Week 19 Around Here {2019}

{credit: @gorkiegork}

Grocery shopping... with all four kids Saturday to get it out of the way, and feeling amazed at how quickly we were done.  We really can divide and conquer and man, are we fast!!!

Taking... Wyatt to a birthday party in the park this weekend and having the best time with all four kids.

Watching... Brain Child with the kids on Netflix.  We've only watched one episode so far, but the kids can't wait to watch more.  (We all learned so much!)

Thankful... the guys washed my van this weekend with Carly's help, which motivated me to vacuum it, and now it's so fresh & so clean, clean!  I love that feeling.

Learning... so much more about the enneagram. If you've heard people talking about it, but have no idea what it is (or want to know more) click this link and listen to Christina Wilcox give a super quick (less than 4 minute) spiel about what the enneagram is, how it is best used and a few other important facts. I am a firm six. I believe with a wing 5.  Knowing this has made figuring out why I do what I do really fun as of late.

Walking... to school everyday this week and enjoying all the gorgeous weather and spring blossoms.  The walking is so good for my stress level and just makes me feel great about myself.  So grateful!

Baseballin'... three nights this week and feeling so proud of my boys.  You can really see the difference in their ability as time has gone on this season.  Jack & Logan both did great pitching and hitting, and Wyatt got on base multiple times this week.  Jack is becoming quite the catcher, and I love how he cheers on his teammates.  I loved seeing the twins get out and practice a couple times this week as well after school with the neighbor boys, taking advantage of the green space we have near our house.  This is the stuff I always dreamed of when we lived in Alaska and talked about someday having a house.

Growing... tiny, baby grass in our front yard and feeling so proud of it!  Josh and his brother worked really hard to till the land, lay dirt with manure in it and fresh baby seeds, plus so.much.watering everyday to keep it moist at all times.  I can't wait to see how awesome our yard (and adorable picket fence) look with a lush lawn this summer.

Doing... Carly's hair in little twists this week and loving the look so much!

Reading... That Kind of Mother and identifying with it on so.many.levels. There's something I am underlining on almost every page- some kind of truth about motherhood or parenting.  It's amazing. And the fact that it has so resonated with me, but was written by a man is blowing.my.mind.
I also finished Verity, which was insanely disturbing and still has me a bit stunned.
Meanwhile I am also listening to the last of the Midwife trilogy (Once A Midwife) by Patricia Harman, and hoping I can find some other books I enjoy as much once this series is over.

Sharing... my book choices for The Inspired Readers Book Club summer reads (over on Facebook- come join us!) in last week's Around Here post, as well as on social media.

We will be reading:
That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam for May
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for June
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand for July
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid for August

Sending... Carly to Grandma's on Thursday to play & learn at "Grandma School".  She had a great time, and even came home with flowers she had planted for me for Mother's Day! Awww!
On the way home (as always) she fell asleep, and when Josh got her here, he was able to hold her as she slept.  It was the sweetest.

Envying... everyone with mature lilac trees.  My aunt gave me three trees when we moved here, and they are growing beautifully, but they are still babies, so they aren't producing a lot yet.  I can't wait until they are bigger and full of blooms!

Researching... more on pineal cysts since Wyatt's begun complaining of visual changes (mostly having trouble focusing) in addition to his insomnia and headaches.

Playing... outside as much as possible this week, soaking up the sunshine after school, and loving the green grass & longer hours of daylight.

Making... wishes on "wishies" with Carly (who only wishes for her wishes to come true, but never actually ever wishes for anything), which is the sweetest thing ever.  She thinks it is so magical to find them, blow the little whisps into the air and watch them disperse.  I swear, seeing the world through her eyes never gets old.

Attending... Muffins with Moms at the boys' school on Friday morning and seeing so many of my mama friends with their kiddos as well.  The kids were thrilled to get chocolate milk with their muffins and I enjoyed sharing some special time with them.

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{credit: @anxiety.assist}

{credit: @yourenneagramcoach}

{credit: @justmyenneatype}

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Week 18 Around Here {2019}

Taking... care of sick kids all week.  It started with Logan over the weekend, and has moved through the entire family since then.  It's hit Wyatt the hardest, leaving him with a double ear infection and on a round of oral steroids.  He hasn't had to go on oral steroids since the fall, and I am disappointed to see him on them again.  But his regular regimen of treatments wasn't working.
Even Carly got pretty sick by the end of the week. Even throwing up from coughing so hard, poor girl.
Having Wyatt home sick wasn't all bad this week, though, as I love seeing him and Carly play and snuggle together.  They love to lay in my bed and watch PJ Masks, to play in the backyard on the trampoline and to read books together on the couch.  I love their little bond.

