Around Here: Week Two {2018}

(Wrestle on the trampoline where there's no mud?
Where's the fun in that, mom?!?)

milk mustaches 

milk mustaches

Making... Xtra Math a daily habit for the boys.  I can't believe the speed with which they are memorizing addition facts.

Turning... a corner with Logan in terms of his education.  The last year and a half, it's been Josh and I worried, invested, teaching, working, stressing about how Logan is doing in school.  Earlier this week Logan did not do so well on a test he took (an important test) and honestly, he was more upset than either Josh or myself.  He nearly cried when the teacher told him his score, and he immediately told me upon seeing me at parent pick up.  Then he told Josh as soon as he got home.  I could tell this bad test score was really eating him up, which is a new thing.
It's not that I'm glad he's upset. But I am glad he's invested.  I am glad he cares.  I am glad to see that he has liked the feeling of doing well (in class he's been doing so well recently) and doesn't like the feeling of knowing he didn't do his best.  I sure hope this trend continues.

Losing... my Grandpa Harold last weekend.  While we are happy for him, out of pain now, and with so many of his loved ones, we are sad for ourselves to have lost him.

Relishing... the opportunity to dress Carly everyday.  Nearly two years later, I still enjoy it.  Pinks& purples, and sparkles and cute shoes & coats... it's just so fun!

Finishing... Idaho and Winter Storms.  Both were very good, especially Idaho which I could not put down over the last week.  Next up is Winter Solstice (#4 in the Winter Street series by Elin Hildbrand) and Happier at Home, which I am leading in The Inspired Readers Book Club for February.  Please join us on Facebook!

Eating... better than ever.  Not perfect, but better.  No coffee, no soda and no candy.  We indulge on Saturdays (pizza and dessert) and the rest of the week, we are careful to limit sugar and carbohydrate intake.  I've lost seven pounds in ten days which has me stunned.  And the thing is, I'm not starving.  It's awesome.  In addition to the weight loss, after the initial terrible sugar detox, I am now headache free and I am so grateful.

Buying... new hand towels and realizing how much little things can bring me joy and increase my happiness.

Enjoying... my first bouquet of spring tulips, which I bought for myself at the grocery store because I need the reminder of the promise of spring's return. 
Also enjoying Carly being able to join the big boys for bedtime stories with Josh.  She's so sweet perched on Josh's knee, anxiously awaiting the next page turn.

Focusing... on small joys in these dark, grey days of January.  Like the rainbow of bowls that my mom bought me for Christmas.  The bright yellow of the new hand towels I bought.  The warmth of the washcloth I use to clean Carly's face & hands after breakfast.  The feeling those tulips bring into the dining room and house with their crisp leaves and upright blooms.  When I feel that jolt of joy, I am trying to stop for a minute and really relish it.

Grateful... for my mornings.  Indeed I do wake up (very, very) early three times a week, but honestly, it makes our weekday mornings run so smoothly, that it's almost okay. (I will admit that 3:30am is ridiculous, and 5:30 would be far more reasonable... but a job that lets me stay home with my babies is worth a little sacrifice, I guess!) And my early early mornings have me feeling like waking up at 6:15am to jump in the shower after Josh on those other days is a luxury- that's sleeping in! ;)  So overall our mornings start off on the right foot (with me showered and ready for the day before the kids even hit the hallway) and then with our new meal plan, I am making a real breakfast everyday- eggs, usually, and sausage- so we are sitting together to eat, instead of having cereal at staggered intervals throughout the morning.  As much as I am longing for summer (three boys= outside time is a necessity), these dark mornings definitely have a cozy feel to them.

Loving... my kids' empathetic hearts.  Wyatt earned an ice cream sundae at school (which he said should have been called an "ice cream Monday" since that's when they had them.  He loves plays on words, that kid.) and some of his classmates did not.  When I asked him his best and worst at dinner on Monday, he said his "best" was the ice cream sundae.  But he said it was also his worst because he really wished he could have shared his ice cream with his friends.
He confided that his closest friend hadn't earned the treat and that Wyatt really wanted to give him his.  I asked if his friend cried, and Wyatt said, "No! And thank goodness, because then I would have cried!"
Later in the week Wyatt was in trouble for breaking the rules and went into his room for a timeout.  He lay on his bed, crying loudly, when Josh walked by and saw that Carly  had joined him in his timeout, and had her little arm around his back, just laying next to him in his sadness.  What an example of tender empathy.

Feeling... blessed to get real mail from a friend.  You know who you are, and I am so grateful for you.  Reading your words and knowing we are in the trenches together, stretched out across this country though we are, brings me such joy.  And I have to say, both Jack and Wyatt (as they came up behind me reading your card) asked incredulously if that was your real handwriting and then were disbelieving when I said that yes, that was your penmanship.  They both think you're tricking me and it's a computer font.  Haha!  I heart your handwritten notes, my friend!  Be on the lookout for a reply.

Laughing... at my kids interviews.  I found this list of questions posted by my friend Kristina and had so much fun asking each of my boys all the questions.  Some of their answers cracked me up!  Logan said my job was to keep them alive.  Jack said that if he had to live without me he would end up homeless at Winco (our local grocery store) eating hot Cheetohs.  And Wyatt said I annoy him by making him do chores.  (That was a theme throughout all three.)  I really loved to see how in tune with me Jack is, though, knowing what I love to do and what makes me happy.  He's my mini-me.

Also laughing (not very kindly) at Carly as she tried to crawl under the baby gate I set up so she couldn't join Wyatt and his friend as they played down the hall.  She was so upset.  She kept coming to me saying, "Go over! Go over!" She wanted so badly to join those big boys!  #littlesisterlife

Suffering... with so much mud! We have had rain for two weeks and I am so over it. Where is the snow? The snow at least is clean!  Four kids with mud is terrible!!!

