gratitude journal

1. not being the pagent mom

2. not having the pagent kid

3. green day

4. finding a green snack- pear applesauce!

5. making it through pictures with everyone still smiling and no ripped tights

6. dinner in the mountains

7. dinner at a friends

8. the happy baker asking how my morning is going as Lovey is ushering the loudest of the 2 children outside

9.a birthday party invitation

10. finding the canvas I wanted for the girls room

11. Keeping calm and carrying on

12. houses to see

13. garlic-basil-3 cheese bread

14. motrin

15. a fairly quick run of a fever

16. a happy baby despite the fever

17. playdates

18. cherry- white chocolate scones

19. an evening on the porch with moonlight and Lovey

20. panda bear children tumbling around with each other

21. spring flowers blooming

gratitude journal

1. safe travels with work

2. a night away

3. returning home

4. a fun training

5. options

6. House of Pizza’s Greek Chicken over pasta!

7. a sunny day

8. house hunting

9. consignment sale dresses

10. a 4 year old proclaiming she loves ALL of her dresses- no matter how many times you ask her which one is better!

11. a 4 year old suddenly knowing how to write her letters?!?!?!!??!?!

12. a 4 year old suddenly going from spelling HAT to CAT to Abelia

13. a 4 year old not asking why, but rather: What would happen if I…. a thousand times a day

14. on call peds

15. motrin and tylenol

16. a quickly moving fever

17. a fever only lasting 24 hours

18. growth in the 2 year old- she’s now 30.5 inches and 26.6 lbs

19. a list of 30 baby signs

20. smiles amidst tears

21. my family

gratitude journal

1. an unexpected compliment

2. girl scout cookie season

3. tasty pizza

4. 7 lbs down from 1/1/11

5. thoughtful consultations

6. a new babydoll

7. Albuterol

8. hulu.com

9. spring flowers starting in January and flourishing into March

10. March Fourth

11. house hunting

12. thinking about a day off

13. a weekly weekday meal plan

14. inchstones  (what adds up to the typical milestones)

15. some camera time on a pretty day

16. playing with friends

17. stranger and separation anxiety- it shows she knows her peeps

18. Grandma & Grandpa planning to come to the ballerina’s recital

19. costume fee’s paid

20. safe travels to and from Honduras for Auntie Deb

21. Uncle Greg passing on the good words

gratitude journal

1. ordinary people realizing ordinary things

2. an entourage of bobs

3. lookin at all the pretty houses

4. spring flowers in February!

5. a training well done

6. a house picked up

7. dinner plans

8. no barfing or fevers

9. first steps

10. too many thoughtful presents

11. no babies in the house anymore

12. a loan paid off

13. gratitude for the loan in the first place

14. presents that make me cry

15. giggling girls

16. Lovey’s kindness

17. an insightful Jodie

18. a Mattie that gets our bird

19. a cheering Monique

20. a new PT

21. a houseful of nappers

gratitude journal: In honor of 2 years with the Quail..

1.being such a little concerned sweetheart about everyone in your world- if someone is sad or upset you are the first to scootch over and offer up a bear hug and plenty of sympathetic oooohhhhhs…

2. Being the feistiest lil sprite around town- no doubt you will not be bullied- you’ll swat back

3. teaching so many people about loving people as who they are

4. helping me see what others, and myself in the past see as obligation as a sweet gift- I used to think of your breathing treatments as one more thing to check off each day- now I can’t wait to snuggle you and your sis while you both cuddle up each night

5. learning to trust you and what you are telling us- you are the antonym for passive

6. your trust in us- as you seek us out when you are upset

7. you are such a smartie-smart girl- you continually amaze me as you progress from itty-bitty sweetheart baby to full-on, take the world no holds barred toddler

8. the pride I feel in the tiniest things you do

9. your ability to be soooooooo naughty- you repeatedly swipe your therapists things and hide them and then proceed to empty our cabinets into the tub and potty

10. the way you LOVE to dance with me & Daddy- you snuggle in for a slow song, bounce along to a peppy one and reach up to the sky when a song you know comes on or we suggest dancing

11. the way you holler to let us know you are up in the morning and keep at it until we are too

12. the way you race to the door at school when you hear your peeps approaching

13. the way your whole face lights up when we make you laugh- via tickles, silly games, or your jokes and teasing of us

14. your ability to communicate with your whole body- you launch on to your sister and dad as Captain Pounceypants, swipe a poor food offering off of your plate with more gusto than Marlon Brando

15. the people you have married to our lives

16. your insistence on doing things your way (which is so similar to your sisters)

17. your similarities to Zuzu- its uncanny how alike in basic make-up you are

18. how incredibly rascally you are in ways that never crossed your sisters mind

19. your determination to do everything you see everyone else doing- you’ve now jumped into the wrastlin piles at school

20. you love to be sung to- it calms you, centers you and cheers you

21. your unicorn status in a sea of horses

22. your kittenin into us

23. that you are mine- thank you dear baby

gratitude journal

1. having a full dance card

2. cable in a motel

3. a couple of girls nights!

