Day Twenty-Seven: Happy Thanksgiving!

I have to make it quick today, because I have so much to do and so little time.  P-Momma will be arriving in about two hours, and I still have to sweep and vacuum the living room, get dressed, and peel the potatoes.  The pies are baked, the turkey is on the grill being smoked, and the kids are all keeping themselves amused.  So, I'm not worried or stressing about anything.

Today it is Thanksgiving, the day to be thankful and enjoy the company of family.  Being that this is THE day of thankfulness, today I just want to be thankful that I have so much to be thankful for.  Being a part of the Thirty Days of Thankful really sheds light on how many blessings I have in my life and no matter what struggles I face, I have an AMAZING life and family.  So, rather than just picking one thing, I want to be thankful for everyone and everything I have in my life.

To me, Thanksgiving is all about family.  Gathering together with the ones you love, feasting, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company.  It's not about how big the turkey is, how many sides there are, what the variety of pie consists of, but just having a great meal with wonderful people.

I am truly thankful that I have such amazing people to share this day with.  Of course, there's my kids.  My wonderful, awesome, amazing children.  Then there's Hubby.  I don't know what I'd do on a day like today without his culinary skills.  And I am so happy and excited to have my P-Momma coming to join us today.  I've tried getting her to come to us for the past couple of years, but this year I finally get to have her here with us, again, and I couldn't be happier.

I love that woman so very much, and she is the very definition of the word "Mom".  She's kind, caring, loving, supportive, and a wonderful grandmother.  I know I've already given her a day on my Thankful countdown, but I just have to reiterate how much I truly love her.  When my own family turned their backs on me and pushed me out of their lives, P-Momma was there to pick up the pieces and make sure that I never felt a bit of upset or sadness over the situation.  She always tells me how proud she is to have me as her "daughter", and I have always longed for a mother that cares for me the way she does.

That is something to be truly thankful for today.

I'm also very thankful for the phone call I received last night from Peanut's grandmother in Tennessee.  I love the fact that she gives me a call every now and then to check in on me and see how we're doing.  She doesn't have to.  She really doesn't have to have much contact with me at all.  But, she chooses to, and for that I am truly thankful.  I can't wait to see her and Peanut's grandpa again over Christmas break... I love those two people.

I've been thinking a lot over the past twenty-four hours about how disappointed I am in my family (my mother, mostly) and how sad I am that they are not apart of my life.  But, then I get to thinking about all of the wonderful people in my life who don't bring me down, or care only about themselves.  I have some wonderful family who truly love me, support me, and care for me, and those are the people that I can rely on and they can rely on me.  They are my family.  I have a wonderful family, and I'm thankful for those people each and every day.

They say blood is thicker than water, but that's not true.  Blood doesn't have to define family.  Family is the people that you love, care for, and are the most important people in your life.

And that's exactly what I have.

So, on this day, I will not stress about the food, the decorations, or the seating placements.  I will take in every moment I get to be with my family, and be thankful.  I will give thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed upon my life, and cherish the moments where I can reflect on the strength I have, the trials and struggles I've overcome, and for the path that I have yet to walk.

I hope you all do the same, and have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!!

Day Twenty Eight: I'm Thankful for Thanksgiving

                         

Just two more days left to share what I'm thankful for.  I really thought I'd be having a tough time with it, by now.  I used to write a blog post called Ten Things Thursday, and had the hardest time coming up with ten random pieces of information to share.  It's amazing to me that after 28 days of selecting a different thing to be thankful for, I'm still going strong.

Today, of course, I'm thankful for this day.  What this whole month has been about...counting down to this day.  Thanksgiving.  A day to be thankful, to surround myself with family, and to eat...and eat...and eat.  

Even though I won't be spending Thanksgiving how I planned on spending it, or exactly how I wanted to, it will still be an amazing day.  Sure, I would have preferred if my parents and my siblings would have been here with me today.  With everything that's been going on, it was my decision to just keep Thanksgiving small and simple at our own houses.  But, I'm definitely not going to complain about the people I will be spending today with.  My wonderful family.  Hubby and the kids.  Couldn't ask for anyone that I'm thankful for more than them.

There's something about the holidays that opens up an inner Martha Stewart inside of me.  Makes me all warm and fuzzy.  Makes me want to cook and bake and make stuff.  Which is definitely NOT normal for me.

I don't cook.  Not really.  Every now and then, Hubby will force ask me to cook.  And, I will, but it won't be anything near as fancy or creative as he usually makes.  He's the chef in this house.  He comes up with some wonderful meals for our family, and I knew he was a keeper the first time he did that.  It's not that I can't cook, I just prefer not to.  When there's someone else in the house that's so good at it and enjoys it as much as Hubby does, why on earth would I do it?

There's just one day that has an exception to all of that, and that would be today...Thanksgiving.  Today is my day to be in the kitchen preparing all the goodies that my family will chow down on.  The only thing Hubby does is the turkey.  I would cook it, but Hubby feels a little left out if I don't assign him something to do.  By giving him the turkey, he can throw it in the roaster, check on it every once in a while, baste it with his own concoction, and stay out of my way while I'm preparing everything else.  

Oh, and he usually prepares some form of dessert.  This year he's making homemade apple pie.  I don't like pumpkin pie, so that's not a usual thing at our house on Thanksgiving.  It is when the whole family is here, but being that it's just us, we went with something everyone likes.

I even decided to have a go at preparing a dessert last night.  Jelly and I ran to the grocery store yesterday afternoon and picked up all the ingredients to make Buche de Noel... or Yule Log.  Here's what it looked like after making it...

                                

It's missing the chocolate ganache in the picture, because I couldn't put that on until this morning. For someone that NEVER bakes, I was pretty impressed with how it turned out.  I'm pretty sure the cake wasn't supposed to crack the way it did as I was rolling it, because I think I overdid it just a little with the cream filling.  But, even without the ganache, it looks very "loggy", right?

Here's the picture of it all finished, with the ganache...

                                

Not the prettiest thing you ever saw, but I think it's looks delicious.  I put a little too much ganache on it, so it made the "log" look more like a giant tree stump, but who's going to care as they are eating it?  I think I might put some powered sugar over the top before we eat it, to give it the appearance of snow.  

I'm pretty impressed with myself.  For someone that NEVER bakes, I think I did a pretty good job of it.  And everything is made from scratch, there's no boxed anything used in the creation of that dessert.

For the rest of today, I'll be preparing all of the "fixings" to go with dinner:  Roasted potatoes, sausage dressing, green bean casserole, corn, turkey gravy, and traditional Yorkshire Puddings.  The Yorkshire Puddings are an English thing, and no holiday dinner is quite right without them.  Of course, that's if they turn out right.  I haven't had the best luck the last few times I've made them.  Hubby made sure to boost my confidence by buying some heat and serve rolls..."just in case".  

Regardless of whether or not the food turns out "perfect", I am just thankful that we will have so much to eat and that we'll all be together.  I often get caught up in the minor details and don't really take any time to think about how grateful I should be and how thankful that I have as much as I do.  So, if something doesn't turn out just right, I won't stress, I won't get upset, I'll just move on and enjoy what we do have.

Once all the of the food is prepared and eaten, dishes are cleaned, and dessert has been inhaled, the kids and I will do our usual Thanksgiving tradition of putting up the tree, and then sitting down with some hot chocolate to watch our first Christmas movie of the year.  The kids are torn between Elf and Polar Express.  I couldn't care less what we watch, as long as we're all together.  

