around here: week 21 2020

{May 17-23rd}

{Daddy's home!}

{pc: Carly}

{pc: Carly}

{pc: Carly}

{flashback to the first night Ramona slept with Wyatt}

Rejoicing... that Josh is home for good now that his sister's house is ready to go on the market.  It listed on Friday and had 3 showings that day! Her family will be moving here when it sells, and I can't wait to have more family here.

Reading... history aloud to the kids and almost finished with the first book in the series. We really enjoy that time every morning and I plan on continuing it throughout the summer.  (There are four books in the series.)  I also read Things You Save In A Fire & How To Not Die Alone for my Book of the Month readathon weekend, finishing with four total books in four days.

Taking... Carly to her annual eye appointment and donning our masks.  This was our first time out of the house since quarantine started other than picking up lunches at Wyatt's school in the van.  It was surreal to be out in the world, everyone masked up, aware of every.single.surface Carly touched, worrying about her touching her mask.
She did a great job, I was so proud, and we picked out the CUTEST glasses for her new prescription. I can't wait to show you all.

Deciding... it's time to put our kitty Ramona down.  She's had a bladder infection that won't heal for months now, and after two rounds of different medications she is still sick and has been getting sicker. As her mama, I just know, it's time.
Making this decision has been really hard. Telling the kids, too, was really hard.  There has been lots of tears, hugs & last memories made with her.

Hearing... confirmation that my aunt has COVID.  She is the first person I know personally to have it, and I just can't believe it.  Thankfully it's a mild case, but it is scary nonetheless.

Laughing... nearly everyday at Carly's Quarantine Fashun.  Girl is on.point. with her outfits everyday, and I've just given up caring.  I mean, at this point, why bother?!?
Also laughing at how she loves to watch her tablet inside Grady's crate.  She's such a goof!

Chatting... with my doctor during a Webex appointment (think Zoom for doctors) about my recent avocado allergy (and setting up an appointment to see an allergy doctor for further testing) and also taking advantage of the appointment to discuss my current mental health with him. (To read all the details, see my Instagram post here) We decided I would try adding Buspar daily to help with my anxiety, and increase my Prozac from 30mg to 40mg to help with my OCD/cyclical health worry thinking and feeling down. I walked away feeling so much better, and hopeful for the future.

Working... everyday on with Wyatt on his big tribe comparison project/slide show.  He's been working so hard on it, and I can't wait until he's done! Hah!

Grateful... for a husband who knows how to cheer me up when I'm feeling down.  The day I took Ramona to the vet to have her put down was (obviously) really hard for me.  When I got home, the tears just kept on falling, they wouldn't quit.  I cried off and on all day, and to try and put a smile on my face, he hung the outdoor lights we got for the back patio!  I am so excited to have these lights for when we do fires in the firepit and when we hang out out there once the kids are in bed. It was just the sweetest gesture.

Loving... Carly's art lately.  Josh's favorite phase of kids' art is when their legs come straight from the head, and that's where Carly is right now, and I have to agree- it is the cutest. She draws all the time, pictures of our family, or of me and her and Josh, and it just melts my heart.
I also love how she is all.about.the.stuffed.animals.  She sleeps with no less than twenty stuffed animals every night (am I alone in this?) despite how much I try to help her cut back, and she alternates favorites. I especially love when she feeds them or dresses them.

Learning... of my sister's friend who lost her baby, born too soon, and feeling so broken hearted and terrible that I can't do anything to fix it.  I am praying for them, hoping that God will bless them with a rainbow baby someday... like Carly was to us... but knowing that the darkness in the meantime is thicker and more lonely and empty than anything they've likely ever experienced. It is so hard. Just so hard.  And I'm so sorry any time I hear of anyone I know having to live through it.

Using... Storyline Online for the younger two to keep them entertained while I'm working with the twins on school work, and feeling so thankful for it. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it.  It's a collection of famous people reading storybooks for children online.  Super cool.  All four of my kids love it.

Receiving... an encouraging text from my old neighbor & friend Barb after I posted about talking to my doctor about my anxiety & medications, saying, "Hang in there girl.  These are rough waters, the boat is heavy with precious cargo none more precious than you. You are their anchor and their sail."
My eyes immediately welled with tears. It was like someone finally nailed exactly what I am trying to do here.  I am trying to be both the sail that wind uses to keep us moving, but also the weighted anchor that everyone clings to in times of trial, and if that's not an impossible task, I don't know what is.
So mama's, if you feel like what you're doing is impossible, you're right. It is. So make sure you take care of you. You are some of that precious cargo, too.  Barb said so!

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