Thanks, Thank You, Thankful!

It’s Thanksgiving Eve. The boys are sleeping, Mike’s parents are visiting and we’re catching up on TIVO while we lay side by side in our big comfy bed. I am thankful even though I sometimes forget.

Greyson's school celebrated the holiday throughout the past few weeks by making a list of things the kids are thankful for, creating collages of their families and participating in a sharing feast.  We donated food for families and talked a lot about the spirit of thankfulness and giving.  This is the family collage.  I thought he did a fabulous job of picking out likenesses! :-)

Greyson is thankful for:

1. My costumes
2. My mom and dad
3. The Spiderman theme song
4. Food (specifically? “treats”)
5. My Christmas tree
6. My cat Lexi
7. My baseball bed

We decided to make a list too:

1. We are thankful for each other. 17 years ago we met and we’re about to celebrate 11 years of marriage. I’m thankful that Mike proposed to me on a quiet Tuesday night at home and that we’ve survived a 50% divorce rate because our focus was never the engagement and wedding but always the marriage.
2. We’re thankful for our children. For their good health, their constant smiles and unconditional love. We loved our lives before our kids but their lives will carry us on far after we’re gone.
3. We’re thankful for our families. Our parents, brother, sisters, nieces and nephew. Mike’s parents celebrate 40 years of marriage next week (Happy Anniversary!), my parents are just a year behind. What an example they have set for all of us.
4. Our nanny Sara. She allows us to work outside of parenthood and has found a way to be an extended part of an already close-knit family. We know it’s a luxury that not all parents can afford and we never take that for granted.
5. Our neighbors, Marilyn and Doug who are retired grandparents who regularly invite Greyson into their home to play with their grandchildren. They treat him like one of their own and make living so far from our ‘real’ home a little easier.
6. We are thankful for the Seattle experience. It challenges us regularly and we are richer for it.
7. Greyson’s school. They take such great care and he's learning. learning, learning.
8. Movie and popcorn nights.
9. And so, so, so much more

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us.

GREY*isms*

(while laying on the couch eating popcorn)

• G: “Dad, eat your bowl”
• M: “I did” (showing him an empty bowl)
• G: “No eat the bowl” (giggling) “Eat the bowl and I’ll give you 50 bucks”