That's how our Thanksgiving day ends each and every year, and the end is just as important as the beginning.  I know that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day dedicated to giving thanks, and isn't really supposed to have anything to do with Christmas... but it's a day that I give thanks, and start the Christmas season.  

It's just what I do.

I've spent almost an entire month being thankful, so I don't think it's too bad if I decide to use Thanksgiving Day as the beginning of the Christmas season.  At least I waited.  I know so many people that started their Christmas decorating WEEKS ago!  That's one thing I refuse to do.  Thanksgiving deserves some limelight...and I give it what it's due.  

My goal for this year, however, is that I don't just remember all that I'm thankful for during the month of November.  I really want to remember all of this each and every hour, day, and month that passes.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself... I'm spoiling what I plan on writing about in a couple of days.  

Right now, I have tons of food to start preparing, so I'm going to go.

But, I would like to wish all of my friends, family, acquaintances, and anyone that reads this blog a wonderful, happy, amazing Thanksgiving.  Enjoy your time with loved ones, be thankful for all of the blessings in your life.

Also, if you are a person that happens to be working today, I want to thank you and hope that you have had or will have the opportunity to spend some time with your families.  I know there's been a lot of commotion about whether or not people work on Thanksgiving.  

I'm not going to get in on that debate.  People want to boycott stores and be up in arms about people having to work on this day.  I want to know how many people are boycotting the military on this day?  Think about all of those men and women that are away from their families today...without anyone being up in arms about that!  If you don't like that people are working today, fine.  Don't shop in those stores.. but don't be upset about it.  There's no reason to cause anymore hate than what is already out there.  Like I've said thousands of times, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there's no reason to throw hate around.  Do what you feel is right to do, and let others decide what they feel is right to do.  If someone decides to take advantage of sales today, don't judge them for it.  If someone chooses not to be apart of any sales today, don't judge them either.  Each person has the right to make decisions for themselves, and don't need any added pressure of what others might think of them for it.

I happen to know someone that volunteered to work today.  Actually, I know a couple.  One volunteered because she wants the extra money.  Another volunteered because they've already had Thanksgiving over the weekend, and by her volunteering can allow others to be home with their families.  Nobody knows the stories of everyone's lives... so please keep your judgements to yourself... please?

OK, rant over....

Again...HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!

Thankful Thursday...The Final Installment

This is it. The big day has arrived. Turkey day is here...and with the joy of enjoying to eat tons of yummy food comes the joy of giving thanks for the blessings we have in our lives. I've been counting my blessings all month, and for each Thursday I posted a list of ten things I'm thankful for. Today marks the final installment - which will give me 30 things I'm thankful for - one for each day of the month of November. Today, I'm going to highlight my extended family - the people that haven't been mentioned thus far. Being that I'm not going to be with any of them today, I figured this was a great way to tell them how much I will be thinking of them.

21. I am thankful for my mom. She is one of the people that has always been there for me... through thick or thin. There's only two people in my life that can earn that credit - and the next one comes shortly. She taught me what I needed to know about being a good mother, supported my decisions for my life, and is now one of my closest friends. Our relationship hasn't always been perfect, but we've always had a relationship. There are times when I want to shake her senseless, and I'm sure she feels the same about me - but nothing can interfere with the love that I have for that woman. She is an amazing grandmother to my children, an amazing mother to her own children, and has even opened up her home to be a wonderful foster mother for complete strangers. I'm quite sure she was put on this earth for that reason - to be there for children that need her. Cause Lord knows, I couldn't and wouldn't have become the person I am today if it wasn't for her.

22. I am thankful for my dad. He's the person that earns the other spot of being one of two people that have always been there for me. My dad is my rock, my hero. While he is a man of few words, he makes up for it with the love that flows from him. This man has been there for me through so much. He was the man that gave me hope that there are decent men in this world... because I got to be raised by one. He works hard, supports his family, would lay his life on line for any one of us. He is also an amazing grandparent. My children adore him just as much as I do. I know for a fact that my Butter wouldn't have gotten through his struggles as well as he did without the love and guidance from my dad. He has no idea how much he has done for me throughout my life. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful father in my life.

23. I am thankful for P-Momma. My mom away from mom. Not that I need a mom away from my mom... but who couldn't be thankful for having one? She came in to my life seven years ago, but it feels like I've known this woman my entire life. From the moment she met me and the kids, she has treated us like family. I know that there's not a single thing this woman wouldn't do for any one of us if we needed her to. The kids think of her as a grandmother - Grammy, to be exact. They adore her just as much as I do... and there are no blurred lines between family in their eyes. She is a member of our family, we are a member of hers. That's how it's been and will always be.

24. I am thankful for my mother and father in law. I'm pretty sure that seven years ago, they were a little nervous about hearing that their middle son was dating a woman with two kids. But, if they were thinking it, they didn't show it. They welcomed me warmly in to their home and their family. Peanut and Butter have never been considered anything but their grandchildren, and Jelly was embraced by a grandmother and grandfather that adored her. I really miss the days when my mother-in-law watched Jelly while I worked, because it was at that time that our relationship was the strongest and closest. Even though we don't get to spend near as much time together anymore, I think of them often. They are amazing in-laws, and I definitely struck gold when I inherited Hubby's family.

25. I am thankful for the food that will be cooked and enjoyed today. Not just that, but the fact that it was paid for with the money Hubby and I earned at our jobs. Even though we're not wealthy, by any means, it's nice to know that we can enjoy an amazing dinner on this special day.

26. I am thankful for Sirius' Holly Station. I discovered it last weekend, and have been listening to it pretty much non-stop ever since. Even though I don't really like to start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving, it has been really nice to listen to a few holiday songs while driving to and from work.

27. I am thankful that I won't be battling the crowds tomorrow morning. I really don't get why people go to so much trouble on Black Friday. OK, so you might save a couple of bucks - but getting smashed with carts, pushed out of the way, and elbows to the midsection just isn't worth that to me. I read a wonderful quote yesterday that said "It's ironic that the day after we give thanks for the things we have, we wage war for the things we want". I'll just enjoy my Black Friday sleeping in.

28. I am thankful that I am blessed with a heart full of love and acceptance. Social media sites have become a cesspool of hate, and I just don't want any part of it. My heart tells me that everyone should have the right to love whoever they want, vote for whoever they want, worship whoever they want - and that it's none of my business. My values and beliefs are no more important than anybody else's. I'm so sick and tired of hearing people condemn others for not conforming to the set of rules and standards offered by one particular religion or group or belief system. I sleep well at night knowing that when the time comes for me to depart this life, I would have lived a good life. I would have loved and respected everyone - regardless of differences in beliefs. And, I will go out on a limb and say that if there truly is a heaven and I'm kept out because I lived my life that way - then I probably don't want to be there anyway.

29. I am thankful that my life long dream was to become a teacher. I hear of people following a calling to certain professions - and I feel that I have heard and answered mine. Nothing makes me happier than waking up every morning knowing that I am going to a job I love, kids that are eager to see me, and challenges to do what I can to improve the lives of my students. I doubted that calling several times throughout my life - but I ended up exactly where I'm supposed to be. My path was laid out for me at the ripe old age of 5. Sure, I questioned that path more times than I can count, but everything came out the way it was supposed to.

