Around Here: Week 44 2020

Excited... that my parents moved to Wenatchee this week. Now instead of being 4+ hours away, they are a little over an hour away. I am thrilled for myself, for them, and for my sister (who also lives in Wenatchee). I love the idea of all the memories we are going to make together with them close by. 

Giving... the boys the NWEA test and feeling proud of their results.  They tried hard and gave it their all, which was great to see. 

Dealing... with multiple migraines this week.  It's so hard not to get down on myself when I'm feeling this way.  I have to remind myself that my migraines are not my fault.  And to give myself grace. 

Grateful... that at least my rescue meds work to get rid of my migraines.  I feel awful for some time after I take them, but within four hours the migraine is completely gone and I can go about my day. 

Notetaking... along with the twins, showing them how it's done, and learning about different geologic processes in the meantime. 

Having... a few hours to get things done when my friends' daughter came over to work as a Mother's Helper.  She came with a bag full of toys and games, and Carly was enthralled every minute. I got more done in those two and a half hours than I had the entire week beforehand. Hah!

Praying... for grandpa as he endures another week of chemo, and feeling grateful both that he has grandma and that he isn't feeling yucky from the chemo. Such blessings abound.

Getting... Carly ready for a little Halloween gathering with her grandma & little friend. She was so excited the whole day, counting down the time until the party.  These days it's truly the little things that bring us joy. 

Voting... and feeling anxious for the outcome. 

Sending... Josh with Wyatt to Wyatt's sleep study this week to see if his central sleep apnea continues to be a problem.  We will have a follow up appointment (where we will get answers & a chance to chat with the sleep specialist) in November. 

Holding... Carly as she fell asleep after coming downstairs sad after bedtime one evening. I can't remember the last time she slept in my arms, and it felt, as always, like magic. Time is such a thief.  

Carving... pumpkins with Logan, Wyatt & Carly on Halloween.  Jack isn't a fan of pumpkin carving.  The smell and feel of pumpkin guts makes him queasy. So he wasn't interested this year. Wyatt worked tirelessly on his 79lb pumpkin, and the results were fun.  Carly was especially excited when it got dark enough to light candles inside them. I just love her enthusiasm for life. 

Reading... The Beauty In The Breaking and Anne of the Island. The Beauty In The Breaking is interesting because of all the medical stories, but the heart of it just isn't there for me. Anne of the Island has been a slow read (I don't like to rush through Anne's books) but such a lovely, comforting read. 

Impressed... by Carly's ability to make herself a parfait.  Apparently she saw one on a cartoon, and then got herself our sundae dish out of the hutch and proceeded to layer yogurt, berries & granola bits. It looked adorable and was delicious!

Listening... to The Adult Chair podcast with Michelle Chalfant and learning about tapping points.  I have been blown away by how effective they are when I'm experiencing pain or anxiety. Highly recommend. 

Laughing... at Jack's eyes, largely dilated, after an eye doctor appointment.  We call them "cute eyes" and the boys like to try & ask me for things I'd normally say no to. Haha!

Burning... candles to create a cozy feeling at home during our school days.  I sometimes struggle with summer ending, but knowing I can try to enjoy fall with good books & yummy candles helps. 

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Around Here: Week 38 2020

Deep cleaning... the house in preparation for our first week of school. We chose the distance learning option in our district because even though in person was offered, our health department recommended against it.  The COVID case numbers here don't support school opening.

Facing... our first day of school with no school pictures and attitude for days.  I told Josh it was like breaking wild horses getting these boys to do school after a summer (and really, more like six months) off.  First day was awful.  Only redeeming thing was that we watched Radioactive (about Marie Curie) and we were all mesmerized.  Her science (and her story) were amazing. 
(Available on Amazon Prime)

Sending... Wyatt & Carly to aunt Julie's Monday afternoon to make spider cupcakes.  They had so much fun, and the twins got some much needed mom time after a rough start to the week. 

