Thankful

We have lots to be thankful for!  I was just thinking this week about what I am thankful for - and it dawned on me this:

"I haven't felt like I need a break from my life lately.  Which must mean that right now, I am living a good life."

Then I knocked on wood - because good grief - you are just INVITING trouble by thinking that!

I have lots to blog about and am just behind on downloading pictures and editing.  The holidays, a 16 lb turkey, and fixins will do it to ya!  :)

But I read this today in my MOPS leadership e-mail newsletter, and I just loved it.  SO I am sharing:

“But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me.” Psalm 13:5-6

Indeed, he has been good to us! Even through the sticky and difficult, he loves us so completely and sends small joys our way, things to make us smile, if we’ll only notice. He pursues us because he loves us so; he rejoices and desperately wants a daily relationship with us. He promises we won’t be alone and holds our hands through our parenting, our marriage, our leadership.

Which made me think of some very little things I am thankful for today:

• Alton Brown's recipe for Thanksgiving Turkey - TRULY a God-send.
• Paper plates/napkins/plastic utensils to help in the post dinner cleanup.
• Whip cream that comes out of a can.
• Beautiful warm (yet still cool!) fall weather.  We could have eaten outside!  :)
• Large piles of leaves that make my son totally happy.

There are lots of big things, which make us so grateful for our life together.  Our family being the biggest of all of them.  Both nuclear and extended.  Michael has 2 sets of grandparents who are still alive and love being a part of both his life and ours.  We are so grateful for the love and generosity they showed us in our youth, which set up a road map for us in parenting Michael during these fun years.  We have brothers and sisters(and sister in laws!) who care with us about our lives and who we genuinely love to see.

It is rare in these times to have family such as ours.  And for that, we will be forever grateful.

And then...

God always likes to keep me humble.

After my happy-for-me post, I forgot to send Michael in his winter jacket for school.  Which I found out later he was the only one who did not wear a jacket.  Which then meant there was no outside recess for the class that day because he forgot his coat.

EEk.  I even read the update online about how we need to be sending kids in their winter coats now.  I just forget because 1) I was tired and 2) he only walks from the car to the school so I forget all about needing a coat for recess.

ALSO -

Need to add that about 4 weeks ago, on a MOPS Friday, I dropped Michael off at school like normal.

But for whatever reason, he didn't want to get out of the car like normal.

SO I got out and as I was rounding the back bumper of my car, a gust of wind blew by...

that resulted in my shirt blowing completely over my face...

and when I finally got it together to smooth it down, I find myself face to face with Mr. Brunner, the principal of the school.

He is dying laughing.

I am mortified beyond belief.  Not only did my shirt blow up, I was wearing skinny jeans.  This means undeniable muffin top action.

After I recover, I turn around - only to see the next car in the car line - another witness to my rather "revealing" morning.

That's what I get for trying to look cute.

The next day, Michael is getting out of the car at school and Mr. Brunner is helping him out and says, "Morning Michael, let's get you out of this car."

He looks at me and says:

"YOU - you stay in the car."

It's a good thing I'm not a stranger at that school.

Well, this may be bragging. But I just want to write it down.

As you all know - all 3 of you who read the blog still - that I'm not about bragging normally.  I try to keep it real because being a mother is real.

It's hard enough to be a mother without high standards of motherhood perfection out there.  The last thing I want to be is that!

But I want to write this down for when I am having a bad day or when Michael decides to push over an entire display at the grocery store or whenever things are not looking good.  I need to pull out this blog post for a little pick-me-up.

One thing I did not mention about Michael's parent-teacher conference is what his teacher, Mrs. DeColli, told me.

After showing me how Michael's handwriting had progressed and how he was doing well, she told me, "You are a blessing to your child.  You have helped him develop this love of learning that will blossom as he grows older in high school and college.  You will see the fruits of your efforts as he grows."

I was so humbled and happy to hear this.  As a parent, you go in day in and day out - wondering if what you are doing is "right."  And having your child's teacher tell you this, makes you feel like you did do something right.

And from Mrs. DeColli no less.  She is a NO-NONSENSE-tell-it-like-it-is teacher.  She doesn't sugar coat ANYTHING.   After Michael's playdate last Friday, I found out she told the other 2 parents:

"Well, you are always so perfect with the perfect hair/makeup/clothes - it's no wonder your son feels the need to overcompensate and be perfect as well to live up to you."

"You need to stop doing everything for your child.  She is capable and you are not setting her up to be independent if you keep helping her do things she can do for herself."

When one of the moms tried to ask me what Mrs. DeColli told me, I hurriedly switched the conversation and was thankful no one noticed.

The last thing I want to do is brag or think I know the "best" way to raise a child.  I've been questioned about my decisions, and I've been chastised about whether or not I can take good care of my own child.  It is hurtful, and I never forget.  So  I always feel like the mom who drops the ball 9 times out of 10 and makes poor decisions.

So yes - I feel the need to document this not because I feel the need to brag.  But because I just needed one moment recorded where I did not mess up.  Or at least not yet.  There's still many more years including adolescence to see what happens.  Only God can hold those years in His most capable hands where I hope the foundation of communication and decision making that we are creating now will work well.

Oh - one last thing.  Michael told me the other day:
"Mrs. DeColli told the WHOLE class that if they had a question or needed help figuring something out that they could also ask ME to help them."

I asked to see, "Well - was it just YOU or was there a team of you who understand and can help?"

"No, just me.  No one else."

And in my mind I think - don't get too big for your britches, boy.  There are only 18 kids in your class.  And we live in small town rural PA.  It's not THAT big of an accomplishment!  But out loud, I said,

"Well, that's cool!  I hope you are proud of yourself and are helping your classmates out!  Sounds like an important job!"