Day 144

I got to spend this morning with Donovan and I am so grateful for the time with him!  He is such a sweet, funny boy and he makes me laugh everytime we are together.  I am glad that I got a couple of hours alone with just the two of us.  I am looking forward to more Mommy & Donovan time again soon!

Day 142 & 143

Monday I was thankful that I got to go to Donovan's birthday celebration at school.  It was also his last official day of preschool, and I have definite mixed emotions about that.  I can't believe my baby boy is growing up so fast!  He was so cute standing up in front of his class, going over the pictures I brought of him over the years, and was so happy as they sang him Happy Birthday.  I liked being able to sit at the table with him and his classmates as they ate their snacks.  They are so cute and fun to talk to, and I'm happy I got the experience to be in his class one more time before he was done.
Today I am glad that Alfredo is back home.  He was gone the past couple of days for a conference for work.  He had a lot of fun, but we missed him a lot back home, and we are all very grateful he made it back home safe and sound.

Day 141

Today is Giovanni's 3rd birthday, so today I am absolutely thankful for my crazy little boy.  He definitely keeps me on my toes and has been a tiny thorn in my side since before he was even born.  He still rarely sleeps through the night, he throws amazing tantrums, he can pierce your eardrums with his scream, and he bites and headbutts like a street fighter.  He also has the cutest laugh, he loves to cuddle and give kisses, he is funny, and he is one of the smartest kids I've ever known.  I love watching him grow up into this beautiful little boy even if he is a tough one to handle sometimes.  He is STUBBORN, but I am content in the fact that I know he will never be talked into doing anything that he doesn't want to do.  Peer pressure will have nothing on him.  He marches to the beat of his own drum, and is perfectly content with that.  However, he is also the perfect little mimic and loves to repeat what people say, and copy whatever his brother does.  I love my unique little Giovanni so much - even if he is going to be the one to eventually break me.  I couldn't imagine our family without him.  He is this amazing dichotomy of vinegar and sugar.  One minute he is trying your patience, the next he is making you laugh.  However, as much as he makes me want to pull out my hair sometimes, I still love spending time with just him.  He is so sweet and smart and I am happy I got to go shopping today with just him.  He was such a good helper, looking for things on our list, counting off numbers and reading letters off the signs.  He kept waving at people and saying hi - the older he gets and the more he talks, the more he likes interacting with people.  Giovanni, you are one of the most amazing little people I know.  Even though you are constantly pushing my buttons, I can't imagine you being any different.  I love you so much, and don't want you to ever lose that fire that makes you, you.  You are a special and amazing little boy and every day I am so grateful that you call me Mommy.  (Although I did liked it more when you call me Mama' - with an accent.  It made me feel sophisticated and a little European.)  I love you, Giovanni, and I thank God for giving you to me every single day.  Happy birthday, my little monkey!

Day 140

Wow!  Today was the day that never seemed to end!  Adelin woke up especially early this morning, so I feel like today was a LOOOOOONG day.  However, I am grateful for the beautiful weather that allowed me and the kiddos to go for a walk.  We walked over to check out the school that Donovan is supposed to be going to next year.  I am so freaked out about that - if I knew I could manage it, I would home school him!  Still it was a nice walk, minus the two pitbulls that scared my baby girl and Giovanni.  I thought I was going to have to crack some doggy skulls.  But, they stayed on their side of the fence, so no doggies were hurt today!  I guess that's something they can be thankful for. 

Day 139

Yesterday I was able to work on my homework while Donovan was at school.  Next Wednesday is his last day and I am going to miss my homework time.  I am so grateful that for most of the year I was able to get some good solid time to work on my homework uninterrupted.  I'm hoping that for the rest of my online classes, I will be able to find some time during the day to work on what I need to.

Days 135, 136, 137 & 138

I keep saying I'm not going to get behind again, and then before I know it four more days have flown by!  Anyway, for Monday I am glad that I have been able to keep up going to the gym as consistently as I have the past four weeks.  I haven't lost many pounds yet, but I have noticed a difference in my stamina, and my strength.  I may not LOOK much different, but I certainly FEEL different.  I know if I stick with it, the outside will catch up to the inside.  Hopefully by the end of the summer, I'll look like a totally different (and hot) woman!
Tuesday I was thankful that I made it through the after-school program at the middle school and no students were harmed.  They were out of control that day, and it took everything I had in me not to strangle one or six of them.  I love them to pieces, but somedays I am SO grateful I only have to deal with them for two hours.  Tuesday was one of those days.
Wednesday I was thankful that the middle school group was small, and well-behaved.  After a day like Tuesday, I was extremely grateful that Wednesday was much smoother.  Hooray!
Today I am so happy that Mom was able to come up and help me take the kids to the dentist this afternoon.  Donovan and Adelin were great, but Giovanni was another story.  I don't know what the deal is with that kid, but he has never had a doctor or dentist appointment that did not involve him screaming at the top of his lungs at some point.  Needless to say, I was very happy to have an extra set of hands to help out and especially to take a non-cooperative Giovanni outside when his appointment was done.  Thanks Mom!  I literally could not have done it without you.

