Attitude of Gratitude: 29 & 30

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Really relaxing and fun. Then the next morning brought three stray cats that had been dumped at my parent's to Animal House. No shopping other than a quick trip to Junk Junkie. Had dinner out with friends. Today picked up Audrey and then went for a quick adventure to the Magic Door, followed by tree trimming and watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. With Audrey's help, the tree is practically falling over with ornaments. I love the haphazardness of it all. And I am loving this extra time off. I'm grateful for the season. This exercise in a daily gratitude journal has been very helpful to my overall mood and spirit.

Attitude of Gratitude: 28

June 2011

This photo was before we took off for Colorado. A lot has changed in two years and we've had a few health scares, but all is well now. This family is what I'm most grateful for in all the world. Nothing means more.  Looking forward to a relaxing dinner. Love to all.

Pie

My salted caramel chocolate pecan pie doesn't look nearly as pretty as the magazine. And my instincts tell me the bake time needed to be longer than the recipe called for so I'm a little nervous about the results. Hopefully it sets overnight. The verdict is still out.

Attitude of Gratitude: 27

{source}

This is simple. But I am grateful for heat. I hate winter. I hate being cold. Every night I slip into bed with freezing feet and try to warm my body. I can't imagine what it must have been like in pioneer days or to live in a drafty log cabin. I would have been the most miserable being. When I think of the simple things we take for granted every day, like heat and electricity, I know how good I have it. I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude: 26

So I'm not so sure the first Thanksgiving was celebrated with Capri Sun and Ritz crackers. But I'm thankful my gal had this experience and that her dad got to share it with her. And I'm also pretty happy about those silver shoes. And I'm happy that I have five days off for Thanksgiving.

Attitude of Gratitude: 25

Little a and Big L have been so patient with me over the last several weeks and such a huge help as we've pulled together to get a lot of the homey touches done on the house. Audrey performed in her kindergarten concert yesterday and was so focused and looked like she was having a grand time. When we got home, she put on her play clothes and super girl mask and was totally wired because we had all the baby shower guests still at our house. She was in rare form. I love my teeny tiny family so much.

Attitude of Gratitude: 24

Well, the baby shower turned out lovely. I'm thankful for the amazing bakeries in town (SweetArt Cafe and Pint Size Bakery) and for this recipe, which was a TKO. And nothing like throwing a party to propel you into action on all your home projects. I loved spending the afternoon with these people and need to have friends over more often. Now that things are cozier, I feel like I can. This house was full of a whole bunch of love today. I am so excited for Katy and Patrick and can't wait to squeeze on that little bee-bop-baby. I'm feeling pretty prepared for the next few weekends, which will be full of guests. The big annual shopping weekend with my aunts and cousins is just around the corner and then Audrey's birthday party. Thankful for my sweet family for lending a hand so often during the last few weeks so I could pull this party off. To bed I go.

Attitude of Gratitude: 23

These people.

Attitude of Gratitude: 22

 

I'm grateful for my little Audrey, who told last night as we snuggled in bed, "Mommy, you smell good. Your face smells good. Your breath smells good. You're the goodest mommy ever." I'll take that. And be oh, so happy with it.

Attitude of Gratitude: 21

{2004 Holga double exposure, Laguna Gloria, Austin, TX}

Today I am thankful that I have come to a place in my life where I don't freak out about my job all the time. My job is stressful. And it isn't going to get any easier in the coming months. All I can do is all I can do. I want it to be better. To be different. But I haven't figured it out yet. And that is ok. I know I will.

