Around Here: Week 40 2022

 {October 2-8th}

Can we think of something I can use these cow cupcakes for?
They're so cute.
I cannot even.

Sending... Josh and the boys off to Seattle for the day on Tuesday.  They attended the Mariner's double header game against the Detroit Tigers.  They had so much fun, and I was so happy for them.  I love that Josh is making these memories with our kids. 
He laid flooring for my parents on their main floor, and with the money he got paid, he chose to treat our kids to a game.  I love that for them so much. They had a blast. 

Heading... to the grocery store Sunday in a terrible mood. I tend to dread grocery shopping, and when I go by myself it's worse.  But I had told myself I would go, so I did.  I had meal planned and written a list, so off I went.  I listened to music on the drive and then while I shopped I listened to A Place For Us on audio.  It's a really good book, so it definitely helped me shift my attitude. 

Buying... Carly bubble gum, which she then sorted into rainbow order. Have I mentioned lately how much I love the sparkle and joy she brings to my life?

Subbing... this week in first grade and kindergarten, my favorite grades.  I also got to tag along on Carly's first grade field trip to see the high school students from FFA.  They presented all kinds of information, group after group, from corn to fruit to cows to goats, we learned a lot, and the kids had so much fun. 

Taking... Jack to the orthodontist to discuss a bottom retainer and next steps for his handsome smile. He walked from the high school to Carly's school where I was subbing so we could go directly to the orthodontist from there.  Walking down the elementary school hall, following him and Carly, I felt so proud that he was mine.  He's such a good kid. And gosh if he doesn't look just like his dad did. 

Suffering... a migraine Tuesday afternoon, so we had to skip Carly's game.  I felt bad, but with Josh out of town with the boys at the baseball game, there was nothing to be done. We grabbed dinner (McDonald's for Carly and J's Teriyaki for me) and stayed in. 

Laughing... at my little Pandemic Baby.  Carly saw a picture in one of the rooms I was subbing in, and it was the letter "S" with a little handpump of "soap", but she was going through the alphabet and when she came to "S" she said, "Sanitizer". Haha! 

Adding... homework for Carly to our daily to-do list.  She gets a little packet each week, with one written assignment and one reading assignment.  I love how seriously she takes it.  She sits down and does her little page, following every direction, and then when it's time to read she asks me to set a timer.  The reading assignments are cute- like, "read to your parents" or "read independently for fifteen minutes" or "read to a stuffed animal". She makes certain she does exactly what it says. 

Enjoying... my parents being in town on Wednesday.  Carly and my mom went on a little date, and Wyatt and my dad went out together. It was sweet. Carly got her Halloween costume, a sparkly witch + hat + broom, and a Barbie dog that gives birth. It's so cute! And Wyatt got an awesome Lego set.  I love that my parents are so close they can swing into town for games and time together. 

Taking... care of Wyatt who was home sick Thursday and hosting a playdate for Carly and her friend Kamden.  Kamden's mom and I met when he and Carly were babies at MOPS when we first moved here, so they've known each other practically their whole lives. They play so well together, and we've been lucky to have them in the same class for two years at school now. 

Enjoying... the last few weeks of my flowers.  I know the warm weather won't last forever and I'm not taking those blooms for granted! 

Reading... Bomb Shelter, which kind of fell flat for me (I had been so amped to read it after learning her son has epilepsy and her daughter has asthma... but I felt like it jumped all around and the ending kind of left me hanging).  I am also reading Finding the Magic in Middle School, which I am loving.  It's been a rough transition for Wyatt, who takes his school career very seriously, and is struggling to keep track of seven classes + teachers.  It is definitely better than it was at the beginning, but parenting is 100% keeping me humble.  I think, "Oh, I've done this with two other kids before him. I've got this," but then he comes along with his own personality and his own needs, and it's like I am a newbie all over again and have no idea what I'm doing. Hah! At least with Carly I will know to act like I know nothing.  At least then I won't be surprised when she handles things differently than all three siblings who went before her. 

Talking... to my counselor about marriage and some hard stuff, and feeling grateful that I have her.  Her and I have built a good, solid relationship in the last two years and she can both make me feel validated and call me out on my bullshit.  It's the perfect mix. 
This year has been a hard one on Josh and I. We have had more disagreements in the last 6 months than we have in our entire 19 years of marriage. The stress of raising four kids (two of whom have officially entered the teenage years); taking care of a house, tight finances, two dogs, and a cat while he is building his parents house in his "free" time, and I am grappling with the drastic change of being a stay-at-home mom with no kids at home, has been nothing less than challenging. 
We had a really tough conversation (so.many.tears) after counseling about what we need from each other, but in the end, it comes down to this: We are committed to making things better, and trying to make sure that our relationship is a top priority.  That is not easy when we both feel like we're drowning and have nothing to pour from our proverbial buckets, but we both agreed that we choose each other. We're not going anywhere.  Life isn't going to get "easier" any time soon, so all we can do is promise to do our best.

"Some storms are unbearable.

but are made berable

by those who bear it with you."

-j.s. park

Suffering... another migraine on Friday.  Thankfully the kids had no school and with all of them home, I was able to take my meds and sleep it off.  There are perks to these kids growing up. But I am still struggling with the times when I am ready for bed and they want to stay up.  Like Thursday night, they wanted to stay up gaming, but I was tired. So I went to bed, and the boys all stayed up downstairs. It is absolutely the most bizarre feeling. Not sure it'll ever feel normal.  

Reminiscing... lots of Alaska memories lately.  Gosh it was a special time, and oh how I loved those crazy, loud, wild, sweet little boys.  

Watching... Hocus Pocus for the first time ever, with Carly, after she got a stuffed animal Binx (the black cat) while shopping with my mom.  I loved it so much.  All those 90's vibes.  It was like watching my own childhood.  (Minus the magic witches- haha!)

Going... on a date with Josh to Kennewick (a little over an hour away) when he invited me to join him on a Home Depot run in search of a shower for his parents' house.  The one he ordered went from Seattle to Portland to Colorado and then to Spokane where it sat for two weeks before it was reported that part of it had been damaged.  It's been a nightmare because the bathrooms are one of the last things he needs to finish before the inspection so his parents can move in! So we took matters into our own hands and spent a solid hour at Home Depot, looking at the options, searching the backstock at the back of the building, and finding both the floor piece we needed and the shower stall.  Whew! It felt like quite the accomplishment. 
Then we went to Red Lobster, my favorite place to eat out, which we don't have in our town, and I enjoyed the most delicious shrimp scampi, lobster rolls and mashed potatoes along with a caesar salad. Holy yum!! 
But the best part, honestly, and what we needed most, was the uninterrupted time to talk and sit, side by side, without life happening all around us.  As the kids get older, I find they require more and more of each of us, and while that's great, and we want to be the parents they need, it also sucks up bits of time we used to get together. We definitely have to be more conscious about making sure we spend time just the two of us. 

Behind... as usual, on the blog.  But that's okay. I am just happy that I have continued sticking with it. I have, essentially, entire parenting journey recorded here, along with all my children's lives.  I started when the twins were two months old, and here we are fourteen years later, still going strong. It's pretty cool. 

Driving... the twins to Quincy to meet my dad who took them back to Wenatchee for a little homecoming clothe shopping for Jack and cousin time for Logan. They had a great time, and I'm, again, so grateful my parents are close. 

***

From Kelly at Enjoying the Small Things

This week's meal plan 
for the Cunningham ranch
if you're interested.