around here week 3 2021

 {January 10-16th}

Grateful... Josh got his first COVID vaccine this week. Teachers in the district where he works can be put on a waiting list, and when there are extra vaccines, they get to have them.

Hanging... all the new things I got at Hobby Lobby two weeks ago up around the house with Josh.  He's so amazing and patient when it comes to decorating. The new things I hung around make me so happy!!  Josh also built the new book cart I got for him to use as a side table for his easy chair, and put together the lamp I got for the family room.  It creates such a cozy look.

Working out... 3x this week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) and feeling so proud for keeping that promise to myself. And I was down another pound, hitting 218lbs. 

Taking... all four kids to the dentist and feeling grateful the boys have zero cavities, but feeling like a crappy mom that Carly has more cavities. After the last time she had her cavities filled, I swore to myself she would not have to go through that again.  But here we are. Sigh. I am committing to more flossing and buying some mouth rinse, so maybe (fingers crossed) next time she will also be "sugar bug free"! 

I also took Wyatt to the orthodontist this week to check his retainer and make sure it's not interfering with a top tooth he has growing in.  We were there forever, which sucked for Wyatt, but I didn't mind because I always have a book! 

Trading... Josh bedtime duties.  He now has the boys (and is reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to them) and I have Carly.  We switch off reading to the boys, so whoever isn't doing that puts Carly down. She gets two or three pictures books, plus a few songs before bed. 

Catching... Logan brushing Carly's hair as she ate breakfast at the bar one morning with a particularly unruly head of hair. It was such a tender moment. 

Cleaning & organizing... Wyatt's bedroom which was an all-day project, but totally worth it.  We are super pleased with the results, and I particularly enjoyed finishing the sorting of the Legos. 

Selling... Josh's Suburban and paying off my van. Gosh, going to the bank and paying that off felt amazing!  I am so proud of us!

Letting... the kids stay up late for a Fortnite tournament Thursday night.  They were all thrilled.

Sending... Josh to school this week where his students (for the first time in ten months) awaited him.  He is so happy to be teaching in person again, although it's quite different from what anyone is used to.  Their district is splitting classes into AM & PM, so he only has half his students at a time. I am so happy for him to be back in the classroom teaching in person. 

Running... into Aunt Julie at Walmart, where Carly was able to show her how cute her new Valentine's outfit is in person.  Julie had only three sons, so she is especially thoughtful about spoiling Carly- giving her an outfit for each holiday, which Carly loves! Thanks, Aunt Julie!

Receiving... my Ancestry DNA results, which was so fun! I am 39% Germanic European; 17% Swedish; 15% Easter European & Russian; 15% English; the rest is bits of Scotland, Norway and Wales. 

Also receiving my book club books from Powell's.  I ordered Gift From The Sea and The Coddling of the American Mind. So excited to read and discuss these with the girls!

Reading... The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which I enjoyed, but was not as AMAZING for me as everyone else claimed. I did give it four stars, and loved the creativity behind the story line, but it didn't blow me away.  I also read The Push, and that book... whoa! It was un-put-downable, five stars, and the end left me wanting more.  I am also listening to Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel.  It is changing how I look at every decision I make in my life. I often suffer decision fatigue, and her tips & tricks on reducing the number of choices you make in a day feels life changing. 

Planning... date night this week for Josh and I, around the theme of "Movie Theater at Home".  I got the ingredients for nachos, plus grab bags of different popcorn flavors and glass bottles of Sprite. We enjoyed our movie theater snacks while watching The Midnight Sky with George Clooney. It was a sweet, fascinating, "end of the world" movie that we both really enjoyed. 

Celebrating... my sister's new arrival.  Baby Sister (or Baby Lu) is absolute perfection and I am so happy for her family. 

Holding... that delicious baby on Saturday when my sister, parents, nephews & nieces came to play and share movie night with us. My twins, especially Logan, were also overjoyed to hold the sweet baby.  Also while Roxanne was here, we did newborn pics of sweet little Lu, and oh my goodness, did we get some good ones! What a blessing she is. 