30. I am thankful that I can sit here at my computer and easily think of 30 things I'm thankful for, and barely skim the surface of how much thanks I could be given. Happiness isn't measured by the amount of money in my bank account, the possessions that I own, the type of car I drive, or by the house I live in. It's measured by the people in my life that are my family, the joys of waking up each morning and getting to live another day doing what I love, to have a man by my side that loves me for who I am - flaws and all. My life is perfect just the way it is. Every bit of it. And that is something to truly be thankful for.

Just Two More Days to Get Through

I did not want to get out of bed this morning.  Mostly because I knew that today and tomorrow were probably going to be the longest, most exhausting days I've worked thus far.

I know how kids are right before a holiday.  Thanksgiving isn't near as bad as Christmas, but they are still going to be pretty crazy excited - emphasis on crazy.

They are going to expect to not have to do anything for these two days, because it's right before a break - and kids are programmed to think that going to school a day or two before a break means that they're not supposed to actually do any work. 

I can't blame them.  I kinda feel that way right before a holiday and/or break too.  But, just like me - they are going to have to suck it up.  Because there are still assignments to do, things to learn.  Luckily, I was able to package all of our objectives in to cute little Thanksgiving templates.  Well, let me correct that.  I was able to steal some cute Thanksgiving stuff from my mentor that I'm able to package in to our objectives. 

The kids may be programmed to not want to do any work before a holiday, but they are also programmed to believe that if I slap on a holiday picture to a page full of math problems, or make them write about Thanksgiving, or make them read a story about the first Thanksgiving and then answer comprehension questions about the reading - that they're not actually doing "work" but enjoying holiday stuff instead.  Gotta love a child's brain!

I managed to get all of my Thanksgiving food yesterday - among the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving food shoppers.  Every year I whine and complain about people waiting until the weekend right before a holiday to do their shopping - and then smack myself in the head when I realize I'm one of those people. 

We decided to make a run to Sam's for a few things - and happened to notice that they were having their "Taste of the Holidays" samplings.  My kids LOVE going to Sam's just because there's always sample carts out letting them try stuff.  I'm pretty sure my kids would eat fried flies if it came off of one of those carts. 

What I couldn't believe were the lines of people waiting to sample a piece of ham or a scoop of pie or a bite of steak.  Yes.  Lines.  Like something you would see at a movie theater the weekend a new Twilight movie is coming out.  It was ridiculous.  I like sampling food as much as the next person, but I'm not willing to wait 10 minutes in a line to do so.  And then I end up getting all frustrated because I'm patiently waiting in line with everyone else, and then I spot a line jumper who just moseys on up to the front of the line and gets a sample - despite the fact that there's 20 people in LINE in front of them. 

The kids and I made a game out of trying to find the sample carts that had the smallest wait times.  We were still able to try a few things - but apparently missed out on the sample of gold that was being handed out at some carts.  Which is what had to be passed out seeing that many people waiting.  A couple of times we were behind one person, and then found out that she'd brought along her entire family - who were waiting close by - so that they could all get their samples while the kids and I patiently waited for her to hand out stuff to the 15 people waiting for her.  Frustrating, I tell you!

I was pretty happy that we were able to get out of there pretty quick - to the disappointment of the kids who would have spent their entire day standing in lines to try the tiny morsels of whatever was being handed out. 

We made a pit stop at P-Momma's house so that we could pick up her turkey roaster.  Hubby likes cooking the turkey in that so that I have the oven to cook all of my stuff.  Yes, I said "my stuff".  Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that I not only cook, but enjoy doing it.  It's a big deal.  I strap on my Stepford Wives apron - metaphorically speaking - and spend the day in the kitchen preparing, and measuring, and stirring, and checking. 

Anywho, back to yesterday.

We made it to the store to get all of our "fixings".  I spent way too long picking out a ham.  Thanksgiving dinner is very important to me, but not important enough for me to shell out $30 on a ham.  Nope, I have to hunt down the cheap hams, rummage around a bit, until I find "the one".  Which I found. A 8lb ham for $10?  Don't mind if I do.

We ended up spending about $35 for the meal.  Which I guess isn't too bad.  Especially since this year it will be just us five - and that amount of food is sure to last us all the way in to the weekend.  So, I look at it as we spent $35 on three days worth of food.  That's not bad at all.  Yes, we are going to be sick of the sight of ham and turkey for a few weeks after it's all said and done, but that's a part of the magic that is Thanksgiving.  We just get over our distaste for turkey and ham just in time for Christmas to roll around.

Alright, I really need to stop talking about all of this - cause it's not helping me with facing the fact that I have to go to work for the next two days. 

Toodles!

Thankful Thursday - Part II... and a day late

Welcome to my second installment of Thankful Thursday - a list of thirty things (ten each week) that I'm thankful for and recognizing due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  I apologize for it being a day late.  It figures that the one day I'm ready to go with a blog post - and know exactly what I want to write about - my internet decides to bite the dust.  So, I know it's Friday, but I'm totally going to pretend it's Thursday just for this special post.  Just like last week, I'll be mixing the deep with the not so deep... cause I know that not everyone wants to read just emotional stuff. 

11.  I'm thankful for my little Jelly.  Despite growing up so fast, she still makes me realize that she's the youngest which automatically entitles her to the role of my baby for much longer than I was expecting.  And last night, a day after writing my soppy post about how much she was growing up, she curled up on the couch with me because she wasn't feeling so good.  She made me realize that she may be turning in to a big girl before my eyes - but she's not going to outgrow the fact that mommy makes her feel better when she's not feeling well...and that won't change for a very long time.  She reminds me constantly how much she loves me, she always knows the best time to say things like "You're the beautifulist mommy in the whole world" or "I love you so much, Mom".  And I love her very much.  As much as I love her and wouldn't trade her for the world - she has definitely helped remind me on occasions why I never want any more babies.  And, I honestly think that's a part of her plan.  HA!

12.  I'm thankful for my Butter.  Butter has and still faces many challenges.  For a boy of only 11, he's been through more than many adults.  And while he's still working hard every day to face continual challenges, he's grown more and learned more than I could ever put in to words.  He's not the boy he was a year ago.  His ability to adapt and thrive in his new surroundings is purely something of a miracle.  Change is something Butter doesn't usually handle too well, but he's shown me that starting his life over - getting a fresh start - really means a lot to him.  He's making good grades, he's got lots of friends, he adores his teacher, and those are things I would never get the chance to say about Butter.  While there are still days that are better than others, he's really taught me so much about being a better parent, being a better teacher, and being a better person.  The students that come in to my classroom with challenges - both behaviorally and emotionally - have him to thank for how I treat them.  They thrive with me because he's shown me how to care for them, how to motivate them, and how to love them.  And while I'm constantly trying to build him up, I realize that most of the time - he's the one building me up.

13.  I'm thankful for my Peanut.  In a matter of a year, I've watched my little girl turn in to a beautiful young woman.  There's so much of me in that girl, that I sometimes feel like I've stepped in to a time machine and get to watch my younger days played over again.  Her personality, her wit, and her drive are all inherited from me - and I'm happy about that.  What I'm most thankful for, though, is the fact that even though she's turning in to a young woman - she will talk to me, share her life with me, and allows me to be a solid part of her world.  If she's having a problem, she knows she can come to me and I'll help any way I can.  If she just needs to vent, she knows she can do that.  Having that bond is so important to me - and I never want to lose it.  Peanut has done so much for me the past few years, that it's so important for me to show her how thankful I am.  She takes care of Jada when I need her to, she does her chores, she keeps up with homework and extra studies.  And while she also has her days that are better than others - she keeps a smile on my face and a warmth in my heart.. always.

