Happy Holidays!

This seems to have been about the perfect year for us for Christmas. Now that those darned 4 digit daycare bills are gone we were able to splurge a little for the holidays. Santa finally delivered the Big Barbie dollhouse that Abby had been asking for for the last couple of years. Abby for her part was really into GIVING for a change. We got gifts for former preschool classmates (Toby, Kaylee, and Rory) and we delivered cards to all the teachers at Hampshire Franklin. We did SMALL gifts for about 20 teachers and staff at her current school I think. All of those teachers aides and stuff really add up. There were probably 6 just with the after-school program. We also donated a bag of stuff to the Salvation Army. Actually did a couple of trips to them over the last few months. A really fun part was making a card for the staff at the Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant in Keene, NH. We delivered that on Christmas Eve day and they were really happy with us. They gave us our lunch for free and put the card up on the tree, and took pictures and everything. That was fun!

We continued our Hanukkah celebrations this year by lighting the menorah every night. After we lit the candles Abby would do a dance and then she would fold her hands and bow toward it. It was very respectful and fun to watch.

We did not go to any religious services or set up a nativity scene this year. Abby was tired from all the shopping and wrapping and everything we did and didn't want to go to church. I am not sure where our nativity set went. I think it got mixed in with the regular toys and is in the mix somewhere. Oh well.

We still have one or two more celebrations before we put away the Christmas tree. We've all had a cold, and I'm sitting in bed as I write this because I was too sick to go to work today. So things could have been better, but the SPIRIT of the holidays was definitely with us this year. I am grateful for that.

Happy Holidays! I hope that 2012 is a good year for all.

A quick Grateful list

I posted this on my blog on  www.Sparkpeople.com 

I am not one to post about gratitude every day. I have it, I just don't post it. This morning though I thought I would share with you, in the spirit of the holidays and all.

1. I am grateful that I can afford to send out xmas cards to my friends and family. I know that not everyone can do this. Stamps and cards are expensive and it is outside of many people's budgets to send them.

2. I am grateful that we can afford to have a SHELF full of cereal at our house, okay 1/2 a shelf now but a few weeks ago we bought stuff on sale and we had SEVERAL boxes of the stuff. We still do have quite a bit. 20 years ago I was lucky if I had a single box for myself. Now my daughter has 3 or 4 boxes to choose from in addition to frozen waffles, eggs, and pancakes. I know she will have a healthy breakfast.

3. I am grateful that I have health insurance and that I can afford the copays to see my doctor when I am sick. I have been going back and forth for a few months now trying to get my asthma/breathing situation under control. I know that not everyone could do that. Many people would just "live with it" as long as they could.

4. I am grateful that God, or a higher power, or whatever forces in the universe there are..whatever you want to believe there.... brought my husband together in 2002.

5. I am grateful that my husband was accepting of who I am, faults and all. I am also grateful for his family being accepting too. I am not a saint. I had a life before him and it wasn't all roses.

6. I am grateful to have a full-time job, with flexible working hours and paid time off.

7. I am grateful for the internet. ;-)

8. I am grateful to see my daycare bill this month and see that it is only 3 digits  instead of 4. It wasn't so long ago (July) that it was 4.

9. I am grateful that both of my parents are still alive.

10. I am grateful to have found my long-lost foster sister on Facebook this year. That is probably one of the best things to happen to me in a long time.

11. I am grateful for my daughter.

12. I am grateful to be the kind of mom that will sit down on a dirty kitchen floor and do an art project with my daughter until we run out of paint!

13. I am grateful that my ears work so that I can hear things like "Mommy, I know we have the prettiest Christmas tree in the whole world! No one could possibly have a tree as nice as ours."

14. I am grateful for my Spark friends.

15. I will add... I am grateful for my readers here, whoever you may be. I hope you all have happy holidays!