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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thankful ... Clark Style

I've enjoyed reading people's "Thankful" posts this month of November, but I am really not organized enough to come up with a daily offering of my own.  However, let me share a few things that I am thankful for tonight.  (Actually, it was written a few nights ago.  It just took a while to get all the pictures up.)

1) I am thankful for this funny little boy …
Fun with his 3rd birthday Nemo balloons.
... whose curiosity leads him to do the most interesting things.  Like exploring the shoe closet.  Again.  And for his ingenuity and athleticism that let him use the double stroller as a ladder.  And, of course, for the sheer joi de vivre he brings to all he does.  Although I wasn't there to observe this, I can just picture how delighted he must have been as he discovered that one bottle of black shoe polish pushed way to the side of a high shelf that missed daddy's last visual sweep of the shoe closet (when we tried to remove anything he might get into.)  And I am thankful for his helpful little nature, as evidenced by the obvious cleanup efforts in the living room and the new "old" rags he made for me out of some nice hand towels.
I was too busy cleaning to pull out the camera tonight, but the 
living room looked a bit like it did the other day when we
 were finger/balloon/spoon paining -- only blacker and not as
 washable, with less clean skin visible on the kiddos, and
 clothes to get it on, and the mess not so confined to the table, 
though the (uncovered) table did get its fair share.

2) I am thankful for this little girl who just turned two ...

... and that this morning, I didn't decide to dress her in the new dress her nanny gave her for her birthday last week.
I'm glad this dress was a long way from this living room tonight.
I am thankful for the wonderful relationship she has with her brother …
My Taiwan twins sharing a "best photo spot" in the subway.
... so that she shares in his discoveries and joys.  And in his shoe polish, apparently.
Oh, how I love my baby girl.
3) I am thankful for this man ...
... who found it amusing to clean the living room because it was just that dirty.  I am thankful for all the interesting times the kids have when daddy's left in charge.  (Tonight, I am even thankful that he often doesn't return pants/trousers to little bodies after diaper/nappy changes since skin is easier to clean shoe polish off than cloth.)  And I am thankful for all the hours of entertainment his unobservant nature affords me.

"I think you need to come out now.  He found the shoe polish."
"Did it get on anything?"
"Mostly just the kids."
A few minutes later:
"I am guessing that you haven't been to the living room yet."
I didn't get photos this time around, but let's just
say it reminded both Stephen and me of this
 event a while back.
He may not always notice what they're getting up to, but I'm
thankful for how much this man loves his kids.
4) And I am thankful for this little one ...
3-month-old David's showing off his new skill, smiling, and working
 on his next accomplishment: learning to chew toys.


... in his new, fuzzy winter pj's that make cuddling him all sweeter.  I'm thankful for his budding relationship with his brother and sister.


Mostly, I am grateful he wasn't with them tonight but was in the bedroom nursing and napping with mommy when all the excitement went down!  (Thereby keeping those cute and cuddly new jammies cute and cuddly.)  I'm thankful for how much he loves warm baths ….

… but that, unlike the big kids,  tonight he didn't need one.  I'm thankful for how much he is growing and developing, now being at that perfect age where he can smile and interact and play a bit …

… but can't move around enough to get into too much trouble.  I'm also thankful that he was sleeping peacefully in the bedroom during tonight's clean-up efforts!