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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