Gratitude 6: Anniversary and Kindergarten Edition

46. Nine years of marriage!
47. The wonderful man I've been married to all of those 9 years
48. Pippin's dimple
49. First day of kindergarten!
50. Ice cream consolation prize with the little brother who didn't get to go on the school bus
51. Email from Merry's new teacher saying he had a great first day
52. The goregous, almost unnatural contrast between a bright yellow tree behind purple black trees on the drive home
53. Picking fresh blueberries literally right outside our front door
54. Merry's excitement: "I have school on Friday! And today!"
55. The taste of the air on crisp autumn days
56. Surprise hugs from Merry
57. The elaborate dramas that Pippin plays out with his Mario figurines
58. That moment when you look past a sleep-deprived grumpy haze and realize that these crazy up-all-night children are actually being adorable and amazing
59. Weekend walks with my boys
60. Golden autumn walks to the bus stop
61. Four uninterrupted hours of sleep!
62. A bus stop right next to a playground
63. Pippin's naps. They make scheduling complicated, but so worth it.

Gratitude 5

35. Coffee
36. Pippin's bouncy adorable 2 year old run
37. Discovering Merry combing his sister's near-nonexistent hair while she gazes at him with adoration
38. A bus stop that turns out to be closer than I thought
39. An understanding gymnastics coach, willing to let Merry stay in a younger class that fits his current ability and joy
40. Mom's night out at the new game cafe
41. 2 year old friends playing together
42. Faint strains of high school band practice as school starts up
43. Gigantic Bella smiles just for Merry
44. The sound of rain
45. A dark purple petunia that survived my black thumb all summer

Gratitude 4: Birch Bay Edition

24. Road trip!
25. Evening ice cream with the family
26. Sunset walks by the beach. I am amazed by the color hot pink, it looks so unnaturally gaudy on clothes but then you turn around and it's blazing across the evening sky. And once isn't enough; visit Texas in the spring and it's blushing across the fields as Indian Paintbrush.
27. Meriadoc the Brave facing fear of water in his hair and potential "things in the water that will bite me" to gradually wade into the gentle waves up to his shoulders. Made me so proud and he loved it!
28. Itty bitty crabs all over the place! *skitter skitter*
29. Pippin's "baby dance"
30. Quiet time at the pool with Merry
31. Beach walks with Bella
32. Coffee and cinnamon rolls on the balcony, shared with baby bird Pippin.
33. Return road trip, now with even more autumn color and cooler weather to match.
34. Pippin singing along with the music, at least half a song behind.

Gratitude 3

13. Cool weather after a heat wave
14. Working with books
15. Baby's new trick: planking
16. Baby's new trick: wowowow yells (I can't figure out a better name for this, we pat her mouth while she yells, and she loves it)
17. The first hint of autumn colors
18. The kindergarten schedule we were hoping for. (Not our first choice, but the second best)
19.  A visit from the in-laws (this is not snark, they're great)
20. Asthma medicine
21. Bella's first word: "Bubba!"
22. Bella replacing her near-constant piercing screams with adorable babble
23. When I try to put Bella to sleep on my chest and she pulls back like she's going to fight it for a few seconds, then just thumps forward and passes out.

Gratitude 2

7. Fuzzy baby head asleep on my chest.
8. Sibling reunions *so. many. smiles!*
9. Warm Merry hugs.
10. Sweet Pippin snuggles.
11. That moment when you get a glimpse into what Merry is thinking and it's absolutely hilarious.
12. An overqualified ABA therapist (she's moving up, but it was wonderful while it lasted!)

Gratitude

In a preemptive strike against the mild depression I can sense looming ahead (which I might get around to writing about in its own right), I'm going to try keeping a running gratitude list. I stumbled upon the truly beautiful blog A Holy Experience several years ago, and although Ann has thoroughly convinced me of the power of gratitude, I've never kept up an actual list. So here's a start at my own one thousand gifts:

1. Sweet bare baby arms, so deliciously kissable.
2. Ten long days of relative peace to focus on that sweet baby while the boys visit grandparents.
3. The best blackberries I've ever tasted, offered fresh off the vine by a kind neighbor (note to theoretical future garden ideas: Triple Crown thornless variety)
4. Air conditioning, a rarity in the mild pacific northwest but so very welcome for the occasional heat wave.
5. Visits from old friends.
6. Fresh blueberries growing literally right outside the front door.