A Culture of Gratitude. Day 10.

Today is November 10th.
Today marks 15 days until Thanksgiving.

Today I am Thankful for the growing independence of The Munchkins.

There is a special sort of joy that occurs when you realize that your youngest child is finally old enough to sit and color quietly by herself for long stretches at a time.

It's euphoric, really.

Considering that I can still remember the days when The Monkey wouldn't let a soul but Yours Truly even touch her, makes this moment an even greater success. There were days when I was sure I held that child 22 of the 24 hours of the day. And now, the edges of my memory have blurred just enough that I think on those days fondly...

Because as much as I celebrate the fact that I had an entire 30 minutes to myself this morning to enjoy my coffee and the current trashy novel I was curled up with under the couch-afghan, I'm also realizing that this is the beginning of the end. Soon they'll be rushing out the door...on the way to friends' houses and sports practices and to meet *gasp* boys. I shudder to even think...


So maybe, just maybe, I'm not in such a hurry for them to climb down off my lap and into the world.

...maybe...