Mum in the making: Oct2bthankful

Showing posts with label Oct2bthankful. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Thankful Tuesdays: Thank you

October has come and gone, and we managed to finish the #oct2bthankful challenge! Looking back, the month has been a hectic and crazy one, and I am glad we are in November. Anyway, I know quite a few of you have hopped onto the challenge halfway through the month, so here's a lil reminder to change the tag to #30xthankful (thirty times thankful) instead, since we are no longer in October!

Also, I just want to say a big big thank you to all those who hopped on for the challenge. It has been such a encouragement to log into FB or Instagram, and see all those photos chronicling the blessings in our lives. We certainly have lots to be thankful for... so I've decided I'll continue counting those blessings over in November. Life isn't easy, life can be exhausting, but there's always something to give thanks for!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Thankful Tuesday: While the dust settles

I've been feeling rather breathless this week. You know how you have a to-do list, and your list just seems to grow longer rather than shrink each day? There's so much I've been wanting to do, but as each day comes to a close, it seems like little gets done. Oh, of course there's the housework and meals and making sure the kids don't hurt each other... but I can't help feeling like I'm surviving rather than thriving.

But whatever the case, I am glad that as I end each day, panting and usually exhausted, there is always something to be thankful. I look back at my #oct2bthankful photos and realize that we are surrounded by so much beauty and so much love, and rushing through life doesn't help you to enjoy those things. So here's our past week of thankfulness:

:: Oct 21st, Tuesday: Lil J turns three. We celebrate with family and have dinner out, and he gets to order whatever he likes, so long it doesn't contain the foods he is allergic to. So he asks for sashimi, rice and edamame. And he gets to order jelly as he can't have ice cream. And he willingly shares it with his brother. I am thankful for his loving generous nature.

:: Oct 22nd, Wednesday: We gather with our church friends to celebrate Lil J's birthday. The kids have a great time (I hope). I am thankful for our friends, for the opportunity to gather, to celebrate, to feast.

:: Oct 23rd, Thursday: Some friends visit and the kids have a good time playing. I was thankful for little friends, for a full busy day, yummy lunch and helping hands from family.

:: Oct 24th, Friday: Thankful for my youngest. He has been the toughest to care for, but oh, those sunny smiles and gurgling laughs!

:: Oct 25th, Saturday: The hubs has been really busy at work this month. I was so thankful that the kids could hang out with him during the weekend.

:: Oct 26th, Sunday: I was just thankful for a new week to realign and resettle, and for the predictability of mundane, everyday life!

:: Oct 27th, Monday: I look at my children and tremble at the enormity of the responsibilities of parenthood. And I am thankful that God enables and strengthens.

Lil J, pretending to be a spider with a cape. (Don't ask.)

I cannot believe that we'll be entering November really soon, and that the year will be coming to an end. 2014 has passed in such a blur! So, what are you thankful for this week?

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Thankful Tuesday: Ups and downs

This week has been full of ups and downs, but I guess that's the norm isn't it? So here's what we've been thankful for the past week:

:: Oct 14, Tuesday: I was thankful for home and all its comforts. And how doing a little each day does help to make a difference. We cleared the dining table, and it made such a difference when it came to doing Mama school!

:: Oct 15, Wednesday: The hubs was really busy and had a couple of work dinners this week, so it was a long day. However, I was thankful for a relatively fruitful day with the kids. Junior J was really helpful, finishing his work quickly and helping with the chores without being asked (he started folding his clothes on his own accord!). Lil J got to do some painting, and it was a pretty good day.

:: Oct 16, Thursday: It was one of those cranky days, where baby refused to nap, and my back was acting up. I was just so thankful for my parents who helped out: my dad who popped by to babysit for some time, and my mum who helped to cook dinner. And looking at these 2 boys at the end of the day, I was reminded of how while we cannot manage in our own strength, God provides strength for each day, and I was grateful for that.

:: Oct 17, Friday: We had a playdate with friends, and I was so thankful for friends. Who buy lunch, drag their kids over to your place even when they don't drive, and even clean up after. I realized I was really blessed to have good friends, and was glad that our kids could be great pals too. If you're wondering about the pic, Junior J was having a magic show. He got volunteers (Oh how I laughed when I heard him asking for volunteers!) to slot in items into the baby's sorting box, so that they "disappeared".

:: Oct 18, Saturday: We had one of those crazy errand running days, where we had to get groceries, balloons, and visit the bookstore and DIY shop, plus have lunch. We made it through, even with 5 trips to the toilet! I was so thankful for this little shopping assistant of mine, who helped me to carry things and was generally helpful. He declared the basket was his disguise, so he wore it over his head!

:: Oct 19, Sunday: Baby J was running a fever, and stuck to me the past few nights. While I was a little antsy as there was so many things to do, I am still so thankful for this little boy. For how he goes wawa, for how he loves and bounces to music, for his toothy grins and peekaboos.

:: Oct 20, Monday: It was a pretty messed up day, but I was glad we managed to settle some party prep. I was so thankful again for Junior J, who helped to pack the goodie bags and helped me with the banner. He tells me "ssssh we cannot let Lil J know! It's a surprise!".

There have been bad days and good days, and ups and downs. But I really give thanks for a week with my boys, for new mercies each morning, for a God that loves me. What are you thankful for this week?