14.  I'm thankful for Hubby.  And not just his cooking.  I've never met any man in my entire life quite like him.  I truly feel like I live with my best friend.  I can talk to him about anything and everything.  I hate that we don't get to spend as much time together as I'm used to - but the time we do spend together is happy and harmonious.  He keeps me grounded, he reminds me of the important things in life, and man.. can that guy cook!  I really am having a hard time putting in to words how much he means to me - and that's because there just aren't words to fully express how much I love him.

15.  I am thankful for the internet.  Even though I was really upset yesterday morning when I didn't have internet and couldn't get on here to write this list, I really don't know what I'd do without it.  It keeps me in touch with my passion for writing, allows me to find answers to questions, keeps me connected to long lost family member and friends - without the cost of a huge phone bill or actually having to talk to them.  And while technology often gets a bad rap - the internet is a world of discovery and tools right at my finger tips.  It makes my job as a teacher easier, that's for sure.

16.  I am thankful for fuzzy fleece pajamas.  Whoever came up with these need to be kissed.. many times over.  Putting on a pair of fleece pajamas is like putting on a blanket for me to walk around in.  They keep me so warm and comforted.  And while I love curling up in a blanket when relaxing on the couch - my fuzzy PJs keep me feeling that way no matter where I am or what I'm doing in my house.  

17.  I am thankful for coffee.  Well, to say that I'm thankful for coffee is a HUGE understatement.  I love my kids and Hubby and my job and my family... but they are all able to love me back thanks to the beverage in my cup.  It's the first thing I turn to in the morning, and it's the last thing I hold on to before going to bed.  I just don't know what my life would be like without my coffee.  Wait, yes I do... and it's not something I ever want to think about again.  This time of year, my coffee is even more important because it keeps me warm and comforted with delicious seasonal coffee creamers... can you say heaven in a cup?  Life is better when there's a cup of coffee in my hand.

18.  I am thankful for the two teachers that work with me in 4th grade.  I really couldn't have asked for better mentors or friends.  It's really as though everything I could ever have wished for in cohorts were granted to me.  They make me laugh, they offer support, they give me confidence in taking risks, and never have they ever made me feel like "just a newbie".  Every day, I look forward to going to my classroom... and a lot of it have to do with them.  No matter what my day is like, I know that I can always walk in to one of their classrooms and know that everything is going to be OK.  

19.  I am thankful for the kids I get to teach this year.  Because as much as I'm teaching them, they are teaching me.  They offer me daily struggles and challenges to overcome.  They give me goals to work towards.  They have shown me that teaching is most definitely a calling - and one that I know I've been called for.  The kids that walk in to my classroom each day give me a purpose, a drive.  They are a reason that my job isn't a job - but a career.  I know that I will never forget their little faces no matter how many years I stay a teacher.  I love each and every one of them.

20.  I am thankful that there's only a couple of days left to work before I get a nice five day weekend.  Even though I love my job, it's always nice to have a few days where I can just focus on family and relaxing.  I have no intention, anymore, of going to the Black Friday sales - so I'm just going to use the time off to spend time with my kids, get our Christmas stuff out, and enjoy the time for what it's meant for.

Next week will be my final installment.  I'll be sharing my thankfulness for my extended family, life lessons, and anything else that pops in to my head.

Thanksgiving Thankful Thursday - Part I

Welcome to the first installment of a three part series of Thanksgiving Thankful Thursday!  Today, and the next two Thursdays, I'm going to list ten things that I'm thankful for - giving me 30 things - being the same amount as if I were to do a daily thankful blurb on Facebook.  Which is really what all this is about.  I've seen so many people do a daily thanks status update, that I wanted in on the action... but knew that I wouldn't keep up with doing it each day.

So, I've given myself the challenge of doing lists....

1.  I am thankful for my children.  Each will earn their own spot on the list at some point, but combined there's so much to be thankful for.  Together, they teach me the value of patience.  They have taught me that my patience level way exceeds the realm of "normal".  I have now managed to teach myself how to tune those babies out for a really long time when they are arguing and fighting and bickering over stupid stuff.  They have taught me how much I love my hair - and that it's not worth pulling it out.  They put true meaning to the phrase "three's a crowd", but can then defy that statement in a blink of an eye - when on the occasional moments they are all getting along just fine.  But most of all, they have taught me that no matter how much they fight or get on my nerves... I love them all unconditionally... and that one day, I hope they have kids just like them.  HA!

2.  I am thankful for Hubby.  Or should I say, his ability to cook.  I could create an entire list on the reasons I'm thankful for him.  On top of that list would be the fact that I'm so thankful he likes to cook - so that I don't have to.  There's just nothing better than coming home from a long day at work and having a wonderful dinner, prepared homemade from Hubby's hands.  He is the bomb diggaty in the kitchen.  And, like my three children, he will have other spots on this list..at some point.

3.  I am thankful that after a very long search, and months of sadness and dismay, I was able to find a job in what I believe to be the best school eva!  The culture and hominess of my school is just something I haven't experienced anywhere else.  I feel part of the team.  I feel like I belong.  I feel like a valued and important piece of the school community - and that my efforts are being recognized and appreciated.  It's feelings like these that label the "everything happens for a reason" statement.  Yes, there were other schools I wanted to work for - because I'd had experience in those schools.  But, at the end of the day, I was taught a very valuable lesson...that good things come to those that wait.  Boy, aren't I a bag full of sayings this morning!

4.  I am thankful for my cat, Katniss.  She was the first thing I got for myself after being offered my job.  She was my reward, my little something to treat myself.  Despite saying I never wanted another pet, after having to give away my beloved dog Asia - I am so glad I didn't keep myself to that.  I loved Asia, but I can now say that I have never had a pet that was more loving or better suited for me than Katniss.  She cuddles with me, she comes when I call her, and she doesn't make any mess in the house.  Oh, and she gets triple bonus points for the fact that Hubby adores her too.  

5.  I am thankful for my health.  I have had my shares of ups and downs in terms of my weight situation.  And while I am much heavier than I was a couple of years ago... and I let all of my hard work of losing so much weight fall to the wayside.. I'm still healthy.  It was my goal to be able to stand on my feet for 7 hours a day and not feel pain.  I wanted to be able to play with my students when the opportunities arose.  I wanted to be full of energy each day.  And even though the number on the scale doesn't align with what I thought I needed to have in order to make those things happen... I've somehow managed to do it.  Yes, I'm exhausted each day when I come home - but I'm active and energetic when I'm at work, and that's the important part.

6.  I am thankful for Hangin' with Friends and SongPop.  Two games that I have on my iPhone.  They are a small slice of fun that I can have - that only takes a few moments of my day.  They keep my brain challenged in a fun way - that's separate from the classroom... and give me just a few minutes each day to act like a total kid and just play silly games.

7.  On that same note, I'm thankful for my Hangin' with Friends buddy.  He's the only person I play the game with - but we have a lot of fun together.  He happens to be a friend of the family, so it's always funny to send each other silly notes when we're playing.  He gives me a small sense of being around friends, even when I'm sitting on the couch watching TV. 

8. I am thankful for Blogger.  This little tidbit of the Internet has brought me so much in the past few years.  I have been able to record the events of my life as they've taken place.. be good or bad.... without it costing me a single penny.  Yeah, Facebook is great, Twitter is meh, but Blogger?  This is my social media outlet.  This is where I belong.  This is where I can be myself, say what I want, and then go back and remember it all over again.  While I have struggled with discovering who I am as a blogger, one thing has always remained the same:  I blog what I have to say, and if someone doesn't like it - they can go elsewhere.  

