Around Here: Week 51 2023

 {December 17-23rd}

Reading... The Book of Longings, which is already so, so good. 

Dealing... with Hadley also going into heat like her sister. Thankfully she's really snuggly so it makes up for her obnoxious moments. 

Shopping... for myself for Christmas at Ulta and feeling sticker shock at how much face makeup costs. Geez louise!

Getting... news that Carly's 1/2 split is being separated into a first grade classroom and a second grade classroom.  She's so sad to lose her first grade friends and nervous about some of the students that are joining her class. I am trying to remind her change can be good. 

Opening... my calendar from Lore Pemberton and feeling excited to have twelve pieces of her art at the end of the year. 

Texting... with the twins who had a fire alarm at the high school and were stuck standing in the field in the pouring down rain for thirty minutes one day this week. Jack was wearing socks & Birkenstocks, poor kid. He was soaked. 

Loving... how when the boys come home for lunch, they always come upstairs to see me. I swear to you that raising teenage boys is like having a crush.  When they pay me any attention my heart pitter patters and I have to tell myself to play it cool. 

Making... candy cane sleds for Dashy & his family, and loving how cute they turned out. I also loved the idea Josh had of pretending the dryer lint was cotton candy. Carly cracked up. 

Studying... science with Wyatt in preparation for a test that had him all stressed out. After we studied he felt much better and the test went great!

Taking... an hour long test and completing this week's big assignment for my class.  It feels so good to be done and officially on Christmas Break!!!

Doling... out consequences for continued behavior and feeling so very weary. Parenting is just never ending.  If you are also out there trying to be a good mom and they're trying your patience, please know you're not alone. I was so mad this time I had to put myself in timeout in my room before I completely lost my sh*t. 

Spending... my first day of break reading, shopping & blogging, and it was perfect!!!

Talking... Santa Clause with Carly who is not entirely sure she believes and feeling honestly ambivalent about whether she continues believing or not. I honestly will be relieved when she no longer believes because then the jig will be up and I won't have to be deceitful.  Also, I will be happy to get the credit the big guy always gets at Christmas time. 

Volunteering... to help in Carly's classroom while they decorated sugar cookies one afternoon. Carly was delighted to have me in there (heart melting) and her friends are just the sweetest. 

Attending... Student Teaching Orientation in the car while Jack drove me around to pick up and drop off all the kids.  Mom life just never quits. 

Enjoying... Wednesday, Thursday & Friday off of work with the kids, but Josh still had to work! Wahhh! We missed him!!

Celebrating... my mom's 66th birthday with a family party at her and my dad's house.  We ate delicious chinese food, opened gifts during a White Elephant gift exchange, ate cake (that Carly and I made, and which made it all the way to Wenatchee in the back of the car, but was accidentally tilted by one of my boys) and celebrated Christmas at the end since we won't see that side of the family again until after Christmas. We got to love on my sister's baby (Oh Sweet P, we love you!) and overall it was just a great day!

Wanting... to read all the books on my "I'm with the banned" pillow Josh got me for my birthday. It includes some of the most banned books in America. 

The list includes:
To Kill a Mockingbird

The Kite Runner

Forever

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Bridge To Teribithia

Of Mice & Men

The Catcher In The Rye

The House On Mango Street

The Giver

The Bluest Eye

The Handmaid's Tale

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

And Tango Makes Three

The Color Purple

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

A Wrinkle In Time

***

My New Lore Pemberton calendar!!

This song always makes me cry.

Great reminder.

Around Here: Week 50 2023

 {December 10-16th}

Reading... A Winter in New York and listening to Snowed In For Christmas. I'm also reading The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes to the boys at bedtime.  I'm reading Songbirds & Snakes on ebook, which is actually nice because then we can have the lights low while I read which the boys love. They almost always fall asleep while I'm reading. 

Watching... Leave The World Behind, which I enjoyed, but was a little weird.  To be honest, that combination is the same thing I would have said about the book, which I got from Book of the Month. 

Grateful... for everyone pitching in in the afternoons to get all the things done.  We strive to be screen free most afternoons and evenings.  The kids come home and have snacks and then at 4:00, by the time Carly and I are home, we put the boys' phones in the box and get to work on homework and hanging out.

