Around Here: Week 48 2021

 {November 21-27th}

{I finally hung my new Lore Pemberton print from my birthday!}

Thankful... that my parents decided to take Molly and give her a try at their house. I am really hoping it works out because she is a really fun cat, but we just can't have her here eating our clothes any more!  My kids are especially grateful for the opportunity to see her whenever we visit them. 

Watching... the 20/20 episode "Escape from a House of Horror" about a family of 13 children who were held captive and abused by their parents for years. (On Hulu) It was so good, and inspiring. It made me really grateful for my freedom. 

Organizing... the house in preparation for hosting Thanksgiving with 22 people! We'll be having Josh's parents, two of his sisters & their families, his brother and his girlfriend, his nephew and his girlfriend, plus my parents and our own family.  Everyone brought tables and chairs and food, and I also did my baking ahead of time (pies and Special K bars) and on Thanksgiving day I was so grateful I did. Josh tends to do most of the Thanksgiving day cooking, which is such a blessing. He did the turkey, the potatoes, the stuffing and the gravy. I am one lucky girl!

Contemplating... a statistic I read recently about parenting and technology.  According to PEW 2021 research, 66% of parents say parenting is harder than it was 20 years ago with technology being the main factor.  I agree with this completely, and often feel I am making up the rules as I go.  Currently our twins have phones and our little two have tablets.  The boys' phones charge in our bedroom at night.  And they don't have social media yet. They're begging at the moment for SnapChat and right now I'm on the fence about it. I don't have it myself and I don't think I understand it. So if any of you have it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my 13 year old boys getting it. They claim that that's how everyone texts nowadays.  I am so old. hah!

Loving... our cozy pets.  I snap so many pictures every week that I don't share here.  They just squeeze my heart!!

Enjoying... Carly and Wyatt suddenly playing Minecraft together.  They are just so darn cute, and Carly wants to be able to do everything Wyatt can do. 

Ordering... matching family jammies for all of us on Amazon. (*see below)  We have never had matching pajamas and I'm so excited about it! (I even got a dress for Carly's American Girl doll that matches hers!) 

Arranging... playdates for cousins, swapping Logan & Wyatt for Ferris & Romy.  Jack & Ferris had so much fun, and Carly & Romy were just adorable playing together. I am so proud of how far those two have come and can't wait to see their friendship continue to grow as they grow up side by side. 

Laughing... at the art Carly brought home so proudly from school.  My sister entitled it, "You Know You Have Three Brothers When..." (*see below) and Jack asked hopefully if they were gourds.  Haha! Carly knocked the suspense by telling us, "They're Christmas ornaments with hooks for the tree!" like it was so obvious.

Smiling... when I saw the set up Carly had in her Barbie house of the mama and her daughter, reading books before bedtime. It's my turn to put her to bed now (Josh is reading Harry Potter to the boys since I finished my book with them) and I can tell it means as much to her as it does to me. It's good to take turns, but I'm always happy when it's my turn with whoever I haven't been spending bedtime with for a while. 

Hosting... Thanksgiving and crying as everyone went around and shared what they were thankful for this year.  It was the most special Thanksgiving I can remember and one I am especially grateful for.  (Hence, no pictures of the day. I was just living in the moment, and I'm so glad.)
I did snap a few of Carly's outfit before anyone arrived, and one of her holding the teeny, tiny, oh-so-adorable sparkling cider I found at the gas station that was just her size.  Why do such silly things bring me joy?! 

Talking... about church with some of Josh's sisters after Thanksgiving dinner and feeling so much less alone hearing some of their stories. 

Starting... You Are Your Own after our church/God discussions on Thanksgiving, and HOLY MOLY... if you have left your church or been hurt by your church (especially if you were raised during the Purity Movement) I cannot recommend this book enough. I underlined something on every single page, and have started writing about my own experience with leaving religion (back in 2001) and the repercussions that the Purity movement have had on me. 

Watching... the kids and their cousins make gingerbread houses with Grandma on Friday.  Gustav made a snowball fight; Jack made "art" and the other kiddos made more traditional gingerbread houses. 

Sending... Carly off on her first Daddy/Daughter date.  She had said a few weeks ago she wanted to go on a Daddy/Daughter date and when Josh found out some of his students were in a local production of the Nutcracker, he decided to buy tickets for him and Carly.  So we got her all dolled up (I even curled her hair, which she LOVED) and she and Josh went to see the play, and followed up with ice cream at Dairy Queen. So sweet. I am so thankful for the dad that he is to her. She is one lucky (and loved) little girl. 

Painting... with Wyatt when I got a few hours alone with him.  Josh had the other kids out at the land, and we took advantage of the quiet house.  During that time Jack, Logan and the cousins played hide and seek out on the land, and Jack woke up Saturday with an itchy rash all over his hands, poor kid!  Meanwhile Wyatt and I painted to our little heart's content and then watched a movie.  One on one time like that with only one kid at home is so precious!

Eating... leftovers from Thanksgiving everyday, and pumpkin pie with coffee every morning. Oh so yummy! 

***

{Carly's Christmas art: rainbow ornaments}

Good reminder

I got the boys all matching (just different sizes of the same pant)
I got a long john pj set, and Carly got a nightgown with a matching one for her doll!

Looked up my name for fun. I'll take giggly, weird and bubbly everyday!

I was working with Logan on homework 

when Josh sent me this picture. haha! 

I was cracking up because homework is not my favorite. 

(Especially after 2020)

I came across this picture of the twins while scrolling the blog.
It made me think of a few things:

1) I am a badass.  I made them, and kept them alive. 

Sometimes that was really hard.

2) This picture is what comes to mind when people say to me, 

"I always wished I'd had twins." 

It's just so much harder than people think. 

3) The regrowth of my hair after postpartum hair loss was EPIC.

Wow.

4) And lastly: Dang, they were identical. 

Can you tell who's who?

***