Around Here: Week 34 2023

 {August 20-26th}

Logan sleeping with Grandma's dog, Oscar

My cat is cooler than your cat. 
ha!!

My brother-in-law Blake was sworn in for the Wenatchee Police Department.
So proud of him!

Big brother hugs. Haha! Eye roll.

Collection of books I've started and not finished. Does anyone else do this?

Reading... The Covenant of Water (oh so good, my friends. Don't be intimidated by its size) and listening to Screaming on the Inside. I liked parts of Screaming on the Inside, but didn't identify with all of it since I'm not a working mom. 

Shaking my head... at brothers who hug their little sister in a way that more closely represents a headlock than an embrace. hah!

Testing... my reading speed online after wondering how fast I read. We often test students reading speed with tests and I was curious if something like that existed for adults. There sure is and it turns out I read about 340 words per minute. Pretty cool!

Sorting... through my bookshelves, getting rid of books that I don't want to keep (that I've already read) and getting rid of books that no longer make me excited to read them.  It always makes me happy to sort through my shelves. It makes me excited to read again!

Loving... my new Stanley cup. My mom bought it for me and it reminds me of camp mugs & bowls. I love it so much!!

Doing... all the homework this week.  Logging lots of hours at my desk in my room. 

Proud... of my brother-in-law who transitioned from being a fish & wildlife officer to a city police officer. The city is so lucky to have him. 

Opening... the twins' school schedule and seeing they have three of the same classes/teachers, but not at the same time.  It'll be interesting to see how that plays out for them. 

Attending... a training myself for something called Alphabet Bootcamp which my mentor teacher put on with her fellow kindergarten teacher friend. It was so cool to hear about how effective the bootcamp is for kinder students and I've seen firsthand (with Carly) how impactful it is. 

Photographing... my sweet girl during a nap.  Why are our babies their most beautiful when they're sleeping?

Finally... capturing Piper's Star Wars look. When she rings the bell, she often comes at the back door through the curtains, and the curtain sits on her head like Emporer Palpatine. It makes me laugh every time, but I haven't been able to photograph it just yet. I was so happy to get it this week. Haha!

Disgusted... by the Republican debate which was terrible toward teachers. Honestly. If they had spent a single day in a kindergarten class with twenty 5-year-olds, they'd do a lot less shit talking. 

Sending... Wyatt for a sleepover with my sister and her boys and he also got to go to the movie theater with my dad. I love that he enjoys time with his cousins and Papa so much. What a lucky kid to have such awesome family. 

Cooking... smores after dinner one night with just Wyatt and Carly while the twins were out staying at the land housesitting for their Grandma Carol's chickens, ducks, geese, cat and dog. The smores were delicious, and the smoke from the fire didn't bother Wyatt at all. I truly think he has outgrown his asthma, and it makes me weak with gratitude. I remember in 2018 wondering if Logan would ever stop having seizures and if Wyatt would ever get a cold where I wouldn't have to worry about his ability to breathe.  And now, here we are less than five years later, and they've both outgrown their ailments. I am so grateful. 

School clothes shopping... in Wenatchee with Wyatt, Carly and my mom. We did it separately, leaving Carly with my sister while Wyatt shopped with my mom and me. Then we swapped out for Carly in the afternoon. It was so fun. She is just a hoot.  She acted like the entire shopping experience was her own personal fashion show, strutting out of the dressing room to show my mom and sister her outfit. Gosh I adore her. 

Basking... in the fact that my boys are finally starting to sleep in. Took long enough!! Haha! I remember wondering if this day would ever come (especially when they were babies) and now here we are. It's not super consistent, but I'll take it however it comes. 

Feeling... really proud of who my boys are as I watched them washing their dirt bikes, taking pride in their ownership and honestly just feeling like at fifteen they are cooler than I've ever been. Haha!  I was so happy to have them home after they spent the last week house sitting at their Grandma Carol's. Our house was so quiet without them! It made me think of when they move out or go to college. It's gonig to feel like a drastic change to our family dynamic. 

Attending... middle school registration which went really quickly, and praying that this school year is better by miles than last year for Wyatt. 

Living... with wildfire smoke that settled in overnight and worrying over my sister's in-laws' brand new house and Josh's cousin, both of whom were very close to the fires. 

Mommin'.... on my own as Josh's amount of work and training continues to increase as we head towards the beginning of the school year. I can't believe summer is nearly over!

***

"Here is a hug for anyone who feels alone"

The Republican debate was so insulting for teachers. 
We're out here busting our butts to teach your kids, 
not to indoctrinate them. 

This is straight facts at the Cunningham household.

***