Day 11: Gratitude → Dad

I’ve mentioned my dad many times throughout my years of slicing. He’s the son of 8 children, and was raised on a farm.  

 Throughout my childhood and to this day, he’s always been financially responsible.  I’m sure living on a farm with 7 brothers and sisters is where he adopted his frugal ways. When I was very little, he worked two jobs. I remember sitting on the living room floor cutting coupons with him. His 2nd job was stocking shelves at a grocery store. So, his coupons were organized by isles.  I used to find his money saving/stingy ways annoying. “Put away at least 10% into retirement, Britt.” It took me a little while to pay attention and listen. Now, I admire it and I try to manage my money in a similar fashion. 

I truly can’t recall a single time he ever raised his voice- and he raised three girls. With his calm demeanor, I feel comfortable calling and talking to him about anything. I appreciate his wisdom and his advice. Whether it’s car insurance questions, retirement plans, or our mortgage loan, he is my go-to guy.

He retired about 3 years ago. He spends his time taking care of the family farm. He shares this responsibility with his brothers. However, he is one of the oldest. His kids (my sisters and I)  are grown, graduated from college and married. He has extra time on his hands, and only lives about 15 minutes from the farm. He takes pride in the various tasks and odd jobs he completes out there. 

And my dad as a grandpa?!? Goodness, I could just watch my son hang out with my dad all day! They explore the farm, ride tractors and pick up sticks, and listen for owls. My son absolutely adores him. 

I am so grateful for your love, calm demeanor, wisdom, and self-discipline.

Day 10: Gratitude →Mom

It’s about time I honored one of the people I am most grateful for, my mom. Like I mentioned in a previous slice, being a mother is the hardest and greatest gift. Throughout my youth I definitely contributed to making this the harder side on my mom. Throughout college, though, I finally grew up and became a kinder, more mature, and respectful human. 

I look back and see all the sacrifices my mother made for me and my sisters- always putting our needs first. Goodness, I remember one specific challenging night during my senior year in high school. I needed to write a paper on a book. I don’t remember any of the paper requirements nor do I remember what book I was supposed to read. “Okay, so what happened in your book?” my mom asked.  “I don’t know.” I replied. I didn’t read the entire book. My paper was due the next day. Instead of yelling at me or grounding me, she sat by my side (all night) helping me through it. She pushed everything aside for me. I began tweaking my intro and parts of the paper I had managed to write, while she started to skim through the rest of my book. Since then I have learned the skill of time management, and she and I can both look back on that moment and laugh.

She’s always shared her love for me out loud. She writes me cards and verbalizes how proud she is of me. I have adopted this trait from her. I constantly express my love and appreciation for those around me. I want them to know how important they are to me. 

When I was really little, my mom made up a song that she would sing to my sisters and I when we were sick. Now, I get to sing this song to my boys. I love that I have passed this song down to my boys. 

Love ya, Momma!

Day 9: Gratitude → Older sister

Bailey is calm. She doesn’t get worked up easily at all. And doesn’t give a shit about the things that don’t matter. (Gah! I am so envious of this!) Bailey is someone I can call that will instantly calm me and make me feel better. She doesn’t sweat the small stuff (like I typically do) and is quick to let go of what she can’t control. 

She laughs easily. She has a heart of gold and she is full of generosity. She’s kind and friendly to everyone- which I’m sure is a skill she puts to use daily in the ED. She is slow to judge, quick to forgive, and even quicker to welcome anyone in. 

Her nurturing nature is evident as a new mom. I love watching both of my sisters take on motherhood. Somehow Bay’s daughter, Maeve, earned the nickname Sugar Bear. Whenever I call Maeve by her name, my three year old likes to correct me, “That’s Sugar Bear, Mom.”   Our babes are only 2 months apart. This has brought us closer and I’m sure will only continue to bring us closer together throughout the years ahead.

Love you, Bay!

Bay with Sugar Bear and Ollie.

Day 8 gratitude–> Twinning

I had a hard time writing this. It’s hard to put in words the love I have for her. I’m very protective of her, I always have been. She’s super selfless. I love that about her. I tried to write a poem. I tried writing out a few of our stories. They don’t do justice for my love for her. Maybe the weight of what I’m trying to convey is too strong that I can’t find the words? Maybe I am too nervous that I won’t get it right?  We weren’t super close growing up. Things changed the older we became. We went off to different colleges. She studied nursing and I studied education.  We visited each other often and loved hanging out with the other’s college friend groups. We grew up, got married, bought houses, and had some babes. 

