Thankful Thursday

Sammy's Gifts
- I'm thankful for the library.
- I'm thankful for this book. (Go, Go America)
- I'm thankful for the library movies and him (pointing to Micah).
- I'm thankful that I'm setting these toys up and that Micah's doing Lesson 4 today. (It is so strangely cute how excited both boys are about Micah's math...)

Micah's Gifts
- I'm thankful that I"m drawing a duck.
- I'm thankful for Sammy.
- I'm thankful for Mommy.
- I'm thankful for what we ate today...pasta and beans and carrots and grapes.
- I'm thankful for my Perplexus ball.

My Gifts
So thankful to watch my children paint this morning.  I am not a super-crafty mom.  I like to do crafts with my kids, but it is just not something we do all the time.  Now that I am homeschooling and in "intentional mode," we are focusing one morning a week on a craft.  Today's?  Painting with apples.  We cut them in half (the non-traditional way) to see the "star" with the seeds, and then used them to "stamp" on paper.  The kids then went to town adding different colors and using different brushes to make their own masterpieces.  It was a blast.  Loved it all, and thanks to washable paint (and machine-washable smocks from Ikea), clean up was a cinch.

Micah's masterpiece...

Sammy's masterpiece...

Ella's masterpiece...

I am loving the start of our homeschooling journey.  Today, as both my girls took their naps and as Sammy contentedly lined up a "parade" of superheroes and toys, Micah sat on the floor with his math books and manipulatives, completing a test, and I sat next to him mashing up bananas for a batch of banana bread I was working on.  I snapped a picture to remember this "I love my life" moment, and I am so very thankful for this precious time with my littles.  It is hard and tiring and there are times I lose my patience (and my perspective!) but this was one of those sweet moments to treasure in my heart.  

Yesterday for Science, the boys did "space walking," where we attached sponges to their shoes with rubberbands to give them a feeling of weightlessness as they walk.  So fun!

I am thankful for the everyday blessings of being a mama...Ella's time spent setting up her dolls, bathtime snuggles, Sammy creating a Little People village, a new taste of baby food, and the littles all on the couch together.

I am thankful for an impromptu post-nap/pre-dinner playtime with my sister and all the kiddos as we snacked and walked to the park.  You know you're sisters when you can invite yourself over to play and can rummage through the pantry for a mid-afternoon snack.  Loved it.

Thankful for all the organizing and rearranging we've been doing around here, continuing to make our house work for our family, and now creating space for homeschooling.  Such little things like a lamp in a new location or a bin in a cubby or neat rows of colorful toys have brought joy to me this past week.

Our days have been oh-so-full and my head is hitting the pillow exhausted at night.  But it is making our times of rest even the more sweet.  We are learning a new rhythm here of life and school and chores and relationships, etc., but I am thankful for the time and grace in which to find that rhythm.  In the meantime, thankful that life goes on with piles of clean laundry, not-quite-finished-being-organized shelves, counters of chaos, and simple meals.  Thankful for my husband in which to tackle the load with, and thankful that we are living for such a greater purpose than ourselves.

What are you thankful for today?