around here week 3 2021

 {January 10-16th}

Grateful... Josh got his first COVID vaccine this week. Teachers in the district where he works can be put on a waiting list, and when there are extra vaccines, they get to have them.

Hanging... all the new things I got at Hobby Lobby two weeks ago up around the house with Josh.  He's so amazing and patient when it comes to decorating. The new things I hung around make me so happy!!  Josh also built the new book cart I got for him to use as a side table for his easy chair, and put together the lamp I got for the family room.  It creates such a cozy look.

Working out... 3x this week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) and feeling so proud for keeping that promise to myself. And I was down another pound, hitting 218lbs. 

Taking... all four kids to the dentist and feeling grateful the boys have zero cavities, but feeling like a crappy mom that Carly has more cavities. After the last time she had her cavities filled, I swore to myself she would not have to go through that again.  But here we are. Sigh. I am committing to more flossing and buying some mouth rinse, so maybe (fingers crossed) next time she will also be "sugar bug free"! 

I also took Wyatt to the orthodontist this week to check his retainer and make sure it's not interfering with a top tooth he has growing in.  We were there forever, which sucked for Wyatt, but I didn't mind because I always have a book! 

Trading... Josh bedtime duties.  He now has the boys (and is reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to them) and I have Carly.  We switch off reading to the boys, so whoever isn't doing that puts Carly down. She gets two or three pictures books, plus a few songs before bed. 

Catching... Logan brushing Carly's hair as she ate breakfast at the bar one morning with a particularly unruly head of hair. It was such a tender moment. 

Cleaning & organizing... Wyatt's bedroom which was an all-day project, but totally worth it.  We are super pleased with the results, and I particularly enjoyed finishing the sorting of the Legos. 

Selling... Josh's Suburban and paying off my van. Gosh, going to the bank and paying that off felt amazing!  I am so proud of us!

Letting... the kids stay up late for a Fortnite tournament Thursday night.  They were all thrilled.

Sending... Josh to school this week where his students (for the first time in ten months) awaited him.  He is so happy to be teaching in person again, although it's quite different from what anyone is used to.  Their district is splitting classes into AM & PM, so he only has half his students at a time. I am so happy for him to be back in the classroom teaching in person. 

Running... into Aunt Julie at Walmart, where Carly was able to show her how cute her new Valentine's outfit is in person.  Julie had only three sons, so she is especially thoughtful about spoiling Carly- giving her an outfit for each holiday, which Carly loves! Thanks, Aunt Julie!

Receiving... my Ancestry DNA results, which was so fun! I am 39% Germanic European; 17% Swedish; 15% Easter European & Russian; 15% English; the rest is bits of Scotland, Norway and Wales. 

Also receiving my book club books from Powell's.  I ordered Gift From The Sea and The Coddling of the American Mind. So excited to read and discuss these with the girls!

Reading... The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which I enjoyed, but was not as AMAZING for me as everyone else claimed. I did give it four stars, and loved the creativity behind the story line, but it didn't blow me away.  I also read The Push, and that book... whoa! It was un-put-downable, five stars, and the end left me wanting more.  I am also listening to Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel.  It is changing how I look at every decision I make in my life. I often suffer decision fatigue, and her tips & tricks on reducing the number of choices you make in a day feels life changing. 

Planning... date night this week for Josh and I, around the theme of "Movie Theater at Home".  I got the ingredients for nachos, plus grab bags of different popcorn flavors and glass bottles of Sprite. We enjoyed our movie theater snacks while watching The Midnight Sky with George Clooney. It was a sweet, fascinating, "end of the world" movie that we both really enjoyed. 

Celebrating... my sister's new arrival.  Baby Sister (or Baby Lu) is absolute perfection and I am so happy for her family. 

Holding... that delicious baby on Saturday when my sister, parents, nephews & nieces came to play and share movie night with us. My twins, especially Logan, were also overjoyed to hold the sweet baby.  Also while Roxanne was here, we did newborn pics of sweet little Lu, and oh my goodness, did we get some good ones! What a blessing she is. 

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Holding the Twins on my Hips

A few months ago, a girl I followed on Instagram asked for pictures of moms holding all of their kids, particularly if they had twins.  So I dug through my photos (since I can't possibly hold my 12 year old twins, plus my 9 year old and 4 year old) and found this one of me trying to hold the twins, one last time, back in 2014.  They were six, and so, so much bigger than they were when they were born. Gosh I feel lucky to have them!

around here week 2 2021

 {January 3-9th}

{Carly with her cousins Liesel & Alvin}

Cleaning... house for back to school.  I find I am a much more patient homeschool mom if I don't feel like my house is in complete chaos and I'm not drowning in mess. This discovery has helped with my mood immensely. 

