Around Here: Week 19 2022

 {May 8-14th}

When I came downstairs on Mother's Day, Carly stood in the dining room, waiting for me to arrive, and when I did, she threw all these bows in the air and yelled, "Happy Mother's Day!" 
Oh I just love this girl. 

Carly's mother's day drawing was of her and I playing pool. 
I especially love my earrings, and the flowers on her dress. 

Wyatt drew me, him and Carly playing four square
which he's been teaching me for a while now.
We love to play it. 

Flashback photo to summer of 2012 with my old coworkers. 
Loved these ladies so much!

shelly

Getting... spoiled on Mother's Day by my super thoughtful children.  Wyatt and Carly both made me cards and drew pictures (words of affirmation are my love language along with foot & back rubs) and Carly surprised me with a showering of ribbons and bows when I came downstairs.  Carly picked out my adorable "Mother of the Year" mug when we were at Big Lots last week, and Jack picked out another one that is marbly and shimmery and exactly what I love.  So blessed to be these kids' mother. Like, truly. I am so lucky they are mine and I get to love them. 

Cheering... as Carly has started climbing the tree that lines our sidewalk. She loves to climb up there and look around. It makes me want to find a tree big enough for me to climb!

Finding... the work/laundry balance (yes, there is such a thing) and feeling so much better about working. I do a load (or two) everyday, starting one before work, and switching it after work (or if I come home for lunch) and it has been much more manageable. I literally asked my friend Christi (who works full time and also has four kids) "When do you do laundry? How do you do this?!" She amazes me in more ways than one, as all working mothers do.

Enjoying... our gorgeous spring mornings. I could still go for warmer weather, but I'll take sun shining through the sprinklers on the neighbors lawn over cloudy grey days or rain.

Capturing... some pictures of our dogs fighting and laughing because they look so ferocious, when really they are just playing, and are the sweetest, most loving dogs.  They love to rough house though, and the still photos really captured how big their dang teeth are! Crazy!

Giving... myself a manicure with my Color Street french tip set and LOVING it! I feel so fancy, and each Color Street set is only $5 and SO easy to do! If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. 

Sitting... with Carly in her room each night as she falls asleep.  She has been extra clingy lately (I'm not sure why) so I am responding by giving her what she needs.  One night she literally fell asleep clutching my arm. Being a kid really is harder than we remember, I think. 

Wanting... a perm because I love my hair curly so much. I told my mom and for Mother's Day, she gifted me enough money to get one if I want. So exciting!!

Waking... Carly for school this week as she must be in a growth spurt. I have never (or at least VERY rarely) had to wake any of my boys for school, and having to wake her up to get ready for school feels so wrong. Hah! 
But I can't let her oversleep because her anxiety does best if she is in her normal routine. So it's important we make it to drop off early enough that she can have a little recess/play time outside before her school day starts at the sound of the bell.  

Subbing... in Wyatt's class for a few hours in the afternoon and feeling so lucky it was short, and so thankful for all upper elementary/middle school teachers. You are literally saints walking the earth.  This age of kids can be so hard to control, to get respect from and to build relationships with. What you manage to do with them is nothing short of a miracle. 

Taking... Piper to get spayed at the six month mark, and loving all the sweet snuggles.  We also got really lucky, and she hasn't been licking at all! Such a relief! I am glad to have that done (and the rescue we got her from is relieved as well) and I'm thankful she came through it like a champ. 

Attending... Wyatt's NOVA (our district's Highly Capable program) presentation and feeling so proud of him! He chose to do his project on how engines work, and as he did his research, he taught me how they work! I am almost forty, and have been driving over half my life, but I had no idea how engines worked until now. The fact that he understood it enough to explain it to me, was brilliant.
We bought some cars on Amazon to give away to people who walked past, and Wyatt also brought a Lego car he made that has an engine that works (it moves the working pieces of the engine) and it was a really great addition to his set up. Josh's brother Samuel came, and I was so touched that he showed up for Wyatt in that way. Those two have a special bond and it makes me so happy. 

Subbing... for the librarian at Wyatt & Carly's school on Friday, and loving their new library. It is so beautiful.  And it was so fun to meet a few more classes that I haven't subbed in yet. Maybe I'll be a librarian when I grow up. ;)

Driving... up to Wenatchee for me and Carly's "Girls Weekend". After watching brothers get sleepovers at Nanny & Papa's, Carly wanted a turn.  But I know she's not quite ready for a sleepover away from mom, so we both took off, leaving the boys at home to fend for themselves (they all had a great time, even Josh, and it was a nice respite for me) while Carly spent some one on one time with my mom (whom she adores) and I got to read, watch TV and just generally relax. 
The night we got there, we went to my nephew's school carnival, and Carly had the best time.  There were games and fresh popcorn, and prizes. It was so fun. 
She also enjoyed spending time with Milo and my mom's animals.  She has two cats, Grace and our old cat Molly.  They're both really soft and really sweet. Carly also loves my moms dogs, but this time, she also had my brother's dog Wintson. And that dog. Oh my goodness is he the sweetest!! He is like a real live stuffed animal. So soft and so snuggly.  We both enjoyed cozy couch time with that boy! 

