Grateful |

This past week, I’ve had the opportunity to step back into the classroom full-time, temporarily. It’s great to be back, it’s reinvigorated me and motivated me to speak more French to Mon Cœur (MC). It’s also made me rethink our morning routine, as MC typically sleeps until 8am, then comes and climbs in bed with me and we snuggle a little longer before waking up and starting our day. It’s especially nice since the time change and the colder weather we’ve been getting…and then, I get a call and an awesome opportunity, and we have to wake up and be out the door before 7am!

So I was very grateful after these first few days of “new normal” to have a lazy weekend. Yesterday MC and I slept in, made pancakes and did some crafting. It was so nice to have just a little time where we weren’t rushing to get somewhere in the morning. MC is an excellent help in the kitchen too.

“I mix, Mommy!” and “I see?” asking to see the pancakes as they cooked so she could add raspberries.

And I’m always impressed by the steadiness of her hand and her sureness when she wields silverware.

It’s November, so many people may be thinking of what they are thankful for, and for a long time, Thanksgiving (or the week of) was the one time of year that we stopped to be grateful.

For the past year, I have tried to find at least one thing a day that I am grateful for each day, or one thing that MC does that makes my heart sing, or a milestone, etc. Some days (especially when I am not with her all day) I forget to note anything, then other days I have a page full of hearts.

Today, I noted that as I was meal planning for this coming week and looking through my recipe book, she found a sticky that had a butterfly on it. She pulled it off, and started rattling away, “Butterfly, butterfly….Millie, Millie, Millie.” What may have made others sad to hear, but made me smile (and cry on the inside, too – let’s be honest). I am grateful that she made the connection by herself and to know that she carries Millie in her heart, too. I asked her, “Millie is your baby sister, isn’t she?” She nodded, and that was that.

In a book I keep by my stand and refer to often, the author, Gretchen Rubin states,” Gratitude is important to happiness….[It] brings freedom from envy, because when you’re grateful for what you have, you’re not consumed with wanting something different or something more.”

This week, I’m grateful for:

Chou chou bringing the pancake mix and raspberries home for a fun breakfast
MC being an amazing helper
her hugs and unprompted “I love you”s
a weekend with (almost) no plans
playdates and new friends
a new opportunity to help students and use my French
MC’s previous daycare for bringing her back in while I am teaching
old and new friends reaching out
beautiful, crisp weather
a warm house, fires in the fireplace, and warm apple cider
a little bit of “me time” to relax and unwind
MC prompting a new dinner time routine where we share what we are grateful for (more on this later)