around here: week 5 2020

{January 26 - February 1}

(Josh texted this math problem to me- I cracked up when I saw that he wrote "Rookie" on it.)

{lipstick mirror}

{so fancy!}

Feeling... all the way better and proving it by mopping our floor. I have never been so happy to mop in my LIFE! I am so elated to feel well and to be getting the house back under control.  It was really hard to be stuck in bed for so many days.  I'm so grateful for my health.

Wrapping... up January reading with 14 books total (8 audio books & 6 real books) and ending with 123 on my Unread Shelf. My goal is 100 books this year, so I'm pretty happy with this start! I'd also really like to get my Unread Shelf down near 50.

Reading... and finishing Normal People by Sally Rooney which let me down.  I thought it was going to be a long, drawn out love story, but instead it was an incredibly depressing, very sexual book that was not my cup of tea.  I also listened to I'm Just A Person by Tig Notaro and The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani (both three stars).

Wishing... I was with my dad when he went to visit my grandparents this weekend where they live at the beach.  I miss them so much, and when he sent me the picture of them above, my heart swelled.  He also sent two pictures of my Grandma Pansy's grandpa.  His name was Karl and I guess he left my Great Great Grandma Christina with four teenagers.  Can you imagine?!

Taking... a picture of Jack's eyes when I noticed that they have bits of brown & yellow in them.  Then that inspired me to take a picture of Logan's eye as well (to compare since they are twins) and then my own and Wyatt's.  It was fun to compare them all.  They're pretty similar, all having started blue, but since turned green.  What are the eye colors in your family?  Josh also has green eyes, but so far, Carly's are blue.

Driving... Carly out to her Grandma Carol's and enjoying the beauty of the sunshine through the fog.  The drive out to their land is so beautiful.  No matter the weather.  I love driving by the fields, whether empty or full, whether covered in snow or ice.  It's just lovely.  Like taking a deep breath after driving around the city, so full of houses and buildings. I love it.

Laughing... at Carly when she tries to make a "kissy" face.  For some reason she can't quite do it without a LOT of effort, so it's hilarious to watch.  She's also really cute, always asking to wear lip gloss when she sees me put my lipstick on.
All of us cracked up at breakfast the other day when she asked if she was big as Wyatt and then made him get down from the table to compare heights.  It was adorable.  She said she is as big as "he" so soon she will be able to go to school, too.

Walking... the dog with Josh after work each day, loving the time to talk and be outside.  We take Carly, pushing her in the stroller, and Grady, walking him on his leash with his harness.  Carly plays with her toys in the stroller and Grady happily walks along, sniffing everything.  He still pulls a bit more than we would like, but he's really good about ignoring cats or dogs he sees, which is the best.

Celebrating... Wyatt as he received an award (one of only three in his class) for academic excellence.  He works so hard and we are just so proud of him! After he got his award, we took him for a treat from Dairy Queen.  We're so blessed to be his parents.

Running... errands with Carly on Friday- getting in a trip to the library, returning Jack's band instrument (turns out band is not for him) and running to the store.  Carly enjoyed all the errands, but especially playing the drums at the music store!

Enjoying... Saturday with Jack & Carly.  Josh took Wyatt with him to Costco and Logan got to spend the day with Grandma Carol.  Jack's friends Easton & Channing came over for a few hours and it was just a really nice, mellow day.

***

around here :: week 4 2020

{January 17-25}

{Birthday Girl!}

{Pregnant with Carly May}

Sending... the twins back to school after Logan missed seven school days thanks to pneumonia and Jack missed five thanks to Influenza A and a double ear infection. Thankfully after emailing each of their teachers (they have 14 total) a lot of their work was excused.  But they still had quite a bit of catch up to do this week as it was the end of the quarter and some things can't be skipped (hello tests & papers!).

Humbled... by the ease with which Josh is able to help the twins with their math homework.  I am so lost (already!) when they ask me for help seeing as math was never my strong suit, so I am really impressed by Josh's ability.  I'm super thankful he's around and willing to help in that way. #teacherhusbandforthewin

Thankful... that the twins started feeling better before I got super sick with Influenza A.  They were so super helpful while I was sick, doing extra chores and taking care of me and Carly (who must have been bored out of her mind, poor girl!).  She was also a real trouper- scouring the pantry for snacks when she was hungry and asking me, "Are you a little bit better yet?" every day.

