Thankful Thursday #33

This week I'm thankful for...

• watching the Tour de France with Terry and my stepdad, Chris


• hearing Donald Miller speak


• time to myself to think


• new bike cleats


• singing "Sweet Caroline" at the top of our lungs as Terry and I drove with the top down


• the shooting star I saw while sitting in my hot tub.  I think it was the brightest one I've ever seen.


• catching up with old friends


• morning prayer time with Terry


• kayaking on the lake in the quiet of morning

Thankful Thursday #31

[caption id="attachment_4467" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="courtesy of fatcyclist.com"][/caption]

This week I'm thankful for...

• my new Team Fatty friends


• a break in the scorching weather


• summer storms


• road trips


• the birthday cake Abby made for Terry.  They're in the throes of a serious medal competition, so for her to bake a cake that is a medal is awesome!

Thankful Thursday #30

Hello, blog friends.  It's good to be back with you.  I've been away because my family arrived for a reunion.  There were about 35 of us and I'm afraid Redding will never be the same!

This week I'm thankful for...

• hot showers.  I've caught a bit of a summer cold and nothing feels better than a hot shower in the morning.


• my big, crazy family


• my mom, for gathering my big, crazy family together in one place


• kayaking with my eleven year old nephew, Ryan.  We saw bald eagle in a nest and he couldn't stop saying "This is awesome!".  I love him for that.

• my little brother, Pete,  who drove 11 hours to make it to our family reunion.  We rode up to Shasta Dam Sunday morning and it was beautiful.

• Terry for bringing my roses on my birthday and for not complaining that I wanted to go to a local greasy spoon and have brinner for my birthday meal.


• my friend, Abby, for making me this awesome birthday cake.  Yes, she made the bicycle, too.  And it was Funfetti cake.  Best birthday cake ever.

• my second cousin, Jack, who sang the cutest version of Happy Birthday to me about ten times yesterday.  He also gave me lots of birthday kisses, including one on the armpit.  Did I mention he's two?


• all my friends and family who donated to LiveStrong on my behalf.  I'm $90 from my fundraising goal.  Fingers crossed that I reach it by Saturday.  Fingers and toes crossed that I make it across the finish line Sunday!

Thankful Thursday #29

This week I'm thankful for...

• white peaches so juicy that I have to eat them over the sink


• time alone in my classroom to get organized


• opportunities to put on my big girl pants and read something I've written.  Out loud.  To other people.  Gulp.


• running into former students around town


• leftovers


• reading and writing in my favorite Chico coffee shop


• carpooling with friends


• my workout buddy


• a fresh haircut


• the hot tub after a long day of travel

Thankful Thursday #28

This week I'm thankful for...

• turning my alarm clock off for the summer


• a sweet last day of school with my little ones and some of my awesome parent volunteers


• making cookies with a friend


• vases of fresh flowers given to me on the last day of school


• homemade strawberry blackberry jam made by a friend


• ice-cold watermelon


• warmer weather

Thankful Thursday #27

This week I'm thankful for...

• the rain that held off for our field trip to Turtle Bay Museum


• the rain that held off yet again for our swimming trip to the Aquatic Center


• my sweet little one who said "Mrs. McCauley, we've been a lot of great places this year, but the swimming field trip was the best!"


• my wonderful parent volunteers who make field trips seamless


• my first grade team


• my husband, who opens the door for me every single time


• riding my bike up hills that are so hard I want to puke


• somehow not puking on those hills


• reading in bed


• ice cold watermelon


• my new writing critique group


• the last day of school tomorrow.  It will be bittersweet, but mostly sweet.  And that's what I'm most thankful for.

Thankful Thursday #26

This week I'm thankful for...

• days when I'm organized enough to leave school shortly after my students


• when the mailbox has something good in it like a magazine or a package


• the Northern California Writing Project and the opportunities they give me to learn and collaborate with my colleagues


• nights when I don't dream about school and the well-rested mornings that follow


• Q Tips.  I don't care that they're not intended for my ears or that in putting them in my ears I may somehow puncture my brain.  I love the feeling of cleaning out my ears.


• getting all four of the hotel pillows to myself


• television finales and the return of summer shows


• my husband, who attended our class musical dress rehearsal and said lovely things about my children


• the looks on the faces of my little ones as they performed our class musical for their loved ones


• teachers being moved to first grade this year who are comfortable enough in their own skin to ask for help


• the opportunity to share what I love with other teachers


• wearing my flannel pajamas, slippers and winter robe in May

Thankful Thursday #25

This week I'm thankful for...

• getting a pedicure with my mom


• walking the river trail


• my critique partner at Writers Forum and her helpful suggestions


• leftovers


• rainy weather that lets me wear my winter clothes in May


• sweating hard in spin class and then walking in the rain to my car


• reading in bed with my hubby


• days when the rain holds off until after recess


• the bouquet of roses my husband brought to my classroom


• the little boy who finally nailed his solo during practice for our musical


• the man outside of Barnes and Noble who said "Hey, beautiful, smile.  Every day is a good day."  It was a particularly rough teaching day and I needed to be reminded that it was still a good day.

