10.14.2016

Around Here: Week 41

Twins are different: Exhibit A 




Feeling... more at home in our new hometown, but also looking forward to a trip "home" at the end of the month for my nephews' birthday party.  I can get around town without GPS (woot! woot!) and have a few friends I could call upon in an emergency. It feels great. Planning our trip home also feels great, knowing we'll get some much needed quality time with those we miss so much!

Petting... our new kitties!  I haven't captured a good shot of George yet as he mostly lives under beds. ;) But I'm hoping next week he'll have ventured out and warmed up to us.  Ramona, on the other hand, is uber friendly and playful.  The boys are all thrilled to have pets and I think once they settle in it will be really lovely for our family.

Preparing... to lead the next two book club books, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.  If you feel so inclined, please visit our The Inspired Readers' Book Club facebook page and join us! We'd love to have you!

Studying... the bible with bible study videos from Beth Moore.  I use this link to choose different studies and am feeling so inspired and comforted by her.

Laughing... alongside Carly as her brothers crack her up. I think I shared five videos of her laughing on Instagram & Facebook this week (#sorrynotsorry) she's just SO adorable!

Worrying... about Wyatt's cough. It's lasted about five weeks now and we went to the doctor this week, and he thinks Wyatt may have asthma. We're working on getting it under control with the nebulizer and some antibiotics in case it's not asthma.  I can't wait for him to feel 100% again.

Loving... Jack's newfound love of writing.  He's pumping out stories, working in the office at the desk like a grown up, and talking about being an author when he grows up.  It's melting this writer-mama's heart!

Attempting... to keep my anxiety at bay. It's manifesting these days (per usual) as health concerns and a rapid heart beat that makes me feel constantly afraid. I'm praying it's just cause #fourkids & stress and that with a little more sleep (and maybe some extra prayers) I'll be back to my old self.  My bigger worry is that it's a seasonal depression thing (with fall coming) coupled with the anniversary of my first miscarriage and that I'm going to spiral down a bit. Prayers & words of encouragement welcome.

Proud... of the twins and Wyatt adjusting so well to school.  They've been in school six(ish) weeks now and our routine feels totally normal.  I love their excitement for new friendships & learning.  I hope it lasts for always!

Struggling... to not compare Logan & Jack. Gosh, for identical twins, they sure are different.  Jack is a super organized student, whereas Logan struggles to stay organized.  Luckily they have found their niches in class and get along great with their teachers, so I have hope everything will turn out alright, even though going through Logan's binder makes me cringe.

Rearranging... the dining room to make it more functional.  I am loving the activity shelf we have in there and the new placement of Carly's high chair, which has it more out of the way than it was.  It's so nice to work in our house and make spaces more user friendly for our family.

Lounging... with an extra day off this weekend.  I think having today off was just what we all needed.  A day to breathe, to get caught up on things that sat undone all week, and to enjoy those new sweet kitties of ours.

Soaking up... all the advice our Mentor Moms gave at MOPS yesterday. Many of their ideas really rang true for me and I'm going to be implementing some changes per their advice.  Mostly the mentor moms encouraged me to look at this stage of my life differently, and it has me appreciating the little things, like Wyatt playing cars on his belly in the dining room.  Or Logan coming out of his bedroom in the mornings with his two favorite stuffed animals tucked under his arm.  Or Jack leaving "projects" (read: gallons of tape & markered cardboard) all over the house.  Too soon these days will be but a memory.  And I'll wish I was back here, with my four children gathered together under one roof.  So for now, I'm going to try & relish it.

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2 comments:

Holly said...

Ramona is such a perfect name for a cat! Do you read Bonnie at A Knotted Life? I only mention it bc she recently had a post about ppd, and she wrote about how much taking fish oil and magnesium has helped her and I have had the same experience! May be worth a try for you too?! My anxiety has been higher lately too, due almost entirely to the election and the media. Ha. I find myself wishing for it to be mid November, just so the choosing part is behind us. Praying helps so much too, especially the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I'm glad the boys have settled into school so well. It must be nice to have that hurdle behind you:)

Ashley said...

I will definitely keep you in my prayers re: the anxiety. Mine comes and goes lately with no warning (and no apparent trigger) but I'm hoping to stay on top of it so it doesn't get worse after the baby arrives. My top helpers: fresh air (even sitting on the back porch for five minutes helps me to breathe), staying on top of the clutter (HUGE stresser!) and asking for help when I feel like the tasks are just too much. I've been keeping the boys accountable for their belongings, having Sophie sweep (a chore she actually loves to do, hah!) and asking Mark if he'll fill in the blanks when I just don't have an ounce more energy to give. Let me know what ends up helping you - it may be a big help to me too :)