Week 37 Around Here {2019}

"Mornings" by Carly

Reading... Searching for Sylvie Lee on audio and finishing Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.  Searching for Sylvie Lee had me listening every minute I got the chance. It was really good.  Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was good (I loved all the psychology advice and the therapist's perspective #totaltherapynerd) but it wasn't a page turner like I thought it would be.  Just a 3 star book for me.

Shopping... for new furniture on Saturday while our mother-in-law (bless her!) had all four kids for us.  We found a new couch for the living room, a reading chair for my bedroom (swoon!), new mattresses for the boys' beds and a new bedroom set for Josh and myself.  It's white and looks like a sleigh... it's super dreamy!  I've never had a headboard and feel like a certified grown up now. Hah!

Anticipating... the next steps for my in-laws house.  It's been so exciting to watch as their house has been built from the ground up on the land they purchased nearly two years ago.

Hanging... curtains in all the windows finally.  It's really starting to feel homey and every room I walk in puts a huge smile on my face.  I am just feeling so blessed to be here.

Riding... the boys' four wheelers with them after a little shopping with just Jack on Sunday.  I have never even watched them ride their quads, let alone ridden with them.  (Because I know myself- and I knew that if I watched them ride I would never want to let them ride again. Hah!!!) But Jack convinced me to give it a try, and Grandma Carol let me borrow her cute pink helmet.
I think mostly I screamed, but it was REALLY fun!  Jack is the easiest to ride with cause he knew to slow down on the turns and always warned me before he went really fast.  Wyatt is a TOTAL daredevil, and I thought I might die while I was with him, or at the very least end up in the ER having to explain to some reasonable doctor why I thought it was a good idea to get behind the wheel while my 8 year old was driving. I couldn't get off that thing fast enough. Hahah! I would have never guessed that he was such a crazy driver!
Logan was DRUNK with power, knowing that I had no control while he was driving, so he kept going and going, taking me round and round at full blast, nearly tipping us over twice because he had trouble adjusting to my additional weight on the back.  It was an adventure, that's for sure.  These boys are keeping me young.

Weeding... the front yard with my sister while our crazy crew ran around in the house.  The front walk looks gorgeous now and I was so happy to be able to show her our new digs now that we're a little more settled.  (She had last seen it the day we were moving in.)  She brought some great housewarming gifts, too- new glasses and cutting boards- which was so sweet!

Receiving... two more amazing housewarming gifts this week as well.  One from my friend Shana- a set of new snapware for leftovers that is the cutest!  And the other is a set of 8 different colored Fiestaware plates, the medium size, which I have been wanting forever, from my mom.  Thanks ladies!!! You make a girl feel so loved!

Dealing... with a bully with one of my kids and really feeling that whole "Having a kid is like having your heart beat outside your body" quote.
So, so hard.
But we talked with the counselor and some teachers and I think the problem is solved.  At least I hope so.  The kid was name calling (regarding weight) and just really beating our kiddo down.  It was heartbreaking.  I am so grateful my son knew he could tell me and that together we could get it resolved after just a few weeks of it happening.

Getting... sick for the first time this season.  Yuck.  I didn't miss that this summer.  I am so snotty and my eye won't quit watering and I just want to sleep, sleep, sleep.  Logan and Wyatt got sick, too, but no one seems to have gotten it quite as bad as I did.  So this week required a lot of self care- naps, early bedtimes, good food and Netflix.

Shocked... that it's been four years since we found out Babyham #4 was a girl.  I still remember so clearly what life with all boys was like.  I still remember so clearly going into that ultrasound and telling her I wasn't finding out the sex, but if she could write it in an envelope for me to give my sister, that'd be great.  And I will ALWAYS remember the reveal and how my eyes instantly teared up when I saw the pink confetti floating down.  All my dreams of motherhood were coming true.
I had my boys, those three brothers, whom I loved fiercely, and now I would have my daughter, their sister.  A little one to soften our edges and slow down their growing up.  And she has done just that. 

