The Cunningham Family: Around Here: Week 12 2023

{March 19-25th}

"Have an amazing day Mommy."

Post baseball mirror twin arm icing

Barnes & Noble book haul

I adore all the birds that migrate over our neighborhood.
Watching them go in the fall and come back in the spring makes me smile.

Subbing... in kindergarten Monday and running at lunch time to take Jack something to eat and take Wyatt his PE clothes. They're lucky that we live and I work very close to their schools and our house. While subbing I found the sweetest note Carly had jotted on the white board for me while I did morning prep before the bell rang. When I sub she comes with me and is in there for a half hour before and a half hour after school. She's generally really patient and well behaved. She'll get out something the teacher has to play with (I sub in mostly kindergarten and first grade so there are always toys or magnets or blocks) and I prep or write the teacher a note about the day. It works well and I'm grateful to work in a place where I can bring her with me.

Driving... all over town with Josh on Monday night as Carly had gymnastics and Logan and Jack both had practice. This spring just might get the best of us. haha!!

Traveling... to Spokane to see a rheumatologist for my fibromyalgia. It was the most amazing appointment. He was so validating and kind and listened to my whole story and how it impacts me. I was pleased to find I am on the right medication and the only thing I need to change really is moving my body. It's hard to do because it often hurts, but it's vital. Before my appointment I had time to go to Barnes and Noble and peruse some books. I found three I wanted, plus a package of cards that is so beautiful. It was fun to have a moment by myself in a book shop. Delicious!

Having... my first mammogram and feeling grateful that it was both painless (just a little squeezing) and fast. I got my results the next day (all clear!) and I feel like a full fledge adult now that I've had one. If you need to schedule yours, just do it. Don't be afraid. It's really not bad, the scans are super quick, and the tech I had was so professional.

Taking... Wyatt to tryouts as Josh was at Jack's away game. Wyatt did great, and I was so proud of him.

Grateful... that Josh is the dad he is. He has taken a half day any time Jack has an away game and has driven to the game to watch Jack. (And some of the games are really far away!) Josh loves baseball and that love has been passed down to our kids. It's really neat.

Dropping... Logan at practice and picking him up four times this week. They have an intense practice schedule, but his coach seems fantastic and I think his team is going to be really good. The only bummer is that he's a bit sore from practice. He and Jack are found most evenings icing their elbows and arms together.

Appreciative... that Josh was willing to take another day off work so he could take Wyatt to his pulmonology appointment in Spokane. I was also proud of myself that I am able to trust Josh to do this as when Wyatt was younger it was really hard for me to trust anyone but myself when it came to Wyatt's asthma. But the appointment went well, Wyatt's doctor is really proud of him for overcoming Habit Cough and he switched him to a steroid-free preventative inhaler, which is better for Wyatt as it's not an appetite stimulant.

Saturday... was a double header game day for Jack, and again Josh and I went sans children. It was lovely. A fun bonus was that our friend Steve was the ump, so between innings and games we got to chat and catch up with him. If you've been around a while, you may remember that when Carly was one or two, I watched Steve's kids Jacoby & Lily in the afternoons. Cutest little kids and the best family. It was so good to see him.

Lesson planning... for next week for school and just generally spending all my time in front of my computer. Good night. I just keep thinking how great it will be when we can afford groceries without help from my parents, or when we can give the twins $20 cash for spending money and not ask for the change back. It will be worth it!!!

Finding... goldfish all over my house courtesy of a sleepover with the boys' friend Ainsley. He put them on my picture frames that go up the staircase hallway and even in the window that is like 20 feet above the stairs. sigh.
But I'll tell you the truth- they make me smile. Is it annoying they threw goldfish everywhere? Kind of. But I also love that this is the mischief they make. So I left them all there. And every time I see them I grin. Oh those boys.

Loving... the idea that sixes (on the enneagram) make the best moms. We are prepared for anything and always thinking one step ahead. We are reliable and we are thoughtful decision makers. (See visual below) Sometimes I think being a 6 makes me neurotic and I'm likely to churn out four insanely worried and anxious children who will need therapy the rest of their lives. So this twist on my enneagram number was much needed.

Starting... a new notebook for blogging and loving that feeling of starting fresh. I finished up the last one and chose this cute teal one with gold polka dots on it. Each "Around Here" post is a page in the book, where I jot down reminders of what we did that week and what I wanted to remember to share. Otherwise I wouldn't remember anything.

Wishing... that I didn't care how my house looks. Especially this week. But I do. I love how it feels when the sink is empty and the counters wiped. I love how my heart swoons when I open the linen closet and all the towels are perfectly folded into thirds. I hate when every room has piles and there's dirty clothes on the floor. I hate when the mess from Carly's bedroom spills out into the hallway and I can't stand the laundry in baskets everywhere, wrinkling with each day that passes unfolded. I just keep reminding myself that this won't last forever. These double classes are brutal!!

Enjoying... having Ferris over to play with Wyatt. They were so cute trying on my grandpa's hats, looking like investigators. This lead them to pretend they'd been arrested. Carly joined the fun and wrote "Wanted criminal Carly Cunningham ran out of jail. Cop over. Bye. Wanted criminal got out of jail. Laughs. Giggles. Oh yeah, bye! See you!" haha! I love her imagination!

Taking... Wyatt to the doctor to fix his ingrown toenail. He has a tendency to pick at his finger and toenails and he did it one too many times on his big toe, and it became ingrown. The cure we tried at home (soaking it and picking at it to pull it out) didn't work. So we decided it was time to have some of it removed. It was pretty painful, but Wyatt was such a champ, and the relief from the pain was immediate. He felt so much better.

Deciding... whether or not to share the next story... I think I won't. I will just say that teenage boys are physical. And their frontal lobes not fully developed. So if you're a young mom (or even an older mom) don't judge those of us with teenage boys too harshly. We're doing the best we can, and our kids are just that: kids. They don't have it all figured out, and no matter how much we try to teach them, there are some things they have to figure out for themselves. All we can do is be there when they land.

Smiling... at a positive email from one of the boys' teachers telling me how well they did on a test. I cannot emphasize enough how much positive words about my kids impact me. It can often feel like I'm pouring all this water into a bucket full of holes. I'm not sure how I'm going to get where we're trying to go. Hearing that my kids are respectful, likable or working hard means so much to me.

Feeling... generally behind on life. But not behind in school. And after weeks of back to back sickness, it feels good to be caught up in school and not requesting extensions from teachers. I would really prefer to feel caught up in everything. But there will be a season for that. This is not that season.

Seeing... Josh's encouraging shower messages every few days and feeling inspired and buoyed by his belief in me. His encouragement is so nice.

Wearing... my grandpa's Washington State University sweatshirt to give my strength on hard days. It really does make me feel invincible. I like to remind myself that he went to college (for the first time) as a 55 year old. And he did it. I know I can do it, too.

Celebrating... my sister's birthday with a tribute to her, full of pictures and love. I am so grateful that girl was born and I get to have her as my lifelong friend. What an incredible blessing.

Making... a new phone screen saver image that says 'Hard Work' which is my "word of the year" for 2023. When I feel like laying on the couch, I throw in another load of laundry instead. Or do some school reading. Or tidy a room. This degree (and my life) will only happen if I put forth the effort.

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