Saturday, November 1, 2014

Week In Review - Ten Things Of Thankful (72)


Ten Things of Thankful

I'm sitting here on our couch on a day-after-Halloween Saturday night, listening to hubby playing games with his friend in the States, looking at the baby sleeping next to me, and hearing the occasional cough from the girls' rooms upstairs. I know there's a post-Halloween bash happening at someone's house about 20 minutes from ours, and I was invited. I remember a time when this constellation (Saturday night, party, me at home) would have been unbearable for me. Now, I feel nothing but thankful, for everything we have, for the choices I made (or was made to make) in the past that brought me where I am today, for the people in my life, and those who used to be there, even though there is mostly a reason for them to not be there any more.

Besides these more substantial things, I am especially thankful this week for:

1. Quality time with Calvin. I know, this is a regular item on my list these days, but still. This week, we shared some good skin-on-skin time next to the space heater (waaaaaarmmmmmmm) and I gave the little guy a massage to help with his tummy ache. He was also bathed without crying!

2. Quality time with the girls. We have slightly changed their bed-time routine recently, because they have developed this hard cough again. I've been spending time with each of them separately, rubbing some essential oils in their feet and their backs to help them recover during sleep. During the massages I tell them a story instead of reading a story to them together. We all enjoy the one-on-one time, even though Calvin is not too happy about it most of the time.

3. Lily's first school break. While Violet was going to kindergarten, we spent some mornings playing games or going shopping together. She also read to Calvin and me from her new first-readers book. She's ALMOST there!!!

4. My walks home from kindergarten with Violet. I so love watching her take off on her little balance bike, training both her coordination and balance as well as behavior in traffic.

5. Meeting up with a colleague of mine in town. We had a coffee together and chatted. It's good to be missed..

6. Halloween!  The weather was great again, still around 60° when we went out with our friends around 6 pm. It was the same group as last year, and all the kids had a ton of fun while we grown-ups were enjoying chatting and stealing some candy from the girls  :-)

7. My wonderful, wonderful hubby, whose birthday we got to celebrate this week. I am so extremely lucky to have him, and really thankful for those almost 9 years we've been together now!

8. A wonderful day spent with my parents. They came up for a brunch to celebrate hubby's birthday. My mom made her yummie salmon cream cheese spread and we all enjoyed lots of food, goot chats, and a little outing to the playground to take advantage of the beautiful weather as long as we can.

9. Going back into our normal routine next week. Lily's going to go back to school, hubby's language class is starting again, and I have a bunch of appointments to remember, most importantly the initial appointment for Violet's occupational therapy.

10. Calvin being a good sleeper. Which means that I can go to bed early if I'm so exhausted that I have double-vision and cuddle with the baby.


Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

30 comments:

  1. It was WARM, wasn't it? Still is, though now it's windy, too :) I'm glad you've had such a lovely week and that you've been missed by your colleagues. That's a really nice feeling to have.

    I hope your return to normal routine goes smoothly. It's nice to have a break from it sometimes, isn't it :) And I hope that you get to all the appointments, and that Violet's important one goes really well :)

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    1. I actually could barely believe it when I remembered that it was November already! Hope to get a nice white winter to go on tons of winter walks this year!

      Monday definitely starts at full blast again, but I guess I'm ready..

      Have a great Sunday, Lizzi!

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  2. I'm so very jealous of your good sleeper! Mine? Not so much :/

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    1. Violet was a horrible sleeper.. Still is.. We certainly earned a good sleeper for once :-) Have a great Sunday, Steph!

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  3. Love this list. It reminds me of happy days when my kids were small and my parents were still with us. ~May @ Achieving Clarity

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    1. I am definitely thankful that the kids still have all their grandparents, and that they are all still quite active. Many fond memories are being made :-) Have a great rest of the weekend, May!

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  4. Yay for essential oils! I got a few of my first samples so I'm really excited about them. Isn't it awesome how we evolve and can just relax and enjoy our family in those peaceful moments? I remember a time when I always had to be doing something. Yipes! 9 years of marriage sounds so beautiful! It's nice to see an example of a mom getting in one on one time with the kiddies after having a few of them. :)

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    1. I sure gets difficult to really get one-on-one time with the individual kids, especially since the baby is basically attached to my hips, but it's getting better.. I just try to take advantage of sneaking in a few minutes alone with each kid throughout the day..