Laughing... out loud when I read the answer to "Tell how you solved the problem" on Wyatt's math sheet.
"I'm smart" he wrote confidently.
I was dy.ing. when I showed Josh and he too busted up.  When Wyatt's big brothers saw they couldn't believe he had the audacity to write that and asked Wyatt what his teacher had said.  He said that she didn't say anything.  But we encouraged him to actually answer the question next time.  Even if his answer was funny.  And true.

Also laughing... when I found Carly's "phone" on Josh's wireless charger one morning after we had walked Wyatt to the bus stop.  When I asked her why it was there she said distractedly, "Oh, it's charging." Like, duh mom.

Discouraged... when I showed up for the twins' middle school open house (having left Josh and the two little kids at home for bedtime) only to be told that it was being run to mimic your child's school day, with bells signaling the end of each class, etc.  When I approached the principal and told her of my predicament (two students/one parent...) she laughed and said, "Just pick one, I guess" like it was no big deal.  Then Jack said, "Yeah, who's your favorite mom?"
There were at least two emails that went out about this, and a paper that went home as well, and none of them gave us an outline of the evening.  If the agenda had been made public, I would have shown up with Josh and we would have divided and conquered.  Instead I found myself trying to meet 14 teachers in 7 time slots and running all over their school like a chicken with my head cut off.  It was very frustrating.  And I know I'm not the only twin mom of sixth graders.  There are at least four of us.  And those are just the ones I know of. #twinmomprobs
On a less negative twin note- isn't it fascinating the size difference between my twins?!? Jack is SO much taller than Logan!  I find it really interesting.  Most identical twins only differ by two inches (at the MOST) in height.  These guys are closer to four inches apart.

Enjoying... my day-long break from Carly on Thursday.  She goes to spend the day with Grandma and I get a day to myself.  This week I unpacked more boxes, getting our room emptied and felt really pleased with the progress.

Searching... for an entry table for our new house, to hold our keys and stuff.  I'm looking for a half round table (like these).

Very happy... with how the twins' room turned out.  They are LOVING it, and despite it being a little cramped, it's actually super functional.  They are in there everyday after school using their desks to do homework.  I love it!
I'm also very happy with our new furniture, which was delivered Tuesday.  The couch is gorgeous (!) and the chair in my bedroom may just be my new happy place!

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Week 34 Around Here {2019}

{These two are starting middle school... it feels impossible}

{Master bedroom: original paint}

{Master bathroom}

{Wyatt's bedroom}

{Wyatt's bedroom}

{Carly's bedroom}

{Upstairs main bathroom}

{Twins' bedroom}

{August 2019}

{August 2016}

{August 2016}

{It looks white here, but it's gray}

{Moving!!!}

 Trying... out a new lake with my sister-in-law and her family on Saturday and LOVING it!  It had a great swimming area and the most beautiful rocks to kayak by.  (I'm a HUGE rock nerd.  I always say in another life I would have been a geologist.)  We will definitely be going back there again.

Enrolling... the twins in middle school.  They start sixth grade next week, so we stopped by and got their PE clothes, their ASB cards and their Chromebook insurance (every student is issued a Chromebook in our school).  We also got their locker numbers and practiced opening them, which was a breeze for Jack, but harder for Logan who is left handed.  He got it, though! Phew!!
It was quite timely that I happened upon this Insta-post by Jen Hatmaker about middle schoolers that ends with the promise that "everyone is going to make it".  If you have a 5th through 8th grader, I highly recommend you go read it.  It's like a reassuring hug.  It's gonna be okay, mama's.  We can do this.

Cleaning... the new house while Josh and the twins cleaned the old house.  It felt SO good to spend some time in our new house, getting to know it, and get it ready for painting and moving in.

