Giving thanks through the tough week

And so the list continues.  Reading 1000 gifts continues and I have also picked up another book called Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.  EYE-OPENING!  I have two somewhat spunky/mostly easy (although energetic and persistent) children and one SPIRITED Child.  I have been struggling with the spirited one off and on this week.  I finally picked up this book which has been on my radar for awhile.  This book isn't giving me answers on how to raise Isaac necessarily but it is helping me try to understand him better.  I appreciate how it opens up with talking about the labels we give our children.  Spirited children often get negative names like stubborn, strong-willed and difficult (I think I have used all of these words to describe Isaac even just in this blog).  While that is the negative side of their personality, with the right guidance you can help them realize that these are actually some of their gifts as well:  persistence instead of stubborn, intense instead of aggressive, sensitive instead of too emotional,  perceptive instead of distracted, etc.  I took the little quiz in the book with Isaac in mind and he scored off the charts on a lot of the spirited traits.  He is intense, somewhat persistent, extremely sensitive (especially to smells, sounds, and how things feel), very perceptive (his nickname on the trail is eagle eyes because he can spot things most of us miss) doesn't struggle with adapting too much but is highly extroverted and energetic.  WHEW!! But when you look at those traits.....aren't those traits awesome? If I were to make a list of traits I would desire my kids to have.....many of those would be on that list.

So reading the book has made me realize what a blessing it is to have a spirited child.  They see and feel and perceive the world in a whole different way than most of us.  When we have our good days....they are beautiful.  This week, however, we had more bad days than good.  Days in which I was pulling my hair out a bit, trying to talk Isaac through this or that emotion.  Trying to calm the roaring Lion inside of him (that is how he describes it when he starts getting angry, etc) with water and sensory activities, quiet time in the room, etc.  It has been a learning week for both of us as I am trying to dialogue with him more about the use of these traits that God gave him and how to handle it when we start to go toward the destructive side of those traits.

So with all of that in mind, I have also been journaling things I am thankful for.  Gifts, blessings, in which I see God in my life.  On the bright spots in the week they came easily to mind but on our tougher days I praised God that He had encouraged me to begin writing down these blessings for it was only in these blessings that I really and truly could see what He was wanting me to see that day.  I completely would have missed the hard blessings if I wasn't looking for them.

so 31 - whatever number I finished on this week :)

31.  Teaching Caleb how to feed the ponies at our parks' petting zoo for the first time (he was too scared last year)
32. May evening, sitting on the deck after storms roll through, long talk with Craig.
33.  Craig giving me the very words of encouragement at the time I needed them when I was feeling like a failing mom.
34.  Tulips and early spring flowers - you hardy flowers.....so thankful for your cheerfulness even in the 40 degree weather!
35.  Local Free arboretum to play in
36.  Laughs with women at our churches Cinema and Sweets night
37.  A husband who likes a new adventure.
38.  Thoughtful Andie - putting Caleb down for a nap - complete with story, hugs and a kiss.
39. Oreos!  Seriously.  Especially my new favorite - Golden Oreo.  I have had a few good cries over oreos this week.  Healthy?  Completely....I always left feeling better.
40.  New bedtime routine with Andie.  Snuggling/talk time for 15 minutes and then several "10 second hugs"
41.  Family movie nights
42. Popcorn on the stovetop
43.  Walking to church
44.  Andie - quietly and secretly making me a mothers day ring, necklace and lists of "awesomeness".  She did this days in advance - shows me how she is maturing into a thoughtful girl.
45.  Being able to mother these three....the good and the tough times....wouldn't change it. (By the way....Isaac was having a tough time this morning.....mothering does not stop on mothers day!)

46.  Free Home decor - Old door from our Hillbilly days (as we affectionately call it) otherwise known as trash week in which we all put our trash out on the curb and pick over one another's trash, etc.
47.  Craig hanging said free home decor for Mothers day and within a month of getting it!! By the way blog readers.....a little interior decorating advice would be great here.....what do you think about the door....leave it or put pictures or something in it. I do not have an eye for this type of thing.....this wall was blank for a year and a half....it is just not my strong suit so any thoughts on door decor would be appreciated!

48.  Mother's Day hike - so fun and full of adventure - Andie leaping from rock to rock and almost leaping onto a snapping turtle.  The awe we all felt as we watched it as it watched us.
49.  Caleb crinkling his nose when he becomes determined to run fast (and keep up with siblings)
50.  Isaac having an obedient, cheerful day after a tough week.  The rays of light when I feel like we are making progress.
51.  Free basketball hoop!
52.  A dishwasher that actually works unlike the one at our old house.  Grateful every time I unload it and don't have to rewash anything.
53.  Playing war and top it (domino game) with Isaac during Caleb's nap.
54.  Sweeping up dirt (instead of slush and salt) after a day's adventures.
55.  Cleaning the living room at night so I have a calm environment to do my quiet time in when morning arrives.
56.  Seeing an Indigo Bunting bird for the first time.  I think this is the third time I have mentioned a bird on my list.....yes, I am a big BIRD NERD!!
57.  Raising Your Spirited Child - so many good insights into Isaac - couldn't come at a better time.
58.  Pitter-patter of the kids feet above me as they wake up and run downstairs in the morning.
59.  Isaac's cowlicks on a freshly shaved head....does he have 4, 5.....6? A LOT of them
60.  An extremely long walk to a park while Isaac scoots or walks all the way there and back like a BOSS!!
61.  Pushing Caleb on a swing - He loves swinging and has so much joy!
62.  Having a friend who will spontaneously meet us at a park.....completely last minute - thanks Erika!!
63.  Dollar tree squirt guns = hours of entertainment around here
64. Sun tea brewing on my deck
65.  Clean garage.
66. A long hug from Isaac and an I love you after a day filled with a lot of emotions