Around Here: Week 41 2020

Burning... the new autumnal candle I bought while I was away with Shana last weekend.  It smells divine and brings a certain serenity to our school mornings that might otherwise not be there. (Whatever helps, right?!)

Cleaning house... per usual, on Sunday.  We split the chores into pairs (downstair bathroom + dishwasher; master bathroom + dog poop; and boys bathroom + catbox) so whoever cleans that bathroom Sunday, has that chore the entire following week.  It helps lighten my load and start the week off right with a clean & tidy house.  

I have also started making lists on the blackboard of other chores that need doing so when the boys get in trouble, I automatically have a list of things they can do for me to pay me back.

Laughing... at the picture Wyatt drew of Mt. St. Helens after we watched a special documentary (find it on Disney Plus- Surviving The Mount St. Helens Disaster) on it.  He drew the before (a perfect mountain with a pretty little top) and the after (where he shows it as a bowl, with someone pouring cheerios & milk into it) and says, "World's Largest Cereal Bowl Reward Goes To Mt. St. Helens." Hah!!

Gosh I love this kid!

Enduring... so many migraines. I think it was 5 this week, including one in the middle of the night (weird!) and they just wear.me.out.

Also enduring school with the boys as we head towards one month of this life.  It's strange and not my favorite, but it is starting to feel normal now. And I'm trying really hard to be grateful for the small things that are great. Like not having to get anyone out the door at a specific time; being able to let the kids sleep in when they want to; and the freedom of having my own schedule. We stick to the school one pretty well, but occasionally change things up, and that feels nice. 

Learning... that Carly wants to be a cowboy.  She told Josh on the way home from Grandma's house this week that that's what she wants to be, and she said they can use a lasso and ride horses. 

Shopping... for groceries, all masked up, with the three boys while she was at Grandma's.  They are so helpful now, I want to stop every young mom I see with babies and toddlers fussing or crying and assure her, "It gets better! It gets SO MUCH better!"

Wanting... to remember all of Carly's stuffed animals names.  The colorful one, pictured with her above, she named Lollipops.  She also has Rosie, George, Ramona, Callie, Raindrop, and Margaret (whom she named after Josh's baby sister who died). She is very thoughtful about names and doesn't hesitate to scorn my ideas if she doesn't like them.  She is also partial to the names "Sparkle", "Pearl", "Rainbow" and "Purple", but hasn't permanently named any of her toys that. 

Trying... a Young Living oil diffuser for the first time.  I didn't love the smell- I did lavender and something else I can't remember.  But then I did a citrus blend and I liked that better. I am going to keep experimenting with it, but I joked with my friend that I'm like one quarter granola. I like things a little healthier for my family (especially Wyatt's little lungs) but I'm not three quarters granola like her.  (She's so amazing she makes her own soap!)

Loving... Raffi on Google Music for Carly lately.  It reminds me of when my little brother was her age and we had the tapes of Raffi performing live.  He loved those things!  

Our favorites are:

Down By The Bay

Tingalayo

Baby Beluga

Willoughby Wallaby Woo

Reading... Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and feeling inspired, as always by his books, by the humanity of people.  The book was not as scary as I thought it might be (which was good) but it was still a total page turner. I love how he sees people and our emotions and can bring them to light in his books. Gah. So good!!

I also started reading Anne of the Island, and I just never get tired of Anne's love of beauty and appreciation for everything in the world.  She reminds me to slow down and enjoy whatever season I am in.  For there is beauty to be found in every season if only we look for it. 

Sharing... my reading journal over on my Bookstagram page and feeling excited that I got eleven books read in September, putting me at 86/100 for the year. I think I just might make 100 and it has me so thrilled!!!

Enjoying... what are likely the last flowers of the season.  Josh keeps such a beautiful flower bed (I think his mother is to credit for his green thumb. She's an amazing gardener as well) that it's sad to think this season is over. But I planted a TON of bulbs in the beds a few weeks ago, and I have those buds to look forward to come spring. 

Laughing... at this picture Carly got of me while I was getting her out of the car in our garage. I look goofy, but also, so happy, and really, I imagine that's the me she mostly sees. I miss her when she's gone, I light up when she enters the room, and I am always glad to listen to her talk or read her a story.  I just feel so lucky she is ours. 

Reminiscing... about that time we lived in rural Alaska.  We were there roughly five years, in the village of Marshall, although the kids and I spent some of that time in Vancouver (Washington) on either end, when Wyatt was a baby in 2011, and again when Carly was born in 2016. 

This picture, taken by a girl Josh knew from the school, Anisa, and it shows just how remote our village was.  The large river on the right is the Yukon, and the smaller waterways are sloughs that lead to the river. On the upper left of the village, the large building, is the school, and behind it was teacher housing. 

In Marshall there were three churches, the school, the town dump, a post office and what we called the co-op, which was like a glorified gas station.  That was where we could get fresh produce sometimes and treats (like a 12-pack of Coca Cola for $15 or a bag of Doritos for $9.)

Sometimes that time in my life feels like a dream. I look back and can't believe I was brave enough to do it. But then I remember how strong my desire was to be a stay-at-home mom and I can see how it was an easy decision to make.

But I will say that looking back sure makes me grateful to be a stay-at-home mom now, in a city, with a hospital and a grocery store. Where there is always sour cream, eggs and tomatoes. I don't know if I will ever take those things for granted again. 

 ***