I've also been watching Teen Mom 2 and Unexpected. I got myself caught up on Thursday when my mother-in-law had Carly. It was a lovely day to relax and unwind, writing in my journal, lounging on the bed with my kitties, while watching my favorite guilty pleasures.
Grateful... for grandma's who give our kids the much needed love & attention they require when we parents have just about had enough. ;) Josh's mom had two of the kids this weekend for a sleepover and Carly later in the week; and my mom stopped by on her way out of town (headed back home) and took all four of them for a few hours (bless her!) so I could grocery shop sans children. (And then she paid for our groceries!) I am just so thankful for moms who understand how hard and exhausting this stage of life is. They aren't judgmental, just there to support us and love our kids and have our backs in whatever ways we need (big & small). It means so much. Love you two, Nanny & Grandma! Our kids are the luckiest.
Fighting... screens and screen-sneaking bad this week as the darkness has set in from Daylight Savings Time ending. It seems like the only thing the kids want to do once it's dark out, and I am just not here for it. What are some things you do in your houses to keep kids entertained during the winter months? I'd love some suggestions.
Trying... to embrace the coziness of fall's arrival (the darkness, the colder temperatures) and loving the morning daylight we get now that everything's an hour earlier. I myself love to cozy up with a good book and enjoy the quiet of a dark fall afternoon... my children on the other hand... Not so much. Hopefully things will improve with time.
Yelling... "No guns in the house!" all week as the boys have been playing Nerf Gun Wars since Sunday and I keep finding Nerf bullets everywhere. I don't want Carly or myself to be shot as innocent bystanders, and they are CRAZY when they play, so the game must be played outside. But other than that, their playing Nerf guns makes me so, so happy. I love to hear them running around, chasing each other, making attack plans and bases, and using up every minute of sunlight after school to play outside. If only the sunlight would last a little longer!!
Reading... Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (the sequel to Beartown) on audio while simultaneously trying to finish up O Pioneers by Willa Cather and start on this month's book club read- Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. I was in a bit of a reading slump at the beginning of this week, but things have picked up and I am back at it again, thankfully, because I have a big goal of TEN BOOKS for November! (fingers crossed!)
Attending... the boys' wrestling practice when it was "Parents Night" and getting to watch all three of them wrestle for the first time. It was exhilarating! I felt so proud of them, for how far they have come (they've never wrestled before this year) and how much they have learned. The workout they get at practice is intense, and I am so proud of them for not giving up and for knowing their bodies are capable.
Loving... Carly's antique dress from my brother's girlfriend Bri. She saw it and bought it for Carly for no reason other than she thought it would look darling on her. And it does. I love it so much. It reminds me of Carly's german heritage, and of her namesakes- she is named both for Josh's parents (Carol & Carl), and for our ancestors on my paternal grandparent's side, many of whom were named Karl and came to America from Germany.
Feeling... so proud of the twins whose first quarter report cards came home this week and brought me nearly to tears. Almost every teacher wrote that they were "a pleasure to have in class" or "polite, positive, and respectful". This, to me, is everything. As a mom, my goal is to raise kids who are good human beings. Kind human beings. The kind of people that other people want to be around. Rarely do we get feedback that tells us we are doing something right. These report cards were that feedback for me, and it meant the world to me.
Frustrated... that alongside those feelings of pride we are dealing with so much sibling fighting. One of the boys literally broke a yard rake on his brother last weekend. Sigh. And the bickering. I tell you, it's enough to drive a person mad.
So the boys are picking up extra chores and consequences like they're going out of style, and they have also picked up dinner dish duty as a consequence for poor grades in one class. (It's super fascinating to me that both twins are struggling in the same subject, even though they are in different classes with different teachers at different times, it's the same curriculum. Their brains really do work (and struggle) the same ways.) When their grade in that class improves, mom will be back on dinner dish duty.
Meeting... with one of the twins' teachers this week to discuss their struggles in class and planning to meet with the others' next week during parent/teacher conferences to make sure we get on track for second quarter. This meant I had to get all four kids and myself out the door by 7:20am for the meeting and let me tell you, it was no small feat. ha! But we have a good idea of what our kiddo needs to be successful now and I think it will be smooth(er) sailing from here.
Hugging... my kids as often as possible after reading a few articles circulating about how important it is. I thought I was affectionate before, but now that I am consciously trying to hug them more often, I can see how many opportunities I let pass me by before. This article sums up what I read about hugs & all their benefits. It's funny, but I am surprised (duh!) at how much closer I feel to all of them from all this physical contact. I guess I thought if we were close, I'd hug them more, but the opposite is also true. The more I hug them, the more I feel like we're connected emotionally. It's been pretty cool.
Taking... Wyatt to his school STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) night on Thursday. He was right in his element making sling shots, stacking apples, cups & blocks, making models and solving different puzzles. I just love watching how his brain works, and am forever fascinated by how different he is from his mother. (hah!)
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You are doing great Shelly! You’ve come so far from those dark days in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to recommend you try Dutch House by Ann Pachett. I am loving it.