Around Here: Week 32 2022

 {August 7-13th}

On the beach for our honeymoon :: August 2003

Josh in Newport, Oregon :: August 2003

The new bride 

Uncle Samuel, 13 years old in 2003 :: Wyatt, 11 years old in 2022

My sentimental comfort items that I finally let go of.

Meal planning... for our growing boys and going grocery shopping.  I attempt every week to use what we have, making meals out of what already sits on our pantry shelves and in our freezers, but the grocery bill climbs nonetheless. 
I'm curious, do you meal plan? Do you make a grocery list? And if you don't... how? Like I literally cannot compute how you know what to buy if you don't meal plan and make a list. Do you forget things often? Or do you go to the store more often? (We used to go every two weeks, now we go weekly.)

Purging... all the things from my room.  I started downstairs last week, and that lead me up to my own room, and cleaning up here has me so excited for school to start.  The idea of working at my desk in a clean, bright room makes me so happy. 
Most of the things I got rid of were easy decisions.  Clothes that don't fit; books I don't want; papers I no longer need. But I also got rid of my little pillow (my comfort item from childhood); my "cold" blanket (another item I've had since childhood); and my bear stuffed animal, that I've had since Josh and I were first married. It's the bear I crawled into the hospital with when I was pregnant with the twins and having gallbladder pains.  
Letting go of those things was really hard, but also kind of freeing, if that makes sense. I no longer need them, and they were all in rough shape. So I took a picture and then let them go. 

Prepping... to be out of town for a few days with Josh.  He has training for work since he's the lead teacher, and I have the opportunity to tag along.  So while he's in training, I'll be enjoying long silences and alone time.  The only bummer is that it's so much work to be gone (leaving directions on the kids medications- for Wyatt's asthma & Logan's migraines; leaving directions for the dogs- feeding and behavior; and making sure the house is left tidy with clean laundry for all.) But I will say imagining myself alone in hotel room for two days while Josh is at training made the work bearable.

Enjoying... being out of town.  The drive to Bothel (a town outside of Seattle) was smooth and it was so nice to be able to actually finish multiple conversations in one sitting. The nice thing about heading to the west side is that the weather was so much cooler than we've been having at home.  We both really enjoyed that.  Unfortunately I had migraines for two of the days we were gone, but after a pill and a little rest, they went away both times. My random, severe anxiety was much harder to shake. It was like I was on the verge of tears any time I had to be around other people.  Which, if you know me in real life, is crazy. I am so social, and I love people and I love being in the world. 
Looking back, I am chalking it up to: being worn out and also COVID.  I haven't gotten out much in the last two years, and I am out of practice!  

Sharing... a delicious meal out, just the two of us, for our 19 year wedding anniversary. It's crazy to think how far we've come in nearly two decades.  Four kids, nine moves, three cats, two dogs, and more cars than I can count, and I wouldn't change a thing. I love Josh so much.  He is so good to me, so patient with me, and he loves me so well.  He's the best and I'm the luckiest. 

Filling my time... with reading, blogging, walking through the gardens and drinking yummy coffee.  It was just the reset I needed to get us through the rest of August.  Poor Josh didn't get that time, but I'm so grateful he doesn't hold it against me.  He was just happy that I was able to get it. 

 

Being... reminded that teaching is a tough profession right now.  Between COVID, masks, kids not being in the classroom for at least one of their formative learning years, required testing, and a million other things, the job that teachers do to serve our kids is incredible.  They face insurmountable challenges, but they never give up.  They are underappreciated, judged and constantly given more plates to juggle. I honestly don't know how they do it. 

Attending... a Mariner's Game while we were there.  That was for sure the highlight of the trip for Josh.  The Mariner's won, which was even better, and we got to see them set off the fireworks (I think it was in celebration of a home run). It was an exciting game and we really had a good time!

Photographing... the art all around our hotel for Carly.  It was strange, but fun and quirky and I thought she'd like it. 

Reading... Hotel Nantucket while on vacation in the cutest hotel.  It was great summer reading for sure!

Looking... back at our honeymoon and first years of marriage wistfully and wishing I could tell every young couple a few things.  
1) Sleep on it

If you're upset, it's okay to give it some time.  See if you were just moody, hungry or irritated.  If you were, then you can let it go. If not, you can talk to your spouse once you've calmed down and approach the conversation reasonably.

2) Don't sweat the small stuff

This was the advice Josh said he would give a young couple.  He said that marriage really requires lots of small forgiveness's.  For example, if I use a short tone, or forget to do something he asked me to.  He doesn't hold onto resentments.  He treats me how he'd want to be treated and tries his best to let things go.

3) There's no such thing as cold feet

Josh and I have talked about this extensively.  If you aren't sure on your wedding day that you want to marry the person at the other end of the aisle, DON'T DO IT. Your wedding is a beautiful, special day and life hasn't even gotten real crazy yet. So if you're feeling worried already, marriage is not the right thing. I was 100% sure when I married Josh that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He felt the same way. 

4) Know that your significant other loves you more than they love themselves

In the same way I knew I loved Josh more than anything in the world, I knew that he loved me more than anything in the world. Including himself.  This incredible love we had for each other made it easy for us to always put each other first. 

Receiving... the best love for my kids from my family.  While we were gone, my dad took my nephews Milo & Ferris, and Wyatt to Dollar Tree to get some candy before dropping them at the movies.  While they were there, a lady dropped her money and Wyatt picked it up and returned it to her.  The woman was so touched, she paid for all their candy and thanked Wyatt profusely.  His cousins couldn't believe it and Wyatt told them, "Kindness pays off!"  My dad called me while I was gone to tell me this whole sweet story and it melted my heart.  It was one of those stories where I felt like what I am teaching is actually getting in.
Then my sister texted me that Logan was feeding her kids for her, cooking up quesadillas and making sandwiches.  So proud! 

