Around Here: Week 35 2020

{August 23-29th}

Proud... of the twins who are working for my bestie Shana, being the "muscle" as she sorts through her house and garage.  I am so glad they can be helpful to her, and they are so glad to be earning some cash money!! I hope this instills in them a good work ethic and a desire to work hard.  Seeing what it can get you is very inspiring!

Enduring... game after game of "Floor is Lava".  Carly will often call out, "Three... two... one... FLOOR IS LAVA!" and then fling herself up onto the couch or a chair.  I am also constantly finding my couch pillows on the floor (as seen above) used as "stepping stones" to survive the lava floor that is constantly erupting randomly. #momlife

Buying... When Calls the Heart season 7 on accident after hearing from my brother's girlfriend how good it was and then deciding if I have season 7, I need season 6, too.  (Seasons 1-5 are on Netflix!) I plan on re-watching all of them once the boys start school, one episode or two each day during our lunch break, as something to look forward to. I love how wholesome the show is, and often the kids end up watching it with me. 

Experiencing... anxiety when Josh went back to work.  Just knowing that after six months of him home I was going to be on my own with the kids, I was quite overwhelmed.  I know that eventually we will get in a good routine and the anxiety will quell, but for the time being, it sucks. 

Blogging... our weekly Around Here posts to get caught up and feeling good that I'm not too far behind.

Reading... Mindset, The Power of Vulnerability and Men, Women and Worthiness, all on audio this week.  Mindset had an interesting basis, but the book was a bit repetitive. (Basic idea- have a flexible, not fixed, mindset.) The Power of Vulnerability was mind blowing. I think every human on earth should have to listen to it. And Men, Women, and Worthiness was an interesting listen, but not as amazing as The Power of Vulnerability. It's great, cause it's only like two hours, too. 

Catching... up on projects before school starts in two weeks.  It should start September 14th.  The numbers in our area are near 500 per 100,000 and it's recommended they be at 75 per 100,000 in order for schools to open. So I am quite curious how long they will be able to meet in person.  I also wonder if I'll choose to send my kids in person at all this year. (We have a chance to reassess after Christmas break if we'd like to do the hybrid model or send them full time instead of full time distance learning.)

Cleaning... the house and organizing, too, in an effort to get life together and feel like I'm controlling something.  We are deep cleaning and sorting and getting things together to drop at Goodwill.  It feels good to be crossing things off the list, and to have the boys helping while they are still on vacation. 

Having... hard conversations with Josh about work, school and parenting.  We have both been reading Brene Brown audio books and she is impacting us in the best ways.  She calls these conversations "rumbling", and it's quite accurate. You gotta really get to the meat of it, but after you do, it's so, so good. 

Adding... "thankful" to our "best and worst" conversations at the dinner table.  We really want to incorporate gratitude in our daily lives and make sure our kids are as well, so this is our solution to that. Every night we each share the best and worst of our day, and now we are also sharing the thing we were most grateful for.  It's been really sweet to hear what each person is grateful for, and how no one wants to be left out of the conversation or have their turn skipped over. 

Facetiming.... with Wyatt's friend which made him so happy.  They spent nearly the whole time showing each other Matchbox cars, and it certainly wasn't the same as actually playing, but it was something.

Wanting... to share Carly's mama cat and kittens with you.  I ordered this for her maybe a month ago? And I just love it so much.  She loves everything tiny, so I was searching for tiny cats and found it.  The kittens magnetize to the mama's nipples so they look like they're really nursing, and they are all so soft and sweet.  Carly adores them and loves to play with their little magnetic noses. 

Inviting... Alvin to come swim with us one sunny afternoon.  I love how Carly loves him and the boys rough house with him.  It makes me smile.

Mastering... front flips in the pool.  (Well, the kids, not me! Hah! I used to be able to do flips underwater, but now my brain feels too fuzzy afterward.)  And they are working on hand stands and back flips as well.  I love watching them try it. They're so persistent. 

Loving... when I came downstairs and found Logan brushing Carly's hair after a swim.  It was the sweetest.  He was amazed at how tough she is and how many tangles her hair had. #bestbrother

Sending... the kids to Grandma Carol's for the last time this summer and feeling so grateful we had that respite each week.  What a blessing.