Hearing... that Josh's students should be headed back into the classroom soon! He is excited to have kids in person after ten months of remote teaching. 

Understanding... 7th grade math.  (Yes! You read that right!) I am doing algebra and ratios with the twins right now, and I actually understand it, which is more than I can say for my own seventh grade math experience. 

Choosing... books for book club to read.  Each person brings two books to our zoom, and then we get to vote on them. We ended up choosing:

Angel In My Pocket

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Coddling of the American Mind

A Snicker of Magic

The Book of Lost Names

Gift From The Sea

I love our book picking meetings because I add so many good reads to my "To Read" list.  I am really excited about all of these picks. 

Running... errands to pick up glasses, send mail at the post office and drop off paperwork for our mortgage. The kids always complain when we have to run errands after picking up school lunches (we get free lunches everyday from the school. I just have to pick them up!) and this time I finally told them that running errands with four kids is not my idea of a dream either, but here we are. I used to run errands when they were at school... but that's not an option anymore, so we have to do what we have to do.

Setting... up our refi paperwork to get locked in at a lower percentage rate for our house. Josh and I are thrilled to have a lower rate, and a (little bit) lower mortgage. 

Watching... Ava for date night & the show Cosmos with the boys for school.  Ava was a good one, it kept our interest for sure. And Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey was blowing Wyatt and my mind! Highly recommend. I'm pretty sure it was on Disney.

Counting... calories to keep track of what I am consuming, per my counselor's advice. She said losing weight is simply math.  Calories in to calories out.

Losing... four pounds this week! Down to 219lbs! Woot woot!

Keeping... a promise to myself and working out Monday, Wednesday & Friday this week. My goal is to keep this promise for all of 2021.  Just three times a week, simple walking workouts with Leslie Sansone (love her!) but that make my heart pound and make me feel stronger. (Honest moment? The workouts were HARD  this week. I am out.of.shape. But I am hopeful that will change with time.)

Enjoying... movie night with the boys and watching Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children after we finished the book earlier this week. The movie was a bit (!) darker than I had imagined, but luckily Josh and Carly were up in our bedroom watching Moana, so she didn't get scared. I did like the movie, but I don't know if it's one I would watch again.

Relaxing... Saturday with just a handful of chores and then lots of reading and Grey's Anatomy.  I am in season 9 currently, and really enjoying it as an escape.

Reading... The Simple Wild (again) and feeling so grateful that I bought a copy of it.  It's a really cute love story that takes place in rural Alaska.  So much of it is reminiscent of our time in the village of Marshall.  I am constantly underlining parts that remind me of there. 

"Life up here may be simple but it's not easy, and it's not for everyone.  Water runs out; pipes freeze; engines won't start; it's dark for eighteen, nineteen hours a day, for months. Even longer in the far north. Up here it's about having enough food to eat, and enough heat to stay alive through the winter. It's about survival, and enjoying the company of the people that surround us. It's not about whose house is the biggest, or who has the nicest clothes, or the most money.  We support each other because we're all in this together."

Amazed... that Carly can diamond dot. We got into diamond dotting probably two years ago, and the boys and I would listen to audio books while working on Wyatt's wolf poster together. Carly has been asking for her own, so I ordered some tiny ones that are stickers when you're finished.  Butterflies, bugs and owls.  I wasn't sure how well she'd do, but I thought we'd give it a try.  It was awesome! Kept her busy the entire duration of the boys' school work one day this week. 

Laughing... when Carly played Fortnite with the twins this week.  She was so cute with the headset on, and the boys were so sweet helping her get a win. Jack says "she's a sweat." (He says that means she is super good. Hah!)

Also laughing... at Molly eating Grady's dog food with him.  He is so patient with that cat, I can hardly believe it. In the time it takes him to eat the entire bowl full of food, she probably eats three kibbles. Hah!

Ordering... Madame Vice President shirts for Carly and I from Free To Be Kids. I can't wait to get them! 

Feeling... touched when Samuel (Josh's brother) made a Paw Patrol light switch for Carly's bedroom.  He printed it with his 3D printer, with pink and white filament, and it's adorable.  

Playing... outside with the kids despite the misty rain.  We are ALL over the wet weather we've had lately. I am ready for dry days! I love playing out during this time of year, though, because we live under what must be a bird highway.  So many geese heading south.  It's amazing to watch.

Enduring... an emotional week, but with a smile on my face.  Life is crazy, but all I control is this family.  My goal is to simply raise them to be better.  

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