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}

***

{100% accurate}

around here: week 16 2020

Celebrating... Easter in the most low key way ever.  Yoga pants and one pound bunnies for the win, plus a "pennies & marshmallows" in the eggs Easter egg hunt for Carly.

Panicking... when Wyatt had a rash on his cheeks and his asthma acted up that same evening.  Josh had been to the grocery store that same day and I knew it was unlikely Wyatt had Coronavirus, but my anxiety was quite convincing.  Thankfully my sister was available to text and remind me to do the next right thing.  She had me give him Benadryl for his rash; check his asthma notebook for the steps to take in regards to his breathing; and promised me that it would all be okay, and that most likely he was suffering fifths disease, which was confirmed later in the week when the rash spread from his face to his torso, and kept coming and going. 
That night Josh said he would stay up with Wyatt on the couch so I could sleep seeing as my anxiety was already pretty bad.  So I went to bed, Wyatt did a nebulizer treatment with Josh and all was well.

Laughing... at Carly's epic morning hair.

Reading... It's Not Supposed To Be This Way and Sweep.  Sweep is a YA that's super sweet & compulsively readable.  I got through it super quick.  It was this month's book club pick.  It's Not Supposed To Be This Way was another good read, but more of a slow digestion, underlining on each page, and the perfect quarantine time read.  I enjoyed it. 

Crying... when we saw Josh's mom Carol this week and later that night it hit me how hard it had been to practice social distancing with her and not let her hug the kids or hug her myself!  It's such a strange, confusing time, made worse by kids who don't necessarily understand why we're doing what we're doing. "But I'm not sick anymore," Carly keeps saying because she had a cold at the beginning of quarantine, but not is 100% healthy.

Filling... our time with homeschooling, playing Lego, chalking the sidewalks outside, taking baths with fun shaving cream (thanks, Easter bunny!), eating Cheetoh's, spending afternoons in the yard together, playing with Grady, enjoying the sunshine, doing Roblox with cousins, and driving the RC Car that Josh got down from his closet for the boys to share.  They are enthralled!

Smiling... at the tiny vase I keep in the windowsill above the sink that Carly fills daily with flowers, mostly dandelion "wishies", and feeling so blessed by her.

Grooving... in our daily routine and feeling like it's all going really well & starting to almost feel normal.  Jack had a Zoom meeting with one of his classes and it put the biggest smile on his face.  My book club also decided to meet twice this month via Zoom meeting so we could feel more connected.  I am so grateful for those girls and so glad we're able to stay in contact that way.

Wearing... both my rings (my wedding ring and the anniversary ring Josh bought me for our 8th wedding anniversary) everyday since our 20th {dating} anniversary that was on April 11th.  Wearing them both reminds me that we have been through hard times together before and come out on the other side.  So I know we will get through this together as well.

Enjoying... bedtime with Carly lately.  I just love reading to her, and laying with her, and snuggling her, and how even though it's April, she chooses a Christmas song for her lullaby.  I really wish I could just freeze time. 
I am also cherishing the time I'm spending tucking the boys in after I get Carly down.  They want to talk, a lot about Coronavirus, but also about things we're reading in history, stuff they're thinking, and what they enjoyed doing that day.

That said... I am also dealing with some BIG emotions from all the kids at random times.  Carly woke up the other night, SOBBING hysterically.  I never did get out of her what was the matter. I just held her close, rocking and drying her tears, until she fell back asleep.  It was heartbreaking.  For the boys their sadness about the lockdown tends to manifest as anger, specifically anger targeted at their brothers.  It makes for some long days.

Watching... Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and having pizza for movie night with the kids.  I liked the second (newer) Jumanji, but the first (newer) Jumanji is my favorite. It is hilarious, and the kids love it, too. 

Witnessing... Carly's pure joy when she drew her first heart, almost by accident, during school time the other day.  She was so proud of herself.  I love how independent she wants to be and how much she wants to be just like me. 
She also helped me cut apples for apple cake (the kids get apples almost daily with their school lunches and we had apples up to our eyeballs!) and helped me make the frosting, too.  She loves to have "mommy day" with me when Josh takes the boys out to the land to ride their four wheelers.  We paint our nails and whatever I'm doing, she gets to be my helper.
She really is all my dreams come true.

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