A week of thankfulness

When I collapsed in my chair last Tuesday evening to blearily write last week's post, I was just thankful that I had survived my first cRaZy week of the year. (1 down, 1 to go: I change schools again in the spring!)  As I read through other slices of life and received a string of thoughtful, encouraging comments on mine, I was thankful that I started reading the Two Writing Teachers blog this summer and jumped into this whole blogging thing!

Wednesday morning, I was thankful for the glorious feeling of waking up in a snuggly cocoon of blankets and stuffed animals, realizing that my teaching day would normally be halfway over, then rolling back over for some much-needed rest.

Thursday, I was thankful for delicious food and wonderful family.  Highlights of thankfulness included:

• my cute, sweet, loving husband who understands me and supports me and dutifully helps glue together game cards, cut out laminated items, put stickers on kids' papers, run errands, wash dishes, and other things that keep me sane
• my wonderful parents, who have always supported me in everything and made it clear that they love me more than anything in the world
• the fact that I got to know all of my grandparents and enjoy them through high school and some beyond, although they aren't around anymore
• my also-wonderful other family members and the fact that I do get to see all of them sometimes, although not as often as I'd like
• that both my husband's parents/grandparents and mine live close enough that we can celebrate holidays with both of them in the same day!
• the ridiculous amount of delicious food we ate at our two Thanksgiving meals, and the fact that we always have plenty of delicious things to eat

Friday, I was thankful (again) for sleep and also for the rare opportunity to spend the whole day with said sweet, loving husband.  

Saturday, I was thankful for how much fun my parents are.  We always have a blast when we spend time with them, and we are so lucky to live close enough that we can see them every weekend!  I also felt thankful for the chance I had to attend such a fantastic university and especially for the amazing experience I had while I was in band.  Too bad the team went and lost to M*ch*g*n!  Since it was (almost certainly) the last warm day of the year, I also got to be thankful for nature and how it speaks to me.

Sunday, I kinda slacked off... but I guess I was thankful for lazy Sundays!

Yesterday, I started letting myself listen to Christmas music in the car, and I was thankful for the hopefulness of this season.  I always feel an excitement and sense of anything-is-possible at this time of year that is unmatched the rest of the year.

And here I am today... thankful for the supportive, inspiring, encouraging community of slicers that I've met over the past few months!  Reading your posts inspires me to become a better teacher and helps me find new ways to reach my kids.  The fact that you exist has let me re-find my long-lost identity as a writer, while allowing me to document my reflections on my teaching.  Getting comments from you encourages me, lifts my spirits, and makes me believe in myself.  My husband makes fun of me because I talk about people I've "met" in this community, but it's true: I feel like I know you and you know me.  And for someone who's never stayed in one building all year (through 5 years of teaching and counting), the fact that I can connect with you all year is a big deal in itself!

Now if only I could remember to be thankful more often!