Around Here: Week 31

{The office/laundry room}

Reading... a new (to me) author, Jenny Han per the recommendation of my high school friend Emily. I just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty, and have started the second in the trilogy.  They are super fun, easy reads with an engrossing story line. When I finish these ones, I want to read "To All The Boys I've Loved Before."

Sharing... the fact that I had "the talk" with the twins just after their ninth birthday. We laughed a little, we were embarrassed, but we got through it and I feel confident that I laid the perfect foundation for future conversations.

Playing... speed with Jack and Logan. Josh taught them how to play and it is so happy to play a game with them that doesn't make me want to stab my eyes out. (Chutes & Ladders... Candyland... Who even invented these things!?!)  They're really good so it's a real challenge to play them and we always have a fun time.

Sorting... through all the clothes for all the children. I absolutely hate sorting through clothes and figuring out what's too small and what's needed.  But I know it must be done, so this week I buckled down and sorted through summer clothes, fall clothes and winter clothes so I could know exactly what the kids need for the upcoming school year.  It feels great now that it's done.

Organizing... the office and the boys' bedroom.  The office has been out of sorts for 2+ weeks now since I painted it, and I finally got it functional. There is still a lot to be done (some sorting and some purging), but I can use the laundry room half of it at least!
In the boys' bedroom we did a sort of crazy thing... We put all three twin beds in a row. Ha!  I was crying (super reasonable) to Josh (super patient) about how having Wyatt's bed in the office made me feel like the whole house was off kilter.  He said, "Let's just throw all three beds in there, and see how we like it."  Shortly after that a friend of ours offered us her bunk bed set, so if all goes well with the three together, we will be keeping them together, but with a bunk bed plus a single bed mid-August. Wahoo!  I took advantage of the move and reorganized all the boys' chapter books, moving a bookshelf into their room and swapping out a toy shelf that wasn't needed.  Another bonus is that Wyatt loves sleeping with the cats, and he can do that in the twins' room.  He's so precious with those kitties of ours!

Crying... as my sister said goodbye to her sweet foster daughter this week after 464 days.  She was ours in every way and will live forever in our hearts.

Smiling... as the kids are reading with their breakfasts.  Like mother, like sons.                                  
Working... with Wyatt on improving his clinginess.  We had a breakthrough last weekend when he attended a birthday party of a close friend sans parents.  But around the house, he is still keeping really close tabs on Josh and myself.

Lamenting... the fact that this is Josh's last weekend of summer.  He starts some supplemental teacher trainings Monday, and that's it-- his summer is a wrap.  It's been super fun, and I'm sad to see it end.  We will squeeze in a bit more fun before the boys start at the end of the month, but for the most part, it will be "mama + 4" for the remaining few weeks.

Praying... for my sweet Grandma Jeannie who, after years of ill health, passed away this week.  I know she's loving being reunited with all her lost loved ones, including her best girlfriend, so I am finding comfort in that.

Spending... time with Josh's sister & her family.  They have three kiddos-- a son the twins' age, a daughter Wyatt's age, and a little one who is a year older than Carly-- so basically it was a loud, crazy blast! The kids had so much fun together, and it was really nice to catch up with his sister and her husband, who starts teaching fourth grade like Josh this fall.  They are deaf (Josh's sister and her husband) so we spent the few days they were here signing, (Sign Language class in high school is where I met Josh 17 years ago-- it's been very useful in my life!) and it was so cute when Carly would pretend to sign with us, waving her hands up and down expressively.  It was really cool for Carly to actually sign things, too because they would know what she wanted.

Focusing... on conscious eating, working really hard at not eating to numb my emotions, which has been a challenge this week.

Letting go... of some baby things of Carly's.  Her crib mobile (that was also Logan & Jack's, and Wyatt's) as well as the bath seat that we used for all four kids, and the boppy I used to nurse them all.  I am also selling the cloth diapers (BumGenius) I used for her and Wyatt (if anyone is interested in a cloth diaper starter kit, I'm your girl!) and some receiving blankets.  It's hard to let go, but with four kids, if I don't let things go as I am done using them, our house is gonna fill up fast!!!  The surprising thing about getting rid of some of the baby things is that I am completely at peace with it. Being home with all four kids this summer has shown me that four kids is plenty.  I am overwhelmed some days and imagining five seems impossible.  I feel like it's a huge blessing, this acceptance.  I'm grateful for it.

Contemplating... the blog's future.  Read all about that here.

Enduring... horrible smoke & unsafe air advisories because of wind bringing the Canadian fire smoke down to us in central Washington. It ruined our afternoon pool plans and has us all stuck inside this Friday afternoon.  I'm hoping it passes quickly!
Meanwhile, I am taking advantage of the long day at home to catch up on laundry and other chores around the house.  Right now I'm going to sweep the kitchen, then sort through children's books and send those we no longer need to Josh's classroom!

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