Watching my kids see their world, helps me gain a new perspective. This time of year it is especially refreshing- the joy, the excitement, the anticipation, the magic. Their faces light up watching the snow fall; they cannot wait for their Thanksgiving feast; & Covey asks about Santa daily. They bring some extra magic to the holiday season. To see the holidays & their world through their eyes, I am thankful.
Let it Snow!
Yesterday we were on blizzard warnings, then down to advisory, back up to warnings. As a result, we woke to a fair amount of snow. While I thought the wind would keep us inside, thankfully it died down this morning & the boys' got to play. They made snow angels & had a snow feast; they attempted a walk in their snowshoes & ate some more snow. Their excitement was contagious & refreshing. For our first snowfall, I am thankful.
Imagine...
The boys take themselves on grand adventures, with their imaginations. They're sword-yielding pirates then a minute later leg-chopping ninjas; their army guys get set-up for repeated battles; their cars race through dunes & tracks before winning first place; their knights build grand castles; & at the end of it all, they cook us up a delicious pot of soup, full of shrimp, eggs, pizza, onions & fruit. All because of their imagination. I love watching their minds work; taking them on these adventures. At this point, Ella has a one-track imagination- anything on the floor must be food & put in her mouth...Some days I let my own imagination wander until my house is clean, my laundry done & everything put away. Yes, imagination is a powerful tool. For their imaginations, I am thankful.
Slowing Down
It seems every day this week, Ella has made a new discovery. She started pulling herself up to a stand; yesterday she figured out how to blow raspberries; she recently discovered herself in the mirror & now discovered there's a mirror at her level in the bathroom. I think she's telling me to slow down & soak it up. While some days feel very long, all three kids remind me of this regularly. For this daily reminder, I am thankful.
Tee-ball in the Rain
The rain was falling, but the kids needed to get out & run. Sometimes I'm a bit embarrassed by the way I refer to my children- like they're my dogs. I'll casually mention, it's time to go run the kids. Yep, just like I used to say when we had dogs. The truth? They do need to run. If they don't, a whole lot of tension, attitude, & energy bottles up inside our house & makes it feel really small, really quick. So tee-ball in the rain was just what we all needed. & Covey was back in his ninja suit. I'm almost certain he has worn it every day this week, at some point. It's quickly transforming from its cheapo nylon outfit status into a treasured keepsake, & thus a dang good childhood memory. This would give me the perfect opportunity to branch into childhood memories, but I'm saving that for another post. Back to the weather- it has been an awfully nice fall for Kodiak, which just makes everything seem a little bit brighter & better; for that, I am thankful.
Cousins
The kids have a total of 5 cousins (soon to be 6!). We almost all live in the same small town we grew up in. If you're not familiar with Kodiak- it's a really big island with a really small town. My brother's family isn't here (but hopefully returning in the near future) & my sister is having baby #1 this spring, so the cousins continue :) The kids love playing & hanging with each other. They've already developed wonderful friendships. They'll grow up with each other, laugh together, fight together, play together & create their childhood memories together. For that, I am thankful!
The Peterson cousins
The Otto cousins