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Thankful Tuesday: Just another week

So another week has passed, and here's how we've been doing on our challenge for the past week:

:: Oct 7, Tuesday: We headed for home, and broke our journey in Shah Alam and stayed with the hubby's relatives. We encountered jams, most of us (save for Lil J) were down with food poisoning, and Lil J's food allergies started flaring up again (we had one scare earlier on when his eyes swelled up and he started rashing and his nose started leaking). We ended the day just thankful for journey mercies, our relatives' kind hospitality, and the green balloon from our friend's kid, which kept a very fidgety Baby J occupied for part of the car ride.

:: Oct 8, Wednesday: We made it home through relatively smooth traffic, and we were so thankful that Junior J seemed to have recovered. After more than a week away from home, I think everyone was just glad to be home.

:: Oct 9, Thursday: It was one of those rush around and get stuff done kind of day. I ended the day thankful for those fleeting moments with these three little boys, that reminded me that I must stop and slow down.

:: Oct 10, Friday: We slowly got back into our homeschool routines, and went for our usual co-op. I was just so glad and thankful for home and all that home entailed: dinners together, playtime, comfortable beds. We "baked" a cake for Lil J and he pretended to light candles on them, and then systematically cut up the entire cake and fed it to all of us. It is these moments that make our home, home.

:: Oct 11, Saturday: I was thankful for the opportunity to work with lovely people when it came to blog reviews and sponsorships, and glad that such opportunities allowed me to get to know people behind small businesses better. It has been such an eye-opening experience! Also, I was thankful for this lovely bouquet, that was sent by one lovely lady whom I've been collaborating with.

:: Oct 12, Sunday: The hubby was feeding Baby J, while Lil J was helping him by feeding the baby snacks, which we use as bribes while we try to spoon in regular food. This conversation ensued:

Hubby: So are you my feeding assistant today?

Lil J (after some thought): No! I am your crunchy-taker. I take the crunchy biscuits.

Oh how we laughed! Lil J has been all sorts of challenging in terms of the discipline department, but I am so thankful for this little imp that never fails to make us smile.

:: Oct 13, Monday: We went back into our usual scheme of things. I was just thankful to have survived a regular day even with my painful back, and that we managed to get some learning done and resume our usual homeschooling routines. We read a little about the Galapagos, and we played with the figures while Baby J chomped on the poor frigate bird.

All in all, it has been quite a week. I'm glad we're back into the swing of things, and here's to another week of thankfulness!

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Weekend Wonderings: A week of thankfulness

Ever felt like you need a holiday after a holiday with kids? That's the feeling I've been getting for the past week, as some of us were recovering from food poisoning during the trip, and the house was just in general disarray. With all that was happening, I decided I would just focus on resting and housework, and leave the blogging until everything was more settled. The house still looks like a disaster, but at least everyone's better. Anyway, I'm popping in to just record my first week of thankfulness for the #oct2bthankful challenge. :)

:: Oct 1, Wednesday: We left for Malaysia on Monday, and did one night in Putrajaya so that we could settle some of Baby J's citizenship matters. So by Wednesday, we were already up in Penang, very tired from the long car rides. We opted to rest most of the day, and I was just thankful to be able to witness my three boys growing up and growing closer to each other. They make me so mad most days, but seeing them play together (with Baby J shrieking and joining in the fray) really makes me smile. We also celebrated my MIL's birthday with dinner at a Japanese restaurant, and had a nice time on the Penang ferry.

:: Oct 2, Thursday: Hubby and I were really busy during the first part of our stay in Penang with sourcing stuff for the shop that was recently set up by me and a friend. I was making multiple trips to various stalls and shops to buy things, and hubby had to bring me around. I was so thankful for the in-laws who helped to babysit the kids, especially the FIL who would take care of the older two when we went out with the baby. The boys had alot of fun helping Ah Kong in the garden, and got to dig for worms and hunt for millipedes, and would turn up for meals with soil-stained clothes, dirty hands, flushed cheeks and bright eyes.

:: Oct 3, Friday: I was really thankful for the hubby, for his patience in bringing me around, and even helping me to hunt for stuff! Also, I realized that while marrying across the causeway has its own challenges, it also has its blessings: our little family has gained a home away from home, a glimpse into a different culture, and the rather frequent privilege of tucking into all sorts of yummies from the street food capital of the world.

:: Oct 4, Saturday: We were supposed to check into a hotel along with friends who were visiting, so we spent most of the day hanging out at the hubby's auntie's place. I was so thankful for their hospitality, and the boys had lots of fun trying to play with the dogs at their place!

:: Oct 5, Sunday: We all trooped down to the butterfly farm with our friends, and the boys had a really lovely time peering at insects, even though it was pouring. We were thankful for the time there, as well as the chance to spend it with good friends.

Oct 6, Monday: The gramps gamely offered to take care of the older two, plus our friend's son, and brought them to play at the beach near the hotel, while my friend, the hubby, Baby J and I headed to town and spent the day hunting for vintage stuff and eating good food. We visited the Thieves market, where hubby nearly bought an old iron and unfortunately got stung by a bee. We foraged about in old kitchenware shops. We explored antique shops. We had laksa, slurped up icy cold cendol, gobbled down char kway teow and hokkien mee. We queued for tau sa piah and apong. I was so glad for the gramps help, and for the opportunity to explore the town.

All in all, the first week of October has been a most blessed one, and it was quite easy finding one thankful photo to post everyday! How has the first week been for you?