Empathy At Its Finest

My daughter is a natural “mom”. She’s always looking out for others and helping everyone around her. Last week, she even won an award at school for being the most empathetic student in her grade. She was so surprised and so happy! Our neighbour’s son is in her class and they are “boyfriend-girlfriend”. My daughter even says they are “50% going to get married”. He also has Autism and his mom explained it to my daughter as he “has a little bit of Autism” so that’s why he acts different from my son (ie: is fully verbal, etc).

My daughter’s “boyfriend” doesn’t go to assemblies at school. There’s too much stimulus for him so he’s usually in the office when the rest of his classmates are in an assembly. Their teacher told him a secret before the assembly last week…my daughter was getting the award. He wouldn’t miss the assembly at all. I don’t know how he did it but he kept the secret AND was apparently on his feet hooting and hollering for her when her name was called. My daughter was apparently very shy about going up to get the award but he supported her to go up, in front of the whole school to receive the Empathy Award.

On Friday, she “filled my bucket” just by doing what she normally does. I was finishing up putting together the kids’ lunches for school and IBI. I had already told the kids to start getting their snowsuits, etc on. The next thing I knew, I could hear my daughter walking my son through each of the steps of getting his socks, boots, jacket, hat and mittens on…sounding exactly like me when I do it! I snuck around to watch too, and unfortunately, she got frustrated because his zipper jacket got stuck. I gave her a huge hug with happy tears in my eyes and told her she just filled my bucket. That made her so happy. Still thinking about it, I’m getting happy tears in my eyes.

#RemembranceDay

I was fortunate all 3 of my grandfathers survived WWII. So, at 11am today, I will be taking a few moments to thank them through prayer. I’m also sending a huge thank you to those who have served, who are serving, and will serve, along with their families who support and worry about them.

Lest We Forget!

The power of friendships

 

I have been blessed with some amazing friends. Not only have they helped us move 3 times in as many years, they put up with our craziness, they learn and do everything they can to help me when my son and I are having bad days, and they even help us win a weighted blanket! Now we can add to that list that they love us enough to help us renovate! And boy did we renovate!

Some rooms only needed cleaning and painting but other rooms needed to be gutted and rebuilt. In the 7 weeks leading up to the kids moving in (a week after our stuff moved in), over a dozen friends helped us with sledgehammers, tools, muscles, skill, gardening, drywall, electrical, plumbing, building and rebuilding, painting, and just being supportive. Every time we tackled the outside “jungle” that had overtaken the backyard and the frontyard, our amazing new neighbours loaned us the appropriate tools (which at one point included a chainsaw!) and/or jumped right in to help us.

The house was very old and tired before renos started. As the weeks passed by, friends would say that it was coming back to life. I really believe that the more people who helped us brought more energy and love back into the house, which was desperately lacking.

So, I would like to “publicly” thank: AS, PP, RP, MS, SS, JR, NH, SN, JN, KT, BB, VR, M, DR, CP, PA, and JM.

Thank you for making our new house a real “home” that we will enjoy for many, many, many years to come!

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

Thought this was appropriate seeing as today is Canadian Thanksgiving:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful Thursday – 06/07

This week, I’m thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• spending a lazy, rainy weekend with my kids last weekend
• my personal Facebook community – they helped me win a weighted blanket for my son (more details and pictures to follow)!
• being able to attend my daughter‘s school trip to an organic farm

What are you thankful for this week?

 

Thankful Thursday

This week, I’m thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• being able to chaperone my daughter’s school trip
• surviving an evening where we accidentally left my son’s iPad at his IBI therapy. He was pretty upset but we made it through, without meltdowns.
• reconnecting with a childhood friend and her kids in person
• winning a weighted-blanket for my son (details to come soon!)
• my personal Facebook community (thanks for helping me win the weighted blanket!)

 

Thankful Thursday – 05/10

This week has been a tough week with my son and I being sick but there are still many things to be thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• the fun-filled weekend we had with wonderful friends
• getting together with childhood friends, one of whom I haven’t seen in at least 15 years
• being part of a moms group
• my son and I being on the mend with our colds

What are you thankful for?

 

Thankful Thursday – 05/04

This week, I’m thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• my son’s IBI service provider – he’s doing awesome!
• my daughter and I have a tea party tonight
• having the opportunity to find some inner strength I didn’t know was in me
• getting my divorce present for myself

What are you thankful for?

 

Thankful Thursday – 04/26

This week, I’m thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• receiving paperwork that let me know I’m divorced!
• my son’s IBI therapy provider
• our local library

What are you thankful for this week?

 

Thankful Thursday – 04/19

This week, I’m thankful for:

• my son and daughter
• not having a week full of appointments so I could nurse the headcold I had 😉
• the relationship my kids are able to continue to develop with their older sister, despite their father and I splitting (same father, different mothers)
• being able to chaperone my daughter’s class trip to the local library today

What are you thankful for this week?