around here: week 24 2020

 

 

{the boys ordered Josh a miniature of his car for Father's Day with my mom- so cute!}

{the girls- Carly & Annie- saying goodnight to each other on Facetime}

Enduring... tooth pain like I have never felt before.  It was like labor- I had to close my eyes and breathe through it.  I was absolutely miserable. After I went to my dentist, the pain went from generalized jaw pain to a more localized pain that was much more tolerable. Hallelujah! 

Grateful... for the twins when they spent their money on ordering pizza in on Tuesday when Josh was at work late (returning his students' belongings to their parents as they swung by the school pick-up line) as I was miserable from tooth pain.

Celebrating... our last day of school, finally!!  The last three months have been a challenge, and not at all what we expected the end of third or sixth grade to look like.  But we made it, and with flying colors.  The boys grades are excellent, their participation was great, and for the most part, all our attitudes stayed on the positive side. So I am calling this year a win!!

Reading... Little Women with the boys while Josh has a turn laying Carly down for a while.  We finished Call of the Wild so quick, Josh said to read them another chapter book and Little Women is what I chose.  They are really liking it so far, and Wyatt made me laugh when he asked, "If a girl who acts like a boy is a tomboy" (like Jo)... "then what is a boy who acts like a girl called?" I didn't have an answer for him.

Having... a mouthguard made by my dentist, in hopes that my stress-related teeth clenching would be stopped by a good mouth guard and that would eliminate my tooth pain.  But I also have a follow up with the endodontist to see if my problem is due to my needing a root canal. (fingers crossed) We'll see what's up.

Taking... George to the vet to get his eye checked out.  All the stress of Ramona passing, getting a new kitten and adjusting to Grady as George has spent more time downstairs seems to have created an eye infection for him, which I guess is quite common.  So he needs a twice daily ointment to heal up.  Poor guy.
I also took Molly in to the vet this week to get her first set of shots.  She was a super good girl and didn't seem phased by them at all.

Watching... Orange Is The New Black, and enjoying the prison riot episodes. They're so intense!! We only have two (ish) seasons left, and then I'm not sure what we'll watch. But I know I will miss all these characters!!

Visiting... the chiropractor in case my jaw tension is from any neck issues.  I'm telling you, being in this kind of pain from my jaw/teeth has me attacking it from all sides. 

Talking... to my mom about the pool she and my dad are gifting us (!!!!) since the pool here in town likely won't be opening this summer (thanks a lot Coronavirus!) and about how life is hard right now and how much we miss each other.  I guess I can thank Coronavirus genuinely for making me realize how important my people are to me.  I won't take seeing them for granted after this, that's for sure.

Enjoying... another visit from my sister & her crew.  The kids had so much fun together, and we (as always) had a great time catching up.  She even helped me with a project I'd been putting off.  A while back I ordered another bookshelf for my bedroom and it came last week.  Josh put it together for me, but I still hadn't unpacked my journals and put them on it, so Roxanne helped me.  They have been in boxes since we moved ten months ago! It feels so good to see them all on their shelves.  I have over one hundred!

Spending... movie night on the "phone" (pretend ones made from Tinker toys) with Carly, who told me she lived next door and asked me to deliver her pizza and cookies to "the purple house" where she lived. Then when the movie was over, she called to thank me for the good pizza & cookies.  She's just so much fun. I'm so glad she's ours.

Happy... that Wyatt is doing so well off Singulair.  I was nervous at first when his pulmonologist and I agreed we'd try to take him off of it.  But his lungs have shown no changes, and I'm so relieved. 
(Singulair has been linked with depression and suicide and I didn't want to have that risk for Wyatt if I didn't have to.  That's why we chose to take him off it.  He's currently on Asmanex, a daily prevention inhaler, and that's working to keep his lungs healthy.)

{I love this}

***

{100% accurate}

light of my life

I love this picture of Josh. 

He looks so happy. So joyful.

So light.

That's what he is to me. 

He is light. 

He lights up the room, 

he lessens the dark.

I am so grateful for him. 

I am grateful for him everyday, and in every way,

but especially I am grateful for him as my co-parent.

In every way that I fail as a mother, he excels as a father. 

I am weak in the discipline department. Too empathetic. Too much feeling.