Attitude of Gratitude: 19 & 20

I am grateful for routines. It is almost Thanksgiving and I feel like Audrey and I are finally really hitting our morning groove. We are up most days without complaints or moping. She eats breakfast while watching 30 minutes of television, which allows me to get ready for work. We have a checklist that she eagerly marks before we leave each day. The best part of the morning routine is walking her to her classroom. Most kids ride the bus or are dropped off in the carpool line. But I walk Audrey to her room. She wants me to and for the longest time I did so thinking there would soon come a day when she wouldn't want me to walk her to her room - she'd be embarrassed. But she (thankfully) still wants me to and I cherish this. It has allowed me to get to know her classmates and her teacher better and I have a better sense of the entire school overall. Her friends tell me hello or show off their new shoes or coats, but I stay pretty out of the way and encourage Audrey to hang out with her friends. I want to foster independence, but when you have just one, it is sometimes challenging. I am always thinking that I will only have this experience, this special time or moment once so I prolong it. I savor it. I am so grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude: 18

Today I am grateful for being. That is all.

Attitude of Gratitude: 17

Today, I am thankful for our basement, where Audrey painted on canvas in just her undies for a good half hour while I sewed garland. I love being able to craft together downstairs, to spread out and make a mess.

Attitude of Gratitude: 16

Tried the new Courtesy Diner this morning that just open down the street from us. Even though we are without Audrey today, we woke up early so decided to go out for breakfast. Lindsey has been raking leaves since 8:30 a.m. It is sort of ridiculous. I have been painting since 8:30 a.m. It is sort of ridiculous. But I am grateful for this work day.

Attitude of Gratitude: 15

One year ago around this time, we put in our offer on this house. We've been here not quite a year. I am so grateful for our house, our neighborhood, and Audrey's school. It has been the perfect place for us to settle in and get cozy. We have a lot of projects still slated, but um, I love projects. It is really feeling like home. We have room to have Audrey's birthday party at our house, in the basement, with a piñata (that is all she cares about--the  piñata). I'm having a baby shower for a friend next weekend. I finally have curtains up, so yeah. We're getting there. Happily. Ever. After. 

Attitude of Gratitude: 14

I'm thankful today and every day for Lindsey. Never ashamed to wear his Cookie Monster or Mr. Rodgers t-shirts from Audrey. He is the most awesome dad - so patient and present. Love. Love. Love.

Attitude of Gratitude: 13

{source} 

My cold continues. Today I am grateful for handkerchiefs, tissues, and chicken and dumplings.

Attitude of Gratitude: 12

Today I am grateful that it didn't snow or sleet last night, prolonging autumn...delaying winter. And  I got a whopping ten hours of sleep. That is all today.

Attitude of Gratitude: 11

Today I am grateful for sweet nothings and sentimental souls. I found this in Audrey's backpack over the weekend. She has a little crush on a new table mate at school. And today, one of my colleagues pulled out of his briefcase a zip lock baggie that had a tiny pink post-it note that his daughter wrote to the tooth fairy apologizing for loosing her tooth. This guy had her little tooth in the baggie too.  Then I got a text message of devotion from my hubs and my head is about to explode from all the sweetness.

Polka Dot Walls

The wall was Sherwin Williams thunder gray (no photo). Then I accidentally painted it Behr Pewter Mug (before photo).  I say accidentally because I thought this was a gray I had bought and forgotten about, but actually, it was a gallon of paint left over from the previous owners. It went on gray, but dried with a very slight purple hue. So today, on a whim, I painted dots of light gray and a few gold highlights. I like it for short term winter fun. But I'm sure I'll paint it come January. Now it looks a little like Christmas wrapping paper. But it only took me an hour and I loved free-handing it so it was good practice. I think later I'm going to go all Robert Motherwell on that wall. I'm just elated that I have that wall to play with.

Attitude of Gratitude: 10

My parents always are helping me out with all my crazy projects. But I think I learned crazy projects from my dad. I bought a office-grade filing cabinet at Warehouse of Stuff that looked like crap and had my dad spray it and it looks amazing now. New, the cabinet was almost $400. I got mine for $60. And I've been hanging on to six crappy dining room chairs for years. None of the chairs cost over $3. My mom sanded, dad sprayed, and I recovered the bottoms in linen and now we have six that look beautiful and have changed the entire look of the kitchen. I am grateful for my folks in about a million different ways. But today I am so grateful that they taught me the thrill of thrift and transformation. Making stuff feels so much better than buying stuff.

