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2.25.2024

Around Here: Week 7 2024

 {February 11-17th}

My Valentine since 2000















This just made me so happy. 
Unfortunately there was no credit given.

Our Valentine art project + the alphabet one student wrote for me.














My sister's cute Peeps!

Thankful... Josh is so handy as he hung new towel hooks for the boys this week and fixed our broken ceiling fan. You're the best, Cunningham!
Also thankful that Josh has been such a supportive spouse as I've adjusted to working outside the home for the first time in 13 years. I worked late Wednesday working on lesson planning and he took the kids to the library and the eye doctor to get broken glasses fixed. It felt like I cloned myself as I was able to know the kids' stuff was getting done AND my lesson planning was getting done. 

Driving... Wyatt to his first dance. I got to feeling so sentimental as his brothers' helped him get "fitted" in Jack's Carhart sweatshirt and Logan's Dunks.  I was so surprised Wyatt wanted to go and so proud of him for going. He tends to be really shy and withdrawn so seeing him go to the dance with his friends made me so happy. As I dropped him off, though, all I could picture was my sweet toddler Wyatt with his adorable lisp. Gosh, time, you are a thief. 

Finding... out some disturbing news about some of the twins' friends and feeling the effects of those bad choices rippling out.  We are feeling sad and heavy about all of it. 

Celebrating... Valentine's day with my kindergartners.  They were so adorable and excited. Then I came home to my family (I got all the kids m&m's) and Josh had brought me flowers & chocolates.  We made pizza and watched Planes Fire & Rescue and it was just a really lovely night with each other, feeling grateful for all the love (and craziness) we share together. 

Registering... Wyatt for baseball.  He'll be our only one this year as the twins have opted not to try out for the high school team and they have aged out of the city league. It's bittersweet.  Thankfully Josh knew it might be their last year and he attended nearly every single game, even those that were out of town last year. 

Picking up... Starbucks for me and a coworker Friday morning after what was a long teaching week for him and a long emotional parenting week for me. It was just the pick-me-up we needed to get through that last day. 

Relishing... a half day Friday where I got out of school, dropped Carly off at home with Josh, and headed to Wenatchee for a girls night with my mom and sister. I listened to Dani Austin's Deinfluenced Podcast (it's mostly her and her husband's fun banter) while I drove and it was so lovely.  Then when I got to Wenatchee I visited with my mom & sister and got to see my nieces.  Then just us three grown ups headed to Costco where my mom treated my family to some easy meals since I'm working (student teaching) now and I've never been so grateful for pre-cooked chicken and tiny microwave pizzas.  Haha! Thanks mom!  Then we got to go to our favorite places- Inspirations Art Studio & McGlinn's Pub.  We painted the most fun pottery at Inspirations- my mom did a dotted spoon rest for her kitchen; my sister painted Peeps with colors that represent each of her five kids; and I painted a giant rainbow bowl that I will use for fruit. We love doing pottery because we can visit, but we can also tap into our creative sides, which sometimes go dormant while we're busy life-ing. Dinner at McGlinn's is ALWAYS delicious- I ordered the pulled pork as always- and the conversations are priceless.  Laughing, crying, sharing, I just ended the night feeling so, so blessed.  

Enjoying... Saturday morning snuggles with my girl + all the animals. We loved on Piper, Grady & Maggie the most, but later George and Hadley made an appearance as well. It is total chaos with this many animals and humans living together, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love them all!

Realizing... that the bad things that happen are rarely what I worry about.  Instead what I worry about generally ends up fine. And the bad things that happen are a complete surprise. It's a good reminder when I find myself ruminating about something.  I can let go and move on. What's coming will come, and I'll face it when it does.

Taking... Logan to the skate park again this weekend and loving that he's getting back into it. He loves it. 

Lesson planning... this weekend as I get in the groove with mapping out the week ahead. I am hoping to get faster so that I don't bring my work home, but I am giving myself grace as I figure it out. 

Ordering... pizza Saturday night and feeling so grateful to not have to make pizza from scratch like we usually do. We even had it delivered. Living large!!! Hah!

Doing... homework this weekend as well and getting most of it done on Friday so that I could have the full President's Day weekend ahead.

