30 Days of Thanks - Day 22

We're going to mix up the format today and throw in a little high quality art. You ready? Better be.

Ok, let's face it, when your parents split up and eventually start dating other people, there is potential that things could not go smoothly during the transition. I hadn't given a lot of thought to this when my dad started dating, but I would be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind. "What if she's horrible?! What if she hates bunnies and flowers?! What if she doesn't like us?! What if she hates Christmas?! What IF she's a Justin Bieber fan!?!?! Oh the horror!" Ok, so it wasn't quite that dramatic but still the "what if's" did go through my mind at one point.

In all seriousness....

Well he's kind of a big deal to Jaime and I. We love him so very much and he rates right up there at the very top of our list of awesome. And of course, because we love him so very much, we want him to be all kinds of mega happy.

And so now we get to 30 Days of Thanks, Day 22. I am so very thankful for:

She is wonderful for so many reasons, but let me tell you a few of the things that make the top of my list:

1. She makes my dad happy. Like I said before, we want him to be all kinds of mega happy. Mission accomplished. Boo ya!
2. Let's just say that in recently divorced or separated families, there is "stuff" that comes with it. Patty handles difficult or what could be awkward situations with class and grace. Hence her angelic presence above. :D
3. She takes an interest in things and people (read: US!) that are important to my dad. :)
4. Being at a place in my life where I'm having babies of my own and still trying to get the hang of this whole motherhood thing, Patty has been fantastic. She's been great at offering support and advice. And when Owen was born, she came out with my dad and spent an entire week taking care of all of us. As I had just given birth, was running on very little sleep, and also had bronchitis that week - her help was AMAZING!
5. She is kind and caring and considerate. Don't just brush over this one. As an adult I've realized that these traits aren't always a "given" and when you have people in your life that possess them, you hang on to them and try to give just as much back in return.

So just to recap:

No Thank You

We've tried very hard to teach Caleb manners - especially to say "Please" and "Thank You." We teach him to say it at home to us - whenever we do something for him or he wants something. This may seem excessive, but if he's in the habit of doing it at home, it is more likely that he will remember to say it when he leaves our house and goes to school, church, a friends house, etc...

He does pretty well with it most of the time, but now I'm afraid he thinks it holds too much power.

We have conversations like this a lot:

Me: Caleb, can I have a hug?
Caleb: No thank you.

Seriously... like 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes, it's not even a question. Like this:

Me: Come over here and pick up all these Lincoln Logs.
Caleb: Umm... No thank you.

Polite disobedience. I guess it's a little better than rude disobedience.

On a somewhat related note, last night we were sitting on the front porch eating ice cream and someone 3 or 4 houses down sneezed (we couldn't even see the person - just heard them), and Caleb yelled as loud as he could "BLESS YOUUUUUU!" :)

Lastly, my Patty (yes - that's part of her official title - "MY Patty"), shared this with me recently in a very sweet email and I thought it was just lovely. Being a parent is really about being a teacher - and more often than not, teaching by example.

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.

If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.

If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.

If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.

If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.

If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.

If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.

With what is your child living?