Around Here: Week 13 2022

 {March 27-April 2nd}

{Peep her little toes folded up under her. swoon}

Cleaning... out Carly's bedroom.  We sorted through all her toys, putting some up in her closet to trade out periodically when she gets bored, and we put a lot of them in a Goodwill pile.  Her room is pretty much constantly messy, and I am hoping that removing some of the toys will help it be less so. 

Sending... the twins' to their friends' birthday bowling party, but picking Jack up near midnight during the sleepover portion of the party.  He just sleeps best at home, he said, and I feel that.  Although, I did notice this week that often when he sleeps, his feet hang off the end of his bed. He's just growing so fast! I'm not sure what I'll do when he is too tall for the twin bed he's currently in. There's not room for any bigger beds in the twins' bedroom... I guess he'll just have to sleep curled up. Hah! 

Reading... The Unsinkable Greta James, which is the sweetest story about a musician and her dad, and which takes place much of the time in Alaska (I didn't know that before I dove in) and I loved it!
Also reading "If You Give A Moose A Muffin" on repeat with Carly.  It's the first "real" book she has read (that wasn't a "first reader) and she is so proud of herself. I am crazy proud of her as well.  Her reading has just really taken off recently, and it's so fun to witness. 

Taking... care of Wyatt as he awoke in the middle of the night having an asthma attack.  He could NOT stop coughing, so I hooked up the nebulizer and he did a treatment.  As scary as asthma is following a cold, random asthma attacks are 100x scarier.  It's like, "Why is this happening? Will it stop? Will he have to go to the emergency room? Is it going to happen again?!" Like I said, so scary! 

So grateful... for my mom coming to help me clean my house in preparation for Josh's parents' anniversary party that we're hosting next Sunday.  I was feeling so overwhelmed (the kind where you can't even start doing one small thing) that I knew I had to do something, so I called in reinforcements.  My mom is a cleaning machine, and she swears she even enjoys it if it means she's helping me.  She is a saint, I swear. 
We worked side by side all day Thursday to get my downstairs in order (dusting, vacuuming, cleaning windows...) and it looked so good by the time we were done!

Sharing... a meal outside on the back patio with Wyatt and Carly in the sunshine. It was so lovely to be out there together, and to have blue skies!!

Celebrating... April Fools Day subbing at elementary school and laughing when the kids kept trying to fool me with red marker on their hands, or pretend injuries to their legs (complete with limping) or arms.  Lots of good laughs for sure. 

Attending... baseball practice with Wyatt and Carly twice a week and looking forward to warmer weather as the season progresses. 

Enjoying... family in town for spring break (which lasts all of next week!) and decorating our house along with Josh's sister Andrea all day Saturday so Sunday we could just show up for the big anniversary party. 

And loving... Carly's play set ups.  Her little bubbas (stuffed animals) "reading" in her bed; the mama Barbie chillin' on the couch with a book (she is a whole vibe and I am here for it!); and her set up on the American Girl doll beds of the orange cat having a baby, complete with the midwife at the end of her bed and her support people cats on either side of her. I just can't even with her imagination. It's so perfect. 

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Mary Oliver. She's just so good.

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Thanks, church. 
Still unlearning all of these. 

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Around Here: Week 12 2022

 {March 20-26th}

Taking... Carly to the pediatrician for her Well Child check up and finding out she is in the 75th percentile for height and weight.  Our tall girl!!
Also taking Carly and Wyatt to the park to play for the afternoon.  They were happy to get out of the house, and I was happy for the sunshine. 

And lastly, taking the twins to Quincy to meet up for a playdate with their cousins.  They ended their day with a hike with my dad, which was totally a highlight. 

Subbing... for a half day in Carly's class and deciding I absolutely love kindergarten and first grade the most. I also subbed in second grade this week, and enjoyed that. Really, I just love kids.  But kindergarten and first graders are just so darn innocent and sweet, they're really the best!

I work really hard in whatever class I'm in to learn the student's names.  I feel like it helps me connect with them, and helps me feel more in control of the room.  I enjoy seeing the students later in the hallways and being able to say hello.  I also really love seeing my own children at school.  It's like they have their own little lives and I love getting a glimpse of it.

Reading... Everyone is Beautiful, and enjoying the way that the story was so relatable.  This mom of three young boys moves away from everything she knows and her marriage starts to implode a bit, and it's just the sweetest, easiest read. I loved it. 

Listening... to Mariah Carey Fantasy and letting it take me fully back to eighth grade.  I think that listening to the soundtrack of my fourteenth year has helped put me back in my mindset at that age, which has made me better able to relate to my own eighth graders. I know that sounds silly, but I swear it's true.  Music has always been really emotional for me, and listening to music from that era in my life reminds me how life felt then. I'm not sure the boys have noticed, but I have. I'm more patient with them and more understanding of what is important to them right now. 

Hitting... five months old for Piper and wondering what she's going to look like when she's all grown up!

Having... counseling and feeling grateful that I can have the help I need to work through my emotions and mental health challenges. (I use Doctor on Demand and highly recommend it! We can meet anywhere I have phone service and do all the scheduling via their app. Super simple!)

Grateful... for my mom for her thoughtfulness.  When we were shopping last week at Costco, there weren't any kitchen towels in my color palette.  So she took it upon herself to get onto Walmart.com and order me the most recent Pioneer Woman hand towels.  They're seriously SO cute!! Thanks mom!
Also super grateful for my parents for helping so much with the boys' baseball expenses.  With three kids in one sport, it sure adds up!!!

Feeling... proud of Carly for starting to try doing her own hair.  She put it in the most terrible adorable pony tail ever! Haha!

Walking... to release stress that I could feel building up.  It's crazy how physical exertion so immediately makes me feel better. 

Enjoying... going to the movies with Wyatt, just the two of us.  That was how he wanted to spend some money he got, and I was more than happy to oblige.  Movie theater popcorn and candy? Yes please! After the movie, he also got to game a little bit with quarters I found in my wallet.  It made him so happy! I love this special way we spend time together. 

Loving... how Carly, Wyatt and I listen to the Encanto album on the way to school.  It's such a fun way to start our day.  Carly has been working on writing out the lyrics (see above) and her "best guess" spelling cracks me up! 

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Bits & Pieces: