Dinner out

Going out for supper in a real restaurant with waiters!

Punishment

I got a call from my son's teacher today... Never a good sign! It turns out that he stole another boys snack because it looked better than his own. What made it worse was that he lied about it to the teacher and then to me when he got home... I know, what am I grateful about?! Well, when he finally did confess and I handed out his punishment (no tv or computer) he just accepted it and took responsibility. He let me know he was upset about not having tv but knew it was his fault and that he had to accept it. I was disappointed that he misbehaved in the first place but very proud of the way he handled it after!

Second helpings

I must admit I'm not a good cook. If it were just me I would be eating cereal and frozen dinners every night. However, being a "good" mother requires me to feed the kids a somewhat healthy meal every day. Most days after school the kids come home and immediately ask what's for supper and then "ewww..  I hate that!". We sit down for supper and the bargaining begins "how many bites?"... Today I made chicken legs, rice and Caesar salad. The boys not only ate everything on their plate but asked for more! Made me super happy!!

This is delicious!

Had some ground beef today so I made a "cheater" spaghetti sauce with jarred marinara sauce... Both boys said it was delicious! Not a compliment I receive often so I am grateful!

Mommy's back!

When I came home today from my weekend away I was met by big hugs from my sons and a cute note under my pillow that said "I love mommy"... Made my day!

Free Wi-Fi

Staying in a hotel with free wifi means catching up on breaking bad episodes while waiting for my boyfriend!

Weekend getaway!

Thankful to be going out of town for an adult-only weekend!

Short and sweet

Short one today:
Thankful for finding fish in the freezer for supper!
Thankful for hugs!

Generosity

Can't believe I almost forgot this: Opened up the agendas this evening and saw a note about frozen yogurt at the boys' school TOMORROW! (I hate when they only give one days notice!). It costs 2$ each and of course I have no cash on me! My eldest son says: it's ok mommy! I'll pay for it!... He then went and took out 4 loonies for him and his brother from his piggybank! Very proud mommy!

Bedtime

I just put my boys to bed. It's one of my favourite parts of my day! We do some homework, read some books and then listen to classical music until they fall asleep. It usually doesn't start off so smoothly. I often am running after them to put on their pyjamas and brush their teeth. Once that's done, however, and they've accepted the inevitable it's a beautiful time where we just enjoy being together and watching them learn and ask questions about the books we are reading. Today was a great bedtime! I'm thankful!

Number 1 ladies' detective agency

A few years back I watched this fantastic short-live series on hbo called "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" . I had it recorded and decided today in a moment of relaxation that I would watch it. I am thankful for that moment and for the pure entertainment this show brings me. It stars Jill Scott as Mma Ramotswe, a detective in Botswana, Africa. It's based on a series of books of the same name by Alexander Mcall Smith. It's just pure delight!

Saying thank you!

I missed a couple of days (already!) and immediately started berating myself on how I couldn't even get through the first two weeks of January! I missed a couple of days and said "well, might as well give up!". That is until I got a phone call from a very dear friend with a simple thank you for some work I did for him for a certificate. It was probably just a two minute conversation but it completely made my day!
Isn't it amazing how simply being seen and acknowledged by people who are important to us can bring so much joy?! Then I thought, do I acknowledge and thank the people around me enough? It's such an important thing to do and often is neglected. There's a quote i read once that says that people won't remember what you did necessarily but they will remember how you made them feel. So, today I'm grateful for that friend for the thank you but also for reminding me to acknowledge people around me too!

Back to school!

Thankful that the boys went back to school after the holidays and were excited!

End of cold snap!

Quick one tonight: thankful for the warming temperature!

Thoughtful little boys

I'm a mother of two very active young boys aged 5 and 6. Most days are filled with breaking up fights, trying to shout over them to be quiet (ironic, I know!) and urging them to just sit still for a minute! Once in a while, little quiet moments come and their beautiful, sweet, sensitive selves come out. Tonight, 5 minutes after putting them to bed, my 5 year old crept out of his room to where I was and said "I just wanted to check that you were OK!". I know it was mostly an attempt to get out of bed than real, genuine concern for my well-being but the sentiment was so sweet that it filled my heart with even more love for my beautiful son. Ok- so I know I have just probably been conned by my 5 year old but I'm thankful even still! :-)

Trampoline fun

It has been very cold this week over here! With both boys home from school it's easy for them to get cabin fever. It's also been difficult because due to some health issues this summer I haven't been able to drive so we are often just stuck at home. Today my father came by and drove us to an indoor trampoline park. The boys had a great time and it broke the routine of watching movies and playing video games all day! I'm thankful for the help to take the boys out to have fun!

No waiting!

I had Hodgkin's disease when I was 17. I had about 7 months of treatments and have been in remission for 16 years now (yay!). That in itself is something to be thankful for but I have something a little more simple to be thankful for today. Since my cancer I have had many appointments with various specialists to make sure that the treatment methods that were used to save my life have not caused other potential health afflictions. I have come accustomed to long waits and days spent at the hospital whenever I have any kind of appointment. Today I had an ultrasound for my thyroid so I decided to get there early to get a blood test done (for another doctor) at the same time. Most of the time, when getting a blood test, you walk into the test center and see a packed room full of people and have to wait at least an hour! Today I walked in, book in hand, prepared for the wait and lo and behold: I was the only patient! That is what I'm thankful for today! An empty waiting room doesn't happen often but I'm truly thankful when it does!

Bringing positive energy

I truly believe that positive things come in your life when you exude positivity yourself.  I tend to be a positive person in general but after coming across some challenges in 2013 I had some rough times where I found being positive sometimes a little difficult.  My challenge for myself this year is to find something to be thankful for every day 'a la Oprah's gratitude journal!
Here we go:
Today I am thankful for my brother having babysat my two wonderful (but sometimes challenging) boys so that I could spend New Year's Eve with my boyfriend of 1 year.  Dating as a single mother is sometimes difficult and can be frustrating especially around the holidays.  It's a juggling act trying to find quality family time and spending some special moment with the new person in your life. This New Year's Eve my 32 year old brother sacrificed his New Year's Eve celebration so that I can spend time with my boyfriend.  Thank you!!!