Thanksgiving Gratitude

"Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants." - Kevin James

With so much negativity in the media, and so many doomsday announcers out there, I'd like to take this opportunity to proclaim what I'm truly thankful for this year.
First and foremost, I'm grateful for my children and everything they bring into my life.
I'm thankful...
~ They still occasionally bring me breakfast in bed, which consists of a bowl of Cap'n Crunch on a pizza tray
~ No teeth have been broken this school year so far
~ Once in awhile, maybe when they're barely recognizing it, they will still hold my hand when we cross a street
~ They will still kiss me when I drop them off at school in the morning
~ My bed is the first place they scamper to when they've had a nightmare
~ Once in awhile, I still get called Mommy
~ They watch TV shows with me at night, and let me play with their hair
~ They're not afraid to yell out "I love you!" in public
~ Even if they fight like cats and dogs, they're also fiercely loyal to each other, and not afraid to beg for clemency when they feel I'm being unfair to one of their siblings
~ They notice when I wear perfume
~ They get excited when I get new shoes
I am also very grateful for my family.
I'm thankful...
~ I have a mother that always seems to know that when my work day is running long, the most wonderful thing she can do is make dinner and feed the kids
~ I have a dad who still fills my gas tank up once in awhile and checks the air in my tires
~ I have a brother who is always there for me, and laughs at the same ridiculous stories over and over again
~ I have cousins who are like sisters to me, and guard my secrets close
~ I have aunts who cheer like a parent and step back when I bare my teeth
And also, so very, very grateful to my friends.
I'm thankful...
~ They are quick to pick my kids up and drop them off at their activities when I'm running late. Because yes, it truly takes a village.
~ They accept my faults and my quirks and my outbursts and my tantrums. And love me anyway.
~ They recognize that true friends can go months without seeing or talking to each other, and we can pick up right where we left off.
~ They don't gloat (in front of me anyway) when the Vikings lose another game.

So you can see, I'm not only thankful for the big things I've been blessed with, but also the little things. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.  ~Robert Brault