Thankful November 26, 2008

I got my first hand-turkey from Mavis (via her teachers), declaring her “thankful for Mama.”  As my Facebook status reads right now, tonight I’m feeling mostly thankful for her 7 pm bedtime.  But there are a few other things, too, besides the obvious “friends and family” answer:

• my husband, who shares this parenting business with me 50/50
• the election of a clear-headed president whose values and actions seem to align
• the fact that I only have one more semester after this one of PhD coursework–I’ve been at this since 2003, and it is pretty old
• one friend in particular who, though he is not a mushy type, has really been a huge support to me in work/school this year and whom I think I failed until recently to recognize as being as good a friend as he is
• a group of cool women at work, even though I don’t get to spend a lot of time with them
• most of my students, most of the time–I spend more time with them some days than with my friends, so it’s nice to have good ones
• my family’s seeming embrace of a simpler Christmas this year, including their agreeing to come here instead of us having to go to my sister’s, which never goes off without an argument
• the exciting stuff that’s happening at work, even if it also freaks me out equally if not more
• a trip to Mexico planned for March and funded by Jasper’s aunt–this should help me get through the misery of January and February
• the births of my friend’s twin daughters, who came after a long time trying
• Facebook’s reuniting me with a ton of people I haven’t talked to in ages–I’m a ridiculously nostalgic person, so this has been really lovely for me
• for Mavis, who daily this fall has picked up the biggest leaf she can find, remarked how pretty it was, and decided who she wanted to share it with.  She’s exhausting, but she’s a good little egg and she’s mine.

Jasper, Mavis, and I will be packing up the car in the morning and driving 8 hours to see my grandmother, who doesn’t know we’re coming.  My siblings and mother are all coming too–all of us from out of town.  We’ll stay about 48 hours and turn around and drive home.  It’ll be exhausting, but that is how it goes.  I’ll try to keep up with the November posts while we’re away, but forgive me in advance if I miss a day!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I’m thankful to you readers and especially to you, Lulu–you’re a great friend, especially for someone I’ve only ever spent a few days with.