Grateful

Grateful for my husband, who took 4 days off work this week to care for sick kids, so I could work full days. The husband who shoved tiny pieces of Tylenol pills into chewed up banana, so the children could swallowed them easily. The husband who, like a magician, convinced all of the children into taking long naps each day. (A task that I find impossible!)

Grateful for my huge black dog, who jumps 4 joyful feet off the ground when I enter the room. He fills my heart; Even when he gets those loooonnnngggggg, sticky hangers of drool. The kind that slowly fall towards the floor, until he shakes his giant head and the drool flicks onto the top of his snout.

Grateful for my little kitten, who assertively brings play to everything she does. Watching her pounce on toys, and dogs, and human toes, reminds me that you can chase anything you want.

Grateful for my much bigger cat. Who quietly follows me around and patiently allows the kitten to chew on his head.

Grateful for my sensitive, dramatic, expressive son. The boy who goes from 0 to 60 and back down again in 10 seconds flat. The boy who loves and misses people with all of his heart, and constantly seeks unsolicited hugs and snuggles. The boy who falls just as quickly into heated rage and cuss words, but is getting so much better at pausing to breath. The boy who screams like he’s dying if he thinks he might throw up.

Grateful for his more stoic brother, who has far fewer words. Who calmly walks towards the washroom, saying on the way, “Mom, I’m have to throw up now, but I’ll be OK.” The boy who has to tell me, “Don’t worry, mom. I’m not angry. I just don’t have anything to talk about right now.”

Grateful for my daughter, the maker, the doer, the organizer. The girl who cooks and bakes better than her mama. The girl who is equally good at sitting on a barstool and directing others, like minions, to fetch things for her. To the girl who constantly making slime and art, and identifying 101 ways that we could give our house a ‘make over’ for improved aesthetic.

Grateful for the house the contains us. The yellow brick with a garage that my husband always dreamed of. The warm wood colours that make our space feel homey. The eclectic collection of kids artwork hanging from the fridge, art boards, walls, and windows. The homemade Christmas wreath on my door in October - because it hasn’t come down since last Christmas.

Grateful for the small moments. The quirks. The ups and the downs. Those are the things that make this family what it is.

Grateful.