I'm thankful...in November.

Okay...I promised myself that I would try and do this once a month, so here's the November edition of my top ten most annoyed/thankful list.

• I'm annoyed that the fall is so crazy busy and flying by, but I'm thankful that it means that the Christmas season is on it's way! The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is by far my most favorite time of the year. . .I love it all! The cool weather, parties, food, friends, family, the church services, the lights, the decorations, the music, the fires! I just love it! I am the cheesy Christmas girl. . . I even have a "holiday" play list on my ipod, and it will be playing non-stop from Thanksgiving on!

• I'm annoyed that the Dawgs lost so miserably in the Ga/Fla game . . .but I'm so thankful that I am not a Florida fan and am not forced to wear a hideous blue and orange combo on a regular basis (or jean shorts for that matter!) If you do happen to be a Florida fan, I apologize. But you have to admit that your color combo is awful!

• I'm annoyed that I'm so busy these days, and always feel tired and worn out. . . but I'm sooooo thankful that I have my new one-cup coffee maker and can drink a great cup of coffee when I need a little pick-me-up! I know that it's silly, but it makes me so happy to smell my little cup of happiness brewing!

• I'm annoyed that I still have 20 pounds of baby weight to lose . . . but I'm so very thankful for the little princess who put that weight on me! Maggie is just so precious . . . I'd take a flabby behind any day to be able to see that smile! And, I'm thankful that the doctor finally figured out my thyroid problem and that I'm slowly but surely losing it!

• I'm annoyed that my hair is starting to go gray. . . YIKES! But, I'm thankful that I just found a really great color that looks very natural, and that I can do myself, and it makes my hair look really healthy and shiny (a nice little bonus!)

• I'm annoyed that my dog is shedding like mad, and that there is dog hair everywhere, no matter how often I vacuum. But, I'm thankful for his unconditional love for me, his wagging tail every time I even look his way, his eyes that are just full of puppy love, and the fact that he is the sweetest, most gentle lab you've ever met! Maggie loves to climb all over him, pull his ears, sit on him, pull his tail. . . and Bogie just lays there and lets her. Bless his poor, shedding doggie heart!

• I'm annoyed that some women are so jealous, petty, mean, shallow, gossipy and silly. But I'm so thankful that most of the ladies I know are brave, honest, smart, loving, gentle, beautiful, funny, sassy, wonderful people. And, I'm especially thankful that my girls are surrounded by these women who we love and who love them, and that they can see, every day, what it really means to be a lady.

• I'm annoyed that Maggie seems to think that 6 am (or earlier!) is the best time to wake up in the morning! (Hence the reference to the coffee maker above!) But, I'm thankful that every single morning when I go in her room, she's standing in her bed, and as soon as she sees me, she gets a big smile on her face, jumps up and down, and holds her arms out to me. Who wouldn't want to wake up to that every morning?

• I'm annoyed that I'm working on my Christmas card list (already!) and that it keeps growing and growing. . . I will be making and addressing cards for weeks! But, I'm thankful that it means that we have even more people who are important to us and who we want to make sure we wish a very "merry Christmas" even if we don't get to see them. And, I'm thankful that we will get so many great cards! It's so fun for me and the girls to go to the mailbox every day during the Christmas season and see who's cute card and who's smiling face we will see in the next envelope. It's part of the reason that I love Christmas so much!

• I'm annoyed that Dow and I never seem to have time for romance, or a date night, or even a private conversation for that matter! But, I'm thankful that after twelve years of being together, we still want to spend time alone and to be romantic. He's still my most favorite person in the world, and who (if I had time to have a date!) I'd want it to be with. And that is the most romantic thing of all. . .

So, if I get anything from this month's list, it's to be thankful for the little things: the great haircolor, the one pound lost, the great cup of coffee . . . and to stay thankful for the big things: the smiling baby, the busy family, the sweet husband, the wonderful friends, the gentle dog. Even in the crazy, busy life we live, every day there is a reason to be grateful for all that we have!

I did not know THAT!!!

Okay. . . another funny story. Gracyn and Emma have pretty deep conversations in the back seat of the car on the way to and from school. I love listening in, and try really hard not to butt in unless it's something that I feel like I really need to correct. Last week, I overheard a particularly hilarious conversation that went something like this:

Gracyn: "Emma, do you know what the word 'foe' means?" (it was one of her vocabulary words.)

Emma: "No."

Gracyn: "Yes you dooo, Emma! It's like an 'ememy' (trying to say 'enemy').

Emma: "An anemone? Like that lives in the ocean?"

Gracyn: "No, Emma! Like an 'ememy'. . .like someone you don't like...like someone you fight with. You know, like Satan is our 'ememy.' "

Emma: (With a look of complete, wide-eyed amazement)
"WHAT??? Satan is a sea creature?!?!? I did not know THAT!"

Needless to say, I did step in and correct that Satan was indeed not a sea creature, and that the word was 'enemy', not 'ememy'. . . after I got control of my laughter! I could just hear the conversations on the kindergarten playground about that one! And, I could also imagine that Emma, armed with that little tidbit of knowledge, might not ever venture into the ocean again. So now, all is well in the minds of the Drury girls . . . Emma learned a new vocabulary word, and we all learned that Satan is not a sea creature . . . no matter what Gracyn says.

Halloween Fun!

This fall has been crazy busy, but we've had so much fun! Last week especially...on Thursday, the kindergarten classes went to the pumpkin patch, and had a GREAT time! They picked a pumpkin, went on a hayride, went to the petting zoo (that's Emma with the baby bunny!), jumped in the bouncy house, had a picnic, raced tricycles on the race track, and learned how to grow pumpkins...all in one morning! It was so much fun being there to see the little faces light up as they learned about the different animals and other fall related things. I think that the moms and the teachers had as much fun as the kids! Afterwards, we went back to school, did a craft, and had a Halloween party...complete with a giant blow up pumpkin, trick or treating, and a spooky sounds CD. I never knew so much fun could be had in one day!

On Friday (Halloween), Maggie and I dressed in our finest Halloween attire, and went to school for the first grade party. The kids were all dressed to the nines, and were (literally) bouncing off the walls in a combo of excitement and a sugar rush! They had a carnival type party, and played games all afternoon. Gracyn loved that we were there, and was happy to show off her little lamb to her friends.

Later that night, the real fun began! We went to a friend's house for pizza and a trick-or-treat hayride. We loaded up Alice in Wonderland, Minnie Mouse, and our lamb and made the rounds...the girls had so much fun! Maggie was a trooper and wore her costume all night...I think that she was probably the only warm one on the hayride! Needless to say, we had one action packed, fun-filled Halloween week...whew! When does mom get a rest from all the "fun"???