Day 25-26-27-28-29-30

Rats!  I did it again....I do so well until Thanksgiving and I fall off the old Gratitude Wagon.
And it isn't like I've switched gears and gone all into "Merry Christmas" zone.
(that's only because I honored my husband's request that we wait until at least December 1st before going full on Holiday madness in terms decking halls and such.

So, where was I...

Day 25:   Ok, so maybe a wee bit of decorating happened this weekend.  Thing Two has been asking for years to please put up some outdoor lights.  Hubby and I have not been big fans of the outdoor decorations ever since we were victims of vandals and thefts of our decorations back at the old house.  But, Thing Two   is  finally tall enough to tackle this task pretty much on his own.  Hubby assisted with some of the ladder moving, but Thing Two did a fair amount of the actual work.  I'm thankful that not only is Thing Two at this stage of being able to help, I'm thankful that Hubby recognized this was something the kid really wanted to do...so he agreed to putting up lights.    The jury is still out on whether this was the start of an annual father-son bonding tradition or a successful love-n-logic moment (as the kid's initial remarks were "wow,that was a lot of work".

Tracey's clinic

  a couple of us moms decorated her office for her first day of work this past summer

Day 26:  I"m thankful that my good friend, Tracey is hanging in there with the school nursing stuff.   I'm so thankful  to have a good neighbor friend that does pretty much the same job I do,with the same employer. Just at a different school.    Tracey is getting ready for her first evaluation of her own clinic (last year, she had a slightly different assignment as a school nurse) so I dropped by  her office and helped her get ready.  Truth of the matter is, she's more than ready, but it's always good to have that validation and reassurance from a friend who knows and understands the challenges of your work.  I'm thankful I was able to be that source of support for her as she enters into the worry-zone.

 
Day 27:   am thankful for Hulu Plus.   Yep, as cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy spending a lazy evening catching up on shows I didn't get to watch earlier in the week.

Day 28:  I'm the nurse in charge of 2400 kids.  But I'm most thankful for the 10 or so students that are considered "severely impacted" or "medically fragile".   For they remind me, with their unconditional love and determination what it really means to be a school nurse.

 My feelings were hurt about being left out of some recent conversations. A situation that I should have been involved in, but nobody thought to include me in the discussions.   I found myself questioning how does my administration view my role in this setting?   Am I really part of the team or just the lady that passes out the tampons and the bandaids?  

 But the truth of the matter, the administration can view me however they choose.  I can't change that.  What I can do is be thankful that regardless of the role others perceive me as playing, what really matters is the role I do play.  The fella standing in the doorway?  Every day, one of his rewards for good behavior is getting to come see me and we play a quick round of hide-and-seek.

 Hello?  These kids give me so many reasons to  be grateful and today.....they grounded me and brought me back to reality!

Day 29:  Oh my, I almost forgot to give thanks for my new concrete porch.  What?  You didn't know that the 17th anniversary traditional gift is concrete?  Ok, so maybe it really isn't concrete, but our front porch was so badly cracked that it was posing a threat to the foundation and causing our brick column to lean.  This month, we finally had it replaced and while in the process, they expanded the size and made it look a little less like everyone else's.  When you live in suburbia, those little touches that separate you from all the others are something to give thanks for.

 Day 30:  Ta-da....the month is over. 30 days of giving Thanks.  It's quite the challenge to complete.  But again, I am grateful I do it.  And now I must shift gears and work on the Family Christmas letter.  Wish me luck?!  I fear I used all my good stuff being thankful!