around here :: week 3 2020

All Day.
Every Day.
#momlife

{feels like 2!?!}

Reading... Anne of Green Gables (my book choice for book club!) and listening to Five Love Languages of Children and The Good Earth (another book club book that I just jumped into ahead of time).  Five Love Languages is giving me tons of good ideas for showing love to my many children, and The Good Earth is so much more engrossing than I had imagined.

Finishing... Gentle Ben with the boys who really enjoyed it.  It's about a boy who gets a pet brown bear and how his small Alaska town reacts.  I also finished Motherhood So White, which was an interesting read that made me think, but also frustrated me in some of its points.

Excited... to find a copy of a book I read over and over in elementary school at the Friends of the Library sale to read to my boys when it's my turn for read aloud again.  It was only .25! It's a ghost story called Wait Till Helen Comes and as I was researching what the old cover looks like, I discovered that a movie has been made, just in 2016. So now I want to see it!!
Recently I reread another childhood favorite, Goodnight Mr. Tom, and loved the experience, so I can't wait to reread this one as well.

Sending... Jack & Wyatt off to the land with Josh so I could focus on just caring for Logan on Saturday.  He did pretty well all day until late afternoon when I was in the shower.  He then suddenly came upstairs, out of breath from nonstop coughing.  I checked his oxygen with our oximeter (it was in the high 70's and low 80's- not good) and his breaths per minute were 40 (normal is between 12-20).  I threw on some yoga pants, got boots and a coat on Carly, called Josh and we headed out the door to the ER. 
At the ER Logan was diagnosed with some type of Influenza (the tests came back negative, but the doctor thinks the results were an error) and pneumonia.  He was placed on Tamiflu and an antibiotic.  We were luckily released relatively quickly and met Josh and the other kids back at home (he had picked Carly up at the ER on his way home) and were back in time for movie night with our crew. 

Dealing... with Jack getting sick as well on Sunday and staying home with Logan, Carly and I on Monday.  We are quite the crew.

Smiling... every time I see Ramona sleeping with Wyatt in his bed.  He adores the cats, who usually sleep in the twins' room, so having her sleep with him makes him so happy.  They look so cozy, all snuggled up together in his blankets. 

Taking... Carly to Grandma's and the twins to the doctor on Tuesday to have Logan rechecked after his ER visit and to have Jack checked as well.  When I dropped Carly at Grandma Carol's we saw bunny tracks in the snow, which was so cool! And she was thrilled to spend the day learning and playing with Grandma.  I was happy to take the twins to the doctor without an extra kid on hand.

Learning... that in addition to Logan's pneumonia, Jack has Influenza A and an ear infection, and Logan is slowly recovering from fever blisters in his mouth and pink eye.  (Jack & Wyatt at Influenza B back before Christmas break- and this is all WITH our flu vaccines! Very poor luck this year for us!)

Worrying... when Carly threw up for no good reason Wednesday morning, until I pieced together that I think it was from giving her the Tamiflu (as a preventative) on an empty stomach.  Last time I gave it to her right at meal time after she'd eaten. This time I waited and she had an empty tummy.  Apparently that was not ideal, as she vomited up every last drop of the medicine.
I'm so blessed, though because that girl knows she's supposed to puke in a bowl so she came all the way downstairs with her hand over her mouth, holding the puke in, to ask me for a bowl, before she would let it fly. Gosh, do I love that girl.

Napping... for two solid hours on Wednesday afternoon when my sore throat really hit with a full force and the sickness seemed to really settle in.  Thank goodness Carly is old enough to watch a screen and not get into mischief while hanging out with her big bros while I slept.  Boy did I feel better after that!

Driving... Carly to Grandma Carol's to spend the day Thursday again and feeling ever so grateful for that day off from parenting her when I am feeling so crummy.  It was lovely to rest, and sleep, and catch up on some blog posts, all without overdoing it.

Grateful... for friends who think of us when they are getting rid of their kids' things.  I have the BEST group of friends and none of them get rid of things without offering them to Carly. I swear. They always call.  "Does Carly need a coat? Snow pants?"  This week it was dress up clothes.  So Carly got home from Grandma's to see a cowgirl dress up outfit (including hat!!!) on her bed and was beyond thrilled!!  Thank you, Becky!!