9.  I am thankful that I have gone through so many struggles in my 30 years of being on this earth.  Yep, you heard me... I am thankful for the struggles.  While my life isn't some constant heartbreaking tale of trials and tribulations, I've had my fair share of ups and downs.  Teenager problems with my parents, being a run-away, teen pregnancy, abusive partner, homelessness... they've all been a part of my life story.  And even though they have been some pretty horrible experiences - I wouldn't change a single one.  Why?  Because each of those things have made me the person I am today.  I am strong, I am passionate, I am devoted - all because of the struggles I've had to go through to get me here.  My experiences and hardship in life has given me powerful ammunition to use against the kids that will come through my classroom.  They have given me tools to use with my own children.  I have become the partner, mother, and teacher I am because of those hardships - and I just wouldn't be the awesome person I am today without them.

10.  I am thankful that I am able to come up with a list of thirty things to be thankful about.  Even though this is the last thing on this week's list, I am excited and ready for the next two installments.  I thought that coming up with thirty things would be difficult.. but then I realized I could probably do this for months.  There's just so much good I have in my life - and so much to be thankful for.  I've only just started and I haven't even gotten to some of the juicier stuff - like each of my kids, or my family.  And while they aren't on this list, it doesn't mean that they are less important.  This list.. all three parts... are in no specific order of importance.  I'm deliberately mixing it up.  And while several parts of this overall list may seem a little insignificant to some - they are very important to me.  In fact, I'm now worrying if I'll be able to have enough room for all of the things I want to talk about. 


There you go.  One part down, two to go.  Now, I must go get ready for work.

Monday Morning Mash-Up

I worked my tail off yesterday.  Well, if that's possible sitting in front of a computer all day.  Working one's tail off implies that I was doing hard, manual labor.  I wasn't... But I was still exhausted when it was all said and done.

Yesterday afternoon, I sat and created an entire book study for Charlotte's Web.  Twenty-two chapters of comprehension questions, application questions, discussion questions, vocabulary questions, and on and on.  Not to mention pre and post reading questions. Thank goodness I picked a book I've read about a thousand times... or my four hours of work would have ended up more like ten. 

But, now it's done.  And because the book is never going to change... I can keep the book study packet for classes to come.  That's what being a first year teacher is all about though, right?  Put the work in now, and life will be much easier next year.

The plan was to create two book study packets yesterday.  But, one took much longer than I expected, so the other one will have to wait. 

Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books when I was young.  I remember a teacher reading it to us in a class.  I remember that it was the first book I heard/read that made me cry.  It's funny how important it is for me to include books from my childhood.  They were the books that made me fall in love with reading. 

Can you believe that there's only seven weeks until Christmas?  I know.  Me either.  It seems like only a week ago I was excited that there was only three months until Christmas...and here we are just a mere seven weeks away.  In exactly 49 days, it will be Christmas Eve!  I'm happy to report that I have made a start to my Christmas shopping.  A very small start, but a start nonetheless.  Next weekend is going to be the big one.  I'm going to spend an entire day shopping.  Well, and having lunch with my two best gal pals.  That's a great way to enter in to the holiday season - lunch with great friends and a day of Christmas shopping.

OK, so in the past three seconds I've decided that I may not spend an entire day shopping next weekend.  I think it would be better to break it up over a couple of weekends.  I'm already thinking about how much work I'm going to have next weekend...and another day off may not be feasible.

Oh, and call me crazy... but I think I'm going to try Black Friday this year.  I know, I know... that's probably insane.  I loathe Black Friday.  I've been only a couple of times in my entire life - and both times I came home with hardly anything.. except sore shins and ankles from being rammed by carts.  I wanted to just partake in Cyber Monday, but I have to work on Monday.  I'm not sure what time Cyber Monday starts.  If it's a midnight start.. then maybe I could stay up late and have a crack at it.

 I've started compiling a list of things to be thankful for.  Each Thursday between now and Thanksgiving (including Thanksgiving morning) I'm going to list ten things I'm thankful for.  That will give me thirty things, which is the equivalent of doing a Facebook status every single day of November. I want to really dig deep this year.  Everyone knows I'm thankful for my family, my job, my health etc. but there's so many other things to be thankful for.  Plus, I don't want it to be all sappy and deep.  I want to bring some humor in to my thanks.  There's nothing wrong with adding a little humor, am I right?  That doesn't mean I won't include those deep things, too.  That's a big part of life - the deep things. 

I only have two weekends left to deep clean my house before my family come for Thanksgiving.  That scares me a little.  I have a very strict rule that my house has to be sparkling clean before I will host a holiday in my house.  Which is kinda silly, being that my house will be a complete wreck by the time my family leaves.  Being that my parents are foster parents, it will be likely that there will be at least 4 children in the house that's 5 years old or younger.  That many small people added to the amount of toys that Jelly own is the equation for major disaster zone in my house by the time they leave.  But, then it will be time to put up the Christmas tree - and that can't go up if the house is a mess, either.

Listen to me this morning.  When I said it was the morning mash-up, I didn't expect to go in so many different directions.  I sound like a loon!  That's what book studies and thoughts of Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving cleaning does to me.  Makes me all crazy.  It's totally the thought of Christmas shopping.  Sorry, book study and Thanksgiving cleaning.

Alright, I need to contain my crazy.  It's getting out of hand.  Just think... If I'm this bad seven weeks away from Christmas, what the heck am I going to be like a week before Christmas?  I shudder at the thought.

Oh well, time to get ready for another week of work!

Weekend....and Holiday...Wrap-Up

After a long weekend, I'd usually get on here and complain about how quickly the time flew.  But you know what?  I'm not going to do that today.  Yeah, the time went by quickly - but I did everything that I wanted to do this holiday weekend....everything:

1.  Cleaning.  A full day to be exact.  I cleaned my house from top to bottom.  Scrubbed, polished, washed, vacuumed...I did it all.  And my house is still somewhat clean from all of the hard work.

2.  Cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.  For the first year in...well, since I started doing Thanksgiving at my house... I didn't get stressed out, I didn't have to spend the whole day in the kitchen, and I didn't have any major snafus with any of the food.  I planned and prepared perfectly, and the end result was delicious.

3.  Spend time with my family.  Because of my ability to not freak out, this year, I got to spend more quality time with my parents on Thanksgiving day....and it was a lot of fun.

4.  Put up the Christmas tree.  The minute my family drove out the driveway, I was unpacking the Christmas decorations.  Butter, Jelly, and I spent about an hour trimming the tree and getting it looking perfect....and we had a blast doing it.  Peanut went home with my parents - in case you was wondering why she wasn't a part of the tree trimming. 

5.  Spend a whole day in bed.  OK, so technically this wasn't on my to-do list...this was an added bonus.  I wasn't in bed all day - but for most of the afternoon.  Jelly and I...and for a while, Hubby came to join us while Butter went out with the neighbors, laid in bed and watched Christmas movies.  It was absolutely amazing.

6.  Watch Breaking Dawn Part 1.  Peanut and I went yesterday - and the movie was just as good as I thought it'd be.  And, you know what?  There were several kids WAY younger than Peanut in that movie theater.  I didn't judge, though....cause parents get to make the call as to which movies their kids see.  AND, the "sex scene" in the movie wasn't bad at all.  It lasted a whopping 3 seconds, and there was no nudity or moaning or anything that my kid probably wouldn't see on a local network channel on TV. 