Purchasing... bowls from Walmart that bring me ridiculous joy.  They are Pioneer Woman stoneware bowls and were on sale (in store only) for $1.55! They match my colorful Fiestaware plates & bowls and are so convenient for snacks for the kids. 

Thinking... thoughts about my body after listening to half of Jen Hatmaker's book Fierce, Free and Full of Fire.  These quotes really stood out to me:

"I do not apply the impossible rules to anyone but myself."

"You have your body to thank for every little thing that you have experienced."

I so identified with her when she said that the impossible rules she took from society (for example: be thin, but curvy) she applied only to herself. I am exactly the same way. I have so much grace for my friends.  When they screw up parenting or relationships, I am right there to lift them back up, saying, "Everyone makes mistakes. It's okay. Try again." But when I screw up parenting, or say the wrong thing to someone, I am most certainly not giving myself a pass. It's for sure something I need to work on. 

A little self compassion would go a long way.

Also, I loved her quote about having your body to thank for EVERYTHING you have experienced. I think I am going to put that one up on the mirror in my bathroom to remind me to be kind to her when I see her and want to point out all her flaws. 

***

And lastly,

a closing thought that I found very comforting 

as I prepare for a school year of unknowns:

"It's dark because you are trying too hard.

Lightly, child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.

Yes, feel lightly, even though you're feeling deeply.

Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them."

-Aldous Huxley

***

Week 42 Around Here {2019}

Flashback Photo: Can we even believe how identical the twins look here?
I thought Logan was Jack until I looked at Jack.  Just wow.

Loving... the fall leaves on all the trees lately.  Carly and I stood quietly for a few moments at the twins school on Wednesday just staring as the wind shook leaves from the trees and they fluttered quietly to the ground.  It felt like magic.
Along with the fall, of course, comes some preparation for the colder temps- Josh and I had our sprinklers blown out and a few weeks ago he worked his tail off to make sure my van could fit in the garage, which is just the best!

Visiting... the pumpkin patch as a family on Friday after Josh got off work.  We had such a great time, as always, petting the animals at the petting zoo, playing cornhole and jumping on the new giant jumping pillow.  The kids all chose HUGE orange pumpkins and enjoyed the hayride.  We got a stranger (thank you, kindness!) to take our family picture which I will use on our Christmas card and hands down, the kids favorite was the four wheeler train ride. Carly was even big enough to ride in her own car this year.
My favorite part was petting a baby cow, which I have always wanted to do.  Josh has teased me about it relentlessly, assuring me that petting a cow is not as amazing as I think it is.  But oh, how amazing it was!!! Haha! I walked over to the corral where they were, and the smaller one, whose name was Milo (same as my nephew!) got up and came over to me.  I reached in and began petting him, and he nuzzled his little face into my hands, licking me gently and batting his sweet brown eyes at me. I was in love. Josh captured the whole thing, and it just made my weekend!

Nearly... turning around on the way to pumpkin patch because Wyatt's asthma was acting up so bad.  He was coughing and coughing and coughing and I was massively worried.  Luckily a few puffs on his inhaler had him feeling better and he made it two more hours before needing more.
He certainly wasn't in great shape, but at least he was able to enjoy the evening.

Keeping... Wyatt home from the land on Saturday even though it made him cry.
Josh took the twins with him out to his parents property with him, and normally he takes all three boys, but with how bad Wyatt's asthma has been the last few days, we knew it wouldn't be safe for him to go run around out there, that much further from the hospital and away from me all day. So we opted to keep him home with me and Carly.  They took a fun bath, with lots of toys, where Wyatt stacked as many cars as he could on the faucet; built a Magic Tracks track; and we watched a movie together during Carly's nap.  I feel so bad when asthma steals opportunities from him that I try to make up what I can where I can.

Rejoicing... that Josh's easy chair was finally delivered.  He's wanted one ever since we left Alaska (where the school district housing provided one) and now we finally have room.  Wyatt & Carly tried it out for him when it arrived since he wasn't here and gave it two thumbs up.  Josh is in love with it, and I'm so glad he has a place to come home and put up his feet after how hard he works for our family everyday.

