Tags
#TTOT, Grade One, Ottawa Activities, preschoolers swimming, reading, Spin Doctors, swimming lessons, thankful, The Tragically Hip, work-life balance
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted a Thankful List.
For a while I did it weekly as it really helped me focus on the good and gain perspective during a time I found it hard to, well, do that.
Then that time passed.
I never forgot the power of noting my thankfuls.
I just stopped posting them.
Then a few months ago I spoke about this wonderful online group with my Life Coach – telling her how much they’d helped when I needed to encourage myself to focus on the positive. Finally yesterday, I was updating my “Best Of” Page (finally) and there was one of my #TTOT posts doggedly holding on as my second most visited post EVER and … yeah.
I needed to post this week.
Heck! It’s been so long, I’ve never used your new button. It’s super pretty:
So my recent thankful?
I’m thankful for my six-year-old daughter’s tutor (Thankful #1) and the fact that she’s hit level #3 readers, which means she’s actually making reading progress (Thankful #2). If I can add a third thankful in there (Thankful #3), I got the tutor reference from Sonia, a local Ottawa blogger over at The Mother of Adventure. I’d been looking for a French language tutor or tutoring service in Ottawa for a while by that stage and come up empty, but then caught her post about Teachers to Go. They found us a French language teacher to help my daughter for one hour a week, which was perfect.
I’m thankful for our neighbour with a pool (Thankful #4). My kids – at six and three – love swimming and have already been over a handful of times this season to swim with her grandson and the girl whose house backs onto theirs. It’s the casual neighbourhood fun I want my kids to have – random, unstructured time with the kids who live around them.
I’m thankful for the mixed-tape of music that almost three years of blogging has given me (Thankful #5). Honest, navel-gazing moment? There are nights when I’m tired and stuck at home with young kids in bed that I surf my past music posts. And that makes me happy. If you’d like to visit one I think is PARTICULARLY under-loved yet awesome try the Letter J in my Musical A to Z series. Ironically enough, it includes the Jimmy Olsen’s Blues. Kinda like the post, he’s used to being ignored. But really, take moment:
I’m thankful for my youngest’s swim teacher who is really trying to help my daughter back-star (Thankful #6). She swims around happily on her front, but refuses to swim on her back. As a former swim teacher, swim coach and competitive swimmer I think it’s fair to say I’m THAT PARENT that no swim teacher EVER wants to deal with. As a rule I don’t comment and let lessons run their course, but watching can sometimes be painful. That said, this current teacher is pretty great. I watch her sincerely trying and equally balancing her time between the different kids in the class. And I’m thankful for the effort.
I’m thankful for my husband (Thankful #7). As I was writing this post, he came by and we had a whole discussion about a) Jimmy Olsen then b) Spin Doctors (because, what was that song they were REALLY known for?) then c) What about the Hip? Wasn’t that the first band we saw together? (Awwww). That found us then listening to this song, which we both love:
We then got into a debate over the meaning. Surfing on that point landed us here. So nice when my hobbies can draw in the whole family.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to have attended two blog conferences in my home town. I learnt a lot. Enough that I will join them in Toronto when they move there next year. Each year I got the message that I should have a Facebook Page for my Blog. So I finally launched it a few weeks back. Still figuring out what to do with it. But I’d be very thankful for a like. (somewhat shameless Thankful #8).
I made a new dolly badge to theme and EVERYTHING.
I appreciate that dolly looks SUPER INTENSE, but we have two of these dolls at home – purchased at a community craft show two years ago. My daughters love them. When we bought them I think the doll my youngest picked was almost bigger than her. As she gleefully ran off with it – clutched as it was by HER WHOLE BODY – I saw the look in the craft-woman’s eyes. We made her day. So when I needed a Facebook doll? She worked.
I’m thankful for my new job (Thankful #9). It’s fair to say I have been struggling for the past couple years of professional life to find the right fit for me now. The job where I feel my skills are useful and that challenges me and lets me grow and learn, while also letting me be there for my kids – because they are only this age once. I’m only two months in, but I think I’m happy.
I’m thankful for the local opportunities blogging has given me (Thankful #10). My recent example? This past Thursday, I was invited to attend the United Way Ottawa’s Community Builder of the Year Awards Gala.
I first connected with United Way Ottawa last year when I won tickets to their gala through Andrea’s blog A Peek Inside the Fishbowl. Since then, I have been happy to support and engage as I can. Thursday night’s event was a great reminder of all the good being done in the community where I live.
So there’s my ten. Surf others, or join in here.
Baby Gates Down 
Lots of good things here. When you stop to be grateful, things are so much better. Helps keep that barrier of positivity up in the face of anything.
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Thanks! Agreed re: the importance of stopping to be thankful. It’s been too long since I took the time to write it down.
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Lots of amazing thankfuls here! My boys loved the water when they were little, still do even if the activity has changed from swimming to kayaking.
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Kayaking is a great activity! We’re still focussed on just learning to swim, but I know the WORLD opens up (aquatically speaking) once that’s mastered :).
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Welcome Back!
(one of the more remarkable aspects of this here virtual world is how we not only come to know people and their families and their lives (despite a very, very small chance of ever being in the same room with them), we also enjoy the privilege of seeing their stories un-fold over time. (“ and remember that time that…” and “has it really been that long?” )
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Thanks Clark – I agree re: the enjoyment that blogging gives of seeing people’s stories develop over time.
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And thanks for the Facebook like – with yours I “broke 20!” 🙂
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So glad to see you back with the TToT!
Yay for daughters making progress in reading ability! And for good coaches and French tutors and neighbor’s pool!