Running... what felt like a million errands on Monday while Josh worked and I had all four kids.  We took Logan to the orthodontist and got a bunch of other things crossed off my list as well. 

Ordering... new beds for the twins after my friend Shana suggested getting them loft beds for their new room.  This will double the square footage in their room, allowing them each to have their own desks and space under their beds, which is brilliant. I'm so glad I talked to her about it!  My parents jumped on the super helpful train as well, and bought Wyatt and the twins new dressers from Ikea that will better fit in their new rooms and allow Carly to have her own, and Josh to have his own.  (We all shared before.)  I am getting so excited for it to come together.

Dropping... my younger two off at my girl Megan's house (Lord bless her!) so I could paint Wyatt's bedroom with less "helper's" on hand.  It is the most beautiful blue now (before it was the original builders primer) and Wyatt loves it.  It's the first room I have ever painted, start to finish, all by myself, so I am quite proud of it!!!

Prepping... my room for painting while Josh took the kids home for dinner and bed Tuesday night.  I got to glimpse what sunset will look like out my bedroom window in the new house (dreamy!) and get the room ready for me to paint it Thursday.

Adventuring... with my friends Jolene & Shana (and our collective eleven children) to Sun Lakes for some swimming & sun.  The weather was a bit chilly (mostly thanks to the wind) but the kids had a blast regardless.  I love hanging with Jolene and Shana because they are so down to earth, but also because each of us has a set of identical twins.  We ended up in book club together a few years ago, and happen to all have twins.  It's such a fun, random fact.
My favorite part of the day was when we stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant on the way home.  We ate outside on the patio and it was so lovely.  The kids were really well behaved, and the food was amazing!  I just love those girls & their kids.
While we were gone, Josh shampoo'd the carpets at the new house, and they look awesome!

Selling... furniture we don't need and having the kids sleep on air mattresses in the mean time.  They were such good sports about it!  Thank goodness for their flexibility.

Taking... the kids on one last walk in our neighborhood, for old times sakes. I can't believe how much they have all grown since we moved in, and how much I have come to love these sidewalks.  I will miss them (and our neighbors) very, very much. 

Starting... the school year for Josh with his first day of students on Thursday.  I probably say this every summer, but truly this summer felt like it passed in the blink of an eye.  I am so glad for all we accomplished and the memories made, but I will be happy for next summer when we are not trying to fix up a house to sell and not trying to pack all our worldly belongings up so we can move!

Deciding... that the twins weren't ready for cell phones after all.  Nothing terrible has happened with them and their phones.  In fact, for the most part, they have done pretty well with them.  But Logan lost his cell phone while we were at Sun Lakes.  He was on a "bridge" of sorts, standing over a sludgy pond, looking at a turtle, when it fell out of his back pocket and into the water.  This is the second phone he's had and Jack is on his third, having accidentally swam with the first one, and lost the second one.  Josh and I agree that while it can be convenient to get a hold of them, for the most part, they are always somewhere that we know the adult and can call them, and they just aren't quite ready for the responsibility that comes with having a phone of their own.  (Luckily we knew this was a trial and bought Pay As You Go phones from Walmart.  They will be deactivated and saved for a later date. No harm done.)

Painting... my master bedroom Behr Chic Gray with Jolene, who is a painting master (and a saint!) and offered to help me.  She made quick work of my room, and we got it done in less than 3 hours.  It was great.  Then she offered to take the twins home with her, so I was kid free (my mother in law had the littles) for a few hours- to pack and then go sign papers with Josh.  I am telling you, I would not have gotten through this move without the help of all my amazing friends & family.  They've been the best village a girl could ask for.

Finally... moving.  We started on Friday morning when Josh's brother showed up (on his day off) while Josh was at work to help me get a head start on the move.  We jumped in and didn't stop.  It was a whirlwind of a day, but we managed to get all the bedrooms & bathrooms moved so we could sleep there Friday night, which was my goal. 

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Hahaha!