Feeling... loved and seen when I found a picture Wyatt had taken of me asleep on the couch as he played on my phone while doing a middle-of-the-night treatment.  Being a mom is so hard, and not so glamorous most of the time, but we always carry on, because that's what we were made for.

Getting... results from Wyatt's MRI and feeling quite puzzled.  His primary care physician said the finding on it (a cyst on his pineal gland) is purely an incidental finding and we don't even know what the pineal gland does.  So I left the appointment feeling disappointed to not have any answers about Wyatt's headaches & insomnia, but also relieved that nothing serious is wrong with his brain.
But I couldn't believe there was a part of the brain we know nothing about, so I did a little research and found that actually the pineal gland is known for producing melatonin and modulating circadian rhythms (aka: controlling sleep) and that if you have a cyst on it that has symptoms, the symptom is most likely headache.
Which are the two symptoms Wyatt has been suffering since February.

So I have put in a call for a referral to neurology so we can discuss further options for him.  If his symptoms continue to worsen, the solution could be as serious as brain surgery.  Prayers for him as we move forward would be very (very) welcome. 

Testing... the twins in school this week and praying they try their very best.  Testing has not been their strong suit (they tend to rush) and we really want to see what they are actually capable of.

Bribing... them to do well on said tests with blizzards from Dairy Queen if they tried their hardest and get good reports from their teachers. #bestparentingmove #nailingit #hah

Reading... Miracle Creek, The Midwife of Hope River, Verity and The Reluctant Midwife.  I finished The Midwife of Hope River and Miracle Creek this week, both of which were very good.  Miracle Creek was a bit of a mystery (a fire was set- who set it!? and a trial ensues) and The Midwife of Hope River was an audio book that I enjoyed listening to very much after watching Call The Midwife all last week on Netflix.
Then I started The Reluctant Midwife (#2 in the series) which was even better than the first audio book, and reading Verity, which I borrowed from the library.  Verity is the most disturbing book I have read in a long time.  I actually gasped out loud multiple times as I read this one and I did not see the end coming.

Choosing... four books for The Inspired Readers Book Club to read this summer.
We will be reading:
That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam for May.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for June
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand for July
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid for August

We would love to have you join us- just click the link above to find The Inspired Readers Book Club on Facebook and request to join.

Picnicking... in the front yard with Wyatt & Carly at her insistence one afternoon.  It was a gorgeous day, and I am so glad we did it.  Especially because my friend Jolene happened to drive by and then stopped to join us.  It was so lovely to visit with her and enjoy the day.

Walking... two afternoons once Josh was home to relieve my stress, and oh, how lovely those walks were.  Usually this time of year, I am walking the kids to and from school, which ends up being over an hour of walking (there and back, and there and back) totaling three miles distance, but with Wyatt sick, I have been stuck indoors all week, so walking those two afternoons was just what the doctor ordered and felt amazing.

Eating... dinner outside as well, enjoying the spring weather.  The kids really love eating outside, and even though it's so much work to move everything outside, I am always glad when we do because being outside makes us all happier.

 Enjoying... Mike's Hard Peach Lemonade.  I've never had that kind, and I really love it!

Amazed... at how long Carly's hair is getting.  I remember when I could barely get two pig tails, and now I can braid it and all kinds of stuff with it. It's so much fun!  She loves choosing "hair pretties" everyday.

Irritated... with Ramona (our cat) who keeps escaping the house.  Every time a door opens, she is ready to dash out and we are all worried she's going to get lost or hurt.  Thus far, she has always come home, but I hate it nonetheless.  One afternoon I got home from walking to find her in a box by the garbage cans.  She's such a funny little thing.

Watching... Brene Brown's Netflix Special on courage.  It makes me want to be such a careful parent, and to teach my kids that the opposite of belonging is fitting in.  None of us should change who we are to be with others.  Embrace who God made you!
She also says if I want more love and intimacy and joy, I must let myself be seen.  Vulnerability is the path back to each other.  (Gah, so good, but so hard!)
When she mentioned that we're terrified to feel joy and often dress rehearse tragedy in the midst of it, I felt like she was standing in my living room accusing me personally.  Ha!  You got me, Brene!  Since watching the show, I am trying to catch myself when I am enjoying a happy moment and switch over to "I better enjoy this because at any moment I could lose all of this."  I don't want fear to steal my joy anymore.
And finally, here's the quote that's been running through my head since watching it:

"Vulnerability is having 

the courage 

to show up 

when you don't know 

or control 

the outcome."

-Brene Brown

Loving... Wyatt's ability to focus and stack things.  He will spend hours just working on stacking things (currently he enjoys stacking Matchbox cars), seeing how many he can do.  I love his tenacity and stick-to-a-tive-ness.  This week in addition to cars, he also stacked Lego Duplo bricks floor to ceiling in our dining room.  He's out of this world!

Great advice for me:

 

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