Found it!

My thankful heart, that is. Turns out, it wasn't that far away after all. The first time it showed up was in AC Moore yesterday when I was trying to pick up a few things to finish the wedding cookies I have been working on.

I was looking at the shelf for meringue powder and I suppose I wasn't giving Eliza enough attention so she leaned forward and put her head between mine and the shelf and kissed me. And I stopped and giggled with her because she thought it was funny. And I thought it was cute. I am thankful for this little girl even if she isn't sleeping at night (still!) because really what greater gift could I have been given; three times over.

My thankful heart showed up again today as we walked to pick Ethan up from school. It was warm and the wind was blowing just so and I caught myself closing my eyes occasionally and just breathing it in. I am thankful for the change in seasons; for the crisp coolness of the wind blowing; for the crackling of the leaves beneath our feet.

I am thankful Owen likes to ride his bike when we pick up Ethan even if it means he ends up pushing it a lot because it is fairly hilly. I am thankful that I have learned to leave earlier so that I am not snapping at him to hurry up so that we are not late.

Because inevitably there is a lot stopping to discuss batman capes and super powers and squirrels that run up trees and other such important topics that need discussing immediately. And I am thankful

that I have a wondrous 4 year old that is completely full of curiosity with so much to say. And he wants to say it all to me.

I am thankful that God chose me to be his mother because He knew I needed to work on my patience.

And it's working.

I am thankful Owen is patient with me as he teaches me about the important things in life.

Like exploring (although it is questionable what Owen is finding in that rotten stump). He pushes me to think outside of my comfort zone.

Like this - he looked at me with the biggest grin on his face and said "Look Mommy! It's an eggplant!" Never mind that I tried to tell him I thought it was a wild onion. He insisted it was most definitely an eggplant.

Eggplant it is.

Every day - truly - every. day. Owen gets in trouble for climbing on this railing. It is the mother in me that is afraid he is going to fall, but every day I tell him not to climb on these. And every day he does it anyway. Most every day I get upset with him.

But today, I chose not to get upset and instead stood there with him while he climbed. I still didn't like it any better than any other day, but today I embraced his wild side.

And turns out, he didn't climb on the railing nearly as long.

Thankful.