Day 131, 132, 133 & 134

I can't believe that now that I hardly have anything to do, I am constantly getting behind.  Oh well, but now I'm so far behind I can hardly remember what happened for the days I need to catch up on.Well, for Thursday I am thankful that I was able to spend most of the day with Alfredo.  He finally had a day off after working for 8 straight days.  It was nice - those kids were right on the verge of pushing me over the edge.  I'm glad I finally got some back-up!  Plus, it was nice to see Alfredo's face again.  I almost forgot what he looked like!
Friday I am thankful that I got two of the textbooks I have been waiting on for my online classes.  I have quizzes due every week that are kind of difficult to complete without reading the text, so it was nice to get those on Friday.  However, I am still waiting on about four more, so hopefully I can be thankful those arrived soon.
Saturday I am so thankful that I got to co-throw a baby shower for my little sister.  It is amazing (and a little weird) that my youngest sister is expecting a baby in the summer.  I am so excited for her and her husband and can't wait for my new niece to be here.  It was a fun shower and I'm grateful I got to visit with my sister. 
Today I am thankful that I got to spend a beautiful day at home with my kids.  I'm not going to lie, they have been driving me a little crazy today and I did not get to do a lot of what I wanted to today, but that's ok.  I was able to spend the day just hanging out and I was able to finish my homework for the week.  It's a bummer that Alfredo had to work today, but we will be able to celebrate Mother's Day later this week.
Whew!  I'm finally caught up!  Hopefully I can stay on top of this a little better from now on!

Day 129 & 130

Yesterday I got to go to the Mother's Day Tea at Donovan's school.  It was so bittersweet to see him up there with his class singing songs.  He is such a doll and I can't believe that he is getting so big.  I'm still not ready for him to go to kindergarten next year.  I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go and spend some time just the two of us.  It is rare to get any alone time with any of my kids and I am so happy when it happens.  Even if for a short while.
Today I am thankful that I am able to work on homework while Donovan is in school.  I generally go sit in Starbucks with my computer and wait for Donovan to get out of school.  There have been a lot of days recently that I haven't had the opportunity because of something else going on.  I just started two online classes for the summer and I am glad that I will at least have the rest of this month to go work on my homework three days out of the week.  I'll take what I can get, and will put it to good use while I have it!

Day 127 & 128

Yesterday I got back home with the kids and we got to have carne asada for dinner.  It was delicious, as always.  I'm thankful I get fed some of the most wonderful food.  I'm thankful for a husband who knows how to cook it up just the way I like it!  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now.  Yummy!
Today I am thankful for the beautiful weather.  I love days where it is just warm enough that you don't need your jacket, but not too warm that you can't enjoy being outside.  It's wonderful that it is nice enough to let the boys go outside and run off some of their energy.  I am so happy that spring is here!

Day 126

This weekend, the kids and I drove up to Othello to visit my parents.  My sister drove over so she and I could go to the local women's conference and hear my mom speak about her experiences the past 12 years.  For those who don't know, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago, and was told that she would not survive the summer.  Twelve years later, she proved them wrong and is still going strong.  I know that for myself, even though she was technically "sick", it was difficult to picture her that way and I often had to remind myself how serious the situation really was.  Looking back, I am beyond grateful that she is still in our lives.  I don't know what I would have done without her love and support these past few years. 
Hearing my mom speak about her journey and realizing how much of a miracle it is to have her with us is not only humbling, but eye-opening as well.  She is a constant reminder to never take life for granted.  No matter how we live, or what we do, we never know what is waiting for us around the corner.  We need to always cherish every moment we have with those we love, because we really don't know when that could all end.  Tragedies happen all around us, but I'm grateful that Mom showed me how to face them with courage, strength, and determination (or stubbornness - depending on how you look at it).  Every day that we are breathing is a miracle in and of itself.  It is up to us to appreciate that miracle and make the most of it.
I love you so much, Mom.  I cherish every day you are here and I am beyond grateful that you get to see my children grow up into their own miracles.  Thank you so much for always being there.  And even if it doesn't seem like I'm listening, I take every word to heart and hope that I can be the same example of strength to my children as you have been to me.

Days 122, 123, 124 & 125

I am getting really behind, but I am blaming it entirely on finals week.  Last week was my last week of the spring semester, and I was feeling fried in my brain.  It is all kind of a blur now, because I had so much stuff that needed to be done, and so little time to do it in.
Because of this, I am lumping all these days together and saying how grateful I am that I survived finals week.  I am so thankful that I survived and even found enough time to study with people for the various tests I had.  I cannot believe what a difference it makes to have someone else to study with.  I am happy I made it through and am pretty confident I did fairly well on everything.

Day 121

Last night I had the opportunity to hang out with one of my most favorite people in the world.  Without kids - just her and me.  It was amazing to be able to talk with her one-on-one for the first time since she and her kiddos moved back.  I am so grateful for the "mommy only" time we got last night.  It was a couple of wonderful hours of talking, and drinking wine, and I loved it.  I hope that we can find time to do this again soon because I have missed her so much since she's been gone.  I am so glad she is back, and so glad that our kids get to grow up together.  I see some great times together in our future! 

Day 120

So, I'm a couple of days late, but for Sunday, I am most definitely thankful for my baby girl, Adelin.  On her first birthday, I think about the amazing little person she is becoming and I am so grateful she has come into our lives.  Even though three kids about makes me want to lose my mind sometimes, I could not imagine life without our precious Adelin.  She is our princess and she fills our lives with joy.  She has the sweetest spirit and exudes her sweetness to everyone around her.  I am truly blessed to call her my daughter and I hope that I can always be the kind of mother that she needs and deserves.  I love you so much, baby girl.  Thank you for picking me to be your mommy.  You bring joy to my life everyday, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to watch you grow into a beautiful young woman.