Around Here: Week 18 2024

 {April 28th-May 4th}

Water cooler talk

Teasing... Carly as she awoke on Sunday morning lamenting, "I don't want to be a pirate!" and I told her, "You don't choose the pirate life. The pirate life chooses you!" 

Choking... up at the sweetest gift she brought home from a friend who saw her ordeal via her mom's social media.  Her friend Charlotte and her sister Mallory made Carly the most thoughtful gift bag and card (seen above) as well as two squish toys (that Carly loves!) and a beautiful lip gloss.  It was just so above and beyond and made Carly (and her mama) feel so loved. 

Grateful... that her eye has healed beautifully!  Bruising increased on days 2-4, and we kept it covered until she had the stitches taken out at 5 days (on Thursday) and then we just kept bacitracin on it to keep it moist. I am blown away that you most likely won't even be able to see the scar in her eyebrow. It's definitely one part luck and one part skill, as her ER doctor was incredible at stitches. 

Doing... chores, as usual, on Sunday to prepare for the week ahead. I sometimes help Carly unload the dishwasher, which is her daily chore, and I cannot properly express how happy organized silverware makes me when Josh or one of the boys loads it just so. It's a thing of beauty. 

Realizing... that Carly's glasses may very well have saved her eyeball.  I realized as I was cleaning them that the ax must have hit the frame and ricocheted up to her eyebrow because her glasses are fairly  new, and they have a deep gouge in them that wasn't there before. Gosh, it made me so grateful she wears glasses and that her eye was spared.

Picking... up a Walmart order that included Carly's new American Girl doll kitchen, dog food and new oscillating fans for the bedrooms. I wanted to get new fans before summer fully set in, and they were super cheap at Walmart. 

Laughing... at the cats as they were having what appeared to be a meeting at the water cooler in the kitchen. Haha!

Subbing... all week for a new kindergarten class whose teacher needs to take the next two weeks off to care for her parents. I was more than happy to step in, lesson plan and help her to take the time she needed. I have learned that my first day in a new classroom is always a bit rough, but by day two, I have some connections; know the kids' names; and have a feel for the groove of that room. So knowing that helps. 
By day three, I was in love with those kids. Man, they are just so funny and sweet and I feel so lucky to have spent this week with them. I'm so happy I get to go back for another week as well. I lesson planned my little heart out so I could have this weekend off, and I'm so glad!!!

Adoring... the way Carly writes things on the chalk board that we have run out of or that she simply wants. This week she wrote her initials (CMC) on the board so I'd know it was her who wrote it. I love that silly goose. 

Loving... the way that Carly is playing with her new kitchen for her dolls.  It was less than $50 at Walmart and is so cute! The fridge makes ice/water machine noises, the stove makes sounds and the food is all so realistic. She's written little menus everywhere and has organized the fridge. I just love watching her play and seeing her imagination carried out in real time. 

Helping... Logan with homework. It seems that now that I'm done with my own homework, I've transitioned into helping the boys with theirs as needed. I am happy to do it, and am grateful I finally have the bandwidth to do so. 

Sooooo... tired this week. I think it's a mix of working in a new classroom whose rhythms are unfamiliar to me and not sleeping enough. I am so happy to be approaching the point in time where I might have a day or two off and not have any homework beckoning me!

Feeling... surreal that I am truly done with my class and my degree next week. That 18 months truly flew by!!!

Wondering... if there is any better feeling than when the sink is empty and the dishwasher is humming away. I don't think there is. 

Catching... Jack napping in Josh's chair. It seems I am not the only one exhausted this week!

Attending... baseball games on Tuesday and Thursday this week (which may be contributing to my and Jack's tiredness) and cheering my heart out when Wyatt's up to bat. I still can't get enough of the twins' coaching Wyatt's teammates, and I just love the whole thing. All four of my men carrying gear out to the field and shouting instructions to each other across the field. I just love it. 

Riding... home with Logan after the game Tuesday and feeling so relieved to pull into our driveway. That kid... I am telling you that him and his distractibility while driving are aging me in dog years. 

Visiting... with my parents as they came (with their cute dog Bruno) to Wyatt's game Thursday. My mom also brought this amazing zucchini lemon blueberry bread she made and oh.my.delicious, it was amazing! I could have eaten that whole loaf myself!!! They also brought the sun, which was a lovely change. Every other game so far this season has been SO cold I've been wearing a beanie and at least one blanket, plus gloves and lots of layers. Brrr! The sunshine was just what the doctor ordered. 