He knows, though, that boundaries are what kids need and crave.

I am weak at high expectations when it comes to physical labor and hard work,

and he continually shows me that our kids can do hard things,

and do them well.

He balances me out, and our kids are so, so blessed by that. 

I may not get it all right as a mother, and that's okay,

but choosing him as my husband, choosing him to be their father,

that's one choice that I know I got right.

***

around here: week 23 2020

Reading... The House on The Cerulean Sea (and loving it!) The Call of the Wild (and finishing it!) and listening to Hidden Valley Road (and being consumed by it!).  The House on The Cerulean Sea is about magical children kept in orphanages and is just the sweetest story that has you rooting all the way to the end!  The Call of the Wild had some archaic writing, but enough action to keep the boys engaged, and they were especially thrilled when I was able to finish in time for the twins' birthday and we got to rent the new release of the movie (with Harrison Ford) and watch it after reading the book. Hidden Valley Road is about a family with twelve children, six of whom developed schizophrenia.  It is incredibly well researched and teaches you not just about the Galvin family, but about schizophrenia through the ages and how far medicine has come in understanding its nature over the years. Highly recommend.
I also purchased Me & White Supremacy on my kindle and will be working through that over the  next few weeks.

Eating... our first strawberries picked from the garden, and I have never tasted something so sweet in my life. Warm from the sun, and so juicy!! Now Carly goes out every morning to see if there are more ripe ones, ready for the pickin'.

Learning... about racism, white privilege and what difference I can make as our country was put in the limelight by some terrible tragedies recently.  I know that I won't get it all right as I learn about what I (as a white woman) can do to help, but I'm okay with making mistakes as long as I am trying and growing, and doing my best to help my children grow up to understand better and do better.

Teaching... my children about racism and white privilege by sharing some videos and books with them (linked here and here) and discussing what we can do to make a difference- like speaking up when we see racism in our daily lives.  In jokes or in treatment of those around us.  We have had many conversations (middle schoolers have a lot of questions) and I'm sure there will be more to come, but I'm willing to have the hard talks, and even to answer, "I don't know" if it means my kids minds are opening and seeing things they haven't considered before.

Weeding... the garden when I had a killer migraine on Saturday and didn't want to take a migraine pill for the fifth day in a row. I figured if I was in pain anyway, I may as well do something miserable, so weed the garden it was. Hah! I actually ended up enjoying myself (as much as I could with a pounding head) because I was listening to a book on tape, and that's my happy place.

Feeling... amazed as Josh and his brother Samuel laid concrete in our backyard to extend our existing deck into something larger and more family friendly for us.  We are so thrilled about it and can't wait to start hosting family parties out there!

Picking up... Carly's new glasses and dying over how cute the pink frames are on her little face. How did I get so lucky?

Taking... Molly to the vet when her eye gunk issues turned into what seemed to be a respiratory issue.  Sure enough the doctor gave her some antibiotics and now she is feeling and sounding MUCH better. I'm so grateful.  While we waited for the vet (you just sit in your car and they come to get your pet from you) Molly sat on my shoulder like a pirate. She's such a silly little one.

Loving... all our pets so much these days.  Grady has been so loving and patient, being sweet with Carly (giving hugs) and gentle with Molly.  George has slowly been getting more tolerant with Molly, although mostly he still looks at her like we brought an alien into the house. Ha! And Molly is just 100% unbridled joy.  We love her when she's crazy, running around feisty, and we love her when she's curled up sleeping, being the cutest kitten that ever there was.  She was just the happiness dose we needed to perk us all up.

Hosting... my sister and her crew for the day on the Saturday and feeling SO glad she lives so close!  We haven't seen each other since before the Stay At Home order in Washington began (some 70+ days?!?) and we ALL missed each other, sisters, cousins, all of us!!
Those of you who have been around a while may recognize that in addition to her boys, Milo & Ferris, and her little Romy  (who is talking SO much all of a sudden!), she also has Annie for a visit.  Our hearts are SO full seeing this sweetheart.  And seeing her with Carly?! I can't even!!!

Celebrating... a dozen years of parenthood as the twins turned twelve this week.  We partied with my sister and her kids, eating cake & ice cream and having an epic water balloon fight where Roxanne (my sister) and I were the unsuspecting victims.  Hah! 

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