This Thursday I am thankful for:
- Practically having a full night of sleep last night. I was up later than I intended watching Blacklist (side note: I must stop binge watching Netflix shows. I must.) but I was not awoken at any time in the middle of the night by Miss B. For about the last five weeks Brenna has struggled with not only going to bed at bedtime, but with staying in bed throughout the night. She hears every car on the street, plane in the sky and creak in the house when it's bedtime and is compelled to get up and investigate and wake mom up to aid in the investigation. Over the weekend she was up every 2.5 - 3 hours, it was like having a newborn all over again and my brain just about exploded. Luckily, last night she stayed snug in bed until 6:25 this morning - I feel like I could run a marathon today.
- Time spent with my amazing Aunt Janet. She was in town for just under a week, and it felt far too short. When my mother updated Facebook about her visit a friend commented that Aunt Janet "leaves a sweet, soft footprint everywhere she goes, with multicolored sparkles from heel to toes", which is exactly true. Our week was full of adventures, laughter, cooking and joy. The girls were spoiled with attention and mom and I were showered in comfort.
- Getting myself moving again, I am scheduled to run the Girls on the Run Half Marathon this Saturday in Columbus. This is one of those things that I agreed to do with my cousin Elizabeth back in January after a few too many glasses of wine. There have been definite moments that I have regretted that decision - when my knees have been on fire, hips throbbing and back killing - but overall I am thankful I signed on. Refocusing on running has given me a new appreciation for what I am capable of accomplishing. I haven't run like this since before Addison was born. I forgot what a high of good run felt like. In fact this time last year I could barely eke out an 11 minute single mile and two weekends ago I ran over 10 miles at a pace that wasn't totally embarrassing. I also forgot how head clearing running can be - I am able to reflect on or plan my days, rehearse difficult conversations, or just get lost in the scenery and the music. Simply put, I am thankful for finding time to run again, even if it hurts a little. Okay, a lot.
- The people who push me out the door to run. My mother, who has eagerly and willingly watched Brenna for midweek runs and who consistently tells me how good I look after a trying run. She also, with ease, detects a foul mood and suggests I go pound it out on the pavement. And, of course, Andy, who not only has pushed me out the door and covered some early weekend mornings with the little ladies, but understands exactly how to get inside my competitive head to push me to go further faster. Without either of them I would have never made it past a five mile run.
- The sounds of my children being together. Ninety percent of the time they play together lovingly with laughter and imagination and excitement. They play school, dance recital, princess castle and house. They color and paint and swing and slide and explore. They're mommies to their dolls, supermodels at the fashion show, center stage ballerinas, rock stars, doctors and artists. The other ten percent of the time they annoy each other and get under each others' skin and push each others' buttons like crazy. But at the end of the day, they give each other a hug and a kiss and say I love you and they mean it. I'll be thankful for that for as long as a it lasts.
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