A Year of Thanks!

As I sit here in my cold den because yet again I have failed to make a fire. Luckily it isn't too chilly and I know that it will warm up by the afternoon. The boys are watching the Christmas specials on PBS today, currently The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas is on. Blake is really in to Christmas this year and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet. Blake does this new thing now, when he gets mad he throws a tantrum. That isn't the new or uncommon thing for my my 3 year old or any 3 year old for that matter. He has started to shout out that he doesn't want certain things anymore that I KNOW he does. For example:

"Go to your room for a time out Blake, you do not hit your brother!" -Me
"*Insert Growl UGH* I don't want Christmas anymore." -Blake
OR
"I DON'T WANT MY BIRTHDAY ANYMORE!!!!"-Blake

*sigh* What am I going to do with this kid? I have considered doing some sort of behavior chart, like what they do in preschool and kindergarten. It could work. I'm just tired of waking up in a good mood and the littles waking up in a bad mood. Usually I'm the grouch and they are all perky zipping through the house.

I don't think he really understands Thanksgiving yet, although I have tried to explain it to him. Yesterday I believe the new Daniel Tiger show was trying to teach kids about Thanksgiving. At the end of the show they started to sing something along the lines of, "I'm thankful every day for you?", he hopped off the couch and ran to me as I was getting the vacuum cleaner, hugged me tight, and said "I'm thankful for you! I love you mom!"..melt my heart!

Tomorrow I do not think he will get it, if he does it will be interesting. I think he understands that we are going to see a lot of our family. And obviously, Liam doesn't understand anything. Although he is doing a really good impersonation of Santa and singing along saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho!".

I want to remember these moments. The cute, sweet moments when they are screaming their heads off and being naughty. I really had a nice sit down with Blake yesterday to explain that he shouldn't say that he doesn't want Christmas because Santa knows he is saying that, and it hurts Santa's feelings. Santa works super hard all year long to make Christmas happen and to make sure every little boy and little girl get a present. If he hurts Santa's feelings he isn't going to bring him anything but coal and Santa will have to send one of his elves (elf on the shelf) to make sure that he stays in line, and isn't naughty. He seemed to get this because he really hasn't said it again, but his reply to this was " Will the elf make sure Liam isn't being naughty too?", Yes Blake.

So yes, we NEED to get an Elf on the Shelf ASAP to whip these naughty kids in shape and make sure they get on the NICE list.

Perhaps we will get it tonight....or tomorrow? I am suppose to be meeting Travis at Walmart for pre-black Friday deals! In the mean time we are going to sip are warm milk with cinnamon and enjoy all these Christmas specials before a busy night and busy day tomorrow. I have to make my macaroni and cheese (and perhaps I'll share the recipe when I come back), go to my mother in laws house by 1, then fit in father in law, dad, and there a big family gathering on my mother is side at 5, that is where I am taking the macaroni and cheese to. Until I return, here I some things I am thankful for this year.

What I am Thankful for This Year 

Education- Education is on the top of my 'give thanks list'. This is due to the fact that I have one week before I graduate college. Despite not getting my paper degree for awhile afterwards I'm still officially graduated. I can only imagine how crazy life would have been if I had to go to school at an on site location. I couldn't do it, I would be so burnt out. I would've missed so much of the boys growing up. I am so thankful and happy with my education that I received at Kaplan University, distance learning has been a blessing. I was so unhappy that I couldn't go to college like everyone else my age should and for the most part I'm not unhappy about missing some of the college experiences like living in a dorm room, and partying. Would it have been nice to experience it? Yes. I could not live with a roommate/dorm mate whatever you want to call it. I cannot stand living with other people.  It also let me beat several stereotypes about young moms/teen moms. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my family's support. So here is to education, achieving your goals, and chasing your dreams of being successful. Because I'm not done yet and I'm not settling until I get what I want even if it takes me longer to get there than most. BAM!

Family- Typically, I am always thankful for my family every day, and every second of every minute of an hour in a 365 day year. I don't feel as if I need to make this well known to some people but I'll go ahead and spread the warm fuzzy goodness of my love for my family. My family and even Travis's family has always encouraged me to finish my degree. I may have changed my mind quite a few times but I got there nonetheless. They have always been supportive and helpful. My mom and mother in law kept the boys for me so that I could finish clinical and externship hours. They pushed me when I felt like giving up. I have always felt like a good mom because I am so grounded thanks to my own mother and father. My father has always bent over backwards for the boys and I. I'm grateful for that. Travis's Papa (grandpa) agreed to let us get our inheritance early which consists of some land and a little house that we fixed up with the help of Papa, Travis's dad, and my dad. Words can't express how grateful I am to have my own home and land. If not for his generosity we would be struggling with a mortgage payment right now somewhere we didn't want to be. Travis has always wanted to live here, where he grew up, our roads would always lead us back here and I am so happy that his Papa agreed to let us have it early.  Papa really loves Blake and Liam and it warms my heart when he stops by and they get so excited to see him. 

My Kids- To put it simply, my kids saved me. I am an indecisive person. I had no idea what I wanted in life, or where I was going when I got pregnant with Blake. He put life in perspective for me. He made me see what I wanted. Liam completed our family and made me see how badly I wanted Blake to have a sibling close in age with him. God only knows where I would be if I never got pregnant, if Blake was never born. Who would I be? I was such a selfish person before them. I wasn't close to my family as a teenager. I think my relationships with my dad and mom improved after having the boys. It was a common ground for us because I was living and experience (and still am) what the already did with me. I love my boys so much, no matter how crazy they make me sometimes. They make me stronger and better.

My Husband- Oh my goodness! I just do not know where to begin with this guy. I'll try to keep it short though. We have been through so many ups and downs. We are finally at a good place in our relationship and life. Sure, we fight and things aren't perfect. We aren't as well off as we would like to be but we are still young and we are doing better than some. I respect Travis so much for one simple fact, he did not walk away when he found out at 19 years old that he would be having a baby. Almost 5 years later, he still won't walk away. :) He has always made sure that we are provided for and have our basic needs met. He is a hard working man, that has been instilled in him right down to his bones. He grows in to a better husband a father more and more as time goes by. I am so proud of him. 

Our Own House- As I mentioned above the ins and outings of how we came by our home. For that, I am thankful. It isn't just how we received our home but just having our own little place. The year apart Travis and I spent, I lived with my dad and his fiance. I am grateful they opened their home up to us because lets face it, with two small kids they seem to run the shots and take over. After Travis got out of the Air Force we stayed with different families; his dad, my dad, and his mom for a few months while trying to remodel our house. All I can really say is that there is NOTHING like having your own space, home, and areas. Everyone has their own way of doing things. When you are in someone else's space no matter how long, you aren't sure what you can do, what you should do, or what you shouldn't do. It creates a lot of anxiety living or staying with others. It isn't something I plan on doing again. I absolutely love finding cute little ideas of new things to do to our house. I have a list of things we need to do, or that I want to do to make it more interesting. I really need to get around to that list. Just know that, house, I am thankful for you. And I promise to spruce you up more now that I am almost done with school! :)