Making... and sharing smoothies with Carly nearly every day this week. I put spinach, apples, frozen blueberries & strawberries, bananas, ice, water and greek yogurt in them, and we LOVE them.
Adding... Zyrtec to Logan's medication list as he seems to be allergic to the cold. Whenever he plays outside for too long, or without a sweatshirt, he develops a rash all over his torso that is painful and itchy. He had this same reaction about three years ago and a daily allergy med helped his body turn of the overreaction and he stopped having it. I'm hoping we will have the same results this time.
Grateful... for my family. I find that when I see them all seated around the kitchen table, doing different things- finishing homework, playing games, etc.- I am overcome with gratitude and feel so blessed that they are all mine. Some days are hard. Like, really, really hard. And I am so tired and unsure that I am doing anything right...
When I saw that quote up there-
"You can handle the pressure
that comes with your calling"
I took a deep breath and knew it was true. We got this, mama's.
Reading... American Dirt, Terilingua Teacher and Wait Till Helen Comes. American Dirt has been un-put-down-able. It is so good and the characters so lovable and the story so raw. I know there has been some controversy about whether or not we should read it since it's about immigrants and is written by a non-immigrant, but my take on that is that writing is a freedom, and we are all given the ability to write about whatever we want, and when that writing, whatever it is, can open people's eyes about the plight of a particular people (whether you yourself are one of those people or not) then you have every right to use that platform to do so. I applaud Jeanine Cummins. This book is incredible.
Terilingua Teacher was a sweet read because it was a gift from my grandpa who passed away two years ago. He sent it to me when we still lived in Alaska and I am just now getting around to reading it. I am glad I read it, because it made Grandpa Harold think of me, but it's not a book I would necessarily suggest to other people.
Wait Till Helen comes is the chapter book I am currently reading out loud to the boys at bedtime (Josh is on Carly duty) and we're really enjoying it. I remember reading it multiple times in elementary school. The boys weren't sure about it at first- after all, it is a ghost story! But they have all decided it's not too scary and we have loved it!!
Doing... a double take when I saw on Goodreads that I was at 44% on all three of the books I was reading! So random.
Embracing... my inner homemaker (I really do love her, she just doesn't always have a lot of time to shine with all the busyness of raising four kids and keeping this house) as I boiled three dozen eggs for breakfast consumption this week. Instead of the normal "X" I put on the hard boiled eggs to differentiate them from the uncooked eggs in the fridge, I put little purple hearts on them, and it made me so happy.
Assigning... chores to the children on Sundays, per usual. Our new house came with a giant blackboard in the kitchen, which I love and find myself using all.the.time. Sunday mornings the kids know they will wake up with a list of things to do, and they have the day to get them done. However, the sooner they get them done, the sooner they are free to play.
They always have to: Clean a bathroom (we have three, so they do bathrooms on a rotating schedule) check their homework (the twins have Chromebooks from school with online grading, and Wyatt is currently memorizing his multiplication tables) and their regular chore (which corresponds weekly with whatever bathroom is assigned).
If they are master bathroom, then they have dog poop duty that week.
If they are downstairs bathroom, then they unload the dishwasher all week.
If they are the kids' bathroom, then they do the cat box & feed the cats all week.
That's the bare minimum of chores- but most weeks they also have some assortment of other chores that include cleaning the back window (thank you Grady for jumping on the french doors), vacuuming the stairs and the couch, as well as the front and back door rugs, and taking out random garbages. If they have been given a consequence for misbehavior, it may be added to that list as well (such as vacuuming my van or some other big job that we give out for that sweet middle school attitude that's been rearing its ugly head).
Overall, I am very happy with our chore set up, but wish that the kids would naturally "tidy" more without being told. I feel like socks and shoes multiply around here, and if things could magically travel up and down the stairs it would just be the coolest.
Doing... diamond art every once in a while with the boys who have been working on this amazing piece from my mom. She got it for Wyatt for Christmas, thinking the wolves look a lot like Grady (they sure do!) and we are all excited to finish it. She even bought a frame to put it in once we're done so Wyatt can hang it proudly in his room. If you haven't tried diamond dot art, I highly recommend it. It's very soothing and similar to a puzzle without the frustration of not being able to find a piece. You can find smaller ones for less than $10 to start to see if you like it.
Volunteering... at Wyatt's school again Thursday and remembering how much I love being in the classroom. I just love kids. I love their stories, their personalities, what is important to them, and how easy it is to be with them. I hope that little time I am spending there is actually helping Wyatt's teacher. I honestly feel like I could be there full time and it wouldn't have the impact I hope. #somuchtodo #solittletime
Attending... Career Night at the middle school with all three boys by myself while Josh had Carly and really enjoying myself. There were three sessions, so each boy got to pick one speaker to attend. Jack chose to listen to our orthodontist give a spiel on what it takes to become an orthodontist. Logan chose to listen to the School Resource Officer (school police officer) talk about how he became a policeman and what it takes to get through the police academy. And lastly, Wyatt chose to listen to a local fireman talk about how to become a firefighter, either volunteer or career, and what their job entails. All of us went to all three sessions together, though, so we all learned a lot.
Seeing... Jack be inspired by Career Night and finding notes around the house about goals he has for saving for college and becoming an orthodontist one day.
Getting... a retainer for Wyatt (from said orthodontist) after having his spacer removed (finally!) and feeling so excited to be done with all the orthodontic appointments it required. Having hardware in all three boys' mouths made for a LOT of appointments every month. Phew!
Worrying... about our girl kitty, Ramona, who has not been 100% since a bladder infection a while back. I keep wondering if it's time to put her down. I felt confident that time had come, but then she perked up again. I'm just trying to enjoy her for as long as we have her.
Crying... hysterically when my dad called to tell me that my grandpa was missing on Saturday night. He had walked downtown (they live in a small seaside town on the coast) and never made it back home. When he'd been gone for longer than Grandma thought reasonable, she called the police. It was so hard to hear that Grandpa was missing and Grandma was worrying when I am so far away and can do nothing but pray. Thankfully as soon as I hung up with my dad and called my grandma to check on her, they had found him. He had fallen behind a building and been unable to get up on his own. Many hours had passed, and he was cold and exhausted, but okay. I've never been so relieved in my life.
Eating... Dutch babies with my girl Shana at brunch on Saturday. I'd never had them before and holy yummy! It was so nice to visit, just us, no kids, and finish every conversation we started! So grateful for that quiet morning time with her!
Picking up... the kids at the land after brunch and loving the drive home with Grady. He's just the sweetest. It's kind of hilarious the looks you get while driving around town with a German Shepherd riding shotgun, though. Hah!!
***
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I loved the permission of this piece by Morgan Harper Nichols.
I feel like I have not been my normal, sparkly self lately,
and I find myself wanting to apologize for it.
Sorry my hair & make up aren't done. Sorry I am so tired.
Sorry I can't remember what I just said. Or what you just said.
Life is hard and heavy.
But I am here.
And despite how ragged my appearance is...
I am not any less significant.
It's like she says...
I'm just a traveler on a journey,
in need of rest.
***
