Turn the Other Cheek & Thanksgiving Thursday

"Every day we have an opportunity to teach through example and to learn from observation." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick loves her Bibles. She has always loved the one I gave her when she was really little and she really loves the Bible her Aunt Marcy (my best friend) gave her this past Christmas. She likes to read about Noah's Ark and talk about what it means. Her new favorite is Adam and Eve. Little Chick has been telling me the past few months that one of her classmates is not always nice to her. The little Leo lion in my daughter can tend to want to fight back, but I have been trying to tell her to simply walk away. To "turn the other cheek". We talk about it every day and we think about ways in which we can handle different challenges. She tells me each day when I drop her off at school that if this peer bothers her that she will walk away and tell a teacher. After I dropped her off the other day I got to thinking. Do I turn the other cheek always? Do I walk away? I thought about how aggravated I can get with drivers on the road who are not "following the rules" or are on their cell phones. I have grunted and made comments in front of Little Chick before. When I do she always asks, "What's the matter mommy?" I got to thinking that this is not really practicing what I am preaching. It is not always so easy, is it? However, my reflecting on this has made me more conscientious about many things and how I can go about them. Every day we are evolving into the people we would like to be. I know that I want to teach Little Chick not only through my words, but by the example I show her daily. So the next time I get aggravated I will remember what I have told Little Chick time and again and I will "walk away".

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family. 2.) The ability to reflect and make positive changes. 3.) My gym membership and the determination to get healthy and fit. 4.) The lessons I learn from Little Chick. 5.) My big sister and her overflowing love for me.

Happy Little Chick

"To fuel a passion is to give a lifetime present." ~Mama Hen

With the start of spring and warmer weather Little Chick has started her riding lessons once again. She was smiling ear to ear the other day when she got to ride again. Her favorite horse from last year, Snickers, hurt his leg, so she got to ride a new pony named Dale. She first went over to her buddy Snickers and made sure she let her know that everything would be alright. Little Chick was so happy to take the reigns and lead her riding companion around. She made sure to tell the instructor that she could not wait to trot and sure enough they spent a good portion of the lesson trotting. After her lesson she groomed her new pal and went and visited all her old horsey friends. Of course we stopped by to see Memphis. It was a fantastic day!

Little Chick and Her Spring Pals

"To explore in nature is to truly learn." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick loves to explore! She really enjoys grabbing her pail and shovel and going out on a damp day to find some worms. This is something she and Grandma Hen love to do together. I cherish the time we do this, but leave the worms to Little Chick. Today she found about thirty worms. She was so excited! This is one of the things about the warmer weather that we both look forward to each year. Even Lolli started digging the dirt and found a couple of worms for Little Chick. It was so cute! When she was done exploring and saying hi to her wormy pals, she then put them back in the ground and covered them in a cozy blanket of dirt. It was a fun day!

See you later wormy pals!

The Day's Blessings & Thanksgiving Thursday

"Fill each day with cherished memories and an abundance of gratitude." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick has been a very busy little chick. Some of the fun things they have done recently at school are put on a fantastic Social Studies fair where Little Chick's class focused on France. They sang in French, ate French food, learned French words, painted Van Gogh and Monet masterpieces and celebrated with a French Cafe night where families could come and see all the magnificent things they had learned. They had fun dressing up as little Parisian kids. They then celebrated their 100th day of school by dressing up as a hundred year old person. They brought in 100 pennies and shopped around the classroom store to buy goodies. They ended the day with an ice cream party that each family contributed 100 pieces of various toppings. Finally, Little Chick's took a fantastic field trip to a farm where they learned all about sugaring. Little Chick loves maple syrup and thought it was interesting to learn about how it is made. They got to tap a tree and also taste the finished product. It has been a fun filled time!

Dressed up like a hundred year old.

On the farm to see the sugaring.

Little Chick gets to tap the tree.

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family. 2.) Spring and the beautiful growth that comes with it. 3.) My sister! Thank you for all the things you always do for me. 4.) Friends who never stop giving. 5.) The blessing of each new day.

Litttle Bunnies & Lots and Lots of Eggs

"What a warm and fuzzy feeling we get when carrying on family traditions." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick was so excited to get ready for her annual Easter egg hunt! We decided to have it on Sunday when we noticed how spectacular the weather was going to be. We were busy little bunnies getting ready for the big event. Little Chick made decorations and hung up Easter eggs that Grandma Hen and I made on the trees. I was working day and night to get the eggs filled and to prepare for our fun day. When all the little bunnies arrived Little Chick was ecstatic! They all played and ate lunch while waiting for the hunt to begin. There were fifteen bunnies and hundreds of eggs. It was amazing how fast they were able to find all of them. Each year as Little Chick and her friends get older I have to giggle at the speed they put on in egg hunting. It was a fabulous day filled with lots of laughter, colorful eggs and wonderful friends!

Making decorations.

One pooped out party puppy.

The Little Reminders & Thanksgiving Thursday

"Every day we recieve little reminders of what it is all about. It is important to take note, reflect and give gratitude." ~Mama Hen

Yesterday I had an aha moment. I was talking with someone I do not really know, but her positive ora and beaming outlook on life was contagious. I had mentioned how Little Chick was so sick last year and how she was ill for over a year. She so kindly validated how hard it was on my daughter and the worry I went through and then she said "let it go" so you can move forward. She never dismissed anything, but simply reminded me to take note of today so I can continue along our journey. I stopped and really thought about this moment. In some ways I have held on to that worry that I felt all last year. That same worry can sometimes get in the way of feeling free to enjoy the "now". I started to think about all the little reminders I receive day to day that things in my life are so incredibly wonderful. Yes, there are many challenges along the way, but in between it all there are so many fantastic things to be grateful for. I want to teach Little Chick to take note of all the little reminders each day that make our journey so special!

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family. 2.) All the reminders that our lives are so blessed. 3.) For people who inspire positive outlooks. 4.) Gorgeous 63 degree weather. 5.) A great workout!

Vacation & Thanksgiving Thursday

"Oh how magnificent is the time spent on the beach with family." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick and I have spent most of her vacation on the beach with our little furry babies. With an exception of today's rain, the weather has been beautiful! We have been going every day to all the surrounding beaches. We love climbing the jetties, throwing rocks in the water, exploring, taking the doggies for a walk while meeting new dogs and most of all we love the time spent together in the fresh salt air. Little Chick and I even got caught in the tide coming in yesterday and found our pants and shoes soaked. We didn't mind. We headed home for a change of clothes and went right back to our favorite place - the beach!

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family. 2.) The beach and all the fun it always provides! 3.) Time spent with Little Chick over vacation. 4.) Our furry babies. 5.) Making chocolate chip cookies with my Little Baker.