Around Here: Week 49 2022

 {December 4-10th}

The place where Carly put "Economics"* down for a nap
with his axolotl bubbba. 
(*see explanation below)

"Holy crap,
here comes Jesus"
-Peter Griffin

Doing... homework all day Sunday.  Sunday is my school day.  Josh is home to watch the kids and man the fort downstairs while I lock myself away in our bedroom, sitting at my desk, working and reading and writing and studying as needed. 

Listening... to Jonathan Van Ness' audiobook "Over The Top" and identifying with his "turning to food for comfort and control." I've never heard it put so succinctly, and I loved it.  I 100% use food for comfort and control, as a means of coping with what is uncomfortable and I cannot control. (ie COVID, my grandpa being sick, my kids' struggles, etc.)

Reading... The Christmas Bookshop and enjoying it so much. Just the perfect Christmas read. So cozy and fun.

Taking... Wyatt to the doctor to have his ingrown toenail checked on.  It's a slow process, but soaking it and pushing the skin back seems to be helping.  While we were there, he checked Wyatt's lungs, which sounded fine.  He wanted us to start Wyatt on Singulair, but he was on Singulair in the hospital and afterwards, and I worked hard to get him off it because of the psychogenic side effects (severe depression and suicidal ideation), so I am going to wait until we see his pulmonologist again and see what he thinks. 
Wyatt's cough kept him home from school all week this week. Again. I am nearly at my wit's end.  It's so weird because he doesn't cough at night. But as soon as he wakes up in the mornings, he starts coughing and often doesn't stop until mid afternoon. Sigh. I guess at this point, I'm just grateful it's not asthma and he's not getting worse. 

Feeling... overwhelmed and grouchy and very (very) teary.  It's just a lot these days.  Heading into the holidays knowing that they are very likely Josh's dads and my grandpa's last.  Parenting when things feel heavy is harder than ever.  And I am just so emotional. It's tough.

Getting... a late start Tuesday thanks to sheets of ice across the city.  The twins took turns sliding down the driveway in their tennis shoes. Goofballs. 

Taking... a much needed nap Wednesday after having a headache all week.  It's so hard to put my own self care at the forefront, but it's also vital. 

Trying... to shower everyday and get ready.  It really impacts my self confidence, so I'm putting in the effort.

Laughing... at our elf Dashy and his cute family hanging our family's undies on the Christmas tree.  We've been doing this "prank" for ten years, and somehow it never gets old.  The big boys still laugh and Carly thought it was so funny! 

Giving... in to the peer pressure and getting my photos created by AI.  I paid $10 for 50 images on the Lensa app and got so many great images.  I'll be sharing them in a post all their own. 
I am aware that these are controversial, but I was fascinated by the process and how some look so much like me while others don't. I support real artists as well, like Lore Pemberton and Ashmae Hoiland, and will continue to do so, depsite my small foray into artificial art. 

Feeling... proud of Wyatt for working out on the treadmill everyday.  It's been such a struggle the last few months with his health, that we decided to get him walking on there in hopes it will strengthen his lungs.  And sure enough, it's working! He's been such a champ about it!

Subbing... in my favorite kindergarten class on Thursday and Friday this week, and getting so.much.snow throughout the day on Thursday.  It was truly breathtaking.  It never let up.  
That snow continued through the night, and gave us a late start Friday.  
Being treated so well as a sub- one of the first grade teachers came around with cookies and hot cocoa for all the teachers, and included me even though I'm not a regular teacher.  And then (!) Friday, when school finally let out, and our van was covered in snow, that same first grade teacher (shoutout Megan! You're the best!) scraped all the snow off my car so I could drive home safely since I didn't have my scraper in my car. (It was conveniently in my garage... not so helpful. Ha!) I am so grateful for the sweetest little school community that my girl and I get to be a part of. 

Laughing... at Carly who found a stretch ball (I don't know how to describe it- it's the blue and black thing pictured above) in the class I was subbing in and named it Economics.  Like, where does she come up with this stuff? Then I was laughing because before we left, she had to lay her son (Economics is apparently her child) down for a nap, and there he was, all tucked in his spot with an axolotl stuffed animal to snuggle. Haha! I cannot with her!
Also laughing at Carly's message to my mom- how she "talks" to herself. "Tells myself I hope she can call. Lol to me." Oh silly girl. 

Asking... Josh if he would go on a walk with me after school Friday.  I knew that the weather wasn't going to quit, and the hoarfrost was so beautiful, I wanted to get out and enjoy it. So we leashed Grady up and headed out.  The snow made everything so peaceful and quiet.  It might be one of my top memories of the season. 

Frustrated... that our part for the dryer didn't come.  Amazon said that it had been delivered but it never made it to our house. So Josh ordered the part again, and in the mean time we are just hang drying everything. 

Enjoying... Harry & Meghan on Saturday after I got the kids in bed.  It was exactly what I needed to unplug from my own life.  While I was watching, I also sketched out my week's worth of homework and figured out what I should do when.  It's like now that I have this class calling for my attention, it's hard to do anything without devoting a little time and attention to my class as well. 

Writing... my first paper for GCU and feeling so overwhelmed. The research! The reading! The citations! Oof!!! 

Laughing... at the Christmas song lyrics Josh writes for me with the foam letters in our shower.  This week had a lot from the "album" Peter Griffin writes, and they are so terrible and inappropriate, they just make me laugh even harder. 

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