I’m a lucky lady. I think most mothers’ think they are.

I’ve been blessed in my life more than once. I met the man of my secret dreams just weeks after leaving an emotionally torturous relationship. Things moved fast and within 7 months we were living together and engaged. Not 6 months after that we were married, with a new house and a baby on the way. A baby who’d come early – and surpass expectation. We made it through physio appointments and the NICU stay; we sailed through flu season too! That’s luck right there.

And now my tiny girl is almost three. She looks relatively average sized for her age and is as smart as a whip! And you know what else? She tells me she’s lucky to have me as a mama. Just writing that brings me to tears.

Over the course of my blogging this past year and a half, I’ve received many items to review and keep. Our toy bins and buckets are all overflowing! Now, we don’t buy toys for Smookie. She either gets them at Christmas, her birthday or through review opportunities. I never wanted her to be that “spoiled only child” that you see on television. I’m also not made of money and we don’t have a huge family…so gifts are few and far between.

The other day, her little friends were over and Smookie made a comment about how all her toys were her responsibility to clean up – and that she was lucky to have the toys she had {apparently she listens when I tell her things?!}. After her friends left and we were cleaning up the mess, Smookie said she was lucky again; then asked “do all kids get lucky?” <– what almost three year old asks that type of thing? When I replied, very vaguely that “no, not all kids are as lucky as you” she started to ask what toys would make them happy!

We’ve been busy around here lately, purging all of our good quality-unused items for the people who aren’t as lucky as we are. Some we sell off, and donate the money and others we donate straight up. Smookie’s really gotten involved in helping me to pick out Christmas wrapping paper, so that we can wrap toys to put under the Christmas Tree at the mall next month.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my child would have such an appreciation for the things we provide her at such a young age. I also never thought that she’d pick up on the idea of those less fortunate, so early. She constantly surprises me with her good-hearted nature!

In this upcoming holiday season, how are you reminded of how blessed you are?