7.  Get a replacement movie series for Harry Potter.  Again, this wasn't on my list of things I wanted to do... but another added bonus.  Before the movie yesterday, the preview for Hunger Games came on.  Peanut and I looked at each other - and she knew what I was thinking.  I bought the first book right after we finished watching the movie.  Hunger Games - here we come!!

8.  Watch Christmas movies in front of the fireplace with the twinkling of the tree lights.  Did this last night.  I curled up on the couch, Hubby built a fire in the fire place, and the kiddos and I spent the evening watching Christmas movies.  Can you say HEAVEN?? 

9.  Not worry about the scale.  Not sure if you noticed or not, but I haven't made much reference to my scale these past five days.  I did that on purpose.  I'm not going to pretend that I was a good girl - because I was far from it... but I didn't get all frazzled or upset when I stood on the scale.  I knew I was probably going to gain a couple of pounds this weekend....hello, did you see my list?  There wasn't exactly much physical stuff on it.

10.  Enjoy myself.  This came with just about everything on this list - yes, even the cleaning.  Hubby and the kids both made comments on how calm I stayed through the entire holiday - even before my coffee was made.  I laughed, I snuggled, I relaxed.  It was an amazing 5 days.

This whole weekend was just perfect.  I'd go ahead and list it as one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had.  Simply because it was just so relaxed.  I was relaxed.  I'm not sure why I feel so at ease, lately, but I do - and it feels fantastic.

Although, if I think about it, the past several Thanksgivings I've had a lot on my plate - metaphorically speaking.  I was in school the past four Thanksgivings.  I was stressed about homework and lesson plans and project deadlines.  This year, I didn't have to think about any of that stuff.  I didn't have any work to do - I could just spend the whole time with my family....and doing what I had promised myself I'd do last year when I was neck deep in homework and stress.  I have to make up a little for lost time - and I think I did a pretty darn good job of it.

Now I have exactly three weeks left of work before the two week Christmas break.  As I watched the scale slowly begin to rise the past few days, I consciously told myself that I need to make the most of the three weeks.  I want to be just as relaxed and at ease come Christmas break - and I don't want to be freaking out that none of my clothes fit.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to at least drop the couple of pounds I gained over Thanksgiving.  I think that's a fair goal.  I know it's not realistic that I'll go in to full blown weight loss mode, but I can do my part to make sure that scale doesn't go up any more between now and then.  It's back to planned meals and watching what I eat for the next couple of weeks.  Which means tightening the strings on the flavored coffee creamer and hot chocolate...that I may have drank quite a bit of the past few days. 

I can feel the spark of something brewing inside of me - that tells me that next year I'm going to be starting over....majorly.  This year has basically been a wash in the weight loss department, but I'm not going to let it bring me down.  I'm going to enjoy the rest of the year.  I deserve that.  Enjoying myself doesn't have to mean eating everything in sight - but I'm not going to be surprised when I see a shift in the numbers on the scale. 

OK, time to get ready for work.  I'm pretty sure these next three weeks are going to fly by... I hope so.  I'm excited about Christmas.  I'm excited about getting another chance to do some more wonderful things with my family - while completely relaxed.

Everyone have a wonderful Monday.  Don't be sad the holiday is over, be thankful for what you got to do.

Till next time. ;)

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Goodbye Thanksgiving...Hello CHRISTMAS!!

Thanksgiving is over.

I'm happy to report that I did not wobble from the gobble as much as I thought I would.  Don't get me wrong - I ate...a lot... but I didn't I gorge myself to the point of not being able to move, or enough to require any unzipping of my pants.  In my books - that's a win.

The family all came...they were all happy with the spread.  The ham ended up being a little cold - but that was the only snafu of the day....thank goodness it was a pre-cooked ham. 

After munching down, everyone sat around talking - and then we watched Ricky Gervais Out of England Stand-Up.  It's always good to laugh until you cry after a good, hearty meal. 

My family all left around 6pm....and then it was on the part of the day I'd been waiting for.  I know that sounds terrible - I should have been excited and waiting for my family to arrive, or about spending time with them, or at least the food... but none of that was what I was waiting for all day.  Nope.  I was waiting for one thing and one thing only.  This...

Yep.  I waited all day long to be able to put up the Christmas tree.  Is that bad for me to say?  Probably.  Do I care?  Nope! 

Thanksgiving, to me, is my countdown to Christmas celebration.  And, before you start getting all ticked off at me for not understanding the true meaning of Thanksgiving....I say...do you really believe that the pilgrims and the Indians sat down for a friendly "thankful feast"?  It sounds good in the story books - but the history books have a little different account.  Also, I'm from England.  I celebrate Thanksgiving because I live in America - now - but I wasn't raised with the holiday...so I adapted.  

I still give thanks on Thanksgiving....but I also remember that it's exactly a month before my most favorite holiday of them all...and like to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season.  Is that so bad?

I'm not Anti-American... I'm pro Christmas.  I will point out that I do celebrate every American holiday...with pride.  And, while I'm being completely honest - I don't think my Thanksgiving is a whole heck of a lot different from many people I know.  So, I'm not really sure what I'm bantering on about here.  A little defensive today - aren't I?  Not sure what brought it on... sorry about that.  I know that you guys would never think I was anti-American.  I love this country.  OK, moving on...

I am very happy to report that I did NOT even THINK of going out last night or this morning for Black Friday.  To those of you that did - are you still alive?  I mean, holy codswallop....the insanity that goes through people's heads just to save a couple of bucks.  

Hubby had to go out last night....and get close to a Wal-Mart.  He drove his sister to work...who happens to work at Wal-Mart...God love her.  He left my house at 8, and should have been home before 9.  At 10, he calls to tell me of the utter chaos and pandemonium that is breaking out at the Wal-Mart.  Cars parked in every spot available - and spots not available.  Every business in a 1 mile radius had their parking lots packed from Wal-Mart shoppers.  It was total craziness.  He didn't get home until almost 11!!  

I slept in this morning.  Until 9.  I casually got out of bed, walked to my coffee pot, poured a cup, then made my way to the computer.  I then decided to check out a couple of online Black Friday events...one of which being Wal-Mart.  And you know what?  I got the three things that I had wanted to get - but would have never had braved the chaos to try and get.  Yep, right here, from the comfort of home, at 9am...I managed to snag the bargains that everyone was killing themselves to get last night.  I didn't even know that Wal-Mart offered all the in-store bargains online....apparently, not many people realized it - cause surely they wouldn't have gone out if they had.  Right?

I am now happy to report that my Christmas shopping is just about done.  I have a few family members to buy for - but the kids are just about done.  With more than I expected to get them.  Which happens every year.  They know it - I know it....that's why I think when I tell them that this Christmas is going to be much smaller than the last couple of years I get the "aha, OK Mom, don't worry about it" spill from them.  They know better.

OK, so on the agenda today?  Nothing.  Well, maybe getting my house back to normal from yesterday....got to get some laundry done... but other than that?  Jelly and I are going to sit back and watch a few Christmas movies.  Peanut went home with my mom last night, and Butter is at the neighbors house helping them with some yard work.  I'm going to enjoy my extra day off by not doing a whole lot of anything.  That's how it should be.

