Thankful Tree
Am I the only one with an "2 A.M. To Do List" list? You know, the kind authored at 2 in the morning, while you're either feeding baby, up after a pint-sized nightmare, or simply tossing and turning over your upcoming mother-of-the-year award entry? On the not-so-rare occasions when I am up at 2 AM, I have made many lists, and they have all different personalities. Some are my life goals and ambitions: write a book, hike the Grand Canyon and learn how to ski (well). But most are about my life as a mom, and focus on all of the things I have yet to teach them.
Being a mom is a daunting task, and I am often up at night wondering if I told my two girls what to do if we ever get separated at Target? If they understand how to dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone? And will they be best friends when they are 39 years old?
I worry a lot about gratitude. With so many opportunities and blessings afforded to our girls every single day, how will they learn to be grateful for all that they have? I have pondered many gratitude projects recently when Thanksgiving came knocking, and I had the perfect project for my new blog!
The Thankful Tree
So this weekend, Natalie (6), Gracie (3) and I went on a nature hike and collected branches for our tree. We started talking about what we're thankful for and we all agreed that just being outside, seeing the fall colors and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather was making our gratitude run over for sure.
Type A Moms or Super-Crafty-Creative Moms Tip: I know, I know, you want your Thankful Tree to look like something on the cover of Pottery Barn's Fall Catalog. So did I. But it was at the moment I saw Gracie running toward me with the perfect stick that I realized it is really just about enjoying the process.
Find a pickle jar and create your tree! You can print the tags I've created here, cut them out and and punch holes. I printed them onto the back of a piece of fallish scrapbook paper so they would look nice double-sided. I've also included a label for the jar here. Each family member adds a tag (or three!) Gracie was thankful for her birthday party (9 months ago). And, I was surprised to hear Natalie say at dinner that the Thankful Tree was her favorite part of the day. Me too.
So, it is your turn! Start gathering branches! And tell me, what are you grateful for? What funny (or sweet) things are the kids thankful for? Also, tell me what's on your 2 AM to do list? I want to know I am not the only one...and please come share photos of your trees on our Facebook page! Happy Thanksgiving!
Printables for your Thankful Tree:
Written by Lauren Goldman