Brookie,  I’ve shared all my ups and downs. All my flaws. You build me back up. You support me and comfort me. You are always there for me. We’ve shared in life’s beautiful moments – marriage and babies. You are selfless, which can cause others to take advantage. So, sometimes that worries me. You are hard on yourself- and sometimes I worry about that, too. You are disciplined and terribly considerate. You’re an amazing mama- full of intention, reflection and purpose.  I’m proud to call you my sister, my twin, and my bestie. 

I love you.

Day 7: Gratitude→ My home

Sometimes I spend hours on Zillow or Redfin. We are ready to move. The inside of our home fits us perfectly. However, we are ready for a yard of our own and walls we do not share with our neighbors. 

I hear pounding. “The basketball game has started,” my husband mumbles. I thought my husband was being sarcastic about the pounding we were hearing from our neighbors. I simply laughed and moved on. Then, he said it again on another occasion. “What do you mean?” I asked. “They installed a metal rimmed basketball hoop inside their house. And it’s not one of those small dinky rims that are on the back of a child’s bedroom door with a little rubber ball.” I thought he had been kidding when he was talking about the ruckus we heard through the walls, but he was being literal. It’s strange and a tad ridiculous. But, at the end of the day, it’s just a little noise. It isn’t bothering our family. We put our boys down between 6:30 and 7pm, and it isn’t waking them up. Now, as soon as the thuds start, I just start to chuckle. It is what it is!

Despite this unique choice by our neighbors, I really do love our home. It fits our current needs and I know it will later serve as a reminder of why I will be even more grateful for a home that is not attached to someone else’s home. Our home is affordable- it doesn’t cause us to break the bank. We can still save for our next home as well as save up for annual family vacations and invest in our retirement. The boys have their own bathroom; we have our own. There is adequate storage everywhere, and it’s an open concept. For a small space, the layout is perfect. I like the smallness of it. Truthfully, we don’t need the baby monitors on at night because I can easily hear them down the hallway. We are cozy. I am grateful for our home.

Day 6: Gratitude → My job

“My calling”. Aren’t we in the most challenging and yet powerful and impactful profession ever? I’ll admit there are times I have wondered if it’s been too much. Too stressful. Too overwhelming. Too isolating. Too taxing. Yet, I truly am thankful. I am thankful I get to go to work everyday to make a difference in the lives of these young humans. We have the opportunity to be a source of light, connection, and grace. An ear for students that just need to talk about their problems and fears, as well as their celebrations. We can help shift their perspective on how they view themselves and the world. We get the opportunity to model patience and compassion, empathy and acceptance. And the world needs a lot more of all of this. We are the change makers because so are our students. I know the work we as teachers are doing today will be felt by the world in years to come.  I have faith in the future because of the work we do with our students today. What a blessed career I participate in that fulfills my calling and my purpose.

Day 5: Gratitude → The gift of motherhood

I am grateful for the gift the universe has given to me- to be a mother. Goodness, the hardest and most beautiful gift I could be given. My pregnancies were both smooth for the most part. I am grateful for my journey. I know tomorrow is not promised. Regardless of what the future holds, I will always be the mother of Charlie and Ollie. Being their mother has helped me to grow in ways I hadn’t considered previously. 

Being a mother reminds me of my purpose and they bring me purpose. I love the way becoming a parent helps you grow so much. You have little humans that are constantly watching you. How will you respond? What choices will they see you make? What habits and routines will they watch you implement and possibly one day adopt for themselves? What words will they hear you use when times are challenging and in times of celebration? What acts of kindness, selfcare, and self love will they adopt from watching you? One of my main reasons for being my best self is for them. Being a model for them. 

Charlie and Ollie- you help me grow to be a better human, and at the same time I hope I am molding you to be a kind human as well.

Day 4: Gratitude → Oliver Francis

Already beating to your own drum when you made an early entrance into this world a little over a year ago. And a fighter! The docs said possibly 6-8 weeks in the NICU, but you were home after only one week. I wonder if when they saw you that night, they knew. You were labeled LGA (large gestational age) because you were already 7 lbs and you were 5 weeks early. Truthfully, you were a piece of cake in the NICU. Your monitor never went off constantly- only when we were moving/passing you off and your sensors became momentarily detached. You weren’t on oxygen for more than a few hours. So, yes, I wonder if they knew you’d be home in our arms after only one week. They might have known, but I certainly didn’t. 

Fast forward to today. You are just over 15 months and you are taking off in your development. Things were slow at first, and I didn’t mind it. It made you you- and you are special. By close to a year old, you started crawling. Shortly after that you started climbing stairs, cruising around furniture, and taking an interest in walking with your push toys. You still prefer to crawl, but you are taking 8-10 steps on your own!

