Grateful Friday

Here are some things making me grateful:

With a little assistance from Adam and Mark, I got the pantry cleaned and organized!  It was a major undertaking and will probably stay organized for about 5 minutes, but still.

My little home office makes me happy.  There are three plants in here and comfy chairs and pictures and cards and mementos that bring a smile to my face.  Also, every time I look up from my computer, this is what I see:

The little Eiffel tower key chain from France, the little Wonder Woman that I got from school last year, the picture of Adam that I think was taken in Tennessee?  And then the picture from our wedding.  Almost 25 years later, I still love that kid.

I love connecting with my students in Google Meet conferences and seeing a smile spread over their faces when we see each other.  I miss those kids!

I talked to most of my siblings this week because of my birthday.  It means so much to me that they all wanted to know how my kids are doing.  They care about my kids like I care about their kids and it is a cozy feeling.

I love checking in occasionally with our older kids.  When I talk to Braeden, he says, "Hello dear mother."  Emma says, "Well, hello" in this conspiring tone that makes you feel like you have an inside track on something great.

Yesterday Emma called to see if she could come over to work without distractions.  I said, "You don't have to ask, just come."  I also told her she was saving me because I had been sitting in my office for a very long time.  When she got here, I hugged her and said, "I'm starving."  

She said, "I could eat."  We rummaged around and found some taquitos in the freezer and heated them up.  She showed me the art she's been working on.  She started grading assignments for the class she is a TA for.  Braeden and Anna called after awhile and I was talking to them in the living room.  Emma walked in with her laptop and showed me the five best projects she had graded.  

I said to Braeden, "I am talking on the phone and it doesn't even matter.  Emma just came up and started talking to me."  

Emma said, "I'll be fast."  

Braeden kept talking.  Emma kept talking.  At the same time.  It reminded me that I am a mother and that is just what it is like sometimes.

For how upside down the world feels (online teaching, the world is closed, snowstorms and more little earthquakes...), I am loving all the time I have with Adam and Mark.  We have this easy co-existence trying not to interrupt each others' video calls and meeting up occasionally in the kitchen for snacks.  We watch a movie (or intense British murder mystery) in the evenings.  It's nice because I love those guys.

Speaking of Mark, we had a virtual appointment with his endocrinologist.  I love him too.  He is such a great doctor and a blessing in our lives.  He told me that because Mark's glucose levels are so good, he's not at any greater risk for COVID-19 than anyone else.  I asked him if I understood him correctly.  He said yes.

And then I felt like the world was a little lighter.