Thankful For

As Thanksgiving approaches, several people on Facebook have been making daily posts about things that they are thankful for. If you asked me what I am thankful for - there are so many things - but the biggest is my kids.

I really am a lucky girl to have 2 beautiful, healthy, and amazingly charismatic kids. Amidst all the daily chaos and craziness are so many sweet and happy moments.

This time last year I was sad that Joey and Carlee were not the best buddies that I had hoped for. Joey was still having a hard time adjusting to having a sister, but now their relationship is SO MUCH BETTER!! There are definite brother/sister moments, but the instances of "best buddy" behavior increases every week.

Yesterday they were both playing dolls together. It was super sweet. Joey was pulling his doll in a wagon and Carlee was pushing her doll in a stroller. Joey was in charge of the pretending, and Carlee was following right behind him as they took their dolls for walks and fed them their bottles. It's moments like those when I stop, smile, and thank God for the two of them.

Having healthy, typically developing kids is such and amazing blessing and something I am lucky not to take for granted. Because of the years I spent teaching children with autism, the learning that "just happens" and that most people take for granted is incredibly amazing to me. I am so very thankful for this perspective. Every time Joey models something that he saw - only once - in one of his elaborate play scenarios or Carlee walks in and spits out a brand new word I am truly amazed.

As I write this, I am thinking of a million other things that I am thankful for - but that would make for a very long blog. So to end, most of all, I am just thankful to have so many things to be thankful for.