Gratitude Post #33

1-I am grateful that I am writing this post as I don't actually feel very grateful at the moment. I'm hoping that by forcing myself to write it I'll actually FEEL grateful. The last 32 posts have helped me feel more grateful so I think it might be working...

2-I am grateful that we were able to get together with some friends tonight. It was so much fun. We love the Coombs and how much we have in common with them. It's a shame that our kids were ridiculously naughty tonight and kind of ruined it for me...but I had fun nonetheless. They had a zipline at the park and Amy and I laughed like little kids pushing each other on it. We will be laughing about it for 50 years. :)

3-I am grateful for tough love. Well, not really...but in a strange way I am a little bit. My kids are getting some tough love tonight and it's sort of painful. It's good for them, right? If they didn't get tough love then surely they would turn out to be criminals. They have to learn that it's not ok to throw tantrums (at 10 years old no less), to make people feel bad (at 12 and 13 years old especially), to be mean to your siblings and/or your parents, to tattle (just to get someone in trouble when the one tattling is doing naughty things too), and to just plain get attention in all the wrong ways. I keep telling myself that they'll learn something from being punished, but I really think I'm just punishing myself. Sometimes being a parent isn't all that fun. However, I am still extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a crappy mother. It's better than not being one at all, right? I'll keep telling myself that anyways...

Oh, and P.S. I am super grateful for Mason's amazing teacher! He had a fall fair at school yesterday. Every 3rd grader had to bring something to display. The only rule was "no live animals." Most kids baked something, grew something in their garden or made a craft. Well, my Mason isn't "most kids". He wrote a story and drew a picture to go with it. He got really upset that no one stopped to read his story. There were a hundred displays to look at and not a lot of time. Everyone just walked by and glanced at his paper. By the time I got there he was on the verge of tears. His teacher overheard us talking and said, "Mason, you know what we should do? We should mount in on construction paper and hang it in the hallway. I bet kids would love to stop and read it on their way to recess." He quite liked that idea and his paper is still at the school. He asked me to "take a picture and post it on facebook so everyone can read it." I did just that. Later that night he saw all of the comments on his picture and he said, "Good thing you posted that and everyone read it." I just love him so much. I am so happy he's not like "most kids". Life would be so boring that way. I am also grateful for my friends who said they would love to read it! Especially the ones who know, understand and love Mase. You better believe when that paper comes home from school I'm typing it up and posting it for everyone to read. :)