Watching... Our Father while Carly played with my mom and I hid out (#kidfree) in her guest bedroom this weekend. It was a disturbing documentary (on Netflix) about an infertility doctor taking advantage of desperate patients.  It was awful to witness all they went through, but I also couldn't look away. 

***

The night Piper had her spay, I did NOT get much sleep. 

((sob))

Accurate x3

Haha! Amazing. 

***

Around Here: Week 18 2022

 {May 1-7th}

Josh and I walked back down the aisle at our
wedding to the song "500 Miles", 
so when I saw this laundry adaptation of the song,
I cracked up. It's perfect. 

Loving... Carly snuggling Grady and loving how much she loves him. It's so sweet. And he is so patient with her. Letting her lay on him and pet him and snuggle on him like he's part of the couch. 

Watching... a show about cults and learning about NXIVM & Jehovah's witnesses.  So fascinating. 

Subbing... this week, and feeling like it's so good for me.  I love the days when I sub because I feel so productive and needed.  I love the students and all the other teachers. It just makes me happy. 

Picking up... my first paycheck and feeling so excited!!! I am really proud of myself for this. 

Taking... Wyatt & Carly to the eye doctor to get their yearly exams and new glasses.  Carly's new ones are gonna be so cute, and Wyatt's are pretty similar to last years pairs. 

Enjoying... all the spring flowers, but feeling ready for the weather to warm up a bit! Come on, already!

Cleaning... our whole house while Josh took Wyatt to practice.  It was so good to get it feeling clean and tidy.  I even cleaned Carly's pretend kitchen for her, and she was thrilled when she saw it. It made me giggle because my mom always comes over and cleans my kitchen. And she says it's really no work, that she enjoys doing it for me. And I felt the same way cleaning Carly's little kitchen up for her. 

Shopping... with Jack & Carly, grabbing some Dutch Bros on the way, since I had to pick up some gift cards for the kids' teachers.  The boys all hate running errands with me, but once we're out, they're so fun to be with. We always end up enjoying ourselves.  

Celebrating... Teacher Appreciation this week with the cutest little gift packs for the kids' teachers.  We got them candles, kitchen towels, candy and each of the kids painted a little something for their teachers to have. I am so grateful for their teachers, for the amazing year they've had with them, and for what teachers everywhere put into their work.  Subbing has shown me just how hard this profession is. And how underappreciated everyone is. 

Taking... care of Carly as she was home sick for a few days this week.  Her feeling down matched the pouring down rain that happened as we snuggled on the couch. 

Reading... Ten Thousand Doors for book club, and oh my goodness what a magical book! It was a fun adventure and I enjoyed solving some of the questions and mysteries that presented themselves. 
Meanwhile, Josh is reading the last Harry Potter to the boys at bedtime, and it's kind of bittersweet for me. I am so happy that he's read the series with them.  They have absolutely loved it, and beg each night for him to read more. After each book, they watch the movie together, and the whole experience just warms my heart. 

Watching... the twins baseball game with my parents & two nephews who came into town for it.  We went for dinner afterward, and it was so fun! I asked the kids fun questions like:
If you could solve one thing in the world, what would it be?

What are your best memories with your family?

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose and why?

Their answers were so deep and thoughtful.  
We ended up letting the twins go home with my parents for a big cousins sleepover. They had so much fun and I was happy to say yes. 

Picking... the twins up in Wenatchee after I ran to Costco for our monthly stuff.  I got lunch from there (I love their giant pepperoni pizza slice & churros) and then hung out at my mom's house, reading and relaxing while Josh was home with Carly & Wyatt. 

Grateful... that Carly has a dad like Josh.  They are doing a bee unit in her kindergarten class and some local beekeepers came in to teach the kids about bees and honey, and they brought each kiddo the cutest little honey inside angel jars.  Josh made homemade bread just so Carly could enjoy that honey on the best bread known to man. She is one loved little girl. 

Melting... as Carly knelt to talk to Grady and tell him he was a good boy and we only had to put him in his crate so he wouldn't get out while the door was open. "You're a good boy... You're a good boy," she said in her little sing-songy voice. The girl just oozes empathy, and it makes her magic to be around. 

***

Here are some of the questions I asked the kids at dinner.

There are so many fun ones!

I loved these quotes on trauma.

I have found in my experience that I do really good in stressful situations (as long as there's not blood- that's a different story). I am good at staying in the moment, doing what needs to be done, and assessing the situation for the best solution.  But after the event is over, I tend to crash. And I always end up seeking professional help with a counselor or therapist to go over the trauma and work through it emotionally. But surviving the event and processing the event, for me, do not happen simultaneously. I have to consciously choose to go back and revisit it in order to feel my feelings and process what happened. 

***