While I don’t regret moving our kids to the country, as it has been a wonderful experience in so many ways, the only reason I am sad about it is that my kids don’t have the opportunity to do the impromptu get-togethers with neighbors who happen to be outside when we are. I’m glad you are taking full advantage of the good neighbor gatherings.
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My husband’s family live in the country and it’s wonderful when we visit them – all that space! But our neighbours are great – we’re pretty lucky there.
And tutoring – it felt great when we finally sorted out a plan that seems to be working to help my eldest with her reading – it’s been a real struggle for the last three years with school for her.
Thanks for the kind words.
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So much good in here. The power of the thankful list is real for sure.
I love the bit about the kids in the neighbor’s pool…that’s awesome. We really don’t have that here in this neighborhood and it’s a shame.
Zilla is learning to swim and it’s slow going. Poor kid is really fighting for it, though, and the teacher she just had this session is fabulous. I’m hoping we see her again in the summer sessions!
So glad to see you back!
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Good luck to Zilla with the lessons. At some point it will “click”. I take breaks from lessons with my kids when they get “stuck” for too long – I figure there are times they just aren’t ready to do whatever the skill is (back float being a big one for both of mine!) But yes – great teachers are GOLD.
As for the neighbours pool – yes… I think we’ll be spending an awful lot of time there this summer 🙂 She’s offered for the last few years, but this is the first year both kids are actually old enough to really enjoy it.
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Hey Louise. Nice to see you here. I didn’t know you ever wrote a TToT post. I must have joined, last year, after you took part. I don’t recall, but maybe my memory is just failing me. Anyway, glad to see you here.
Isn’t music the best thing, one to definitely be thankful for. It brings back so many memories.
I already saw your Facebook page and liked it. Happy to.
That blogging conference in Toronto sounds interesting. I’ve never been to one, but have considered it.
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I must have stopped right around the time 1000Speak started – I know at times doing a thankful + planning that post was a bit much with the other stuff I write, so I did 1000Speak instead. I’d like to think I can balance both with a wee bit of effort 🙂
And YES – music is wonderful – there is always a soundtrack playing in the back of my life.
BConnected (the blog conference) is well worth it if you are considering trying a blog conference. Honestly, it’s the only one I’ve ever been to (because it was a local Ottawa one) but I learnt so much both times – and, really, Blissdom (the big Canadian one) just felt a bit too Brand Oriented/professional blogging for what I was interested in (that might be a misconception, but it’s my impression).
Thanks for “liking me” on Facebook! I broke 20 this weekend! Wahoo!
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Liked your FB page, love your thankful. Here’s to new jobs, awesome conversations with your husband and your daughter making reading progress. That’s HUGE. I feel like I struggle with spelling words with my son each week but today we went to a store to get new socks for him and he read a tag that said “Do not inventory.” I was like WHAT???? How do you know that word? Turns out he knows it from a video game he plays with my husband but that tiny weird thing gave me hope. Also HI so good to see you again! I haven’t done thankful in ages either.
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Inventory is a awesome word! Congrats to Tucker! We definitely aren’t there yet. My daughter had a playdate a few weeks ago and they watched TV for a bit and her friend was reading all the instructions on the screen (ie: Please Wait, loading etc…) – I know my child isn’t there yet and it was hard not to compare. But I know she’ll get there.
Hi back! I keep hoping to FTSF again too – so many cool ways to spend my time online! I love that that is still going too.
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I don’t always have time to post my gratitude list but I recognize them. Glad you posted though.
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Thanks for reading – appreciate it!
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This was a great thankful list! Careerwise, it is always good to find the right fit. We’re most productive when we enjoy what we’re doing.
As for blogging, I think it has changed my life. I never thought I would enjoy blogging until I started, and I don’t ever see myself being too far away from this industry. There is so much to do and share with followers. I guess I have fallen really hard for it!
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You and blogging are certainly a good fit! I have found it really motivating to see the many different things people do with it and ways they make it work in their lives.
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I have a couple Raggedy Anns, too. 🙂 One from when I was a toddler. It plays music. I liked your FB page. I have an author page, but not a blog page. Did they say you have to have both?
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Have you ever done a poem about that doll?
And no – they didn’t answer that question and no one ever asked it – it wasn’t a writers blog conference so that wasn’t addressed.
If you want my answer – I think it is no, unless there is some reason to brand your writing and your blog separately. I’ve struggled with the whole “digital segmentation” issue as well and I think it comes down to what you want to be “known” for – and eventually if the answer is “everything you do” then one page works. I’m not quite there yet (Linkin being the outlier) and I’m not certain if those should ever completely “marry up” online, but then I wonder if they just should and, well, I’ll just see what happens.
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I’ve seen people with lots of different pages, and they tend to have published books. So they have a page just for the book. I don’t think I want to have that many pages. I have nougat trouble keeping up with what I have. I have so many comments this morning, it’s going to take ages to get through them all. A good place to be, I know, but it limits what else I can take on. There are always more social media outlets, too. It’s exhausting. I list my kids point me to the popular ones. Instagram and snapchat are what the kids use these days. They aren’t on FB.
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I’m not an author so I haven’t thought too much about what works there re: book by book (but that sounds exhausting). I ike the idea of not spreading myself too thin online – ie: one main space and then other things that support or serve slightly different uses (ie: Twitter for short conversations/sharing stuff I like and now – maybe Facebook). I had tried Tumblr and, honestly never really “got” that. I also have a Instagram account I’ve never really used, I think I need a better camera on my phone before that happens – and not sure that’s my “thing”.
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Not enough time in the day to write, blog and keep up a presence on all those places. If people want to read, they will find me. 🙂
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