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around here: week 24 2020

 

 

{the boys ordered Josh a miniature of his car for Father's Day with my mom- so cute!}

{the girls- Carly & Annie- saying goodnight to each other on Facetime}

Enduring... tooth pain like I have never felt before.  It was like labor- I had to close my eyes and breathe through it.  I was absolutely miserable. After I went to my dentist, the pain went from generalized jaw pain to a more localized pain that was much more tolerable. Hallelujah! 

Grateful... for the twins when they spent their money on ordering pizza in on Tuesday when Josh was at work late (returning his students' belongings to their parents as they swung by the school pick-up line) as I was miserable from tooth pain.

Celebrating... our last day of school, finally!!  The last three months have been a challenge, and not at all what we expected the end of third or sixth grade to look like.  But we made it, and with flying colors.  The boys grades are excellent, their participation was great, and for the most part, all our attitudes stayed on the positive side. So I am calling this year a win!!

Reading... Little Women with the boys while Josh has a turn laying Carly down for a while.  We finished Call of the Wild so quick, Josh said to read them another chapter book and Little Women is what I chose.  They are really liking it so far, and Wyatt made me laugh when he asked, "If a girl who acts like a boy is a tomboy" (like Jo)... "then what is a boy who acts like a girl called?" I didn't have an answer for him.

Having... a mouthguard made by my dentist, in hopes that my stress-related teeth clenching would be stopped by a good mouth guard and that would eliminate my tooth pain.  But I also have a follow up with the endodontist to see if my problem is due to my needing a root canal. (fingers crossed) We'll see what's up.

Taking... George to the vet to get his eye checked out.  All the stress of Ramona passing, getting a new kitten and adjusting to Grady as George has spent more time downstairs seems to have created an eye infection for him, which I guess is quite common.  So he needs a twice daily ointment to heal up.  Poor guy.
I also took Molly in to the vet this week to get her first set of shots.  She was a super good girl and didn't seem phased by them at all.

Watching... Orange Is The New Black, and enjoying the prison riot episodes. They're so intense!! We only have two (ish) seasons left, and then I'm not sure what we'll watch. But I know I will miss all these characters!!

Visiting... the chiropractor in case my jaw tension is from any neck issues.  I'm telling you, being in this kind of pain from my jaw/teeth has me attacking it from all sides. 

Talking... to my mom about the pool she and my dad are gifting us (!!!!) since the pool here in town likely won't be opening this summer (thanks a lot Coronavirus!) and about how life is hard right now and how much we miss each other.  I guess I can thank Coronavirus genuinely for making me realize how important my people are to me.  I won't take seeing them for granted after this, that's for sure.

Enjoying... another visit from my sister & her crew.  The kids had so much fun together, and we (as always) had a great time catching up.  She even helped me with a project I'd been putting off.  A while back I ordered another bookshelf for my bedroom and it came last week.  Josh put it together for me, but I still hadn't unpacked my journals and put them on it, so Roxanne helped me.  They have been in boxes since we moved ten months ago! It feels so good to see them all on their shelves.  I have over one hundred!

Spending... movie night on the "phone" (pretend ones made from Tinker toys) with Carly, who told me she lived next door and asked me to deliver her pizza and cookies to "the purple house" where she lived. Then when the movie was over, she called to thank me for the good pizza & cookies.  She's just so much fun. I'm so glad she's ours.

Happy... that Wyatt is doing so well off Singulair.  I was nervous at first when his pulmonologist and I agreed we'd try to take him off of it.  But his lungs have shown no changes, and I'm so relieved. 
(Singulair has been linked with depression and suicide and I didn't want to have that risk for Wyatt if I didn't have to.  That's why we chose to take him off it.  He's currently on Asmanex, a daily prevention inhaler, and that's working to keep his lungs healthy.)

{I love this}

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{100% accurate}