{July 10-16th}
"Rest is not idleness,
and to lie sometimes
on the grass on a summer day
and to lie sometimes
on the grass on a summer day
listening to the murmur of water,
or watching the clouds float across the sky,
is hardly a waste of time."
-John Lubbock
-John Lubbock
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| Cousins make the best friends! |
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| Carly won "best picture" during our visit. Where does she learn to pose like this? The crossed leg, the peace sign. Gah I love her. |
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| Wyatt's skin infection: the dark line is the original, the light line is the one the doctor drew the next day. |
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| Josh put this up in the shower with Carly's foam letters. Melted my co-parenting heart. |
Taking... Wyatt to urgent care when he woke up Sunday morning with (what we assumed was) a bug bite having grown exponentially overnight. It was hard and swollen and hot to the touch. The doctor was impressed that I had thought to outline it (I definitely gave myself a pat on the back for that) and immediately started Wyatt on antibiotics. We went straight from urgent care to the pharmacy, where the pharmacist (so kindly) moved Wyatt to the front of the line and got us our meds pronto. I was so grateful.
Heading... to my brother's Campground (where he lives and works) to spend the day with family. Once we got Wyatt taken care of, we were able to head over. The drive was loooong, but the campground was cool and the kids had so much fun! My sister saved the day, finding clothes in her van that Carly could wear to swim in, so she got to jump in the pool with everyone else.
Then we shared dinner, loved on the baby my sister was watching for a friend, and chatted around the fire. Soon the mosquitos were too much to bear, and we decided to head home. It had been a fun day, and it made me so happy to see my brother happy.
Then we shared dinner, loved on the baby my sister was watching for a friend, and chatted around the fire. Soon the mosquitos were too much to bear, and we decided to head home. It had been a fun day, and it made me so happy to see my brother happy.
Shaking... my head when one of the boys found that Piper had eaten money from the key bowl. I can't remember now what Josh had sold, but there were some fifty dollar bills as well as some fives and ones, and thankfully Piper only ate a $5.00 bill, not a $50.00 bill. But I was still annoyed. So now we tuck any cash away, either in my purse or in Josh's wallet. Because that puppy cannot be trusted!!
Watching... a friends' baby, Scarlet, and enjoying every minute of it. She was so happy and sweet and precious. Her smiles, coos and laughs just melted me completely. Not to mention how great all my kids were with her. Even Carly who used to hate babies. hah!
It got me thinking, comparing raising babies with raising big kids/teenagers and Oh, I'd give anything to back for even a day to my kids' baby days. I just want to make sure I enjoyed it. That I kissed their baby necks and held their baby hands enough. That I cherished them the way they deserved that matched how quickly time was going to go.
It's not that it was easier. I haven't forgotten the sleepless nights, the diaper changes, the impossibility of running errands quickly. But it was simpler. Food, sleep, snuggles. That's it. That's the checklist. And the stakes are: keep them fed and alive.
But now, it's so complicated. What I teach them about drinking, sex and friendship will carry on into adulthood, and that is a heavy responsibility. The stakes have never been higher, and as they start driving, dating, working, the stakes only get higher.
Anyway, those were my thoughts as I snuggled that sweet babe and loved on her with my kiddos.
It got me thinking, comparing raising babies with raising big kids/teenagers and Oh, I'd give anything to back for even a day to my kids' baby days. I just want to make sure I enjoyed it. That I kissed their baby necks and held their baby hands enough. That I cherished them the way they deserved that matched how quickly time was going to go.
It's not that it was easier. I haven't forgotten the sleepless nights, the diaper changes, the impossibility of running errands quickly. But it was simpler. Food, sleep, snuggles. That's it. That's the checklist. And the stakes are: keep them fed and alive.
But now, it's so complicated. What I teach them about drinking, sex and friendship will carry on into adulthood, and that is a heavy responsibility. The stakes have never been higher, and as they start driving, dating, working, the stakes only get higher.
Anyway, those were my thoughts as I snuggled that sweet babe and loved on her with my kiddos.
Feeling... small and insignificant in the best way after seeing the pictures that were captured by the James Webb telescope.
Enjoying... pool days at home with the kids. Our days are pretty relaxed. Morning chores, lunch, screen time, and then around 3:00pm we swim. Splashing with the hose, lots of games of PIG with the basketball hoop and watching Carly swim (under water!) and practice her strokes. So proud of her!
Loving... Carly's set ups. I know I have said it before, and I promise I will say it again- there's something so magical about getting a glimpse into our children's minds and imaginations, and seeing their toy set ups does just that. Her calico critter set up made me smile. The dad is sitting at the table with the baby eating pizza, and the mama is rolling out the dough. At our house, most Saturdays we have family movie night with pizza & cookies, and either the twins or myself make the pizza because Josh is usually at the land working on his parents' house. So this little set up is so us.
I also love when she plays playdoh. She makes us pizza, cookies and ice cream, often, and as she hands it out, she reminds us not to really eat it. Haha!
And lastly, we spent one morning this week playing travel. She had a bag packed, and made herself a passport, which had her own portrait inside, plus a picture of the luggage she would be traveling with. She's so fun.
And lastly, we spent one morning this week playing travel. She had a bag packed, and made herself a passport, which had her own portrait inside, plus a picture of the luggage she would be traveling with. She's so fun.
Shopping... for the month at Costco with all four kids and my mom. The kids were not thrilled (especially the boys) to have to shop with us, but I like running errands all together occasionally. This time was no exception. There were so many laughs.
Most notably when we outgrew our cart and the twins had to go for a flatbed cart, which they then climbed on and used to push the cart, like a train. Oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard as they attempted to navigate the aisles.