Waking up... every morning to a Kleenex apocalypse in Logan & Jack's room, where they simply blow their noses and throw the tissue (BOMBS AWAY!) over the edge of their bunk beds toward the floor. Some mornings this week were quite impressive. G R O S S
(Thankfully they seem to be getting better.)

Tolerating... super cold temperatures this week, as it was only 2 degrees with wind chill one day! Brrr!!!

Taking... Wyatt late to school Friday because I let myself sleep in.  The twins are finally getting better, but now I am fully coming down with it and it's got me exhausted.  Old Shelly would have berated myself for letting him be late, giving no grace.  But New Shelly is full of mercy and patience and knows that I was doing the best I could, and that Wyatt being an hour late was not the end of the world.

Loving... watching Carly playing dolls.  She props their bottles, changes their diapers, and talks in the sweetest, highest voice to them.  It just melts me.  Having a girl has yet to get old.

Listening... to Jen Hatmaker reveal bits & pieces of her book to us this week (it's out in April) and her words from the chapter about our bodies??? UGLY TEARS.  It reads like poetry, and she ends like this:

"Her voice is the sound of home.  

You may hate her, but no one else does."

***

For laughs:

{This had me DYING! Hahaha!}

{Maybe a little too accurate to be funny. I'm going on nine years next month...}

Week 46 Around Here {2019}

Hosting... a herd of boys on Friday when the twins had their friends (who are also identical twins) over, in addition to their friend Hayden who lives in the neighborhood.  They all had a great time, shooting Nerf guns and jumping on the trampoline.  We ended the night watching Men In Black and I was pleasantly surprised with how well behaved they all were.

Spending... Saturday with the kids while Josh worked on his parent's house with his brother.  They got some lighting done in the attic and crawl space and just had some kid-free adult time, which he so deserves.  The kids and I played perler beads (thanks for the idea, Christi!) for much of the afternoon and then had movie night, enjoying pizza & cookies. 

Suffering... a migraine all day Sunday which was the WORST because Josh took the boys to the land to ride their four wheelers and instead of enjoying a day of rest with just my girl, I was suffering and sad the whole day.  I have had a migraine at least every other day since Halloween.  And I've even had mild migraines in between, but I've been able to control those without having to take my Sumatriptan, which takes the migraine away, but makes me feel miserable for at least two hours in between.  And I'm only supposed to take that stuff 9x a month, or I can get rebound headaches, which I do NOT want. So by Sunday, I was feeling really hopeless about these stupid migraines. 

Working out... for the first time in months, and feeling great about it.  With the number of migraines I've had in the last three weeks, I knew something had to give, so I have weaned myself off coffee (it can mess with my headaches) and decided I needed to get back to my workouts. I am walking for 20 minutes outside or doing my 5 Mega Miles walking video with Leslie Sansone.  They end up being between 15 & 20 minutes as well.  Working out is great because it helps with my stress level (hello two middle schoolers) and it helps me sleep better. Win/win.

Snuggling... up in my bed to read Thanksgiving stories with the kids on Monday while Josh was gone to watch the Seahawks game with my brother-in-law in Wenatchee.  It felt so good to have them all together, in cozy blankets, reading some of my favorite fall books about gratitude and coming together to celebrate.  I think reading picture books will be one of the things I'll miss most about having small children once they're grown.

Reading... Every Other Weekend, which is just the saddest book. I am not sure if I will finish it, or just put it down. It's about a girl in the midst of her parents divorce, traversing life between two houses, and is truly so sad.  I am also listening to Us Against You, the follow up to Bear Town, and enjoying it more as it continues. 

"He just knows that when something happens to your child

it doesn't make any difference whose fault it is,

because it never stops being your fault regardless.

Why weren't you there?

Why weren't you enough?"

*

"Being a mother can be like drying out the foundations of a house 

or mending a roof- it takes time, sweat, and money, and once it's done, 

everything looks exactly the same as it did before.  

It's not the sort of thing anyone gives you praise for."

-Us Against You

I finished Murder At The Brightwell and O Pioneers! earlier this week and enjoyed both.  I'm not sure what I will pick up next. What are you reading?

Getting... excited for my birthday (Monday the 18th) as I watch the boys make me homemade gifts like the "candle holder" Jack made me out of a strawberry soda can this weekend. They are such thoughtful, sweet boys (when they want to be- hah!) and I love to see that come out when they are gift giving.