Thankful... that my kids are as outgoing as I am as I pushed Logan out the door to run across the street and introduce himself to the neighbor boy who was shooting hoops out there last weekend.  They seemed to hit it off and played ball together for quite some time.  Neighbor kids can be a mother's saving grace and I can't wait for the kids to make some friends in our new neighborhood!

Decorating... the front porch with some simple pumpkins I got for $2 a piece at Safeway and loving the look.  The other decorations (the fall bunch of leaves and the Happy Halloween hanging) are things I've had for years and love pulling out each year.

Hosting... our first family sleepover on the new pullout couch after movie night.  It was a super fun night, with all four kids and myself sleeping sprawled out across the downstairs, on couches, the bed and Josh's new easy chair.  Carly especially thought it was fun, and I think it's something we will do again and again.
Not surprisingly, my favorite part was reading in bed before we fell asleep.

Making... homemade maple bars from scratch on Sunday morning to cross one thing off our Fall Bucket List from Enjoying The Small Things.  They were insane. Seriously, so delicious. It was funny because Logan couldn't remember ever having them before and was convinced they would be "way grosser" than store bought donuts.  I convinced him to try them, and let me tell you, after his first bite, he was changing his tune.  Haha!  So good!!!

Nebulizing... Wyatt over and over, morning and night, and often throughout the day, not to mention the times he had to use the inhaler because we were away from home.  This cold has knocked this kids lungs OUT. It's been really scary at times, like on Tuesday when he came home from school coughing and breathing really rapidly, and I had him nebulize, but it didn't seem to be helping, so I counted his breaths, and he was at 35 breaths per minute.  (Normal is 12-20 breaths per minute for his age) I was FREAKING OUT. I took him immediately in to urgent care with Carly, leaving the twins at home to meet Josh when he got home, and prayed that was the right decision.
The only reason I didn't go to the ER was that he was still able to talk to me and didn't seem sick otherwise.
By the time the doctor came to see us, Wyatt's breathing had calmed down to the mid twenties, still not great, but much improved, and I was relieved we were there anyway so the doctor could listen and make sure Wyatt's lungs weren't wheezing or crackling on the stethoscope.  Thankfully his lungs were clear and the doctor said we just needed to give the oral steroids I started at the end of last week a little more time to take hold.
So he sent us home to carry on.
It's so exhausting, I'm telling you.  Keeping my ears perked for every cough, wheeze and breath this kid takes.  Just when I think it's all good and we are fine, he'll throw me for a loop and get sick out of nowhere, or his respirations will tank.
I'm for sure praying the next few days of oral steroids provide some reprieve cause I could use it.

Reading... a book from my childhood, Good Night Mr. Tom and loving it so much.  I haven't enjoyed a book this much since Anne of Green Gables on audio.  It's about a young evacuee from London who is taken in by Mr. Tom in the country, and oh it's even better than I remember it.
A few of my favorite quotes:

"He snuggled down into the warm blankets.  He had never thought that he would ever come to love the rain, but he did now."

"How could anyone not want to live, thought Will, when there were so many things to live for? There were rainy nights and wind and the slap of the sea and the moon.  There were books to read and pictures to paint and music."

I am also working through Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze and am listening to The Aviator's Wife about Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  That one has had some amazing quotes as well.

"I had done nothing worthy of such a gift other than sign permission slips and write out grocery lists and read trashy novels."   (This one made me giggle.)

"Motherhood has brought me down to earth with a thud and kept me there with tentacles made of diapers and tears and lullabies and phone calls and carpools... Would I ever be able to soar again? Would I ever have the courage? Did any woman? Or did we exist only as others saw us?"

Toward the end of this week I started Tuesdays with Morrie (my tenth book this month!!!).  I knew it was about an old professor meeting with his student and discussing dying, but I didn't know Morrie had ALS, and I didn't expect the book to be so uplifting.  I am loving it.

Grateful... that Ramona seems to be doing better after her recent bladder infection.  I am so glad because I sure love that kitty girl.

Feeling... emotional that my grandparents (and my dad) made the effort to come see me on their way home from North Dakota on Tuesday.  It was so lovely to hug them and visit and to show my grandma my house.  It warmed my heart when she said, "Well your house looks just like you," gesturing around us to the living room. I am just so, so blessed.

***

Laughing at this:

#truth

Clinging to these:

*