Happy... that George (our cat) is doing okay. His vestibular disease seems to have healed. He doesn't have the strange head shakes anymore and his eyes aren't doing that back & forth thing they were doing.  He's not 100%, but he can walk around and jump up and down off things and seems happy. So we are content. We had been so worried. 

***
This is so real. 
I lost my mind.


This makes me want to paint some swimmers.



***


2.19.2024

Around Here: Week 6 2024

 {February 4-10th}









Such a cute idea for the 100th day of school
10 snacks of 10 each. Kids loved it!


This kitten is so silly!


I love these Sub Instructions Carly wrote.
My favorite part is the way she wrote out the sign language for
Water, Question & Bathroom









We'll celebrate 24 years in April. 
Blows my mind. 


Reading... A Little Life after picking it up from the bookstore on Saturday. I am so excited- I have heard that it will wreck me, and those are my *favorite* types of books. 

Running... to get groceries with Carly & Logan since Josh was still feeling too crummy to go. Normally he's so great about going to the store so I can stay home and do other things. I'm so grateful for that. Carly brought her "daughter" Hannah to shop with us and even put her in the front of the cart like a real kid. I just cherish moments like this so much because I know how fast it goes and in a few years, she will most certainly not be bringing a doll shopping with us. Sigh. I adore her. 

Taking... Logan to the skate park on Saturday and getting home only to turn around to go straight back to the skate park to bring him a new board and his skate tool.  He snapped his board as soon as he started skating.  Thankfully he has some old ones that will work until he can get a new one. 

Loving... how Carly packed her lunch and took it, along with her American Girl dolls, outside for a picnic in the grass.  She's so fun. 

Visiting... the doctor for my yearly check up and feeling proud that my blood pressure was low. Haha! I would have guessed that it would be high considering everything that I have going on, but I do feel I'm handling it well, and getting enough sleep, so I guess I'm doing alright!

Repeating... to myself "Never stop moving" as there is always something that needs doing. This week on Monday it was homework. So as soon as I got back from my doctor appointment I went straight upstairs to work on my assignment for the week. Phew. So much work all the time. 

Trying... to be patient with myself when I do need a break or make a mistake. It's hard for me to not aim for perfection. But I really am trying to aim for growth or improvement instead of perfection. And that requires a lot patience. 

Feeling... really over school.  (By that I mean college, not elementary school- hah!) I am having bad senioritis and just can't wait to be graduated.  I love being in the classroom so much and I am ready to just be a mom or a teacher, not also a student. 

Working... on my classroom management.  Now that I have fully taken over teaching, I can see all my shortcomings and behavior management is one of them. Thankfully my mentor teacher is so understanding and does not expect perfection. Hoping to continue seeing growth in this area throughout the next few months. 

Fascinated... when Josh told me that he as a colorblind girl in his class.  It's far rarer than a colorblind boy as she has to have a mother whose father was colorblind, and her dad himself must also be colorblind. (See below if the science fascinates you like it does me. At the bottom of this post, I share an image of the punnett square that shows how colorblindness works)

Indulging... in self care on Wednesday afternoon by getting myself cookies at Crumbl and going shoe shopping sans children. Josh kept them at home and fed them dinner while I had a few hours to myself. I found a new pair of cozy crocs & three pair of boots for less than $150. I was thrilled!

Smiling... when my new teacher socks showed up in the mail from Amazon. I love them so much!  Smiling even bigger when one of my sweet students gave me a card that said, "You are the best teacher, Cunningham" Awwww!

Driving... through fog off and on all week! Morning, night, mid-day, the fog has been around for days!

Celebrating... the 100th day of school with my cute little kindergarteners.  It was a "Rockin' the 100th Day of School" theme, and my coworkers are so creative. I wore a leather jacket & pony tail, but they had guitars and wigs and the best outfits! It was such a fun day!

Working... to use my time wisely at work.  I don't waste my breaks and try to really prioritize what needs doing. It feels really good to be getting the hang of it all. 

Sending... Carly with her neighbor friend Ariyah to the school showing of the movie Elemental. I am so grateful Ariyah's mom could take her so I could stay home and do some necessary homework. 

Finally... seeing blue skies and sunshine at the end of the week.  Gosh we needed that and the happiness the sun brings me is crazy!

Getting... a text from Josh that just said, "I love you" and can I just say? That's the best text there is. 

***

This quote? "That I may be of use in the world"? 
I love it. 
Amen amen amen