Around Here: Week 29 2025

 {July 13th-19th}

In our house, we have a cookie war.
There is Team Semisweet and Team Milk Chocolate, 
and Carly is 100% Team Milk Chocolate.
So this is how she let me know which cookie recipe to use to make her
milk chocolate chip cookies. 

Celebrating... Josh's birthday with a family swim, followed by ice cream cake. It was a really  nice evening and I was so happy to celebrate this man who does so much for all of us. He works so hard, and especially at this new job, he puts in so much time for us. He's the most amazing provider, loving dad and adoring husband. We don't deserve him. 

Loving... my new self tanner. It's Beauty By Earth and goes on so easy; doesn't leave orange or dark streaks on my knees or ankles, and can be built upon if you put it on a few days in a row. 

Happy... for Logan who bought Elyssa the most beautiful ring for their anniversary.  It's been seven months now and they're just the cutest. 

Making... slime with Carly & Wyatt as the twins slept in.  It started with just Carly, but then Wyatt slowly made his way over and I encouraged him to jump in and make some as well. I was so happy when he did. Doing little things like this is all it takes for me to feel like a good mom. The kids were thrilled and the slime was super fun.

Organizing... the medicine cabinet with Carly's help. We worked so hard emptying the old cabinet (which we have had since 2018 maybe?) and moving the new Ikea shelf into its place. I had ordered drawers to help us organize a few weeks prior from Amazon, and Carly was delighted to help me put them to use. 

Feeling... proud of Logan for learning how to deal with a job and his boss, and just managing it all. He is able to be his charming self while still maintaining the ability to say no or negotiate. These are such important life skills that I'm watching him learn in real time.

Organizing... the Legos that live at the desk in the kitchen. It felt good to get that area cleaned up after it had grown quite messy recently.

Missing... Josh. He went back to work two weeks ago, and summer's just not the same without him around. It makes everything seem harder and lonelier to do it without him. 

Sending... Carly to gymnastics this week with the cutest hair ever. I love doing her twists on the sides and then doing a fish tail braid with the pig tails. Sooo cute and simple.

Attending... counseling for Jack with Heather (our favorite) and talking about some really hard things. We talked about the choices he was making at the beginning of summer and about a friend whose mental health reached a critical (read: scary) low, and about his breakup with his girlfriend. Heather mentioned that maybe Jack could quit vaping if he tried a pen that nicotine free.  The appointment was important, as he was able to talk about everything going on, but it made for a hard day. I was grateful to walk away with homework for both of us, however. Jack's homework is to communicate more with Josh and I about how he's doing; and our homework is to compromise more with Jack. In my journal that day I wrote, "Parenting is just so hard and there's no guide. We're out here trailblazing." 

Taking... Wyatt to physical therapy for his tight achilles tendons. The PT suggested Wyatt do stretches morning and night to help stretch them out. I am hopeful it will help.

Helping... Jack apply for jobs as he continues to search for a way to earn some money this summer. 

Watching... my Minimal Mom daily subscription videos and feeling constantly inspired and like I am capable of decluttering my life. I got in during a sale and it was only $22/month to join. By the end of one year, you will have sorted through your entire house if you work with her. 

Driving... over to Othello with Josh after he came home early to pick me up to go to the Rotary dinner.  We had a nice time getting dressed up and eating good food we didn't have to prepare. We also go to visit with the president of the Rotary and meet a couple other Othello residents as well. Then, after dinner, Josh took me over to his school where I got to see his office now that he's Assistant Principal, and seeing that room made it really real that he's made it. He is doing the thing he's been hoping to be able to do for years now. I am so damn proud of him. 

Going... on a walk and feeling so good afterward. Why do I always forget how good physical movement feels?!?

Doing... lots of chores as we headed into the weekend and filling out Wyatt's camp paperwork, plus getting him packed for next week!

Allowing... Jack to go workout with a friend at Planet Fitness even though he's grounded because we know it's good for his mental health, and (per Heather's instructions) we are working to be better at compromising. Sigh. Parenting is truly stretching me. 

Noticing... that I've been waking up with rashes on my wrists the last couple days, and when that happens, I know that I am letting the stress get the better of me. When we lived in the first house and life would get lifey, I always got an itchy rash on my wrists. So now when they show up, I know I need more sleep, more stress relief, and better coping. 

Giving... Carly hourly breaks from her tablet on Saturday. She's on that thing way too much and I'm trying to be more conscious of it. It's hard though, because she's such a good kid, and it's not a huge problem, so it's easy to let it slide. 

Making... pizza for dinner with Carly on Saturday night, and absolutely LOVING her cat pizza. She's so darn creative, that girl! I also made cookies and they were a hit!

Frustrated... that a child of mine lied about work and was actually somewhere they weren't supposed to be. Grrrrr. I get it, you hate being grounded. But instead of lying, imagine actually doing what you're supposed to do to earn your freedom back!!! 

Accomplishing... so much blogging this weekend. It feels like I am constantly behind. At some point this year I would like to get to where I am blogging each weekend for the prior week. I would love that so much!

Teaching... Carly to make waffles and feeling so proud of how comfortable she is getting in the kitchen.  She can make eggs, pancakes, waffles, ramen, mac & cheese from a box and all kinds of toast, bagels and raisin toast. 

Hitting... the one year mark with Carly's braces. It's crazy how much they have changed her face!!!

Loving... the sound of Josh, the twins and Wyatt laughing together in the living room, watching the game and cracking (usually inappropriate) jokes. I know that these days of my boys under one roof with me are limited, and so their laughter seems even more precious than ever before. 

Reading... that our brain carries imprints of habits that we have used for weeks. This encourages me to continue journaling, walking and getting good sleep. It really is impactful. 

Snuggling... Carly everyday and feeling grateful that she still wants to snuggle. And not just with me. In fact, she prefers snuggles with Josh the most. I love it. 

Laughing... at Carly's creativity with her stuffed animals. She used a blue rug I had in the hall closet to act as a "pool" for her zoo. I love it. 

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