Around Here: Week 21

Giving... haircuts to all the men in our house.  The twins both opted for fresh, short (!) summer cuts, but before I cut Jack's he wanted to try and put it in a pony tail. I was dying as we put it up. Hilarious!

Enjoying... sunshine & heat & all the blooming flowers.  Josh has been working so hard in our yard, eliminating bushes & weeds while feeding & watering all the grass & plants we want to stick around.  I am so thankful for his never ending effort in the yard.

Nearing... the end of baseball season.  We have so enjoyed watching our boys' skills improve, and they've enjoyed games & extra time with dad & after-game treats.  That said, we are all ready to have our week nights back and to enjoy some quiet evenings after the chaos of work and school and games and life everyday.

Losing... Wyatt after the twins' game Monday.  He'd been playing at the park, well within my view, when I started chasing Carly in the opposite direction. By the time I corralled her, Wyatt was nowhere to be found.  All the parents on our team waited, helping us look and keeping an eye on Carly so I could wander around the ball field, screaming Wyatt's name.
I guess he had gotten confused and headed to the wrong field with players in black uniforms.  Thankfully a girl had noticed him looking lost and asked if he knew where his mom was. He told her didn't, and she enlisted her mom's help just as Josh walked over and saw Wyatt.  Those five minutes took at least a decade off my life, and I have honestly never in my life been so terrified.

Humidifying... the room Wyatt & Carly share in hopes that it will help their coughs.  Every time Wyatt gets a tiny little cold it develops into a cough, and this one is no different. I am hopeful he'll get fully well over the weekend. Poor guy!

Receiving... an award at MOPS. (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, a place where mama's in our town meet twice a month to spend time together, get to know one another & encourage each other.)  Let me set the stage:

I don't put Carly in care at MOPS because it's her nap time, she's a bit cranky, and honestly, I just hate leaving her. So I don't.  So she'd been in her stroller, snacking & playing for about an hour and a half as I visited with my table mates, when I decided to let her wander around for a bit. I was following her as she weaved between tables when they said my name: "Shelly!" Everyone was cheering, but I had no idea what the award was for. I stepped forward & walked up to retrieve my shining gold trophy when my phone started ringing.  Apologetically, I said as I answered, "I have to answer! I have kids in school!"  Sure enough, as she handed me my brilliant, golden prize, I heard in my ear, "Hi, this is the secretary at school. I have Logan in the office," and with that, I stepped away from the fanfare of the award ceremony & finished the conversation about what was wrong with Logan.

Then I quickly gathered my things and was about to leave when I admitted to my friend Christine that, embarrassingly, I didn't even know what my award was for.  She stopped for a second and said, "Multi-tasking.  Your award was for multi-tasking."  I laughed out loud, hard, at the timing of the call, the baby I'd been juggling on my hip, and the irony of it all.
So there you go.  Shelly-the-multi-tasker.  #nailedit

Reading... Into the Water, Anne of the Island, as well as Stone Fox after finishing The Here and Now yesterday.

Planning... to read: The Tailgate & The Mountain Between Us next week.

Making... rhubarb pie for the first time. And from scratch! It was seriously the most delicious thing I've ever eaten, and I am so proud of myself for nailing pie crust on my first try!

Looking forward... to a weekend full of company.  Josh's parents, his brother & one of his sisters are coming, as well as my sister & her family.  I am in mad-frantic mode trying to get the house ready for guests, while my kids are compiling lists of all the things they want to do when Grandma & Aunt Roxanne are here.

Feeling... inspired by this quote from Instagram.

"Come to me whole: with your flaws, your scars and everything you consider imperfect.  Then let me show you what I see.  I see galaxies in your eyes and fire in your hair.  I see journeys in your palms and adventure waiting in your smile.  I see what you cannot: you are absolutely, maddeningly, irrevocably perfect." 

-@arianapoetess