our "Thankful List"

This is a picture of a project I began with Diva this month in preparation for Thanksgiving.  It began with just asking her one day what she was thankful for, then I asked her the next day, then decided to start writing them down.  Since she is only 3, most of the things tended to be whatever her eyes happened upon, but it was still interesting to see what she said each day and how it applied to her in the moment.  The "medicine" day was at the end of a string of days where she and Imp had both been sick.  "Couches" was at the beginning of those sick days.  After doing that this year, I am seriously considering (if I remember to do it!) doing this every November with the kids and saving their lists from year to year and giving them the lists when they move out of the house.  I'm sure it will be interesting to look back on these lists after a few years and see what kind of window these "Thankful Lists" give us into our lives at the time and the children's perspectives of our lives at the time.

not quite right

I was just spending some time with Diva since she's lying in bed not feeling very well.  She wanted to play "pat-a-cake" so I obliged, letting her say the rhyme.  Her version needs a little work.  It went something like "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, bakers man, put it in the oven and put a baby on top then bake it for Mommy and me".  Not too sure what I think about putting the baby on top then in the oven ...

Days of Thanksgiving

I was inspired by someone on an email mailing list subscription that I am on.  Every day they are sending a message saying one thing they are thankful for.  Yesterday at lunch I asked the girls what they are thankful for.  Diva quickly answered "God!".  Today I got out a piece of paper, wrote the words "We are Thankful for" at the top, glued a few fake leaves on the paper, and listed yesterday's date and today's date.  Beside yesterday's date, I wrote "God" and by today's date I wrote Diva's answer for today, which was "pictures".  Once she realized that I was writing down the things she was saying, she started to list off several more things, but I told her to remember them for other days.  I don't want her to list off everything all at once then not be able to think of anything later on in the month. :-)

I'm going to try to keep this going through Thanksgiving at least, and maybe through the end of the month since it's only 3 more days.  If I remember this next year, I'm going to try to make a tradition of this and keep the papers from year to year.  I think it will be interesting to look back over the years to see what the children were thankful for at the various points in their lives.