Worrying... over Wyatt on Monday night as he was suffering a fever that topped out at 103.7 and started having ear pain as well.  His brothers hooked him up with a genius ear pain stopper, though, using my headband to wrap the heating pad around his ears to help with the discomfort, and I busted up laughing when I walked in the room to see what they had engineered.

Grateful... (beyond grateful) that Josh was able to stay home for the day Tuesday with Wyatt who was so sick with an ear infection and sore throat while I went to 8 parent/teacher conferences. (One at the elementary school and seven at the middle school) He said he had so much fun staying home and playing with Carly, reading her books and snuggling her.  It's crazy, and we talk about it all the time, but her being our last really changes some of the ways we parent her. Not in drastic ways, but just in the way we cherish every little stage.  We know that she won't always want to play "pups" with us; she won't always want to curl up in our lap with a cozy blanket and picture book.  We know that these days are fleeting and before we know it, she'll be a sixth grader, coming home with a forty pound backpack, and an attitude to match. ;)  So we gotta get while the getting's good.

Listening... to Laura Kelley's interview with Taylor Nichols on her Speak Life podcast. It's a long one (an hour and a half) but it's so, so good.  It's all about adoption and grief and how to better navigate those.  I have learned SO much from following Laura on Instagram (ie- not to say "They are so lucky to have you!" to adopted kids, and to just SHOW UP for people grieving in the best way I know how.  If that's dropping off a meal, great. If that's taking a kid for an hour, cool.  If that's cleaning their house, awesome.  Whatever you do, just do it. Just show up, and keep showing up.)  Laura's experience of losing her son Everett has reminded me that we are not guaranteed time on this earth (for ourselves, or our children) and it's a reminder we need sometimes, so that we don't take this sweet, hard, good, amazing life for granted.

Enjoying... a delicious hour and a half to myself on Thursday while Carly was at Grandma's and the boys were in school.  (The boys all had early release this week, so instead of an entire day to myself I only had that little bit of time.) I made the most of it, though, taking myself on a cold walk (it was 38 degrees & foggy) and then enjoying a bit of my favorite guilty pleasure- watching TLC's Unexpected. It was just what I needed, albeit not long enough, and I'm grateful for every bit of alone time I can manage these days.

Attending... three more conferences on Thursday afternoon at the middle school that were so taxing.  The boys are trying in most classes, but in these others, not so much.  Their behavior (for the most part) is really good, as are their grades, but they are still struggling with some things, and as a mom, there is only so much I can do.  The difference in middle school is that the responsibility falls squarely on their shoulders and my ability to help is somewhat limited.  This transition has been a tough one. 
That, coupled with the hormones, sass and backtalk left me completely gutted yesterday. 
All I can see is years of this (daily homework, never ending parental guidance, constant arguing) stretching out before me, and it's quite daunting...
Thank God for bedtime and the fresh start of tomorrow morning.

Looking forward... to celebrating my birthday this weekend with a special day with my sister and best friend.  I haven't gotten out of the house in a while, and am so excited to spend some time with some of my favorite people.

***

I want this to happen so badly!

Best Books of 2017

Tabitha wanted to know my favorite reads of 2018. 

So I pulled together a short list of my very favorites, starting with

The best book of 2018:

The best of 2018 has to be, hands down, Inside the O'Briens, which is the story of Joe O'Brien, a Massachusetts police officer who has Huntington's Disease.  Each of Joe's four children has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the disease.  The book follows the family through his disease & the agonizing decision of whether to be tested or not.

*

(I also highly recommend Genova's other books, 

Left Neglected, Still Alice and Love Anthony.) 

Honorable mentions include:

The Forgetting Time

The main character's little boy keeps asking for his other mother, has horrible nightmares and refuses to bathe because of memories of being held under water.  But he's only four, and he doesn't have another mother.  Janie attempts to find answers for her son and her story collides with Jerome Anderson who is working on a book about children who remember past lives.  

Anne of Green Gables

{Best re-read of the year}

If you haven't read Anne recently, you should. 

I swear she makes me see the world differently.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

Book I most highly recommend for mama's of any age.

Kenison reminds us (beautifully) just how fleeting this time with our babes is.

The Memory of Light

Such a good YA book about depression.

Favorite children's book:

The Quiet Book

This book is so soothing.  I love the pictures and the words.

Carly does too. 