Waking up... on day two with the opposite kid acting up with attitude, and taking Carly out to Carol's for her Grandma Preschool.  It was nice to be able to focus only on the boys... but I'll be honest, this technology, the arguing, the requirements, the learning curve, have taken their toll on me. 

Running... with all the boys to Winco for groceries after we dropped Carly off, and feeling grateful for the help.  I'm teaching the twins to help me write our menu out, and it has been life changing!!

Watching... the Mt. St. Helen's documentary on Disney, and engaging in so much discussion with the boys throughout. I was born two years after Mt. St. Helen's erupted, but my older brother was a baby when it happened.  So the boys' grandparents all have stories of how the ash piled up, and you couldn't breathe or see.  It was fun to talk to them about an historical event that happened in our neck of the woods and impacted our people. 

Putting... myself to bed SUPER early Tuesday after feeling like I had been run over.  Managing all these kids and their learning feels like I have taken on a full time job suddenly.  Sleep is necessary.

Settling... into our schedule mid week and waking up early to make Josh's salad for his lunch and have a little quiet time before the kids wake up. I thrive on alone time and if I have to wake up at 5:00am to make that happen, so be it. 

Worrying... a lot when Wyatt woke up gasping and was having some breathing issues.  The smoke (from wildfires across our state) has mostly not effected him, because I have kept him inside with our healthy, filtered air, but Wednesday his asthma was acting up. He seemed all better after a nebulizer treatment, though. Thank goodness. 

Reading... Book 2 of the History of the World out loud to the boys and working some ASL (American sign language) into our daily school routine.  Josh's sister and her husband are Deaf, and Josh and I met in ASL class in high school, so sign language is used around the kids all the time, and I think it's time I taught them a bit more.  This is the perfect opportunity. 
I love the History of the World because it reads like a story and my kids love it.  We finished Book 1 in the spring, and I'm hoping to get through Book 2 before Christmas. 

Running... errands to Walmart and Petco after dropping Carly off at Carol's for another day of Grandma Preschool.  We got more toys for Grady to play with (German Shepherds are HARD on toys!) and some ear mite medicine for Molly. 

Reading... Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus with the boys and loving it (!); Gilead by Marilynne Robinson- so good, with so many quotes; and The Magnolia Story, which is a fun read so far. 

Trying... to do our nightly walk, but only making it around the block before realizing the smoke was worse than it looked and not worth it.  It felt like I was breathing through a dryer sheet.  Just tight and terrible.  Hopefully the smoke will clear from all the fires soon and we can all get back outside. 

Watching... Schitt's Creek and feeling two things: Gratitude, for the laughter and lightness it brings during these hard times, and Love, for the way that David makes me feel about supporting others in who they love. Love is love is love.

Sleeping in... on Friday when I woke up feeling panicked and exhausted.  The kids were great and let me sleep in, then we did school at a slower pace and thankfully the boys did great at school. I suffered anxiety all day long, which was miserable, but I looked forward very much to date night and the coming weekend. 

Enjoying... hours to myself when Josh took all the kids to the land on Saturday to play with their cousins. It was a day of much needed peace & quiet, in which I watched Audrey & Daisy. {on Netflix}  Audrey & Daisy is a documentary about teenage rape and its consequences.  It reminded me again of how important the book Know My Name is for everyone to read. Sexual abuse leaves marks that we often don't see, and in this case, it lead to such heartbreak for these girls and their families. 

Attending... the family Halloween party that Josh's mom put together for the grandkids. The kids got to go "trick or treating" down Aunt Julie's hallway, knocking on doors and getting different treats & surprises from each person. They were thrilled to get candy and spend time together, and all the grown ups enjoyed homemade macaroni & cheese (yum!) and brisket made by Josh's dad.

Thankful... for my sister who was my cheerleader this week as I lamented to her about how hard school at home has been.  She's a few weeks ahead of me (her district started sooner than ours) and she promised me it would get easier. 

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