Cherishing... the sweetest message and drawing a mom sent me from a student I did my student teaching with. She misses me now that I'm not in the classroom with her anymore. I miss her too!!! What a sweetheart. 

Sitting... on the porch with Josh letting the dogs run around while I took deep inhales of the lilacs blooming off the porch. Just the dreamy spring afternoon I've been imagining all winter.

Keeping... Carly home sick with Josh on Friday as she was not feeling good at all.  She napped twice and was just plum worn out, poor girl.

Continuing... to care for a sick girl on Saturday while we were home together as Josh and the boys headed out to the land. We snuggled and watched some shows. She's the sweetest, saddest little sickly babe.

Listening... to a podcast on Ruby Franke (the Mormon mom who was arrested recently for abusing her children by withholding food and tying them up) and feeling so disgusted by her behavior. I wish I could climb inside the mind's of people like her. I just don't get it. 

Hearing... the arguments about "Man or Bear" and feeling that it hits differently now that I'm raising a daughter. I think I could have shrugged a lot of it off if I was only imagining myself... or if I was only imagining my boys as the "men" in the scenario... but knowing that it's Carly who will be stepping into this world as an adult... a place where I would rather put her up against a bear than a man... it's disheartening to say the least. 

Ruminating... on this quote I heard from a house cleaning/organizing account:

"Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions."

-Barbara Hemphill

***

Inspired words:
(soooo many good ones this week!)

"Please, just a little longer in these bones."

Oof.
Straight to my heart.

Well, have you???

Those last two paragraphs:
"I'm not ignoring you. I'm breathing. 
Trying to find peace and quiet in this overthinking mind.

I'm trying to catch up on housework.
Trying to be a good mom.
Trying to make sure everyone around me is taken care of."

"goes back and does whatever it is she doesn't have the strength to do."

"Age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell."
Amen, amen, amen.


***

Around Here: Week 17 2024

 {April 21st-27th}

Warning: 

Before scrolling, be prepared to see an injury.

It's pretty grotesque.

Carly's friend Bracin's reaction to her injury

Reading... A Short Walk Through the Wide World and listening to Moon of the Turning Leaves. They're both really good. 

Letting... the cats help wake up the kids during the week.  It's so cute. They meow and walk all over the kids.  Carly loves it most. 

Attending... the school book fair after work one day with Carly and getting tons of books for my little bookworm.  The spring book fair is my favorite because it's Buy One/Get One free. I also worked the book fair one afternoon after school before Wyatt's game.

Subbing... four days this week, which was really nice. As I approach the end of my student teaching journey and start handing the reins back over to Ms. Betes, I am kind of sad! I love these kids and love being a teacher so much. I am going to miss it!

Sending... the twins to school for SBA (state) testing this week. I hope they do their best!!!

Chatting... with a friend this week about raising teenage boys... and can I just say, it's so so hard? It is a really challenging, heartbreaking, pride-filling, exhausting ride. If you're currently raising 12 to 17 year olds... just know you're not alone. 

Joining... the kindergartners as they visit the greenhouses at our local high school. The flowers were incredible. Especially the Purple Night Sky Petunias. Wow!!! The kids particularly loved the baby goat they got to pet. And they were able to plant some flowers for their mamas. Really a sweet field trip.

Loving... how the skin on Carly's feet reminds me of elephant skin. Elephants always make me think of mothers and daughters. Of matriarchs and aunties. So they're very special to me. 

Feeling... nostalgic for the dollhouse my mom picked up this week. It's an old Little Tykes Playhouse that is exactly the same as the one we had growing up. We had two of the baby, though, and we pretended they were twin boys (named Nicky & Alex, from the twins on Full House), and we also had the van. So many memories of playing with it. I also remember our Scottie dog, Bonnie, sleeping in it when she was a puppy. Now our old cat Molly who lives with my parents sleeps in it. Full circle.

Also feeling... jealous as Hadley snuggles up with Josh in the evenings. He's always sending me pictures of her looking absolutely adorable between his legs or feet on his easy chair as he watches an episode of TV after the kids go to bed. 

Remembering... "SoCaToa" as I helped the boys with geometry this week. Brutal for my old, tired brain. Hah!

Can't... get enough of our adorable girl. Carly got a new pair of sandals- the cutest pastel shimmery pink Birkenstocks from my mom- and a new pink WA hat from Walmart, and she's just the cutest ever. 

