  2. omg... I love that tooth of Indy's (maybe ankylosis runs in the family)

    The Book Thief is a fabulous book! Didn't want it to end.

    OK so now true confessions... I come from a long line of genetic freaks... one of our freakisms is ankylosis... I had the dental issue and didn't realize it as you said (what if we had waited) and my jaw eventually dislocated... anyhow... after braces twice and surgery Im fine. And I have straight teeth ... they are a bit off center but you wouldn't notice it really... I feel lucky actually as my brother has ankylosing spondylitis which is basically ankylosis of the spine... so its a drag... but try not to worry too much...it all works out in the end and you caught it in time to do the least invasive treatment. Keep us all posted!

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    1. Thanks for the encourgement re the surgery and such. I know in my heart it will be fine it's the process that I am not at all looking forward to going through...but I will keep you posted. Thanks for the concern! :)

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    2. wow, on the reread Im glad you understood it as encouragement... sounded very clunky and "bull in the china shop" to me ... sorry hope I didn't make it worse for you... I really did want to say it wasn't as bad as my imagination was making it out to BEFORE the surgery... :P

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  3. Wow, you just got started and kept going there, didn't you! Awesome stuff :D

    Glad the CYT is going well - the classes sound like such fun for the boys - I reckon you should at least TRY to get into one...

    And WHOOP for such lovely things going on in your life.

    Can't wait for the post-anaesthetic vid ;)

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    1. Thanks...I did get on a roll and I don't exactly know how. But it felt exceptionally good to do. :) Thanks for the encouragement.

      And yes, post-anesthesia video coming right up! ;)

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  4. It was a beautiful day, wasn't it? We spent some time outside, too.
    Looks like I know which book to get after I finish my current book.
    I'm jealous of the fire. We have two fireplaces simply taunting us. No fires until the chimneys are lined, which is an expensive job for old fireplaces like ours. Hope you won't be too offended if I bring my Kindle and blanket over and crash on your couch one night (or many). :)
    Wonderful list of thankfuls this week!

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    1. You are welcome any time...and feel free to wear your jammies over, because you know I'll be wearing mine. No need for you to feel out of place. ;)

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  5. Fireplaces!! one of the few bright spots in the awful not-Summer Season. We don't have a 'fireplace' fireplace, but we do have a wood stove with a glass door, which makes it fireplace like, so it is fun to sit and watch the flames, feeling grateful that I don't live back in the days when the sole heat source for a house was the fireplace… I suspect that they wore pajamas over their pajamas…and probably had hand-crank kindles.
    good post except for the part where it's December already…lol

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  6. WOW! You outdid yourself! You do realize you too could have had "2" posts on the grid right??? ;P

    And I totally agree...there is absolutely a difference between company vs. no company cleaning.

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  7. Ohhh I want to read that book! Let me know please how good it is! I am going to have to give you a nod on the company vs family cleaning. You are right. Like company would ever look under the furniture I still clean it but family, yeah they play under the furniture… should probably clean that!
    and Stunt class WOW Sounds like tons of fun but I think all mom's should get to attend since there are days I feel like a stunt woman after playing with the boys.

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  8. I distribute my plants around the house when my Christmas stuff is up. One plant got moved to my bedroom...I am still not used to it being there and it sort of scares me when I wake up & see it there. Also, it's between my bed and the trash can, so I keep missing the can when I toss stuff into it. If it weren't such a big plant, I'd put it somewhere else. All that aside, I have been thankful on many occasion when one of the dogs knocks over a plant that the dirt was dry...so I do get that thankful thing on your list!

    And kudos to you for coming up with FIVE things of thankful on 10yo's ortho situation. I'm not sure I'd be quite as "glass half full about it" :)

    There are people who are NOT thankful for leftovers, but.... I am not one of those people! I love them too (well, depends on what kind of leftovers they are, but Thanksgiving leftovers are awesome!!)

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  9. It's a great week when you just can't stop at ten, isn't it?

    That rotten pumpkin thing? So glad we are not the only family on the planet with disgusting and rotting pumpkins still on our porch. I think I finally screamed enough to get the Fab Hub to remove them today. Our Kidzilla did not shoot arrows at them...but that is getting filed away for future reference.

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  10. Don't you love it when you fall off that "I will NEVER _____" high horse? It's even better when there's someone around who heard your original proclamation....

    I totally think you should enroll in Stunts & Combat class. Have someone take video.

    And glad you found something to be thankful for with the whole orthodontia debacle. I know that wasn't easy!

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