Thankful Thursday #24

This week I'm thankful for...

• field trips that require me to tromp around outside by creeks and stuff with my little ones.  It's so cool to take them out in nature.  We capped our last trip off with a picnic lunch.


• parent volunteers


• making my mom laugh on my grandmother's birthday


• strawberries from the stand


• BikeSnobNYC's article on Wouter Weylandt


• for my friend, Danielle, who helped me make this flip book of verses I want to memorize.  I'm thankful for creative friends who dream up beautiful things and turn them into reality.

Thankful Thursday #23

This week I'm thankful for...

• a trip to Huntington Beach.  It's my favorite beach and I saw these little guys on the pier.  Notice how the tortoise seems to be clueless to the fact that he's facing the complete wrong direction.  Notice also how the parrot is clearly terrorizing the tortoise.  I am so the tortoise.


• dancing next to Ellen on the Ellen show.


• road trips and the feeling of joy I get when I come back home


• long bike rides when my legs feel like they could pedal forever


• watching a dragonfly nymph emerge from its exuvia for the last time as it becomes an adult dragonfly


• when I took a wrong turn on a bike ride and it led me on a prettier route than I'd planned


• the book I published with my class this year.  All my hard work paid off when I saw the looks on their faces as they held their very own words in print.  It's just magical.

Thankful Thursday #22

This week I'm thankful for...

• turning off my alarm clock for the week


• Good Friday service


• Easter Sunday when the rain stopped and the clouds parted in time for church outside


• the hymn In Christ Alone because it brings me to tears every time I hear it


• riding my bike with girlfriends Easter afternoon


• hearing the 5:30am train echoing up from the valley and realizing I can go back to sleep for as long as I want


• reading in bed in the morning

Thankful Thursday #21

This week I'm thankful for...

• my grade level partners who always have my back


• parents of current and former students who intrinsically seem to know when I need to hear that I'm doing a good job


• our school librarian for saying I'm the perfect teacher for my most challenging student


• my husband for encouraging me to always listen to my heart when it comes to doing what is best for children


• my sixth grade student TA who looked at our dragonfly nymphs and said "Isn't it amazing that something so ugly turns into something so beautiful?"  Exactly.


• pedicures


• dates with my mom


• The Sound of Music, which always makes me tear up at least a little, especially at the lyric "I go to the hills when my heart is lonely."


• reading solely for the pleasure of it


• lazy Saturdays when I read nap and Terry watches baseball naps, too


• warm rain that compels Terry to usher me outside to smell it


• the small window each week wherein all the laundry is washed and put away and the laundry hamper is empty


• walking home from church under a sky of thunderheads that held off the rain long enough for me to make it home


• the little boy who brought his skateboard in as his "Mostest special thing, ever, in the world.  Ever."


• my darling former student who brought her bunny by after school so I could "finally meet him".  Henry the Bunny is now my favorite bunny.  Although chocolate bunnies are a close second.


• this clip from 365grateful.com

[vimeo 13731354 w=400 h=225]

Thankful Thursday #20

This week I'm thankful for...

• new shoes that feel comfortable from the first wear


• my little one who brought his hamster, Mr. Beans, to school on his special sharing day.  The kids squealed and cheered when the boy took Mr. Beans out of his box.  Mr. Beans then spent the next hour scared stiff.  Poor Mr. Beans will never be the same!


• another little one who brought his pet, Lilly the Tortoise, to share.  Lilly has impeccable timing and pooped just as the boy was lifting her out of her box.  The class started shrieking in horror as the poop plopped into the box.  Poor first graders will never be the same.  I on the other hand, had to stifle my giggles.  Potty humor slays me.


• the rare bike ride where my legs feel like they could go forever


• talking to my brothers on the phone and dreaming about a big bike adventure together.  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except when I post pictures on my blog.  Brothers, consider yourselves warned.


• these magical words from the pharmacist "I've got that on hand.  Your prescription will be ready in a few minutes."  My sinuses thank you, kind sir.


• the little boy in my class who wore his "I'm a Big Brother" sticker all weekend and just had to wear it to school Monday


• the sound of my neighborhood in spring.  Children play outside, wind chimes ting-a-ting-ting on gust of barbecue scented wind.  Spring is here and not a moment too soon.


• the fact that it's week 20 and I still have so much to be grateful for.  I hope the same is true for you.

Thankful Thursday #17

This week I'm thankful for...

• the scent of rain on warm asphalt


• the attitude of my little one who accidentally poked himself in the eye with a fork at lunch.  He was completely fine and when I asked him how it happened, he shrugged and replied "I aimed for the peas and missed."  I'll say.