Attitude of Gratitude: 09

Today I am grateful for sun and 60 degrees and the nature hike with over a dozen Pixie Scouts. I was whipped at the end of the day, but it felt great. I am hanging on to every last ray.

Attitude of Gratitude: 08

Our garden did not yield much this year. Enough herbs for Audrey to munch and to throw into half a dozen salads. A modest amount of cherry tomatoes that never made it to the kitchen. And this morning, the yard littered with so many leaves and with frost on the car windows, I noticed five zinnias, their bright hot hue compensating for their scraggly petals. Summer is saying good-bye. As much as I loathe winter, I am grateful for the changing seasons, the cycles. I'm grateful that Audrey loves and appreciates our little garden and wants to grow carrots next year. I'm grateful that she asks for tomatoes for breakfast. I'm grateful for our little patch of earth and this quiet moment I have on this Friday morning. Happy weekend y'all.

Attitude of Gratitude: 07

Today, I am grateful for the pumpkin pie making experience I shared with Audrey this evening. She was a whisking queen. While we wait for the pie to cool, I'm making tea and she's taking a bath. This is a glorious end to my work week. Small, sweet moments.

Attitude of Gratitude: 06

When we lost Audrey's long-time care giver in the middle of Christmas, buying/selling our houses, and moving, to say I was in a panic is a huge understatement. I was 100% sure that ending the previous arrangement was the right thing to do, but I didn't have a back-up plan. It was abrupt. Now, almost a year later, I can say that finding Jen was one of the best things that happened to our family in 2013. She was an incredible match for Audrey, who adores her and with each passing day I would find out more and more about Jen that I admired. She is an incredible artist, wickedly funny, brainy as hell, a gardener, and we have a lot of common interests, friends, and sensibilities. Her tween son Mason is adorable and Audrey is completely enamored with his freckles. When school started, Jen moved on. But we see her from time to time and for completely selfish reasons, we hope she stays in St. Louis and is a part of our lives for a long time. This was certainly a lesson that letting go or closing a door usually makes room for something new and better in your life.

Attitude of Gratitude: 05

I had a drink with an old friend last night. She's struggling with a lot in her life right now. Sick family members, job woes. It was good to see her, but difficult because I can't fix what is wrong in her life. We are both fixers--accustomed to taking care of everyone and everything. We are both at different stages in realizing how little control we have over life. Today I am grateful for that lesson that keeps coming back to me in different ways. That lesson hurts but is liberating in a way. I am also really grateful for old friends. As much as we change and life changes, having old friends who really know you is a special kind of comfort.

Attitude of Gratitude: 04

This guy. My brother Tony. One-of-a-kind. He's taught me so many lessons and keeps on teaching.

Attitude of Gratitude: 03

 

I just finished hemming eight pair of pants and the sleeves on four shirts for Audrey. Today, I am grateful for my 1982 Kenmore sewing machine, one of the best Christmas gift I ever received. Simple. Sweet. Happy Sunday morning.

Attitude of Gratitude: 02

Thankful that I have my brother and nephews living so close, in St. Louis. We have dinner together almost every Monday night. They are tween/teen boys who are increasingly sleepy, hungry, funny, and sweet. Even at their ages, they never fail to hug all three of us good-bye and tell us they love us. My brother has done such a great job with them. I love him and my nephews so much.

Attitude of Gratitude: 01

{Audrey took this picture of me}

I've slowed this blog down a lot over the past several months. But I am going to try to express some gratitude here every day this month.

Because it is so recent--today I am thankful for our new neighbors and friends. Last night we went trick or treating in our new neighborhood with our new friend's Pat & Heather and their little girl, Andrea, who is the same age as Audrey and in the same school. In spite of much rain, we had a fantastic time. And yesterday, I helped out at Audrey's Halloween party at school and Casey was there volunteering too. She's a mom friend I met through Heather. I love having gal pals who have girls the same age as Audrey and in the same school. All of our neighbors -- so nice.

Here are some other things I stumbled up on this week...acts of kindness and people contributing to the community.

Love and Love