Praying... that Wyatt's broken foot is healed.  He has his follow up on Tuesday with the foot specialist and after ten weeks in the cast/boot, we are all ready for him to be done with it! He came home with this today--

MY DREAM:

"I hope I get my cast off this Tuesday so I can jump and hop and get exercise in PE." 

And that picture? 

It's him int he chair at the doctors office, 

nd the guy with black hair is his foot specialist, Dr. Wu.  

Oh man I love that kid. 

***

Life in the City

I'm sorry for the recent lack of posts.  You guys, it's just.so.awesome being home!  The kids all have so many questions.  Mostly about driving, ambulances & police since we don't see a lot of those the rest of the year.  Wyatt is fascinated by all things automatic and loves riding in shopping carts.  The twins are loving all the time with aunts, grandma's & cousins.  I am loving the warmth of the sun on my face, laughing with my mom & sister, the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones.

We did our annual summer-clothes-shopping and this year my saint of a mother went with me.  The boys did great and are thrilled to have sandals, shorts & tank tops, all of which feel pretty special compared to the layers they always wore in Marshall.

Every store is an experience.  We spent probably a half hour wandering through the tiny pet store in our local mall.  And Wyatt refuses to visit Walmart without paying a visit to the goldfish aisle.  Another favorite? Seeing the tarantula at the mall.  "It'll scare your pants off, mom!" he warns me.  He is tickled and delighted by every thing he sees.

My mother-in-law (whom we're staying with, which is also awesome because hello, built-in help!) has two cats, and the kids are loving having pets.  They worry after them and love on them, and the cats have been so very tolerant.

We've been mostly banging out appointments this week, dentist, eye doctor, pediatrician.  It feels good to be crossing them off the list.  We've completely settled in here except for two dressers for Josh and I.  We are still on the hunt.  

We've also squeezed in a trip to the coast to see my grandparents and a few trips to the pool as well as the river.  The boys are LOVING all the swimming and so am I.  We have three little fish on our hands.  I even signed them up for swim lessons this year with my sister's boys.  It will be so fun to watch them learn!

As I said, a lot of our conversations center around driving.  And the boys love riding in other people's cars.  So far they've ridden in Uncle Samuel's car, Grandma's car, Papa Barry's truck, Aunt Julie's car and Nanny's Mustang.  The Mustang + the top down was a big hit!

We've also been enjoying nature.  Walks to the school nearby, playdates at park and picnics on the waterfront.  I cannot express to you happy all this makes me!

We're also eating all the food!  The boys love eating out, and Josh and I love the simplicity of visiting the grocery store instead of making everything from scratch.  Wyatt still doesn't understand how it works here, though because when I tell him no about buying something he says to me, "But they have it!"  Like, if they have it, we have to buy it cause they might not have it next time.  It's going to take a while for him to get that grocery stores here aren't like the co op where the produce or variety comes and goes.  

And also? Netflix.  That's right.  In Washington we have enough internet to run Netflix, and the kids pretty much think it's the best thing ever.

And also... paved roads.  These boys have become regular stunt devils riding their bikes on the sidewalked street in front of grandma's house.  It makes me so happy for them.

*

Summer on, people.

Summer on.

Fifteen Years With My Best Friend

In celebration of our fifteen year dating anniversary, I thought I would share 15 facts about us with you.  This is us, Josh & Shelly, in a nutshell.

Junior Prom 2000

1) We met in sign language class in high school.  We were juniors.

2) He walked me 100 miles (slight exaggeration) to my car every afternoon when school let out.  I loved him for it.

Homecoming 2000

3) We wrote love notes like crazy and still own all of them.  I carry 2 of them in my wallet.

4) Our first date was the movies.  He made the first move and held my hand.

Winter Tolo 2001

5) I still remember our first kiss.  And the smell of his hair gel from high school.  Both make me swoon.

6) I knew I could marry him before we'd even been together a year.  He was my soulmate.

Spring Dance 2001

7) We dated two and a half years attending countless dances (homecoming, prom, tolo) and going on countless dates.  On one of our dates he took my on my first and only ferris wheel ride.

Us 2002

8) Josh said, "I love you" first, on May 26th, a mere five weeks after we started dating.  I didn't say I love you back.  I didn't want him to think I was saying it just because he did.

9) Josh proposed on bended knee in Canada & exactly one year later, we were wed.

Engagement pictures 2002

10) Josh and I saved ourselves for marriage.

11) At our wedding I sang, "I Could Not Ask For More" and we walked back down the aisle after the ceremony to "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".

August 8, 2003

12) We were married five years before we got pregnant and when we found out we were expecting twin boys, Josh said, "They'll be best friends."

13) When we found out I was expecting Wyatt I was hysterical with worry.  Josh held me and said, "But it'll be another little baby!"

August 2011

14) We go to bed at the same time every night. I sleep better with him by my side.  (Sidenote: I went from sharing a room with my sister to sharing a room with my husband.)

15) Josh has made all my dreams come true:
Marrying my best friend; becoming a mother; and being a stay-at-home-mom.

"And I'd choose you;

in a hundred lifetimes,

in a hundred worlds,

in any version of reality,

I'd find you and 

I'd choose you."

-The Chaos of Stars

Made Of Love

There are three things in my life that are solely made of love.

Logan.

Jack.

& Wyatt.

Had things gone according to plan, there would have been another little Cunningham, also made of love, joining our crew this spring.  But alas, it was not meant to be.

But on this day when we celebrate love, those three little cherubs are proof that true love exists.  Proof that our love exists.

I love this man so much.  I love the way he knows me, cares for me, and supports me on this journey.  I am so grateful for the love that fills our home.  Love for mommy, love for daddy & love for brothers.

I love that our family is made of love.