The World Of Woodbury: Thankful Tree

The past 2 years we've had the tradition of doing a "thankful" tree where each morning, each of the kids gets to write 1 thing they're thankful for. Only rule is you can't repeat and mom has to approve it. By the end of the month we have a lovely backdrop for our reading nook.

Here's just a few of my favorites typed out in case they're hard to read: I am thankful for nighttime and sleeping (poor dad works a lot)- Taylor.

I'm thankful for my 2 grandmas- Miles (Miles is growing into such a sweet and thoughtful big boy)

I'm thankful for my school- Miles (and so is mommy. You're finally adjusting to following directions and being responsible after a rough few months of trying to control the teacher, making her cry, and then finally figuring out your place)

I'm thankful for my food even though I didn't eat it all, like I only ate one bite of the gross stuff- Miles (thanks for the honest direct quote, very entertaining and honest)

I'm thankful for Ethan's funny jokes- Isaac (these 2 have a special bond as the big boys and they spend hours laughing over things I don't understand even when I try to)

I'm thankful we have fluffly beds to sleep in- Ethan (okay...)

I'm thankful for PJ Masks and the Lion Guard shows- Isla (maybe I'm letting you watch too much TV)

I'm thankful that I got to go to a fun pack meeting- Miles (good job earning that with your good behavior at school and then also realizing it was a privilege you want to work towards)

I'm thankful for U of U basketball games so we can have fun and eat snacks with Grandpa- Isaac (okay so at least you're building a relationship with your grandpa, but maybe missing the whole point of actually watching a basketball game, I guess we can work with snacks being fun for now)

I'm thankful Dad goes to water polo because he has fun and it de-stresses him- Sarah (this one is sadly very true. While water polo takes Taylor away from family time, he gets really stressed at work and this seems to be magic. One night he even came home, after having been so stressed at dinner he couldn't even interact with the kids and then going to polo, and said "Ahh that's just what I needed to go beat up on a few high schoolers in the water". A little service, a little exercise, and maybe a little beating up of teenagers and you're all better)

I'm thankful I knew Grandpa Bill. I liked going to his house and playing legos- Isaac (yes, sadly Sonia's father passed away last week and while the kids hadn't spent a ton of time with him, they did enjoy going along with grams to visit him and sitting on his living room floor playing legos. I'm glad they got to know him a little)

I'm thankful that I got to watch Star Wars and eat Star Wars pancakes- Ethan (another great Sunday family movie plus pancakes shapes like tie and x wing fighters thanks to after-Christmas clearance at William Sonoma).

I'm thankful that the Royals won the World Series- Ethan. (Another good Sunday evening spent with Taylor's family and especially his mom who grew up in Kansas City and was a cheerleader for the KC Chiefs)

I'm thankful it's the Day of the Dead so I can celebrate my cat on Minecraft who died in a Zombie attack- Isaac (When Isaac said this- in a very serious tone mind you- Taylor and I both sat there and looked at him for about 30 seconds before saying oookaaaay. But now it's totally my favorite of the whole month. Apparently he had a pet cat in his ipad game minecraft and it died in a Zombie attack and since he's in a spanish immersion school they celebrate the Day of the Dead and get to celebrate their dead relatives... or digital pet cats killed by zombies. Love it!)

I'm thankful for the Primary program... it was fun- Miles (this melts my heart since it's the first program my presidency has done and it was a lot of work and a lot of stress but really SOOO wonderful to me. Such a neat experience to feel the spirit with these amazing children while we sang and testified together).

I am thankful for... I love my daddy- Isla (this was the first leaf she filled out and she tried to repeat it several times throughout the month. Love her! And she melts her daddy's heart)

I'm thankful that our cousins came to visit- Ethan

I'm thankful Aria came to stay with us- Miles

I'm thankful for yucky charms- Isla (translation: lucky charms cereal. I really love how she talks right now- flends(friends), wuv u (love you))

I'm thankful that I don't have to go to swimming today- Ethan (awe a classic at least according to Taylor)

I'm thankful for my "p" party today- Isaac (ie class party at school wherein he can bring whatever he'd like that starts with the letter p- popcorn, pretzels, etc)

I'm thankful for Miles cause I love it when he laughs- Taylor (that child really does have the best, most contagious laugh ever)

I'm thankful for Carl's Jr. and that we can visit Grandma great and Grandpa great and eat tater tots- Isla (this tradition started about a year ago after my grandparents got moved out to Utah mostly against their will but so they'd be closer to family who can help them. My mom was pressuring me to do something to help and this was what I could do that wasn't always fluctuating and would fit into my kids schedules and it's been really a great break each week to take them to a restaurant they love and let Isla and sometimes Miles play on the playground and eat with them. It's been a small blessing to get to know them better after all these years).

I'm thankful that I got a caught you being good card- Miles (Miles is working hard to learn how to be a part of his Kindergarten classroom in a responsible way. His teacher is fantastic and so patient and a genius at spotting times when she can "catch him being good" and reward him by noticing)

I'm thankful for Milo cause he's my friend- Isla

I'm thankful Mary and Alice came to play- Isla

I'm thankful we get to go to gram's house- Miles

I'm thankful for our piano-Ethan (so this has been a wonderful blessing for all of us. I got a nice digital piano before I married Taylor and it's worked great but over the years the kids have gotten food crumbs and gunk stuck under some of the keys and so there were literally whole octaves where Ethan and Isaac couldn't play. Not so big a deal at first but now that Ethan's playing with both hands and more complicated songs that sometimes span 4 octaves, it was getting a little ridiculous. And then low and behold, Taylor's parents were getting frustrated that all their kids had moved back to town and multiplied with 7 grandkids and we no longer all fit around their dining table in their tiny dining room. So their solution was to flip the dining and living rooms and get rid of their baby grand piano since no one used it anymore. But they really wanted to keep it in the family since it's the first big purchase Sonia made after she started teaching high school in the 70's and also all her kids learned piano on it. And amazingly we were the only ones who wanted it. So tadaa!!! Free heirloom, beautiful, baby grand piano. Complete with all working keys. So glad Ethan is loving it cause I'm loving it too!)