Fulfilled and Grateful

It's been a whirlwind the last couple of days.  I'm still on my early morning workout kick...which means I was at the gym at 5:10 am yesterday to make sure Mickey and I both had time to get our sweat sessions in.  The fun didn't stop there...it was my turn to work at the play group yesterday morning.  That's always a wild ride, especially when I "get" to be in charge of the craft.  Let's just say things didn't go quite as planned, but some of us did end up with some cute little monsters...

The highlight of my day was getting to meet up with my book club...and it was fabulous as always.  We discussed this fabulous book...

...the beginning is a bit slow, but stick with it.  You won't regret it!  

I always walk away refreshed, grateful, and with my head full of lots of thoughts after book club.  I love it!  Last night, we were talking about our roles as mothers, and how fulfilling or unfulfilling that role is.  I'm one of the lucky ones, I realized--being a mom is COMPLETELY fulfilling to me.  Staying at home with my boys is a dream come true for me.  Don't get me wrong, it's not all butterflies and roses all the time, in fact it's by far the hardest job I've ever had, but I am so grateful that I get to be able to do it, even if I have to remind myself to be grateful from time to time...

This led me to another realization...a big one that I had to express to my husband this morning.  If it weren't for him and all the hard work he does, I would not be able to occupy my stay-at-home mothering role that I find so fulfilling.  It is because of him that our family is able to have the majority of what we have, even if it is a bit more limited after eliminating a salary and adding two children to the mix.  (My beloved story time and tutoring gigs don't exactly pay the mortgage...) I aim to make more of an effort of letting him know just how grateful I am that he does what he does so that I get to do what I do.  I am a lucky girl!!  

It got me thinking...chances are, if you're involved in something that's making you really happy, there's someone behind the scenes helping to make that happen that probably needs some recognition and love once in a while.  Most of the time, good things don't "just happen."  I'm going to jump on the Thanksgiving bandwagon a little early this year and make an effort to let the people behind the scenes know just how appreciative I am of all that they do to help enrich my life.  I am grateful.

This morning kicked off with a good 'ol run with my good 'ol running buddy.  We did our usual 6 miles.  It was busier than usual out there this morning...is the morning thing catching on for more people than just me??

Today was also Story Time day.  Today's features were...

and

I highly recommend both.  Zoozical is full of fun rhymes and animals...a double whammy for preschoolers.  If You Give A Moose A Muffin is a silly book of one thing leading to another...kind of like how I feel some days.  It makes me smile :-)  You know what else makes me smile?!...all my story time friends, old and new.  What a gift you are to me!

Our next stop after Story Time was Music Class, which was fabulous as usual.  Our music skills just keep getting better and better...

...2 1/2 year old learning music theory--AWESOME!!!  We can't get enough!

We managed a quick stop into the library to refresh our book stash and a quick stop in the Fresh Market to restock our chicken stash (hello $2.99 Tuesdays :-)) before calling it a morning and heading home, where we plan to stay for the rest of the day.  

Time for some Tabata biceps, triceps, and shoulders...

...before the boys wake up then this momma's ready for some playtime with her kiddos.  Enjoy your day!