Loving... Dashy's new bathrobe this year. Some of the Elf on the Shelf accessories are so darn cute!  They whole elf family sported sunglasses one morning this week, and gave Carly reindeer glasses to wear. So cute! Another morning we woke up to candy in our stockings from them. 

Worrying... about George who looked like he was having a seizure early one morning this week.  I did a little research and I think he's suffering from vestibular disease. Thankfully it's not fatal, but it's also incurable. Poor George.

Working... Monday in kindergarten. Gosh I love those kids and I am so excited that I get to student teach with this group in January.  Also this week I got to attend an intervention meeting and it was so cool to get to see more of the process. 

Sweetest... little kittens being adorable every morning. We love them so much!  My favorite is when they lay together, and Hadley's black tips on her ears. She looks like a little lynx!

Contemplating... parenting a lot this week as we are still dealing with repercussions of the revelations from two weeks ago with the boys.  This article (Am I a Bad Mother?) helped me feel better. "Frantically re-running the tape of my parenting failures was not only fruitless; it actively stopped me from functioning effectively during the next domestic mini-crisis," says author Rowan Davies.  She then offered advice from Samuel Beckett, "Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
My sister has also been a place of love, support and non-judgment. Her text, sent out of the blue, meant so much to me. So often as moms we have no idea if we're doing the right thing. So to hear her say she would turn to me for advice, and that following my gut won't lead me wrong, just meant the world. 

Noticing... Piper's pretty, dipped paws. She's so cute!

Thankful... for Wyatt's friend Kaeden, whose mom works at the middle school, taking Wyatt to lunch this week.  It was such a special treat for him, and he said it was so much fun. Lots of laughter. 

Enjoying... doing Carly's hair everyday. She's so gorgeous. 
Also enjoying whip cream on my coffee as a special treat. It's so yum!

Worrying... about how Carly is going to handle the transition from having a stay-at-home mom to having a working mom. I mean, not just Carly, the boys too, but Carly in particular.  I am also worried about how I am going to handle the transition. Yikes. I just keep telling myself, "One day at a time"... Just do today. 

Reading... "For a child there is no pillow quite as soft as a father's shoulder." Tiffany from @thegraygang shared it, and I loved it so much. Carly *adores* her dad and asks him for snuggles on the daily. I am so grateful she has him. 

Hosting... Carly's neighbor friend Ariyah on Saturday and feeling so grateful that Carly is making friends in our neighborhood. It makes me so happy that she can have them over to play.  She and Ariyah did each others' hair and it was so cute.  

Watching... as Josh and his brother and sister got together in our kitchen to make something called Rusty Klub's (potatoes boiled in ham water and made into a sort of dumpling) that are a Cunningham family tradition. I loved hearing them laugh and work together. So fun. 

Receiving... the most thoughtful gift in the mail from my friend Kristina.  She took the time to check my Goodreads and print off every books I read this year and make me one of the most amazing book ornaments. I absolutely love it and feel so overwhelmed with gratitude. It must have taken her forever!!

Running... errands with all four kids this week.  I honestly cant remember the last time I ran errands with all four of them in tow. It's hard, sure, but I also kind of love it. This crazy crew makes me nuts, but they also make me really proud. 

Laughing... at Carly holding a candy under the bathroom door, asking if she could have one, and then offering me one as well. Haha. Sure, Carly. (Have you tried these peppermint candies? They're my favorite Christmas time treat.)
Laughing again when Hadly stuck her paw under the bathroom door later. It was like she took notes on what Carly was doing. 

Painting... Carly's fingernails red & green for Christmas. They turned out so darn cute!!!

***

This is something I think about a lot.
I really want that credit! 

Using this thinking when it comes to student teaching and getting a job. 
I am choosing to do this, but it feels scary and overwhelming.
What if I HAD to do it, how would I handle it?
Strangely it makes me feel stronger. 

So fun to go back and read old blog posts!

Art by Robert B. Pettit

How amazing, hilarious and inappropriate is this Christmas snack?
Made me laugh out loud. 

Amen. Amen. Amen.
Love to all the mamas out there going through it.
You are NOT alone.