10.25.2023

Around Here: Week 36 2023

 {September 3-9th}












































Driving... home from the coast after breakfast because we had planned to spend the day on the beach and it was pouring down rain. We weren't interested in staying cooped up with all four kids in my grandma's tiny living room, so we packed up and took off. It was a bummer way to end the trip, but it was nice to get home and still have Monday at home together. I went and met my dad in Quincy to get the dogs, who had been very well behaved for my parents and were sooo happy to see us. 

Reading... Tom Lake after finishing The Covenant of Water. Tom Lake was slow to start, but I ended up liking it okay. 

Comforting... Wyatt when he witnessed a boy getting run over on the way home from school one day this week.  Wyatt's walk home takes him across a highway and as he walked across the street, the boy riding his bike in the crosswalk parallel to him got hit by a car turning right.  Somehow, miraculously, the boy was thrown down off his bike but not injured despite not wearing a helmet. The car ran over him, but he was in the center, and none of the tires touched him. What a terrifying thing to witness though. 

Love is... replacing the bar of soap in the shower. Thanks, babe. 

Being... spoiled by my sister-in-law Julie who dropped off some clothes she was getting rid of. There are so adorable jackets and super cozy sweaters. Thanks J!

Sending... Jack off to see the Lumineers with his friend Roxy and her family.  He had a great time and I was so happy for him. 

Starting... a new class for my masters in elementary education and honestly? It's going awful. First assignment I got a C and that just rocked me. I cried and Josh said, honestly, it's probably good for the boys to see me struggle.  Not everything comes easy to me (they tend to think because I enjoy school that it's always easy) and sometimes there is growth in the struggle. His solid point helped me feel a little less terrible about it. 

Laughing... at Piper dreaming during her sleep all the time. She whimpers and softly barks while her legs are going a million miles a minute. It's so cute.

Enjoying... a regular week with every kid in school Tuesday through Friday. It feels really good to be getting into our regular routine after summer. 

Joining... my mentor teacher's first day with the boys and then with the girls (they split the classes in half for a slow start in kindergarten at our school) and I loved meeting all of them. It looks like it's going to be an amazing year. 

Making a special trip... to the store with Logan when he mentioned that he got extra credit if he bought a book for ELA and brought in the reciept. (He didn't have to tell me twice!) He found a really compelling book about a school shooting that we have agreed to read together. It is seriously unputdownable. 

Leaving... Carly in my bed for a minute while I used the bathroom at bedtime, and she fell asleep. The first couple of weeks back at school are no joke, and our girl is exhausted (!!!) everyday. 

Attending... a welcoming zoom meeting for the parents of Traffic Safety students. It's really getting real that one of our boys is going to start driving!!!

Doing... homework upstairs all evening one night while Josh manned the kids and they even brought me dinner. I am so grateful to have all of their help and support. Especially while I'm navigating the pickiest, perfectionist teacher ever. 

Writing... daily to-do lists so that I can be sure to get everything done I intend to.  I swear if it doesn't make it onto my list, it leaves my brain and is gone forever. I am not sure if this is from being in school (I don't have room for anything else???) or if it's a side effect of my fibromyalgia (they call it fibro fog and it makes your thoughts kind of muddy and hard to track). 

Grateful... that the twins' school let out early for a power outage so they got to accompany me to the grocery store. They are SO helpful, spreading out to grab what we need, and then helping me bag it all. They hate helping, but they're fun company, so I love when they have to tag along. 

Finding... out that on top of getting bad grades in my class, I also failed in another major way. Somehow I missed the email that informed me my sub certificate for subbing at Carly's school was going to expire in June, and now I have to redo the training and apply for a certificate again. Which takes a minimum of 8 weeks through the state of Washington. Which means I won't be able to sub again for two months. I feel like not only am I letting my family down, but also like I'm letting my friends and teachers at the school down. Gosh I'm so mad at myself. 

Thankfully... Josh was so incredibly kind about the whole lapsed certificate thing and said he was honestly kind of grateful that I couldn't sub because then I would be around right after school to help keep our boys on track as they settled into the school year. His positive perspective really helped. 

Loving... the feeling of Carly doing my hair. She brushed it, then put it in pigtails for me. She is so cute. I wonder if I will ever get over having a daughter. 

Happy... by the end of the week that my grade had improved some. I just feel like no matter what I'm doing, I am missing the mark of what this teacher wants. Praying it gets better from here.