Most notably when we outgrew our cart and the twins had to go for a flatbed cart, which they then climbed on and used to push the cart, like a train. Oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard as they attempted to navigate the aisles.
Eating... lunch at Costco after shopping, and even though I know it's not fancy fare, it's one of my favorite places to eat with my kids. One, because it's so cheap; two because I love pizza and their slices are bigger than my head; and three, because the people watching is so good! I love sitting there eating as people walk by to head to their cars. I love seeing what's in their carts and who is with them and whether they're in a rush or not. People just fascinate me.
Making... for the first time ever raspberry jam with my mom. I grew up with homemade raspberry and strawberry jam, as well as canned peaches, and since becoming a mom and homemaker myself, I've always wanted to make it with her.
I put it on my Summer Bucket List and told my mom I wanted to make it and she ordered two flats of raspberries! She walked me through the first batch slowly, juicing some of the raspberries and smashing the rest, then adding sugar, water and pectin and pouring the sticky, juicy deliciousness into the cutest tiny mason jars. My mom has the cutest collection of pretty lids and jars.
I got the hang of it, and we worked seamlessly, until 48 little rosy red jams sat on the counter cooling. I got to bring half of those home, and let me tell you two things: it is delicious!!! and, having 20+ of them in my freezer makes me ridiculously happy.
I put it on my Summer Bucket List and told my mom I wanted to make it and she ordered two flats of raspberries! She walked me through the first batch slowly, juicing some of the raspberries and smashing the rest, then adding sugar, water and pectin and pouring the sticky, juicy deliciousness into the cutest tiny mason jars. My mom has the cutest collection of pretty lids and jars.
I got the hang of it, and we worked seamlessly, until 48 little rosy red jams sat on the counter cooling. I got to bring half of those home, and let me tell you two things: it is delicious!!! and, having 20+ of them in my freezer makes me ridiculously happy.
Swimming... with me and my sister's kiddos in my mom's pool after we finished the jam. It was a splashy loud affair, and we only had 5 of our 8 kids in there with us. Haha! My sister turned to me at one point and said, "Isn't this relaxing?"
She was in a tube floaty holding a crying baby and I was bouncing her four year old up-and-down and up-and-down, splashing around while the older boys made waves and Carly yelled, "Watch me?" from the other side of the pool. We both just busted up laughing. It's a crazy life, but it's our life, as the saying goes.
Getting... to see a little boy my sister had for a bit, and it was so wonderful to see him. He's just the sweetest little soul and it was so cute to see him standing and waving and playing! He's grown so much!!
Getting... to see a little boy my sister had for a bit, and it was so wonderful to see him. He's just the sweetest little soul and it was so cute to see him standing and waving and playing! He's grown so much!!
Patching... Logan up whenever he injures himself skateboarding. He is so tough, nearly god-like pain tolerance, and while that's great for cuts and scrapes, it makes other injuries harder to assess! This week he fell on a rock, busting his phone up (thank God for insurance!) and giving himself a horrible bruise. Thankfully he seems okay, and the insurance replaced his phone within days.
Sending... the twins off bowling with their friends and taking Carly and Wyatt shopping with some birthday money Wyatt had to spend. He ended up getting the biggest Funko Pop I have ever seen (maybe two feet tall?) of Iron Man. This purchase inspired him to clean up his room and make space on his shelves for the collection of Funko Pops that he and the twins have.
His room is the cleanest I have ever seen it. He got rid of so much junk and organized so well on his own. I was truly blown away.
His room is the cleanest I have ever seen it. He got rid of so much junk and organized so well on his own. I was truly blown away.
Pulling... and pulling and pulling bits of cheat grass out of the boys' socks after they spent a day at their grandparents' land playing hide & seek with their cousins. Do you have cheat grass where you live? I had never experienced until we moved here to the desert in central Washington. Now it's the bane of my existence!
Hosting... a friend for Wyatt and feeling so happy he got to play pool, Minecraft and swim with a buddy. He's had a harder time with friends than the twins because of moving schools (back in 2019), then dealing with COVID, then moving to yet another school (when our new neighborhood school was finished last year)... so I'm really hoping middle school allows for some consistency for him.
Celebrating... Josh's 39th birthday with a lowkey celebration at home with our kids and Josh's brother. Carly, as usual, helped him blow out his candles, and we enjoyed Tillamook ice cream (our favorite) and yellow cake with chocolate frosting made by yours truly.
I am so grateful that guy was born. He is my favorite human, my best friend and my soulmate. Doing this life with him is the only way I want to do it.
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My summer time parenting philosophy:
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| This poem. sigh I feel like the BEST parent when my kids point out a butterfly or a sunset. I feel like I'm doing something right when I see them close their eyes as they take a bite, or gaze a little longer at something beautiful. |
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| AMEN!!! |
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| Josh is *such* a lucky man! |
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| This is me to a T |
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| When my kids build houses in Minecraft, they always have bookshelves, typically more than one, and nothing makes me prouder. |
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Friendship Break Up:
One Year Later
One Year Later
Have you ever had a friend break up?
It's so hard, and obviously lonely (since you just broke up with your bestie)
It's so hard, and obviously lonely (since you just broke up with your bestie)
but even more lonely because no one talks about it.
I swear it felt like I was the first person who had ever gone through this.
I swear it felt like I was the first person who had ever gone through this.
I hope as time passes we are all able to talk about it more.
It's hard because there's a lot of shame around it.
It's hard because there's a lot of shame around it.
***
Don't have cheat grass where I live but we have Spanish needles and the worst thing ever Cocklebur plants...
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