So grateful... for my parents who not only came and stayed and watched my kids (and dogs) but who also took my kids back-to-school shopping.  What an incredible blessing for us. 

Struggling... with teenagers. The twins bedroom is just a constant state of disarray. Why can't they put their clothes away? Why does their definition of "clean" never match mine???

Playing... with the adorable little blow up rings Aunt Julie gave Carly for her Barbies.  The girl has had her dolls floating in the pool, in the sink and in the bath tub.  Those Barbies are living their best life for sure!

Feeling... happy for Wyatt that he got a new game station from my parents while we were gone.  He's the most content kid, always willing to be grateful for the hand-me-downs he gets from his brothers.  It was beyond time for a new gaming system, and my mom did not disappoint.  

Dealing... with critters outside! A HUGE spider that I made Jack get out of the pool to kill for me, and a praying mantis parked on the beach towel next to me on the patio. 

Noticing... as I looked through our anniversary pictures that Wyatt is Samuel (Josh's "little" [younger] brother) reincarnate. It is trippy just how much Wyatt resembles him.  Uncle Samuel is a favorite in our house, and we were all blown away by the side-by-side comparison of him and Wyatt.  Little twinners!

Running... all.the.errands (seems to be a weekly theme) when I got back from vacation.  Getting photos for our passports for me and Jack; picking up a new collar and tag for George who somehow lost his while we were gone; picking up Logan's shoe order from Famous Footwear; getting Jack's glasses adjusted; and running the van through the carwash.  I always feel so good when I get all my errands done. 

Sorting... through all the twins clothes as a sort of "pre-shopping" prep so we would know exactly what each of them needed.  I absolutely LOATHE going through the kids' clothes. It might be one of the worst chores of motherhood.  Making them try the clothes on; seeing perfectly good clothes they mysteriously hate and refuse to wear; feeling dismayed at how hard they are on the clothes they will wear. My sister and I always joke that the Cunningham kids should be the product tester for anything made for children- Toys, shoes, clothes, you name it. If it can survive my crew, it'll last forever. If it can't, you should go back to the drawing board and start over. Haha!

Attending... book club and loving my time with those friends. I wish we could meet in person, but some of us aren't here in town, so we do Facetime. It's not the same, but I'll take it!

Shopping... for school clothes with the twins and my mom. We had lunch together first at Olive Garden, which was intimate and fun and perfect.  We shopped for shoes and hit JC Penney and Zumiez  where Logan also got pit vipers (sunglasses).  They make me laugh because I just know that those will be one of those things that they cringe about looking back on this time when they're adults. After shopping, we dropped the boys at home and mom and I went shopping just the two of us.  We went to ULTA  where I got a new curling iron.  My old one was literally cracking in half! The boys got cousin time while mom and I searched for clothes, specifically jeans, for me.   I haven't had a pair of jeans that fit since before COVID. So finding some that fit (and are cute) at Old Navy felt like a miracle. 

Creating... a code for the boys to use on the phone with me if they're in trouble and can't say so.  I got this idea from a post I saw on Facebook.    

Loving... Carly's love for reading and her innate ability.  She is just so good.  So proud of that girl!

Listening...  to French Braid on audio, which I thought would be quite different than it was. It ended up just being okay for me. I didn't love the mother character, and didn't feel any other characters were more likable either. Just "meh."
The Shell Seekers however, has been amazing. It's 20 hours long, so quite a commitment, but I love so many of the relatable characters, and I absolutely adore Rosamunde Pilcher's descriptions of everything from the main characters' quaint house, to the weather, to the memories shared among family members. Gah, I just can't get enough. I love absolutely everything I read by her. (Her writing reminds me a bit of the Anne of Green Gables series. Very safe reading, comfort reading, if you will.)

Facing... a really scary evening when Logan & Jack and their three friends who were sleeping over went outside to play hide & seek in the dark.  They have done this often, and it always makes my heart happy for them to leave their video games behind and go be children.
It was about 9:00pm on Saturday night and I told the boys they had to be in by 10:00 (local noise curfew) and they agreed.  But at about 9:45pm Logan came and got me out of Carly's room (where I was laying her down for the night) and as soon as I followed him into our bedroom and shut the door, he haltingly told me what happened. 
He and his friends (the three of them were the hiders) were underneath a pick up truck parked in the street, when a car beeped in a nearby driveway.  They all climbed out and Logan found himself standing in the middle of the street when he saw a red laser on his chest.  He looked up and the homeowner had a gun aimed at Logan's torso.  The man yelled, 'Come here!" to Logan, and Logan (thank God) responded, with his hands in the air, "I'm a fourteen year old kid. I'm just playing hide & seek with my friends." The gun was promptly aimed away from my baby's body and the neighbor told him to go home. 
I just hugged Logan so tight and then went downstairs to comfort all the boys who were understandably shaken up by the whole fiasco.  

I called the police and when the officer arrived we told him what had happened.  He said that if you think your property is in danger, you are allowed to defend it, so that homeowner was within his right.  

The lesson learned for our kids is to stay away from people's vehicles, regardless of whether they're in the street or not. But Logan, Josh and I were both pretty shaken up from the incident. How are we supposed to combat all the screen time our kids desire if they can't even go outside and be kids?!? 

***

***