Counting My Blessings 10-12

(This is totally harder than I thought it would be, sorry I'm not more consistent)

10-I am grateful for Kindergarten. Abby is having a wonderful time learning at school, making new friends, picking up on new things, interacting with OTHER people. I have had the opportunity to go and assist at the start of class a few times, and it really is so much fun working with little kids on classroom stuff again. It reminds me of when I was assisting at the DSC preschool, the kids are cute, friendly and oh-so-bright. Harvey tags along with Abby while I'm doing the parent-job and is none too happy when we leave. Willard gets into everything, I am going to have to figure out something else before I take him back in there. Abby has started sounding out and reading simple words. Today she read 'facts, moon, from, cheerios' and a few others. She also is starting to write out simple sentences to label her pictures 'early at school' looks like this 'R L Y A T SOSL' Personally I thought her spelling of early was dead on for sounding it out (and super cute). She is struggling some with counting to 30, she gets completely tripped up in the teens. If she remembers 14 and 15, the next in line is usually 51, lol. But we are going to practice some with the calendar. Which totally makes her giddy because her birthday is coming up very, very soon. I'm grateful for all that Kindergarten has offered Abby. I'm also grateful for the opportunity I have to bond with Harvey. I'll admit right up that reading blogs and For Better or For Worse usually takes most of my time. But today I unplugged the TV, and read to Harvey. We got sleepy holding each other in the rocker, and went to lay down on my bed. Harvey fell asleep and took a nap, for the first time in FOREVER. And he has still gone to bed at a decent hour. Oh yes, I am very grateful for Kindergarten.

11- I am grateful for my gym membership. I know I need to make better use of it, and as I sit here relaxing in my post-Pilates Class euphoria, I wonder why I hadn't gone in so long. There are many reasons for it, most of which can be classed under timing. But I've got to get back in there. Not only is it essential if I am to have any chance at all of shrinking my saggy baggy elephant skin. But the effects are almost as good as a massage. I can relax, my body stiffness almost melts away, I can get up and out of bed without silently cursing my various achy spots. Not that I wouldn't still appreciate a nice foot or back rub, but in general I feel much better. Ironic as it may sound, I also have more energy and fewer munchies. When Abby was a baby I was able to put her in the stroller and go for a walk on a nearby trail. Now that there are three kids and no trail, I am so very grateful for a gym membership. Now does anybody want to be my gym buddy??

12- I am grateful for my Bosch Mixer. And my NutriMill. We are out of bread right now, I made a double batch last week and it all got eaten that weekend. So tomorrow I need to mix up some fresh bread. And I am so glad I've got a mixer with the muscle to pull it off. When I first started making bread I was using my Kitchen Aid and although it is a nice mixer it could only do a half batch of bread at a time. Neither did it have the power to knead whole wheat dough until is was nice and smooth, so I got to do that. Whenever I got sick of that process and decided to buy bread, we'd go to church within a week and taste once again Sister Fife's bread. (Her son was bringing their bread to be used for the Sacrament.) ONE bite and I would automatically thing, "mmmm, real food". Now, I can't afford to buy 3 or 4 dollar loaves of real bread, so I make it. And I am very grateful for my Bosch mixer, which will take 12-16 cups of whole wheat flour and knead it into beautifully smooth dough. Dough that makes pretty decent bread. If I don't mess it up. :D

(Now that I've done that, I can remember a beautiful list of blog worthy blessings. Hopefully I'll still remember tomorrow!)