Saturday, November 30, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving 2013


thank·ful [thangk-fuhl]
adjective
feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative. grateful and appreciative

This weekend has been a weekend to slow down and reflect on all that I am thankful for.  I often just stop in my tracks, smile and give thanks for the amazing life I have, but this thanksgiving weekend was very deliberate.  It feels as if my life is changing every day.  Each morning I wake up and take a deep breath, ready to take on whatever comes my way.  I am ready for some of the changes and others are catching me by surprise, yet I am still thankful.


This was my first Thanksgiving in 18 years without Gabby.  I imagined this day would be a sad one; me crying and missing my big girl, but it was a good day.  I was thankful to hear her voice on the phone and know that she was enjoying her Thanksgiving in San Francisco with one of her best friends.   She was safe, had a place to stay and good food to eat.  She is enjoying California college life and will be home in a few weeks.

Sinobia kept us laughing and entertained most of the day.  Her "teenage" personality is evolving every day.  While this is an exhausting process, it's also quite fun to watch.  I'm thankful that she still allows us to be a part of her life, as this is the time when teenagers begin to push their parents away.  We had ourselves a movie date today and she actually sat right next to me.  She is growing up to be a great kid....big world look out!

Eric fried us an amazing turkey this year for thanksgiving; his best yet!  I wake up every day thankful to have him by my side.  I couldn't ask for a more patient and loving partner and father for my children.  Eric is learning to deal with my menopause craziness like a real trooper.  I can never predict my mood, temperature or sensitivity, but he is always ready for whatever emerges from the menopausal beast that lurks within me.

I am thankful that my mom and brother are in good health.  They are doing well in Louisiana.  I wish I could see them more often, but our constant phone calls keep us connected.  I am thankful for the great family that the Aiden's are to me.  Eric's parents are like my parents and his siblings are like my own as well.  When I cannot be with my mom and brother, they embrace me and surround me with love every minute that I am with them.

I am thankful for all of my amazing friends that I have.  I have chosen to surround myself with people that are easy to love...they in return love me, my children and my family unconditionally.  I have had the opportunity to connect with some friends over the past few weeks.  It feels good to see them, hug them and enjoy their company while remembering why I love them so much.

I am thankful for my great job and my lovely classroom of children and parents this year.  My colleagues are constantly supporting me, pushing me to grow professionally and encouraging me to be the one and only "Authentic" Tracy.  I am thankful for my kindergarten grade-mate, tucked in the hallway corner with me (shout-out to Lizzy B), who always has my back.  Liz has jumped on my crazy menopausal roller-coaster and has learned to read my moods well.  She always makes me laugh when she predicts tears will start to flow from my eyes..she quickly jumps into action shouting "Don't cry! Don't cry!" and produces tissue at just the right time.

I am thankful for our simple, yet beautiful home, where we love each other fiercely, fight like cats and dogs, sing too loud, laugh even louder and cherish each moment we have together.

I hope that everyone takes the time to reflect on the things that they are thankful for in their lives.  Life is so fragile and many are not afforded much time on this earth.  Love who you are, what you have and be thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving!




Saturday, November 23, 2013

Where Has The Time Gone?


So, a few weeks ago, I find myself sitting in an auditorium full of children and parents at ETHS.  I think I'm dreaming before I realize that I am at "Incoming Freshman" orientation for Sinobia.

Where has the time gone?  I still remember crying my eyes out at her 5th grade graduation a few years ago, so sad that she was leaving the elementary school nest and moving on to middle school.  Now she is talking about summer school, schedules, sports and college?!

With one of our girls gone away to college, it's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that the next 4 years are going to go by so fast.  They went too fast with Gabby.  One day we were saying, "oh, we have plenty of time" and the next we were declaring a school and packing up her life to send her off to California.

I'm going to try to take the next 4 years really slow.  No one really remembers Sinobia as a little kid.  It seems as if she was just born this little mini-person and just kept on growing, evolving and maturing as each day went by.  I know now from experience that these days are to be cherished.  Our baby is not our little baby anymore.