Blogging is Important to Me; Gratitude List #418-444

I'm bothered by this large chunk of time in which I haven't been blogging or scrapbooking. I have the pictures, but they aren't organized in any suitable way. I have been going through different phases in life the past few years. I am committed to return to being more intentional. Adding our 4th child to my family has been this amazing cherry on the top of my great life. We smile and laugh constantly all day, everyday because of him. The paradox is that I accomplish less and have felt like a "less" person because of the addition. I look worse than I've ever looked (partly because I'm older than I've ever been, naturally). I travel less. There are less Family Fun Nights and less sandwiches cut into fun shapes. The importance of muffin tin meals pale in the comparison of all of the snuggles my children receive from their little brother everyday. But the other feelings I'm going through stir in me the need for, like I said, returning to my intentional self and doing the little things that I love, like recording my family story. So I'm back to doing that for myself and for the little ones who love sitting on the couch turning the pages of their scrapbooks or scrolling through the pages of my blog.

 

I was surprised I hadn't added to my gratitude list since 2012, so let's see if I can get closer to the goal of 1,000.

 #418: fun school projects

 

Dash's class at school recently completed a Titanic unit. The culmination party included dressing up in character for the presentations they had prepared. He was Isidor Straus, the well-respected co-owner of Macy's department store, who perished that fateful night of April 15, 1912 along with his loving wife who refused to leave his side. We had a lot of fun researching and preparing his project (and felt like homeschooling again), which was a video of Ryan playing the role of Isidor Straus and Dash taking on the job of interviewing him.

 #419-423: fancy buns, hair glitter, a Minnie Mouse hair clip,

pretend earrings that cause a little girl to squeal when she

sees them, and a princess sash.

#424: sitting on Daddy's shoulders

#425: T-Rex restaurant

because it's fun

 

#426: dinosaur hats

because they make the kids smile

 

#427: this guy

just because

 

 

#428: the sweetness of finding

Little One where he fell asleep on the floor.

 

Although, I must admit, the first time any of my
kids have done this as toddlers,

I run to see if they're breathing because it freaks me out.



#429: Cupie Mango, our February guest

(more about him later)

#430: my seasonal frame in my entryway

 #431: a field trip with my son

#432: riding the ferris wheel with him

 

#433: my son's excitement

#434: He runs to get on rides now.

His list of fears and sensory issues have diminished rapidly.

#435: pleasant classmates he spends time with daily

#436: his teacher

We love her.

 #437: clowns

 

Little One did not share my amusement.

 

#438: Monster Trucks

because they're cool

 #439: Justin's vegan peanut butter cups

 

He DOES share my love of these.

 #439: a girl who is going to be the best
teacher one day...she already is

 

 #440: first lost tooth/growing up

(My hate list would also include: growing up.)

 

 #441: the hugging tree at Fort Lonesome Farm

 #442: the doorbell ringing, then just finding this

#443: the daily laughs I was talking about above

 

He was using the last of his orange juice to paint his

legs with the stainless steel straw. He kept dipping

it back into the glass and was so deliberate.

 

#444: for you, taking the time to read my post