Week 47 Around Here {2019}

Dreaming... of water (flooding houses, overflowing toilets, waterfalls going down stairs) every night it seems.  I looked up the meaning of these types of dreams and it points to emotional turmoil.  That makes sense to me, as parenting my middle schoolers is quite challenging currently.  I am hoping that remembering I am the "eye of the storm" will help me to remain calm no matter how crazy life gets around me.  But boy is that hard!

Celebrating... my 37th birthday a little early with my sister and my bestie this weekend in Wenatchee.  Shana and I drove over and can I just say what a luxury it was to be in the car with her and to talk without interruption for an hour and a half each way?  It was so awesome. #momlife
Once we got to Wenatchee, Shana and I hit up Costco where she helped me comparison shop for a lot of things I normally buy at Walmart.  So many things will be a better deal in the long run if I get them at Costco!
After shopping at Costco (we got a few Christmas gifts for the kids and some household essentials) we met my sister for lunch out followed by a movie.  Lunch was so good and the movie was okay (3 stars at best) but the popcorn was amazing. Hah! I love movie popcorn, and the feel of a dark theater.  Luckily the company was awesome the whole day and I feel so lucky to have two such great girls in my life.

Turning... 37 on Monday with a gorgeous sunrise Josh alerted me to on his way to work ("If you have a minute, you should really go check out the sunrise this morning.")  Then I met my girlfriends for coffee and a farewell to my girl Jolene who is moving to Alaska with her crew.  Boy are we gonna miss her!!!  Then my friends Crystal and Becky stopped by and surprised me with brownies and gifts- so sweet! Then Carly and I made a cake that we ate after dinner with the guys. 
Josh arrived home from work with flowers for me (swoon) and Wyatt had made me a bookmark that melted my very heart. It has a drawing of us reading books together- my favorite!
My gift this year was a stack of books I got at Book Outlet which I was introduced to by my friend Ashley.  I got 5 books for less than $20!
It was a really great birthday, I felt loved & spoiled all day long, and I feel like 36 was a really blessed year.  Here's hoping 37 is too!

Counting... at least nine migraines in November and praying December is better.  I am only allowed to take 9 doses of Sumatriptan (my migraine medicine) per 30 day period (or I can get rebound headaches), so I am very lucky I didn't have any more headaches than I did.  They are just the worst.  I'm hoping it's just about my cycle and my hormones changing as I age...

Attending... Basin Brawl for the boy's wrestling club and getting to watch them wrestle for the first time in real matches.  Josh's parents were there to watch, which was really special, and I felt SO proud of them all.  I was that crazy mom on the side of the mat, yelling and cheering like mad, near tears when they did good and holding my breath when things weren't going their way.  Josh had a heart to heart with Logan after he lost a match and I just can't even put into words the love I feel for him when I see him being such a good dad. We are all so lucky he is ours.
Jack won a match, and when they held his arm up to show he was the winner, I was so proud of him I could have burst! The look of accomplishment on his face was fantastic. 

Enduring... freezy, foggy weather day after day this week.  It's been so cold and dreary!!!

Loving... Carly's new (to us) curtains!  They are so fun (polka dots!) and will look even better if I ever get around to painting her room.

Reading... Inheritance (on audio) and The Night Olivia Fell.  Inheritance simultaneously makes me want to and not want to take a DNA test like Ancestry or 23 and Me.  I loved listening to the story, and really enjoyed learning more about Orthodox Jews.  Before this memoir, I knew nothing about them.
The Night Olivia Fell was a fascinating mystery that kept me reading to the last page.  It was a solid 3 stars, and I enjoyed the story, but I like a novel with better writing.  I like a little more flair.
I also finished listening to Us Against You.  That, again, was good, entertaining, but not my favorite. It was a bit dark for my taste.

Getting... the twins flu shots finally.  I got mine and Carly and Wyatt's a month or more ago, but kept forgetting the twins.  They weren't very happy to get home from school and find out that's where we were headed.  Luckily it was quick and relatively painless.  Later Jack had a little swelling at the injection site (which is normal) but that was it.

Ringing... in the holiday season with a giant (Paw Patrol, because #duh) tub of Christmas popcorn.  Carly was SO excited when I said yes to this at the grocery store, and her brothers were equally thrilled when they got home from school to this snack.  It's a Christmas classic.

Hosting... book club for the first time at our house and feeling so grateful for that amazing group of ladies.  They stayed until 11 and I think we could have stayed hours longer, to be honest.  Being with other women, other mothers, just fills my cup in a way that nothing else does.

Posting... a house tour of our downstairs (since it was so clean for book club- hah!) on my Facebook page & Instagram. We are seriously feeling so blessed in our new digs.  If you've wondered what the new house looks like, click over and check it out!

Planning... for Christmas bit by bit.  Our plan is to get the kids 2 gifts each (and they'll get one from Santa), plus books for Christmas Eve, which is our family tradition.  They'll also have stockings, with some yummy treats and one small toy.  My budget for each kid is $50, which is very (very!) challenging, but it has to be done because we are living on cash now and I'm not pulling the credit cards back out for Christmas.  You better bet I'll be hunting for some good deals after Thanksgiving!

Being... overcome by an organizational bug that I think is a preemptive hit against all the toys and things the kids tend to get at Christmas.  Also in preparation for hosting Thanksgiving.  Whatever the reason, I am rolling with it, and sorting & purging all.the.things.

Crafting... with this color by diamond art.  If you haven't tried it, you really should. It is so much fun!!! (Thanks, Shana for introducing me!)