Working... really hard on resting up and recovering fully.  It has been a long, slow road.  Thursday I finally decided to go in and be seen since Carly was with my mother-in-law. (Thank you, Carol!)  My doctor was as sweet as could be, but really, there was nothing he could do for me.  I wasn't running a fever, and my lungs sounded clear, so I just needed to give it more time.
As this week ended (Saturday the 25th) I was still needing naps and feeling like garbage.  I have never had an illness wipe me out the way this one did.  I took two naps a day all week and had to rest after walking up or down the stairs. Coughing kept me up all night, and I was miserable as could be.  I'm really hoping next week I am 100%!

Receiving... my Book of the Month order for January and feeling ecstatic!  I ordered three books this time, knowing that most of this year I am going to be on book buying hiatus.  I got:

• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
• The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

I haven't talked about Book of the Month in a while. I love it. It's $14.99 a month, which gets you a book shipped.  Then, if you want to, you can add on any two additional books for only $9.99 each.  For hardback books, which are normally $24-$28, this is a steal!  And if the five books they are offering that month don't appeal to you, you can skip that month with no penalties. I have even put my account completely on hold by simply calling their 800 number when I went on a long term book buying ban. I have zero complaints, only good things to say about them and highly recommend them to all readers who love to add books to their libraries. 

Indebted... to my  mom and sister, who took all three of my boys for an afternoon of bowling and cousin time despite the fact that I was too sick to join them. Josh met them halfway (bless his heart, too) and the boys had the time of their lives.  Thanks girls!!!

Laughing... when Josh told me that the "writing" on Carly's white board was a "list" for her brothers from chore day (Sunday) when mommy was too sick to write one.
Normally on Sunday the boys "To Do List" is written on the giant black board in the kitchen.  It will include things like which bathroom they have to clean, what they have to vacuum and if they have any other special chores.  Well, in my absence Carly made sure they had lists to read and check off.  Gosh I love that girl.

Celebrating... Carly's fourth birthday with a cake and ice cream, and a few presents.  She woke up asking for cake, so I blew up some balloons and gave her her kitty headband.  She was overjoyed!  Later, after a nap for me, we made her cake.  And after another nap, we frosted it.  I felt terrible being so sick on her birthday, but I was grateful knowing she was happy just to have balloons to play with and a few presents to open later.
At Christmas time I had been looking into getting her some magnetic building tiles, but decided on some other gifts instead.  Well, a deal popped up on my Facebook feed (thanks for stalking my shopping, Facebook) that was too good to pass up!  Zulily had a set of Picasso Tiles that were regular $99 on sale for $35, so I ordered them and put them away for Carly's birthday.  They were a huge hit!  All the kids love them. 

Puzzled... over the places I find sparkly blue toothpaste in the boys' bathroom upstairs.  Last week I found some on the floor by the bath tub and more under the toilet paper roll; and beyond that, there was a streak of it on the wall outside the twins' bedroom door.  Lord help me, what is this about? Why? Am I the only one? Do other mothers walk around, baby wipes in hand, searching valiantly for bright smudges of sticky toothpaste after their kids are in bed?
I think I am losing my mind.
Up in here.
Up in here.

Geeking out... that Kelle Hampton of Enjoying The Small Things (love her, love her blog!) commented on my instagram post about Carly growing up too fast.  I wrote about how I can easily get really sad lamenting the fact that my kids are getting bigger and I'm daily leaving the baby & toddler days behind, but Kelle Hampton's "There is more" post back in 2017 reminds me that even though the times of the past (and present) are sweet, there is more to come. More love, more memories, more good.  There is more.

Grateful, grateful, grateful... for the man that I married.  This sickness had me out for a total of 12 days, 10 of which were really terrible.  Weekend to weekend, I was so sick, and Josh had to pick up all the slack.  He made meals, did bedtime, grocery shopped and washed (according to him) more laundry in one three day period than he had done in his entire life. Haha! Oh, bless. He's just the best, and I'm so lucky he's mine.  Did I mention he did all that in addition to his full time job? And the four kids we share? 

Wondering... what the strangest thing is that you know the most about? I heard Ellen ask someone that question on a clip I saw online and it made me wonder what the strangest thing is that I know a lot about, and then consequently what my friends know about.  For me, I think it might be the zygosity of twins (identical vs. fraternal) or asthma and epilepsy. #momlife
So tell me, friends, what's your random knowledge?