Check {in}.

I'm checking in as I haven't done this in awhile.  It's always a good thing when I list out what is good in my life when crap sometimes builds up around me.  So here goes......

I am thankful for:

1: G's teacher this year.  She is super organized, very calm and great about holding G accountable for his own actions.  She could easily call the Special Ed teacher every time he acts up, but she has handled many situations with ease on her own.  The less time G is pulled out of class, the better:)

2: I've officially got my last child off of cow's milk.  In all my research, it's just not a healthy product to consume, especially if you have health issues as it is.  I love that I know what chia seeds are, the benefits of sprouting, why never to consume GMO's, why pure cherry juice is amazing stuff, etc... I take a certain pride in knowing my kids don't know what fast food is.  If we eat out, it's at Whole Foods.  Each child gets to choose what they want to eat, then we take advantage of their indoor cafe area or sit outside by the fire.  It's fun and if I need to grab a few items, then I've just killed two birds with one stone;)

3: Although I've never officially met any of them in person, I have found what I think to be, the BEST Autism support group online.  We've even started a "get healthy" group as sitting in all the therapy, doctors offices, IEP meetings etc..., it's real easy to lose site of yourself and remember who you are without Autism getting in the way.  I'm much more knowledgeable because of these people and I'm truly grateful for their understanding and support as I don't get much of that outside of knowing other parents in my same situation.

4: Baby R and her funny conversations we have.  It's just me and her during the day so I'm literally her best play pal.  She can be a bit of a time suck though as she seems to know exactly when to ask me to come play right when I'm about to do something productive.  I feel horrible if I turn her down so I don't usually do that, so yes, my kitchen is a mess, my family room is full of toys and the laundry can pile up, but I don't care, my child is happy and safe at home with me.

5: G loving Scouts.  He absolutely loves going to Scouts each week.  The den leaders are fantastic and it helps so much that one of the den leaders has the same food allergies as G, plus more, so they know exactly how to handle G and his treats he earns.

6: Little R for being my best helper in the entire Universe!  She is such a huge help around the house and she never complains.  She may let out an exhausted huff when asked to pick up her baby sisters things too, but she does it and even asks if it looks good afterwords.  I can ask her to sweep under the table, and although she takes a little longer to do it, she does it well.  I can ask her to go help G pick up his room and she willingly goes.  I can ask her to go get snacks or water for Baby R and she immediately stands up and just does it.  I hope I don't ever break her spirit and that this helping attitude of hers will carry on with her through life. 

7: Mr. D's job.  Without it, I wouldn't be able to be a SAHM, we wouldn't be able to provide for G's treatments out of pocket the way that we do, we wouldn't be able to afford to live in the school district we do, we wouldn't be able to afford our kids extracurricular activities, we wouldn't be able to feed our family all natural and organically as possible etc... the list on this can go on.  A good job is a true blessing.

Well, those are the things that immediately came to mind, if I sat back and really thought about it, I could list off many more.  But, this was good for today:)

Happy Thursday!