Grateful Hearts Project Day 2 "grace"

Since being an adult i have wrestled with the idea of praying over meals. i always thought it was a ritual and God didn't actually hear it unless you meant it. so "rub-a-dub-dub thanks for the grub" wasn't going to matter. i never bothered to make it a routine to say grace at the dinner table even though that's what i grew up with. my children hear me pray throughout the day. i thought i was still teaching my kids that prayer was important and knew they understood you can pray at any time. one example: i was driving with my kids to my parents house 4 hours away. i was having a nice conversation with Drama about insects. i told her that each insect has a job just like humans do. Bee's make honey, etc. she asked me what a spider's job was. and i told her i couldn't remember. she said "you should pray to God and ask Him for the answer then". so that's exactly what i did. and of course i was able to remember that spiders trap and eat the flies so we don't have an over population of flies. Thank you God. i was super excited that Drama was grasping the idea that you can pray to our Lord for anything at anytime. but i did not stop to tell Him thank you. i do thank God for different things throughout the day and sometimes say it out loud. but the majority of my thankful words come when the children are not around. maybe because its easier to hear myself think when they aren't around! of course, when i start any "journey" with God i ask for his guidance and wisdom. i was blown away how quickly and clearly He spoke to me on this subject. i could go on for days, and i will! the biggest thing He asked me to reevaluate is meal prayers. so that is our next step. i will be diligent about saying "grace" at each meal and making that part of our prayer life as a family. not out of a routine. but to teach my kids to always have a grateful heart for all the blessings, especially the food we eat, that we are given each day. PS- the no-toy idea hasn't stopped their creativity. Heavily Armed asked me yesterday after coming home from work if the house was easier to keep clean since there are no toys to pick up. the answer is no. they turned their blankets and pillows into all kids of creative things. they are turning lemons into lemonade! and learning of what they really NEED and don't need. Thank you Lord for your Love and your wisdom and taking the time to help me raise children with grateful hearts.