• meals with friends


• the book of Esther


• a fresh haircut


• bike rides so challenging that I'm left stripped bare at the end, knowing I gave everything I had, and by some miracle, it was enough


• hearing Dr. Maya Angelou speak.  It was a night I'll treasure always.  And because I will never look at rainbows the same again.  And because you weren't able to join me that night.  And because you deserve a little more poetry in your life, here she is.  I thought of giving you just a morsel to chew on, but who am I to be so selfish.  So click on the picture below and while it takes you to the site starts loading, get yourself a cup of tea, throw a blanket around your shoulders and get ready to enjoy this 42 minute master class with Maya Angelou.  Don't tell me you don't have that kind of time.  Make the time.  I assure you, her words will speak to the most joyful and the most tender places in your heart.

Thankful Thursday #16

This week I'm thankful for...

• bike rides with friends


• my new little one who wrote this in his notebook "I'm thankful for my home."  Makes me wonder if there is a place for Thankful Thursdays in my classroom.  Hmmm...


• my little one who wrote this about her mom "She is pretty like white, shiny milk.  She is so beautiful, I can't believe it.  It knocks me down how much I love her."  Her mom recently had brain surgery.  I'm pretty sure those are the kinds of words that lend speed to recovery.


• the parents of my little ones who took time at our parent teacher conferences to thank me and tell me how much their children love being a part of our class.  Those words sink down deep and warm my heart.


• my little girl who told me in a moment of quiet exclaimed "I love math!  No, wait-I love reading!  No, wait-I love writing!"


• outside recess


• outside recess.  I know I mentioned it twice.  Trust me, this week I was doubly thankful for it.


• my husband who offered to make me dinner after a particularly rough day


• books that are so good, I can't put them down.  If only I could force myself to stay awake a little longer at night to read them!


• my little one who brought in $10 of her own money to donate to our change drive for the local rescue mission.  Her mother, touched her daughter's generosity, matched it dollar for dollar.

Thankful Thursday #13

This week I'm thankful for...

• SNOW!  Real, honest to goodness, sticking on the ground snow!!!


• taking my little ones out for a few minutes to catch snowflakes on their tongues and on black paper


• the little boy who ate the snow off his paper


• the snowman built by the kiddos next door


• blowdrying my hair on cold mornings


• my stepdad, who always says yes when I ask for his help


• roses from my hubby "just because"


• good books


• cucumber green tea body wash


• the colleague who brought me lunch


• the feeling that I worked really hard in spin class

Thankful Thursday #12

This week I'm thankful for...

• the little boy in my class who used his own money to buy valentines for the class


• the windmills on Hatchett Ridge at night, all lit up in red lights like a valentine just for me


• texts from my hubby just to say he loves me


• realizing I haven't driven my car for a couple of days because I've walked to all my destinations


• waking up to the sound of rain


• days when the rain stops just in time to walk to work and stops again for my walk home


• weekends when my hubby starts the laundry


• waking up and realizing it was only a dream and I did not, in fact, go to school in my pajamas


• riding with the top down with my hubby while he sings along to Ray LaMontagne's "Hold You In My Arms"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6O-8crNF_M

Thankful Thursday #11

This week I'm thankful for...

• driving with my windows rolled down


• wearing flip flops in February


• walking my neighborhood when the sky is clear enough to see the mountains and the rows of windmills turning on Hatchet Ridge


• taking my little ones to see a play at the theater. There's just nothing like a theater full of laughing children.


• the little boy who came back from the theater and wrote in his notebook that he loved the whole thing and it was the best day ever!


• walking to school and church in Spring-like weather


• riding my bike


• fleece hoodies


• the sounds of kids playing in the neighborhood


• opening all the windows in the house


• Love poems like "I Carry Your Heart With Me" by ee cummings.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjzJ56c1wrY

Thankful Thursday #10

This week I'm thankful for...

• the sounds my husband makes in his sleep


• my mom's chocolate chip cookies


• my students who popped by my house Friday afternoon


• Mexican food


• the smell of clothes in the dryer wafting through the air as I walked the neighborhood


• the little boy who stayed a few minutes after school to tell just to tell me how much fun he had at school that day.  We didn't do anything out of the ordinary that day, which made the compliment that much sweeter.


• Monday night Bible study


• dollar movie night with the hubby


• a fresh haircut


• the little girl in my class who came to school with a silver shower curtain ring on her wrist because "anything round can be a bracelet, right?"  I sense a budding fashion designer.

Thankful Thursday #9

This week I'm thankful for...

• the roses Terry brought to my classroom on Friday.  I love "just because" flowers and the man who brings them to me.


• lemongrass soap.


• these tips on revision that make me feel like my wordslugging is worth it.


• when the thermometer hit 70.  A little taste of spring in January has me pining for more.


• skirts and dresses because they're so much more fun to wear than pants.


• reading in the bathroom.


• the bumper sticker I saw that read "Wag more, bark less".


• this awesome LEGO cycling gorilla:

[caption id="attachment_3062" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="from the brilliant site A LEGO A Day"][/caption]