Hating... how people are so terrible to teachers. Any public service work (police, EMT's, doctors, etc.) tend to fall under such extreme judgment and criticism, which is tough because I know most people could never do what we do. 

Building... a shelf this week that came in the mail from Amazon for Carly's BabySitter's Club books, and I am so proud of my handiwork!

Attending... the end of the month assembly while I was subbing and getting to see Carly receive an award (which was a surprise for her) and loving her joy at being recognized for her awesomeness. I am so proud of that girl. So, so proud. 

Pretending... to Carly that it was definitely the brothers who didn't put the toilet paper on the toilet paper holder and instead left it sitting on top of the holder, when in fact, it's me doing it. Haha!

Finding... Carly asleep in her bed with her glasses and my booklight next to her.  She's had this lingering cough and it makes sleeping hard. She will sometimes read when she can't sleep. Little cutie. 

Running... to Starbuck's Friday morning before school & work and getting a hot white chocolate mocha with three extra pumps of flavor for me and a cake pop for Carly. It's always a nice treat to do that when I can. 

Suffering... PMS so bad as I've aged past 40.  I am moody, tired, have horrible cramps, am less patient and have awful night sweats during the week before my period.  It doesn't help that the app I use to track my cycle always gives me a warning that it's impending by telling me, "Your period is expected to start in 2 days!" with an exclamation mark. An EXCLAMATION MARK?!? Really??? No thank you. Haha!

Thrilled... that my graduation announcements arrived. They are even cuter than I thought they would be!

Watching... Hook for movie night with Carly.  We rented it for a couple bucks from Amazon Prime.  The boys have all watched it (many times) so it was fun for all of us to watch it with her. Originally, she thought she wouldn't like it, but she ended up loving it. And she enjoyed seeing so many things we quote from the film. ("Peter Pan's my Daddy?!", "Rufi-ooooo!", "You need a mother very, very badly!", "Lookie, lookie, I've got a hookie!", "Good form!", "Have to fly, have to fight, have to crow, have to save Maggie, have to save Jack... Hook is back!", "So Peter, you've become a pirate")

Smelling... lilacs from our lilac tree as I sit on the front porch after school. It makes me happy beyond words to smell those sweet blooms whose fragrance floats on the air as the breeze blows. It's exactly what I dreamed of when we planted that tree years ago when we moved in. 

Driving... to the hospital to meet Josh after he called to let me know that Carly had been accidentally hit with an axe above her eye. I knew it must be bad if Josh was driving her into town to the hospital (his mom lives on 40 acres about twenty, twenty-five minutes away) but I was still taken aback when he removed the towel he had on the injury.  I had to really try and control my facial expression because Carly was looking to me for my reaction.  (I can handle seizures, asthma and internal issues... but I cannot do blood.) Carly was incredibly brave, but I had to laugh when she told the intake nurse in response to his question of what happened flatly, "My brother hit me in the face with an axe." 
What actually happened was that she and Wyatt were using the blunt end of an axe to break open rocks out by grandma's driveway. The rock Wyatt was trying to crack open only broke a little bit, so he lifted the axe to hit it again just as Carly leaned in to look at what was inside the rock. This timing (her leaning forward and him lifting the axe backward) left her bleeding down her face into her eyes and mouth and running into the house to get help. 
Josh cleaned her up and figured out where she was injured and immediately loaded up in the car. His brother drove (Thank you Uncle Samuel!) and Wyatt rode with them. Wyatt was beside himself, feeling terrible about the accident. I was more than happy to hug him and tell him it would be okay before taking Carly into the ER.  

After getting her stitches (for which she was so brave!) Carly heard another little kid down the hall saying, "I don't want to do this! I'm gonna scream!" and then she screamed. She said to her nurse, "It must be hard to work at a hospital!" Haha.  She's so funny. 

We sent pics to Carly's friends' mom and his face when he saw them was so funny.  It really helped distract Carly. 
She ended up with 8 internal stitches and 15 external stitches.  She was incredibly brave and patient, shedding a few, minimal tears, and breathing deeply when it hurt. No yelling, screaming or fighting. I was so proud of her, I ended up telling her I'd buy her the kitchen she's been wanting for her American Girl dolls.  It helped her stay strong even though she was so tired by the time they got to the external stitches. 

In the end, we spent less than three hours in the ER and the physician who did her stitches did amazing work. The stitching literally looked like a machine had done it. I am praying that fine work means she will have minimal scarring. 

***