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  Now, enjoy your Black Friday.  If you are/were crazy, out of your mind, brave enough to go out for a few deals today.... be careful!!  And I hope you get everything you went out for. 

Till next time. ;)

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What Am I Thankful For? Let Me Count the Ways - Part II

Ahhh...Thanksgiving.  The day to share how thankful you are for everything you have in your life.  The day to be with family.  The day to eat.  And eat.  And eat.  Come on.  You all know that the food has become one of the most important parts of this holiday.  

Last week, I did my first What Am I Thankful For? post.  I hit the major points in my life, like family, my job, Hubby, you guys,  fat-free coffee creamer.... you know the really important things.  This week, I'm doing another installment, because I want to have 24 things to be thankful for....just like everyone is doing on Facebook.  I'm a woman that likes trends - I just don't like doing them the same way everyone else is.

Today's list really holds no torch to the things that I listed last week... but I always think it's nice to have a little fun, and think about the things I wouldn't normally think about.  Yes, I'll probably be grasping at straws - because everything that is most important to me was highlighted last week.  But, let's see what I can come up with.


This week, I count from 11 to 24 of the things that I'm thankful and/or grateful for.

11.  My Scale.  Bet you didn't see that one coming.  As much as I complain about my scale - we have a love/hate relationship that I have to be thankful for.  There are days I hate it, but then the number reminds me that I'm doing it to myself - and I have to work harder.  There are days when I love it, because it shows me that the work I am doing is paying off.  Then there are days like today - where my scale apparently feels sorry for me, and dropped down to 234.2lbs from yesterday's 235.3lbs.  I know the scales fluctuate from day to day - but I'm happy it decided to be nice to me on this day.

12.  My Laptop.  My connection to the Internet, and the virtual world.  It's amazing how much my little laptop enables me to do...research, watch shows, connect with family and friends overseas, collect ideas for lessons...and of course, share my blog.  I guess I should be thanking the Internet - but my laptop gets me there, and for that - I'm thankful.  Plus, my laptop got me through school.  Every paper I ever wrote was done on this very laptop - and helped earned me the grades I needed to graduate.

13.  My Dog.  My sweet little Silky Terrier, Asia.  I've had her since she was 8 weeks old - and now she's almost 5!  I got her the year before I had Jada.  She was my gift to myself for finally having a house that allowed pets.  She's been a handful, just like my other kids, but I love her very much.  She curls up in bed with me every night, and is always there when I need her.  She is just like another child to me.  Despite how much Hubby despises her...she will always be important to me.   Oh - and he only despises her because she seems to like to pee on his stuff...occasionally.   

14.  My Clean House.  I pounded away for several hours, yesterday, getting my house all sparkly clean.  I mentioned that I'm thankful for my house last week - but this week, I'm just thankful that I got it clean.  It's a very nice feeling to wake up to a clean house.  I'm thankful all of my hard work paid off - and I'll got to do that today.  Not sure how long it will last...but I got to do it today.


Just 10 more to go...

15.  Facebook.  Even though I'm not nearly as addicted to Facebook now as I was just a year ago...I'm thankful that Facebook gives me the ability to stalk see what everyone in my life is up to.  I get to talk to my family in England, and see pictures of all that's going on with them.  I get to read status updates that tell me exactly what everyone is doing at every minute of the day...cause that stuff is important to know...especially to me - cause I don't get out much. 

16.  Pinterest.  The creators of this site get a big THANK YOU from me.  I'm thankful that this site has given me a one stop shop for EVERYTHING I need.  Recipes, craft ideas, lesson plans....all there, right where I need it.  I no longer have to use search engines much anymore...sorry, Bing...I will miss you.

17.  Coffee.  Holy mother of sanity, I can't believe I'm listing this as number 17....my kids would probably list this as number one on their list.  My day just doesn't function without coffee...I don't know what I'd do without it.  It's my energy drink and relaxing serum all rolled in to one.  I'm pretty sure if you were to cut me open - coffee would pour out of my veins.  Thank you Folgers for giving my entire household a semi-sane woman to live with each day!!

18.  My DVR.  Probably the most genius thing ever invented.  If it wasn't for my DVR, I'd never be able to watch some of my favorite shows.  And, I don't ever have to watch commercials again...BONUS!!

19.  Ricky Gervais.  Yes...I'm thankful for this person.  I'm thankful that he's so hilarious and comes up with the greatest shows and Podcasts.  I'm also thankful that he has introduced me to the comic genius that is Karl Pilkington.  Ricky is my comic idol - and my hope is that one day I'll get to meet him in person.  I'll be watching the Golden Globes - DVR'd of course - just because he's hosting.  I know it's random - but he's a little slice of home...and he's not half bad to look at, either.

I'm not going to list the other people that I'm thankful for that are nice to look at..like Alexandar Skasgard, Dax Shepherd, or the other men that make me swoon whenever I watch them on TV... I am thankful for them, though.

20.  My iPhone.  My list wouldn't be complete without being thankful for the mini computer that I carry around with me everywhere.  If my laptop's not around, my iPhone is.  It has given me hours of fun playing games like Solitaire, Mahjong, Hanging with Friends, Tetris, and Bejeweled....and it does other important stuff, too... like make phone calls.

21.  The Harry Potter and Twilight Movies.  For the past several years, these movies have given Peanut and I our Mommy/Daughter days out.  It has become a tradition that Peanut and I go to the movies to see these sagas.  I was so sad when Harry Potter ended, but thankful I still have two movies left to see of Twilight.  We haven't seen the new one yet - that's on the agenda for this weekend.  Now, Peanut and I are going to have to find another book/movie series to get in to.

22.  Toilet Paper, Soap, and Toothpaste.  Really, do they need any explanation?  I said I was going to be grasping at straws... but have you really thought what you're life would be like without them?  That makes me thankful.

23.  The Fact that You're Still Reading This.  If you've made it this far, I am very thankful.  It shows how much you care....or how bored you are.  This is harder than I thought it would be. 

And finally...

24.  My Humor.  The fact that I can come on here on Thanksgiving day, and have a little fun is something I'm very grateful for.  There are so many things I could be very serious about, today, but I want to have a little fun - because this is what today should be about.  I try to make people smile...maybe even chuckle sometimes.  I don't pretend that I'm a comedian...I'm not... but the fact that I can come on to my blog and spin a different light on things is something I'm very thankful for.

All joking aside...if you have food to eat today, somewhere to eat it, and people to eat it with...say your thanks.  There are so many people in this country that won't have these things today.  Be thankful for the wonderful things you have in your life - even if there are days where you think your life is not too wonderful.    Smile.  Laugh.  Enjoy.  Be thankful.

I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for you all each and every day. 

Till next time. ;)

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BYOC - Thanksgiving Edition

Yay!!  I'm so excited to be doing Bring Your Own Crazy today.  My mind is just too excited about getting out of the house in a couple of hours and hitting the streets to find some awesome Christmas bargains. 

I get these questions from the amazing Drazil.  If you want to answer them, then please copy them and answer them on your own blog.  It's a lot of fun!

1. What is your FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving?

Hmmm...this is a tough one.  I can't decide if it's the green bean casserole or the stuffing.  And you thought I was going to say family didn't you?  Nope, I love the food...all of it... but I can't get enough of the green bean casserole or the stuffing.  Also the ham and the turkey...smothered in gravy.  The roasted potatoes are also high up on my list.  Oh, and the pie.  Mmmm...the pie.  Oh, who am I kidding?  It's the entire spread.  Everything I fix for Thanksgiving is super yummy...and I love all of it.

