It’s almost like time has got itself wrapped around the hamster wheel in my brain and sped up. Is it really possible it’s Sunday already? I just felt like it was three days ago, so as I sit and check and recheck my calendar again that yes a week has gone by. I’m excited to share my week with you as it was busy, eventful, and involved some sunshine. So without further ado I give you lovely readers my list of thankfuls.
1. I’m thankful for my husband’s holidays and the fun and adventure we experienced as a family. We really enjoy our time together and it’s made even more joyful when we’re out exploring our new home and area. If we spend too much time inside cabin fever sets in and that’s bad for everyone involved.
2. I’m thankful that I was able to attend my son’s speech therapy appointment. We waited three months for it and was originally scheduled last week, but my son woke up feeling flush and fluish and I had to cancel. She was able to assess him and see where his strengths and weakness are. She scored a few sections while we were still there and said even though he was severely delayed she saw that he also had some amazing strengths and abilities with his comprehension a and his verbal expressions in tones. She also asked me if I my background was in teaching and I replied in fitness but not in children’s education. She said with all the terminology and how much I had researched she thought I was in education. I left her office beaming and not even the darkened rain clouds couldn’t take away the light I felt in my heart.
3. I’m thankful that the speech therapist recognized my efforts and gave me the best compliment and called me a Mom warrior. She was so glad that I advocated so strongly for my son as some parents aren’t able to for their own reasons. I thanked her profusely and had to wipe the tears from my eyes. It felt so wonderful to be acknowledged by a professional for the team effort on this journey we’ve been on for the last two years.
3. I’m thankful for KFC take out and a picnic at the park. I dove into that bucket with a vegeance as I was starving and happily munched that Colonel’s famous recipe that’s so finger licking good. My kids played happily in the playground making new friends while I celebrated KFC being in Canada for 20 years. I was so happy with my impromptu lunch I went and followed them on Twitter.
4. I’m thankful for soccer in the backyard in the morning, and bunkering down in the afternoon with Netflix, popcorn, and cuddles with my kids as we listen to the torrential downpour on our skylight. My youngest said it sounded like God was drumming. I love him and his imagination so much.
image found on Facebook
5. I’m grateful for learning more about Minecraft and all the intricate worlds my oldest son has created. He’s taught me so much as I’ve learned to open my mind to his passion to build, create, and accomplish things I could only dream of. He built this world of the Walking Dead complete with the set of the prison from Season 5 with the zombie creepers and underground bunkers out in the fields. His talent and dedication to express himself with his technological skills amazes me.
3. I’m thankful for reward charts and token behaviour systems. I’ve started them with my kids to curb some things that were getting out of hand within our communication styles. I use a thermometer to gauge how my oldest son is feeling. Green is for go, talk to me I’m feeling happy and want to engage. Yellow is for caution I’m feeling unhappy, bordering on mad feelings, I need some quiet time I do t want to interact. Red is stop I don’t want to talk I’m angry and I need space immediately. With just using this method to help him express his feelings constructively he was able to tell me and point out exactly how he was feeling. It was a very positive result to a quick temper issue we’ve been trying to handle for awhile.
4. I’m thankful for how hard my oldest son worked on controlling his temper and he earned enough tokens to have extra screen time at home and then we were able to attend the movie Minions. We loved seeing those adorable little yellow pulls origin of how they evolved to who they are and who they love to work for in present day. Movies aren’t not a family past time for us as our youngest has a sensory disorder and he’s not able to handle being quiet or sitting still for long periods of time. The use of headphones, a gadget to concentrate on, and his favourite blanket made everything quite comfortable for him. Plus his love of Minions is legendary, I will take that for the win of the week!
image found on Facebook
5. I’m thankful for playgroups that are specifically for children with special needs. We attend one weekly and this time I was able to bring my oldest son. He was the oldest one there which he knew he would be, but he finger painted, played with his brother, and made some new friends as well. It made me so happy to see my son’s playing and enjoying their time being kids with open hearts and minds.
6. I’m thankful for Fridays and getting together with friends. We enjoyed a delicious meal and then came back to our house to visit some more and soak and chat in my hot tub. I’m looking forward to spending more time with our friends as its a new friendship and they don’t mind driving to see us. As it’s not always possible to plan an outing for success when my youngest has difficulties with transitions. I was so proud of the progress he made in the restaurant. If he needed to shake the “ants out of his pants” we just went for a walk before our meal arrived. Even the owner complimented his behaviour as we’ve been eating there for a year and they become our closest friends.
7. I’m so thankful for days filled with sunshine and walks along the river. My children are outdoorsy they’re very happy playing in water or being covered in dirt so we love our time spent at the river. They’re learning the fine art of skipping stones and patience when watching the fish swimming around. Much to our delight we saw that someone had layered some rocks around the shallow area, and it made a lovely little pool to wade in. My kids had a blast splashing and playing in there for over an hour on non-stop joy! While this content Mom was able to snap pics and soak up some much needed vitamin D while waving to the boaters who floated on by.
8. I’m grateful for warm summer nights, fire pits in the backyard and enjoying beers and laughter with our friend and his loveable dog. The kids had so much fun playing with her as we like to call her our “surrogate dog.” There was one near accident as the bolts had come loose from the fire pit door and my oldest went to put some wood in and door came off in his hand and the cover came tumbling down. I’m very grateful for his quick flexes and he wasn’t seriously hurt!
9. I’m so thankful for the new fitness program I started this week. It’s from Beach Body and it’s called CIZE. The promotion for it is have fun dancing and forget that you’re even exercising. And you know what it’s so true, thirty minutes flies by as you’re learning the choreography and soon you feel like you’re in a music video busting moves with Shaun T. As he says CIZE is the end to all exercise. Eye candy, exercise, and excellent results what more could you ask for?
10. I’m thankful for all the hard work of blood, sweat, and tears that I’ve put into my fitness goals and the results that I have. I completed five fitness challenges, pounds and inches lost, and a whole new respect for myself and my determination. One of those challenges was a detox and that was a very difficult one to get through! So after a thousand questions to my coach Ryan at Gamechangers I decided to sign up as a Beach Body coach! I recently experienced my first week of shakeology, working out daily for 4 months, losing weight, gaining lean muscle mass, having energy, and waking up pain free after 6 years of nursing a back injury I AM a believer! My website is all set up and you can check me out here as well all the amazing information in this power packed fitness machine called www.teambeachbody.com. Until next week enjoy the last dog days of summer. ?
