Month of Thanks

I saw this going around Facebook, and thought it was a good idea.  It's easy to focus on the negative, especially when the days are getting shorter, it's cold and dreary out, and most of the news seems to be a huge downer with Sandy, the election, the election ads, and no Doctor Who for another two months.  I didn't want to bog down feeds with daily mundane stuff, so I'll just be posting the week's list each Saturday. 

Thursday, 1 November, 2012- I'm grateful for the great programs that Kent State University puts on for our community, specifically the reading tutor program that gives him more personalized attention with his reading twice each week, gives me four additional hours of work time each week, and has really helped spark his interest (and subsequent improvement) in reading.  The fact that his tutoring falls on the days when I have sole responsibility for him is an added bonus.

Friday, 2 November, 2012- I'm grateful for the community school dynamic at our neighborhood elementary.  Ken's school is in walking distance from our house, and many of his friends also live within a very short distance.  We can come together and know the new house construction that someone is talking about, or the garage sale someone else saw.  We really hadn't been too close with much of our neighborhood until now, so this is a huge help in getting to meet other families and learn about our area of town.  Seeing everybody hanging out together at the Halloween Gala on a Friday evening let's me catch up with friends, see new babies, and just have some good cheap fun without going far at all.

Saturday, 3 November, 2012- I'm grateful for days that turn themselves around (doing the hokey-pokey optional).  Typically, if the day starts out bad in our house, it stays bad, and maybe gets worse.  Every once in a while, we manage to work together and change the household dynamic so that the day is salvaged.  Today was one of those days.  It started horribly, and late- which usually equates with terrible in my book.  But after I went off to help with Upward Bound Inspiration Day, I came home to a changed couple of boys.  Admittedly, I came home to a disaster zone and quite the battle, but after that, things improved.  We got the house picked up, cleared out some stuff for donating, and more stuff to give to a Sandy Relief effort I'm trying to make work, and another box of train stuff to send to a friend's little boy.  Yeah, our family has way too much stuff, which I guess is another thing to be grateful for.

What about you?  What are you thankful for?  Are you participating in the month of thanks?  Let me know, and/or link your blog below!