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| ($$ for a fundraiser) |
Spending... time outside with the kids last weekend while Josh was out of town. The twins tried out their new Ripsticks (which they make look so easy!) and Wyatt rode his bike while Carly rolled a ball down the hill over and over. I was grateful for breaks from friends (thanks Steve! thanks Yuliana!) and the chance for some one on one time with Wyatt Saturday night. He's such a snuggly sweetheart. We had pizza and watched Paddington. He's now reading the Paddington chapter book, which he's really enjoying. Last weekend Wyatt planted some peas with his Grandma Carol, and they are growing like crazy! It's making us all excited for our garden this summer. Tomatoes, pumpkins, corn, zucchini, rhubarb and maybe some watermelon- yum!
Surprising... my sister with a trip to visit her for her birthday! We met at a park and she had no idea we'd be there. It was so fun to shout "Happy Birthday" and pop up to surprise her. We had a fun day, letting the kids play, visiting, eating and sharing birthday cake with the birthday girl. It makes me beyond grateful that we live so close.
Teaching... a ton of VIPkid classes this month. I surpassed the 30 class mark, which bumps my pay up $.50/hr, which is a nice bonus, and with the new roof we need, it's a big help. I'm back to my MWF gig, teaching 4:00-6:30am, as well as (most) Saturday nights 8-10pm. I get to set my schedule each week, so I adjust as needed, but knowing we've got that big expense coming up, I have amped up my hours to help. I have found that the more I work, the easier it is to get up and teach. The alarm going off is less depressing, and teaching the actual classes is less stressful. I am back to having lots of regulars after Chinese New Year (celebrated in February) and I am so happy to see those sweet kids' faces day after day.
Taking... Wyatt to his follow up with the pulmonologist in Spokane (about an hour and a half away). His lungs are 100% healthy right now, which is great news, and she is really happy with how we have been doing at home managing his symptoms. She said normally she sees patients every three months, but she doesn't want to see us again for six months. That made me really proud of myself. I have worked tirelessly to watch his peak flow numbers and listen for coughing to make sure I catch any issues early so we never (ever) end up in a situation like we were in in December. It was emotional to see her again because she's the doctor I attribute with saving Wyatt's life. After two days in the PICU, Wyatt still hadn't been getting well, when she came in to see us. She decided that although none of the tests came back positive, she was going to put him on antibiotics, just to see if it would help. And it did. After her visit, we finally started to see him improve.
Walking... to school four days last week (only missing the day I had to drive Wyatt to Spokane for the pulmonologist). The walk ends up being about three miles round trip (3/4 of a mile each way, times two, twice a day). On Thursday I noticed a huge difference in how relaxed I felt as the boys bickered during bedtime. It was like I was floating above the bickering. It was amazing. I also noticed that I felt deeply, peacefully, happy. Not like a fleeting happy, but a sweet, abiding happy that was really serene. So my hope is that as the weather continues to cooperate, I can continue walking them to school, because there was a noticeable difference in how I felt each day.
Feeling... blessed to be a stay at home mom, but wanting people to know that it's not without its sacrifices. There are lots of things we don't do because of the finances of being a one-income family, and many things that are stressful because of that choice. (Like discovering two weeks ago that we need a new roof.) Some of the things we sacrifice so I can be home include pedicures, manicures, eating out, vacations and shopping at a grocery store that bags our groceries for us. I give those things up so I can be available to my kids 24/7. We make many sacrifices so that I can stay home (and every one is worth it!) but I think many times the things we give up go unnoticed, and that's frustrating. When people say, "Oh it must be nice to be able to stay home," I want to say, "Uh, no. It's not "nice". It's a hard fought choice, and one that I work tirelessly for." Take, for instance, my new part-time job that has me up at 3:30am three times a week and teaching again until 10:00pm Saturday nights. Would I rather be sleeping during those times? Heck yes! But we discovered last school year that being homeowners was a bit more expensive than we'd originally anticipated, so I agreed to do what I could to bring in a little money while still being home full time with Carly. It's just hard when I have a conversation with someone who doesn't know the ins and outs of our family and they act like my being home is a luxury.
Enjoying... moms nite out, hosted by Josh's cousin's wife for a bunch of us local mama's. We ate good food, enjoyed good company and even played a game before we all got too tired to carry on. It was so fun and I hope we continue to meet up at least once a month. That much laughter is absolutely necessary in my life.
Having... Wyatt's baseball practice all to myself this week as Josh was for some reason feeling insanely generous and offered to keep Carly! So I brought my book and dropped Wyatt off to his coach and read in the absolute quiet of the truck for an hour and a half twice this week. It was seriously the best.
Dealing... with a very sassy Carly lately who is super independent and knows what she wants. She loves to brush her teeth, eat raisins and cereal, and go outside. All by herself!!! And if we don't let her do those things (exactly when she wants them!) we hear about it! Holy tantrums!!!
Loving... the new cooked carrot recipe I found on Pinterest that has no brown sugar in it. Huge fan!
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- 4 teaspoons of minced garlic
- Brown together (3 minutes) in skillet on medium without burning
- Toss with 2 lbs of carrots
- Cook on greased cookie tray
- 425 degrees for 22-30 minutes
- So so so delicious!
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I love the way you put being a stay at home mom is not so "nice" all the time. It is a hard fought choice! Thanks for putting that truth out there so beautifully worded! Being a homeowner is always more than anticipated, but worth it;) Thanks for sharing about your job too, I am a former teacher and it's nice to know that is out there! Have a wonderful weekend:)
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