      I'm really thankful that I got to go out and satisfy the party bug when I was in my late teens or very early twenties. I'm very content with our quiet life these days and hardly ever miss the old times. If I do, I just remember myself that it WAS a great time, and if I tried to relive those days, it would probably suck :-)

      We're not married for 9 years quite yet, but we met in mid-November of 2005. Our 9th anniversary is in April.. Can't believe it's been that long already!

      Have a wonderful day, Brittnei!

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  5. Happy birthday to your husband, and congrats on a good sleeper of a baby!

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  6. warm weather, huh? would that it would stay as warm as it was in the first part of the week past… it is cloudy and windy now. Although I do enjoy the visual/aural element (being inside looking out the window)… pretty steady 30-35 mph wind…
    sounds like you have a most pleasing routine for the Autumn…

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    1. Taking advantage of the weather as long as we can. But I admit, being out in a tank and a light cardigan in November is starting to be a little creepy..

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  7. Yay for a good sleeper!!! :)

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    1. I can't say often enough how thankful I am for this. If he was a sleeper like Violet (basically a non-sleeper), I'd go and reserve a spot at the nut-house :-)

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  8. I feel all warm and cozy just reading this. Hope the girls get over their coughs very soon. I absolutely love your children's names!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jen! Unfortunately, we couldn't find a plant name for Calvin that everyone (most of all he) could live with, in our opinion. So we just say that he's named after the Calvin cycle. Close enough I guess :-) Have a wonderful week, Jen, and thank you for stopping by!

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  9. Skin to skin time is amazing isn't it.

    a good list indeed.

    A little break is nice before heading back into the daily routine.

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    1. Skin to skin is the best, especially because I can wipe the drool off easier :-) I hope you have a wonderful week!

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  10. The walks home (and to) school with my son are my favourite. They are truly special times.
    Happy birthday to the hubs! And almost 9? We've hit 11 years! It flies by too quickly...well when you're cleaning the toilet you're thinking goooooooodddd it is going so slooooow...just kidding!!!!

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    1. I really can't believe that it's going to be 9 years. But I'm also still in denial that we have a 6-year old, a 4-year old and a new baby. At least I have no idea when all that happened, but life and our calendar tells me that it must be true :-)

      Thank you for stopping by, Kimberly, and have a wonderful week!

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  11. It certainly sounds like your life is simply beautiful right now! I hope you are enjoying every single extraordinary moment!

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    1. We really enjoy your life right now, Sandy! I'm so thankful for all the time we all can spend together. Have a great week, Sandy!

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  12. Is Halloween in Germany similar to Halloween in the US? We usually have about 60 degree weather, but a cold snap hit us and it was in the 40s instead. Brrrr!
    I think the bed time routine with the girls sounds delightful. Poor Calvin! He doesn't like to share his mama right now, does he?
    Everyone at your house seems to be learning and growing!
    Happy birthday to your husband!

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    1. Thanks so much, Dyanne! Calvin indeed hates sharing me these days, poor little guy. Sometimes, when he cries, it even sounds like "Mama".. I was out in a tank and a very light cardigan, temperatures were in the high 60s, can't believe that it's November, Not typical at all for this region. It should more be between 40 and 50. But I'm not complaining yet :-) Indeed, everyone is learning and growing, and I'm really thankful for it!

      Have a wonderful week, Dyanne!

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  13. A good sleeper is a great thing! Your list is filled with such wonderful things - love all the special moments with family.

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    1. I'm very thankful for the time with the family, Lisa, and for the good sleeper so I'm rested enough to enjoy it :-) Have a great week!

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  14. Good sleeping babies are a definite thankful! You should tell me what essential oils you use for a cough.

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    1. I use eucalyptus oil and rub it into their feet and on their back. I'm so, so thankful that Calvin is a good sleeper. It really helps so much!

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  15. Glad you're getting a lot of quality time with everyone- so important!

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