Gasping... at Carly's amazing Inside Out art that she did with no tracing! It is so adorable and I'm probably going to end up framing it. 

Making... rice krispie treats with my girls help and loving how she wanted to wear her apron and her chef hat. She's just the cutest. 

***

A look back at our last homeschooling year. 
Pre-k for Wyatt & second grade for the twins.




Around Here: Week 35 2023

 {August 27-September 2nd}













My first journal is full of gems like these. 
Also, how much do we love d'nealian?


It's official: Jack is taller than Josh


















Attending... Back To School night at Carly's school.  It was so nice to meet her teacher and see her classroom.  Her school has two stories, and in second grade you move upstairs. So it feels like a big transition.

Organizing... our closet, which was the last thing to be sorted upstairs. It feels so good to be starting the school year with the entire upstairs organized. 

Reading... The Five Star Weekend and It Didn't Start With You.  Loving both. It Didn't Start With You is fascinating. It's about how trauma is passed down generation to generation. 

Happy... to have the twins home after they spent the last week house sitting for Grandma Carol, watching her chickens, duck, geese, cat and dog. They had fun, but I could tell they were happy to be back home, in their own beds, surrounded by family. Lots of naps and laying around after not having anyone make them go to bed for a week. Hah!

Loving... Carly's imagination. Currently: destination Hawaii

Sending... the twins and Carly off for the first day of school, all smiles.  

And sending... Wyatt off to school the next day while the twins were home. The funny delayed schedule for everyone makes the first week a little wonky, but also kind of nice because it gently deposits them in school after a summer of freedom.

And finally... sending all four of them to school for the first time on Friday. It was absolutely as lovely as I dreamed. (Moms, amiright?)

Doing... counseling, per usual, which I am always so grateful for.  Some of my favorite things she says include: That must be really hard; What's the goal in doing that?; and You're doing a great job. 

Taking... Logan and Jack to the eye doctor. Logan got contacts. Jack got glasses.  That afternoon Logan had the worst migraine of his life. Normally he throws up and then feels better, but not this time. This time it was a hemiplegic migraine where half his body went numb and he couldn't really get around. I felt awful for him.  

Chatting... with Kari & Kori and feeling so grateful for them. They just get me. We can talk after months of no communication, and we pick up right where we left off. 

Enjoying... banana popsicles which are mine and Carly's favorite. Do you have a random favorite summer treat?

Listening... to the Healing Her podcast. So good! I love Ashley (I follow her Instagram) and her story is so inspiring. 

Working... to finish my homework this week so I can take the weekend off since we're going to see Grandma. It will be my first time visiting the beach since my grandpa passed in January.  I'm nervous. 

Looking... at old journals. It's really mindblowing to me that I have so many. I am currently writing in my 109th journal. Carly was talking about it, and she said, "You're a really good journalist mom." Hahaha. Oh man I love her. 

Doing... my substitute training for bloodborne pathogens and other required trainings for the district. So boring, but necessary. 

Answering... Carly's question: "What does a brain look like?" and showing her.  I so often wish I could crawl inside my kids' minds and look around. Like, where did that question come from for her? 

Signing... Jack up for traffic safety. Dang it's expensive ($550!) but feeling super grateful my parents offered to pay. Thanks Nanny & Papa! Jack is already driving a ton. He's very confident and doesn't scare me for the most part. In Washington state you have to get 50 hours before you have your license. We are at around 500 minutes (10 hours) so we're on our way!

Road tripping... Saturay morning to the beach to see my grandma for the first time since my grandpa passed back in January. The trip was overall pretty smooth. It's so much easier to travel with the kids now than in the past. My parents took care of the dogs for us, so we just had the six humans and the least amount of luggage we've ever traveled with.

Seeing... grandma and her house, which felt honestly kind of empty without Grandpa.  I missed him so much.  His stories, his laugh, and his big hands reaching out for me or my kids as we walked past his easy chair. 

Dealing... with a very homesick Carly as we tried to go to sleep at Grandma's. This girl is a creature of habit and being away from home is really hard on her. Bless her little homebody heart. 

Indulging... Carly's dream of a YES day and doing whatever she wanted. We shopped at Walmart for her and Wyatt (they set a $30 spending limit on themselves) and we made yummy food and got to do lots of screens and stay up late. Lucky kids!

***



Do you follow @laurakelleyart on IG?
She's so inspiring & strong.

Have you listened to Ashley's new podcast?
Healing Her is so good, raw and real.