Around Here: Week 37 {2018}

Surviving... our first full five day week of school.  It's been busy- Monday I grocery shopped; Tuesday I saw my counselor; Wednesday I got together with my girlfriend; and Thursday I took Wyatt to the sleep doctor.  Finally today I got a break except when halfway to school (we walk) Carly asked, "Where's Wyatt's backpack?" sigh.  So we walked back home to get it & Wyatt was late for school.

Trying... to enjoy the cooler fall weather.  It's clear blue skies still, but there's a crispness to it that definitely wasn't there 2 weeks ago.  (Honestly, though, I just miss summer!!!)

Finishing... After Anna and P.S. I Still Love You.

Reading... Always & Forever Lara Jean (#3 in the To All The Boy I've Loved Before trilogy)  and Caroline on audio.  Caroline is written from the mom's perspective for Little House on the Prairie, and it is so beautiful to listen to.  It reminds me of listening to Anne of Green Gables.  The writing is like poetry.  I am in love with the author's prose.  It's breathtaking.  I highly recommend it.
I also re-read parts of Seizures & Epilepsy in Childhood now that we narrowed Logan's seizures down to Focal seizures (based on his eye movement during his seizures) and I understand more about what's happening in his body now.  I am keeping a calendar for him of when we start & stop meds, see the doctor, and when he has seizures, just so I can keep it all straight, and I tuck them in his Seizures book for safekeeping.  It helps me to control what little I can.
And lastly I am reading a new chapter of "It's a Boy! Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18."  I have moved to chapter seven, "Startling Changes", which is for ages 11-13, and is walking me through what to expect with puberty around the bend. (Send help!)

Placing... my hopes on the sleep doctor and October sleep study we have set up for Wyatt.  His tonsils and adenoids are very big for his throat and his breathing is often obstructed, so we're hoping the sleep study will show this and then we can get approved for surgery that will improve his sleep, which will improve his health, which will improve his weight, which will improve his asthma.

Celebrating... as Jack got moved to a classroom that's a much better fit after 2 weeks in a room that's not the right fit for him.  I cannot even express the relief I feel and the weight that's been lifted from my shoulders with this move.  He is so much happier, and therefore, so am I.

Spending... Saturday at Silverwood Theme Park as a family.  The boys got free tickets for reading 600 minutes at school last year and we had a great time!  (I'll have a post coming soon!)  Carly's a little thrill seeker/daredevil and Wyatt and I enjoyed the ice cream. Hah!!!

Sharing... my thoughts & worries with my counselor about Logan, seizures, fifth grade, hormones (Lord help me!), puberty (Save me now!), and my recent stay-at-home mom guilt.  He suggested making a list of worries with my fifth graders each day; taking it a day at a time when it comes to the seizures; meditating daily to reduce tension; and remembering my worth regardless of what society tells me about my value as a stay-at-home mom.  All in all, a very valuable session.

Feeling... sad about my miscarriages as I head into the fall.  I lost that first baby at the tail end of the first trimester in 2014 at the end of October & it's like my body knows it's time to mourn when the weather cools & the nights darken.

Walking... everyday to & from school.  I can feel a total difference in my body & the way my clothes fit & in my energy level.

Going... all week without a seizure!  Logan is adjusting beautifully to Tegretol (his new med) as he started the full dose Friday.  (Heading into week two with fingers crossed!)

Grateful... for friendships here that maintain my sanity.  This week one friend watched Carly so I could go to counseling; another watched her so Josh and I could meet with the principal to get Jack squared away in his new class; and another hung out with me just because she's awesome.  I'm so glad. What blessings.

Ecstatic... that all the kids loved pulled pork this week.  I am so happy to be back to our regularly scheduled eating program now that we're back in school.  Summer eating was fun & easy, but there's something about meal planning and eating healthy that just feels good.

Receiving... flowers & homemade cinnamon swirl bread from the sweetest fellow mama of four who heard I'd been struggling those first weeks of school and wanted to brighten my day.  I honestly opened my door, and promptly burst into tears when I saw her standing there, flowers & bread in hand.
To be thought of that way was just so unexpected and sweet.

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