Enjoying... sending the twins off to their friends' house Friday night and letting them stay late (until 10pm) since we don't do sleepovers.  They thought it was super cool, and we were able to have date night once we got Wyatt & Carly to bed.  We watched Game of Thrones (we're into Season 7 now!) and had homemade pizza.  So yum!

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Around Here: Week 41 {2018}

Grateful... that my broken toe is feeling better.  I broke it last week walking down our hallway, "said some words," according to Wyatt- Haha!! (#truth), and even though it looks 100x worse than it originally did, it actually feels a lot better.  I am wearing my boot everyday and making sure to spend some time with it up, which is really helping with my reading, so it's not as big a bummer as it could be. ;)
I'm also grateful that Wyatt has slowly but surely gotten better this week, after his asthma kicked in following a cold.  He was like the turtle from The Turtle and The Hare, but he made it!  Steroids are almost done, and he's off the nebulizer.  Hallelujah!

Spending... Saturday afternoon at the kids cousin Gabriel's birthday party.  The kids had so much fun and I had a great time visiting with everyone there.  Afterward Josh, his brother Samuel and I watched the fight.  I surprised myself by enjoying it as much as I did.

Keeping... different kids home all week this week.  Jack was home Monday and Tuesday with a terrible cold that had him super run down.  Then Logan stayed home with me Thursday after having two seizures back to back. One at 7:30am, and another at 9:00am.  He hadn't eaten much dinner Wednesday night and was coming down with Jack's cold, so he didn't sleep well, and those 2 seizure triggers combined with an oncoming fever, caused him to have the seizures after nearly FIVE WEEKS seizure free.  After a call to the neurologist, we decided to up his meds to 400mg of Tegretol at night so that even when his body is exposed to seizure triggers (flashing lights, lack of sleep, low blood sugar, etc.) the medicine will be enough to keep him from seizing.  I feel good about this plan and am hopeful that we won't see anymore break through seizures.

Going... to counseling Tuesday with Jack in tow, since he was sick, and canceling with less than 24 hours notice is $85!  So he came and brought headphones and a tablet and I talked to Chad like I always do. At this point, each of my kids has come with my to counseling with me, and I honestly think it's great. They get to see that counseling is nothing to be afraid of.  That it's just you, and another person who listens to you, talking about life and your feelings.  I have been very open with all my kids about my need to go to counseling and why I am in therapy.  I tell them that it helps me sort out my emotions and keeps me healthy in my mind.  I think that if therapy had less of a stigma a lot more people would go, and the world would be a healthier (happier) place. 

Losing... another pound this week, despite my injury!  I am down to 166lbs now, and so pumped.  That's 34 pounds since the new year, and I am really starting to feel quite proud of myself.  Josh and I have gotten the family's eating back on point as well, and I'm excited to see all of us eating better, in addition to all the physical activity we have been doing.

Finally... getting to the grocery store on Wednesday after not being able to go because of sick kids Monday & Tuesday.  We were desperate for quite a few things (especially for making lunches!) by mid week and the kids were SO happy when they got home after school to discover I had been. Haha! Now that's real life!

Hanging... with Samuel most evenings.  Josh's brother moved here a few weeks ago, and he's been joining us for dinner, which has been so fun.  He and Josh are the best of friends, and I so enjoy his company.  Those two can get me laughing like nobody's business, and are just really fun to hang out with.  So it's been awesome.  He's also a super awesome uncle and amazing with my kids, so that helps, too.

Using... Friday to search for costumes with the kiddos since they had the day off from school.  The twins both went for something creepy, whereas Wyatt is being Ironman and Carly is being a kitty.  Shopping with the four of them wasn't so bad as I thought it might be (thank goodness!) although the rest of the day with them home felt kinda long.  I was ready for pizza & a movie by the time we put them to bed!

Reading... A Mother's Reckoning (written by the mother of one of the shooters at Columbine- it is so good and heartfelt and eye opening. I am learning a lot about mental health) and listening to An American Marriage on audio.  I finished Ghosted, which I ended up hating (it had a twist I did not care for) and Heaven is For Real, which was a sweet, quick read (I finished it in one day last Sunday).  When I finish An American Marriage, I hope to finish Hillbilly Elegy and start Love Does on audio. 

Dreaming... that I was drowning (and rescued) in one dream; that I took our cat Ramona out to eat at Burger King in another; and that I was surrounded by broken glass in another.  I am constantly fascinated by my dreams and wish I had a personal dream analyst on staff at all times. Ha! #inmydreams (see what I did there?)

Loving... the progress that Josh and Samuel made on the coat cubbies in our entryway this week.  These cubbies have been a dream of mine since the boys started school here two years ago, and to see that dream coming true is the best!  Eventually, they will be painted white with 3 hooks in each one (one for their backpack and two for coats). 
On the very bottom shelf, they will keep their shoes & boots; then on the second shelf, below their backpacks and jackets, in the wicker basket they will have their gloves & hats.  The top wicker baskets will have extra hats & gloves.  I am going to be in organizational-nerd heaven!  #justcallmemonica

Accomplishing... a lot on my to do list. I know I said it last week, but seriously, being off social media has given me SO much free time back.  But I also think it has motivated me to look inward and see what my priorities are.  So the two together are causing me to be really productive.  I have been sorting through things to give to Goodwill and organizing the kids' toys and bedding.  It feels really good.  In that same vein, though, I have been allowing myself, at times, to just be, and that feels equally amazing.

Allowing... imperfection.  Sigh.  I had wanted to blog everyday in October for "Blogtober", but life happened, and I have missed a few days.  This weekend it was more important to spend time with my kids & get ready for the week than to take the time to blog.  I wish I had had time for both, but I just didn't. And that's okay.  Growing up is so nice.  Hard, but also nice.  Allowing myself grace is really quite lovely.

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