You still like to get up earlier than I would like (4:30am on some days, 5:00 most days, and 6am if I’m lucky), but that gives me a little extra one on one time with just you. You’ve taken a bigger interest in your brother over the recent months. You like to do what he does and play with whatever he is playing with. 

You are feisty! Your first word, which was about a month ago, was ‘no’. You love saying it, even when it’s not in context. You shake your head and say, “No”. I shake my head right back and repeat after you, which sends you into a roar of laughter. I love you sweet child. 

You test your brother’s patience. You grab his toy, then you both look at me. Charlie- wondering if I will help him get his toy back and you look at me with innocence like the toy was in your hands in the first place. “Give it back, Au-wee”. Your brother says. He is so patient with you! Willingly or not, you give it back. 

You are testing the waters and I love watching this. You get close to something, like when the gate is open to the stairs, then pause to look back at me smiling. I race over to you with my hands ready to tickle. You can’t move another inch because you are already laughing on the floor.

Ever since you started laughing, you haven’t stopped. You smile and laugh so easily. And the sound of your giggle!? The joy it brings me- the mood boost it gives me. Whenever I am feeling stressed, just holding you close calms and soothes me.  

I love you, Oliver Francis.

Swim lesson through our local park district!

Day 3: Gratitude- Charles Allen

My first born. What a beautiful soul. I am thankful for you. You help me to slow down and see the beauty in everything. Your genuine curiosity brings me back to the present. Okay, so sometimes all the “whys” get exhausting. But mostly,  I love it! 

You are kind and gentle to your baby brother. You share with him and talk to him. “How was your day, Ollie?” “How is your snack, Ollie?” “Here you go, Ollie.” And just the way you say your brother’s name, it melts my heart. “Au-wee”. 

“Can you read this to me, Mom?” Your love for books! Clearly a teacher’s child. We could spend the whole day reading! Classics like Little Blue Truck (and all the variations) are staples. Golden Books of Moana, Toy Story, and Frozen are also daily reads. Recently, Gruffalo has made its way to the top of the list. 

Your imagination play is full on. Cooking in your kitchen, being Buzz Lightyear, playing doctor with Ollie. My favorite is when you lift your shirt up to feed bunny on your chest like Mommy used to feed Ollie. You little sponge! 

You just turned three last week and sometimes imagination play just doesn’t cut it. You want the real deal. The real vacuum. The real kitchen. You are constantly in your cooking tower making smoothies with Dad and baking with me. Of course, we have to put on our chef hat and cooking apron first. 

Right now, you like to call everyone little guy, big guy, little girl, big girl, and occasionally big fella. So, after our bedtime routine- bath, teeth, jammies, and books- we say what we are thankful for. “What are you thankful for, Charlie?” I ask.  “I’m thankful for this big guy (pointing to his dad), that little guy (pointing to Ollie), and this big girl (point to me).” I can’t get enough of you, Charlie.

You are CLEVER and your reasoning is amusing. “But Mom, I need my sunglasses because the sun is going to come up soon.” “I can eat this donut because I’m big and strong.”  “Mom, Ollie won’t give me some of his snack. Sharing is caring, Mom.”

You truly are a reflection of those around you, mainly your dad and me. “You look beautiful, Mom.” You tell me this as least once a day. You say it because your daddy tells me this. I sing to you each night and you sing along. “I love singing with you, Mom.” I love it, too, Charlie. I love it, too.

I am forever grateful for your love and light. 

Day 2: Gratitude –> The hubs

My husband, I am thankful for you.

Number one, this human accepts me. He accepts my bossy-ness  and need for control, my impulse reactions, and my constant need to be right (which I really am trying to work on!). I can be needy and very opinionated. Typically. he nods and does what I ask. He is a saint. My sisters love to remind me that I am lucky to have someone that puts up with me. He challenges me, too. We hold each other accountable to apologizing and personal growth. He helps and inspires me to be a better person.

We have experienced so many beautiful parts of life together. The ups and the downs. We’ve gone through the loss of both of his parents and my gram. We’ve celebrated new jobs, the purchase of a new home, and countless road trips and adventures. We found our love for the outdoors together. Neither one of us spent time hiking or camping, but somehow we’ve come to crave it. 

And finally, we’ve started our journey in raising a family. He’s the father of our two beautiful boys (Ollie 15 months, Charlie 3 years) and naturally I have only fallen more in love with him in this journey together. I love watching him interact with and care for our boys. He’s gentle and patient. He’s playful and silly. He’s a hands-on dad. Our boys are blessed because he is their dad.

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Cheers to you, Char. You are the best thing that has ever happened for me. I love our life together.