Favorite Read-Aloud Chapter book:

Wonder

This book lead to so many amazing conversations with my (nine year old) twins this summer.  We were able to talk about appearances, differences, and compassion.  The conversations came naturally throughout each chapter.  After reading the book, we then saw the movie, which was amazing.  I highly recommend both. 

***

Around Here: Week 40

{a lucky ladybug!}

Reading... Present Over Perfect, oh so slowly on my Kindle, and listening to The Selection, which was a book club pick this month for our local book club.  I am surprised to find myself LOVING The Selection, as it reminds me a lot of Hunger Games in all the best ways.  I finished The Boys in the Boat this week, and while I didn't love the writing style, the story of course was very inspiring.  At the library I got The Shakeress, and I'm enjoying that one currently as well.  Reading The Magician's Elephant with the boys, as well as working through our stacks of library books and Halloween books from our holiday box.  If I make the time the read to them, I am always so happy that I did.  So I've been making sure to take the time at bedtime to read their chapter book to them, and I've been trying to squeeze in a book or two each morning before school as well.

I received my copy of Winter Solstice this week, which is making me excited for winter.  Each year I have read the trio (Winter Street, Winter Stroll and Winter Storms) to get pumped for the holidays and now I get to add this one to the mix.  Elin Hilderbrand is my go-to for summer reads (my favorites are Barefoot and The Island), but it turns out she has a magic way with winter as well!

Selling... lots of card sets in my Etsy shop last week.  Thank you all so much for your love and support.  I am getting more created and will upload them to the shop soon!

Shipping... my greeting cards so easily with the Etsy labels. Seriously, I had no idea it would be so simple!  I simply printed off the labels, slapped them on my envelopes, and dropped them in the local USPS mailbox.  I enjoyed making my own business cards (complete with my business logo!) and packing up all those cards I made with love.

Getting... a handle on my temper and reducing the amount of yelling I've been doing. I did a little update, at week one, and it's going swimmingly.  {Check out the post for some pointers if you suffer from yelling like I did!}

Enjoying... all the new windows Josh has put in our house.  Now I need to do the work and paint the trim he put up all around them.  The light that they let in, and the clarity through which we can now see is awe-inspiring.

Feeling... validated with Josh while discussing my degree.  We were talking about educational options for our children in the future (college, trade schools, etc.) and I told him that in some ways I felt like I got my degree just to get my degree and that sometimes it felt like a waste. (Of money) Josh brought me to tears saying that he didn't think my degree was a waste at all.  That education is always worth it, and that he thought I was a more confident stay-at-home mom because of my degree.

Spending... special time with Wyatt last weekend.  We played Pie Face and laughed so much with him.  We find that getting one on one time with our boys during the school year is really challenging, so we've implemented "special night", where, on an alternating schedule, we let each boy stay up late with us on Saturday night after family movie night.  It's a great way to get to spend time with them alone, apart from their brothers.  And makes for some super special memories.

Preparing... the house on Sunday for the week ahead.  We went all out this week and I did haircuts for all the boys; changed all the sheets; and cleaned the entire house, top to bottom.  It felt amazing, and really set me up for the week, which was nice because I haven't felt great this week.  I have some kind of sinus thing going on.

Caring... for Carly as she has had some sleepless nights, some low grade fevers and has even fallen asleep in her high chair and in my arms, which are both rarities for our fast moving girl.  She's teething her last two bottom teeth. She's so drooly and just generally not herself.  I am hopeful this next week she starts feeling better.

Running... with the boys at their school Jog-A-Thon. Carly loved running along with her brothers & their friends and I was happy to be out in the sunshine. The boys were so responsible and called their aunts & grandma's for donations, which will help their school get more PE supplies & some new recess equipment. (Thanks ladies!!!)

Dealing... with a really naughty cat this week.  George has taken his naughtiness up a level and is eating EVERYTHING.  He ripped into a bag of jerky, ate through a bag of Marshmallow Mateys, and even consumed a Cheeto puff. He's something else!!!

Decorating... for fall.  Pulling out the Halloween decorations really helps me accept that summer is over and embrace the coming months & holidays.  Halloween is so fun for the kids, and my birthday is in mid-November.  So there's lots to look forward to.

Joining... a friend for coffee and the neighbors for dinner.  I feel so blessed by all the connections we've made in our new hometown in the last year. This place is chock full of beautiful people who have loved our kids, our family & myself, and that acceptance means so much.

***

{thanks for sharing this beautiful quote Heather}

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