This year, we're trying out cooking the turkey in a slow cooker.  Never done it before - but maybe trying it this year.  Maybe next year, just the turkey will be my favorite part.

2. How many Thanksgiving family events will you attend?

Just one.  At my house.  My parents, two teenage siblings, my little niece and nephew and the two children my parents are fostering will come to my house for Thanksgiving.  Sometimes, we go visit my in-laws the day after Thanksgiving or that Saturday.  Sometimes, we go and visit my pseudo MIL on one of those days - but just to visit.  The only Thanksgiving meal we eat is the one that I prepare.

3. What’s your biggest Thanksgiving tradition?

Well, being that I'm British - and all of my family are British - Thanksgiving was never more than a day my family came over and we ate a bunch of food.  Now, I've made Thanksgiving in to more of a Christmas season starter.  I have the big family dinner, then they all leave.  Then, Thanksgiving evening, the kids and I put up the tree and watch a Christmas movie.

That's become my most favorite Thanksgiving tradition.  After a hard day - it's so nice to sit down in front of the twinkling lights and get into the Christmas spirit with a good Christmas movie.

4. Do you Black Friday shop the day after Thanksgiving?

No.  Not no, but Heck No!!  I've tried it a couple of times - but after spending the entire time defending my ankles and back from crazy women...I've decided it's much better to just stay home, and spend a couple extra bucks shopping any other day than ending up in a cast from a broken ankle, or worse...in jail because I've finally lost my patience and retaliated.  Besides, from what I've seen from the black Friday ads this year - there's nothing that I want bad enough or that's cheap enough to even give me an inkling to want to try it another year.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog world.

Real life has been good.  I've managed to sell a few things on Craigslist that has given me a few extra bucks to spend on Christmas.  Work has been really good.  The family are all healthy and happy.  Yep, real life has been very good.

Blog land has been the same ol' same ol'.  I'm glad that the Shrinkvivor challenge is over.  I've shared that I've been doing much better with my eating - even with the holidays approaching.  I've made the executive decision that my main focus between now and January 1st is to maintain.  No going crazy and gaining more weight - but no stressing over trying to lose weight at the one time of year that's just about impossible for me to lose weight.

But...I'm already making plans for the new year. 

OK, that's another edition of BYOC over with.  Now, it's time to jump in the shower and let my shopping extravaganza commence.

Have a wonderful Saturday, every one!!

Till next time. ;)

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What Am I Thankful For? Let Me Count the Ways

I know that there's still a week to go until Thanksgiving....but I thought I was well overdue to explain some of the things I'm thankful for in my life.


I spend a lot of time on here complaining about stuff happening in my life - when in reality, the complaints are small dust mites on a life that has given me so much.  


I had planned on making this my Thanksgiving post - cause, you know...it's kinda the thing to do on Thanksgiving....list all of the things that you're thankful for.  But, being that I'm going to have a houseful of people arrive on Thanksgiving - I want to really do this post while my mind is solid....not stressing about the minor things I will no doubt stress over.


So....here are the things that I am thankful for each and every day....

1.  My Children.  Duh - this is a no brainer.  How can I not be thankful for a family that is so perfect, yet so imperfect?  Each one of my children have their own unique outlooks on life, and remind me every day that there are so many sides to look at any situation.

• Peanut - My literal mini-me.  Every day, she grows to be more and more like me...but has her own unique spin on the situation.  She is smart, caring, and has a spit fire attitude that will bite you in the behind if you're not careful.  She also has a laugh that is contagious, a love for music, and a heart filled with so much love - that she is more than willing to share with anyone that will let her.
• Butter - My little fighter.  That boy has been through more in his 10 short years than most have been through in their entire lifetime.  Every day is a new challenge for him - and he takes each one of those days with an open mind and open heart.  I love his spirit, his dedication, and the fact that for no reason whatsoever he will give me a hug and tell me how much he loves me.  
• Jelly - The baby.  This is a child that knows exactly what she wants - at the ripe age of 3 - and puts her mind to getting it.  The child that wakes up each morning and comes running to give me a hug and then says "I love you, Mommy, you're pretty".  I don't know why she started doing that - but she does - and I love it.  

2.  My Hubby - I have never met a man in my entire life that is so perfect for me than the man I share each and every day of my life with.  It's great that he loves to cook, clean, and stay home with the kids while I go out for a night with the gals... but that's nothing compared to the little things he does for me each and every day.  He doesn't buy me flowers or chocolates - he's the man that buys things like fat free coffee creamer, because he knows that gesture means more to me than any flowers or chocolates.  He listens to me complain about silly things like gaining weight...and then helps me plan meals that are healthy.  He goes grocery shopping, occasionally, and then calls me to ask me about a food....because he's checked the nutrition label, and wants to get my opinion on if it's OK to get it.  He does it because he knows it's important to me - and it's the things that are important to me that are important to him.  I just couldn't imagine my life without him.

3.  My Job.  I truly believe that my job was a sign from a higher power....a calling, if you will.  Just when I gave up hope that things were going to go my way, this year, I get the call I never expected to receive.  Each and every day, I'm blessed to work with the most amazing children and staff.  I am reminded that my title doesn't represent my gift.  I am a teacher - and that's what I do every day.  This job has given me the opportunity to share my gift, while teaching me more than any textbooks could ever teach me. 

4.  My Family.  I am lucky enough to have a very close family.  I have parents that love me and support me.  Not only that, but they have opened up their home as foster parents - and that makes them my true idols.  It's no surprise where I get my love of working with children....the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  My mother is my best friend.  My father is my hero.  I am thankful that they had a hand in molding me in to the person I am today - and they did a pretty darn good job of it....if I say so, myself.

5.  My House.  I complain about my house almost daily...how much I'd like a nice big house anywhere else but right here.  Yet, I'm thankful that each and every day I get to come home to a house that's full of love.  It's a roof over the head of my little family.  It comes with a mortgage that fits our budget.  Sure, there are some improvements that my house needs - but it's warm, secure, and a place for me to cuddle up on the couch and relax from a hard day.

6.  Sanity and Hope.  Those girls have been my savior to many a stressful moment.  They have shown me what true friendship is.  Knowing that I can give them a call and go out for a girls' night got me through school, and now gets me through life.  I love them.  We are all here when we need each other - but even when there are weeks that go by without seeing each other....we are always only a text message away from each other.

7.  Craigslist.  The place that gave me the ability to sell some of the junk that has piled up in my house - and now given me a little extra money to be able to spend on my kids' Christmas.

8.  Fat Free Flavored Coffee Creamer.  Yes.  I went there.  I am so thankful for the flavored coffee creamer that makes my evenings more relaxing.  It is a sweet moment of heaven, for my mouth. 

9.  My blog.  This place....there just really isn't words.  It has gotten me through some really tough times and some really great times.  Each morning, I can come here and spill my guts for the world to see.  It's awesome.

10.  You Guys.  Whoever you are...the people reading this right now.  Regardless of whether or not you comment, just knowing that you're here - and you care - that's a big deal...one that I'm very thankful for.

To be continued....

Oh yeah.... you didn't think that was all I was grateful for, did you?  There's more.  I just wanted to get a start this Thursday.... but I'll muster up the sanity to finish this post next Thursday. 

Everyone have a WONDERFUL Thursday....and take a second to think about some of the things you're thankful for, if you haven't done so already.

Till next time. ;)

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