4. gymnastics = 2 hours of running and jumping with no grown up saying, ” Settle down!”

5. a cinnamon chip scone

6. a happy group

7. brainstormin

8. a party planned

9. a 4 year old diggin the chore of treat bag fillin!

10. an RSVP that while sending regrets is done in a pretty wrapped package

11. chocolates from sis!

12. valentines!

13. a baby who loves to dance

14. valentine jammies

15.colorin with the girls

16. a date!

17. Rio Grille

18. Sushi tasting oddly similar to a McDonald’s apple pie

19. Old 97’s

20. new babysitters!

21. telling the baby to stand up and grinning while she does!

gratitude journal

1.another birthday

2. thoughtful gifts

3. sweet things like heated coffee mugs, 4 year old kinda gifts and extra cakes

4. matchin-monkey-jammied- babies

5. Facebook making you feel so special

6. sweet cards and sentiments

7. sweet potato pancakes for all!

8. best wishes from around the world

9. a party planned

10. my babies

11. a fancy-meat-filled dinner out with Lovey

12. a new babysitter charming the babies

13. toddler derbies

14. birthday parties!

15. Valentine cards ordered

16. feeling grateful for every day we have together

17. the passionate community around us

18. motrin for teethin babies

19. not getting sick

20. a choice between 8 Jodi Piccoult audiobooks on the library shelves at one time!

21.being way too spoiled on my birthday!

gratitude journal

1. What I am

2. home

3. my lil family

4. maple sugar sprinkles

5. bacon waffles

6. knowing your limits

7. cheering for yourself anyway

8. 8 Jodi Piccoult audiobooks on the library shelf!

9. a good Lovey

10. catching car problems before the trip

11. hugs

12. photo time and a sunny day

13. panda cubs posing as my kids or vice versa

14. patience

15. a new day

16. a bird recovering surprisingly quickly

17. realizing it’s ok that it didn’t go ok

18. people remembering

19. a new day

20. stisters huggin

21. invitations.

gratitude journal

1. The Great Race

2. Stisters

3. new friends

4. fiesta ware memories

5. secure jobs

6. kind hair complements

7. Grown-up gold-stars

8. play puppies for all!

9. almost having all our teeth

10. motrin

11. corner view stretching my creative side- seeing a new side to myself develop

12. being asked my opinion

13. photography session contests

14. an essay written that makes me smile

15. LOTS of days off lately

16. snow that reminds me of my childhood and the unlikeliness of it all

17. maple snow cream

18. maple snow taffy

19. remembering the good ole days from 4 years ago with our photo library

19. babies growing up

20. a happy cat

21. our Snow Queen returning to the “North Pole” and a four-year-old letting me know that, “Mommy- the snow queen still left her clothes here!”

Gratitude Journal

1. Parents who are celebrating 47 years of marriage! Wow! Congratulations Mom & Dad- that is such an amazing accomplishment

2. Parents who when asked how they made it 47 years, sweetly and each independently credit the other for it

3. seeing the perfect gift and sending it, only to then wonder if you had done the same thing before- that’s the sign of a good gift!

4. Lovey’s parents and brother taking time to come be with us during these holidays

5. parents laughing uproariously at my 4 year old’s misbehavior- somehow that makes it not seem so bad

6. NPR on in the background

7. Tom & Jerry mix flown in from Wisconsin

8. Sweet and unexpected holiday presents

9. the 4 year old asking each day if it is Christmas and time for presents

10. Nana & Zuzu getting painting time in together

11. Nana & the Quail getting snuggle time in together

12. Lovey & his parents getting time in for a nice walk

13. Lovey & his brother getting some time in together after we’re all asleep

14. Zuzu awarding Uncle Scottie her crown for his birthday

15. Bapa providing

16. many invitations to holiday lunches at work when my own team is not in my office

17.Nana’s wrappings of ribbon and folds

18. sparkley Christmas dresses on sparkley girls

19. an abundance of giftees

20. a 4 year old saying,” Thank you for not taking it back to the store Mommy”

21. A 22 month old’s shiny new free-stand and plop routine