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 39 2020

I stayed in that castle-like building for my night away!

Jack stepped on this goat head in the garage. Ouch!

When I told Josh it took me 32 minutes to do the dishes,

he sent me confetti on text. He always knows how to make me smile.

Oh little Wyatt!

Enjoying... lunch out with my girlfriend Sunday afternoon.  We spent hours talking, uninterrupted, and I swear I had forgotten what it was to finish a sentence, let alone a conversation! Such a blessing to have a friend I love, and a husband who says, "yes, go!" whenever I ask. 

Hosting... the Seahawk's game for Josh's sisters family.  It was so cute to watch our boys cheer and hold their breath during certain plays.  Carly and their daughter Liesel call each other BFF's (and sometimes BCF- Best Cousins Forever) and their friendship is just the sweetest.  While they were here, Tay and Andrea helped Josh build the trampoline he bought for the kids, and they all enjoyed spending time on it.  I have discovered I am definitely the aunt who says yes to everything. I love those kids and want them to be happy, so if they ask, it's pretty much going to be, "Sure!" Haha!

Starting... week two of school and praying it's better than week one. ...but facing the reality that it is hard and not yet getting easier.

Loving... Josh for choosing to leave for work later so that he can see Carly and say goodbye before he takes off.  For the first few weeks of school, he was leaving before she woke up, and it made her sad to miss him in the mornings, so, without discussing it with me or her, he just started staying longer in the mornings so she could snuggle him and kiss him goodbye. He's the best dad, and I am so grateful he's ours. 

Doing... dishes (for daysss) after getting behind on all my household chores.  Doing school full time with the kids is taking a toll on everything I normally accomplish in a day. (It took me 32 minutes to do the dishes Wednesday. Yes, I timed it!) I am sure it will all settle and get better, but for now, it feels a bit like I'm drowning and someone handed me a Chromebook.

Sending... three of my four kiddos off to the land to play with cousins on Wednesday.  (Josh's sister and her husband are in town with their kids, so I let the boys take one day to play with cousins this week!)  Jack stayed home- he was having a stomach ache.  We thoroughly enjoyed a quiet day together, though, and were glad as he felt better throughout the day. 

Working... hard on Thursday & Friday to catch up on the school the kids missed Wednesday visiting their cousins. The twins and I got our butts handed to us as we attempted the first test of the year.  I don't think the way they were working this week is going to be successful, so we'll be doing things differently starting next week. Instead of the boys working independently on their online science & english units, we will be working together, with me acting as teacher, making sure they understand the concepts before we move on to the next. Fingers crossed that will produce better results. 

Prepping... for family photos Saturday, trying on outfits and shoes and making sure the boys' new clothes all fit. I hate the work that goes into photos, but I love having them... so it must be done!

Grateful... for date night with Josh Friday, where he made us pizza and we watched Ocean's 13 and I tried to forget the feelings of failure I had from my long second week of at-home distance learning. "You can do hard things" is on constant repeat in the back of my mind. 

Capturing... our growing family with the help of my sister (thank you, Roxanne!) and getting excited about ordering this year's Christmas card. We got so many great shots (I shared some above, but kept some for a surprise on the cards come December) and everyone was in really good moods.  Jack asked why we had to do family pictures, and I said that we do it for me.  He laughed, but I was serious. It's one day a year where I choose their clothes, fuss over their hair styles and expect them to do as I say so I can get some good pictures. I was so grateful it all went as I hoped. 

Packing... up and hitting the road after family pictures to join my bestie for a little weekend getaway.  I listened to The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead on the drive and was instantly captivated.  (It's a heartbreaking story about a juvenile detention center in the 1960's.  I was riveted.) Once I arrived, we visited with my friends' sister-in-law and enjoyed dinner together. We also talked about the enneagram and Shana inspired me to listen to The Road Back To You. I've since started it, and am loving it so much. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about sixes. 

Practicing... mindfulness as a way of bringing my stress level down throughout the day in hopes I can decrease the number of panic attacks I am having.  I try to breathe in and out whenever I think of it, and am working on just "being". Typically, I am always trying to accomplish something. At. All. Times. So I am trying to just sit. Or just stand. Or just drink my coffee.  Without multi-tasking, and without having any demands placed on my time. It's hard, but I can see a difference in my patience.

I am also working on self love (hence the bathroom selfie above) as I am at the highest number I've ever seen on the scale, and am having trouble separating my value as a human (wife, sister, friend, mother) from my weight. I don't associate other people's weight with their value, so I wish I could understand why it's so closely related in my mind for myself. Like as soon as I pass 165lbs (which I am far, far past at this point) I feel like a useless loser and I feel awful for anyone who has to look at me. It's not good. 
(Advice for self love and mindfulness techniques welcome!)

Reading... What I Carry and loving it. Seriously, I wanted to cancel all other plans and just read that book straight through to the end. I love when a book is like that. You should check out my book review on Instagram to see what it's all about. I feel like this, along with Know My Name, should be require reading for humans. 
And Josh is reading the second Harry Potter book to the boys.  They are LOVING it, and I am wishing I could both put Carly to bed and be listening with them, since I've never read Harry Potter. I am thinking maybe next year I will attempt to read the books myself. We'll see!

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I loved this simple reminder.

And some laughs:

#butseriously

hahahah!

(this is life with Wyatt)

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