Tuesday, January 24, 2023

busy week

 Another busy week in the books. While I was at my work weekend, my dad and Doug took the 2 oldest to the circus. They said it was kinda frustrating at first because the tickets were advertised as (and in writing as) a free kid with each adult purchased ticket, but it was super long cold lines outside and then re-routed to other lines to trade the other tickets for "real tickets", which they had to pay for. And finally got bad seats due to waiting in lines for so long. But, Doug said the kids really liked the show and it was a good performance.


3 cold people waiting in line.


Siiiiiigh. We have been potty training Jeanie, well, cracking down on the potty training we've loosely been doing the last year. Sometimes that means getting out of the bath to do your poop, and apparently sometimes that means having a second poop mere minutes later IN the tub. Ewwww. It's getting real old quickly the soaked underwear and pants and constant reminders. But hopefully soon it'll be behind us.


The other day I thought I was tucking a long stray bang behind my ear when I realized no, I just have several areas of 3-4 inch strands of random hair. ??? I'd heard once that when you're pregnant you grow "baby hair" and so maybe that's what's been growing since being pregnant. Who knows. But I guess it's a good as reason as any why my hair won't all be up in a pony in the back.


So apparently I need to wake up earlier. Last week my snooze habit (sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it!) Really bit me. 

First, woke up late, so was rushing to get August to the bus. Second, Jeanie who has recently been switched to a toddler bed from her crib and therefore she just comes out whenever she wants, came out of her room smelling like THE WORST diarrhea I'd ever smelled. Even her hair stunk, but yet it was all contained to her night diaper?? PTL. Anyway, then he missed the bus. I had to shower her off and get her ready. We raced out and dropped August off at school. No make up or shower for mom. 


None of the girls had breakfast so we stopped at Mc Donalds. 

And a successful potty for my girl, while baby girl got wheeled in too since we were alone at McDonalds.


Jeanie had her speech therapy and as we drove there in the freezing rain I watched a small crack from the left corner of my windshield spread the entire way across to the right corner, popping as it went and leaving me terrified that I was about to get a face and eyes full of glass. I didn't, but it was very scary.


After speech we went to do a grocery run, and as we were checking out a woman came over and said "I feel like I have to do this" and she paid for my groceries $270 WORTH (!!!!!), wow, so completely generous and such a blessing. And she just said "go do something fun with those girls". I drove home in awe and in tears. Just the night before I'd been talking with Doug about doing a family overnight at a waterpark hotel, but it was like, where do we just have $250 lying around not allocated to something else. But now it is booked! Thanks to a generous stranger. 

The next day August had a half school day so me & Jeanie picked him up, we got burgers at 5 Guys (Oh my gosh, everything is SO expensive these days, $35 for 3 burgers and 1 fry!)



And went to the kids' swim lesson


Caught them hugging mid-lesson 💗😍💕

And just back to regular work and life. I got a new vacuum, well 2 actually, and things have been feeling a little less chaotic/messy at home, which is needed. Also I'd been trying several times to reach out to people about piano lessons for August, with no responses (?!?). I just heard on Instagram about a guy Hoffman Academy who has some free program (and more options if you pay and subscribe) but one 15 minute lesson down and here is my son:


So I'm pretty excited to start it out, he seems excited and we can try this for awhile and then either pay for his subscription or get in-person lessons some day depending. There are so many talented people out in this world, it's so neat to be connected online. 

 

Monday, January 16, 2023

little boy photographer

 I found these pictures August took last month around Christmas time :)

































It was like taking a tour of our home through his eyes, haha. 


Tuesday, January 3, 2023

2023

 Oh my gosh, I went to review my goals from last year and there weren't any! Geez.

So anyway, another year behind us and a fresh new year on the horizon. 

Goals for 2023:

- Complete the Love & Respect workbook with Doug, there are 52 chapters so should be able to do 1/wk (I have seriously had this book back from Andrew days, never did it, and think it could only benefit us)

- Complete a Parenting from Surviving to Thriving workbook together, 12 chapters, so 1/month

- Date nights 12x a year, finish our dance lessons CD together, and attend a marriage conference

- Purchase a new rental property

- Use my harp lessons gift certificate Doug got me when I turned 40

- Make a school decision for our son, keep him in school or move to a hybrid/homeschool option

- Complete the 10 minute plan (I did her 12 week postnatal plan pretty much on repeat all of 2022 so I'm ready to move to the next level)

- Read through the pile of books that has been on my nightstand for years now

- Complete this prayer journal (I like it's weekly and not daily, seems more attainable)

- Transition the girls into sharing a room (after 15+ months, we need the baby out of our room!)

- Get Jeanie potty trained

- Think about a job/career switch

- Find some way to streamline cooking/cleaning/laundry???

Pretty much my overall goal is to draw nearer to the Lord. Grow closer to Doug and strengthen our marriage. And be more intentional, loving, and purposeful in my relationships with my children. (and then expanding that to other family and friends.) It feels like such a busy season of life, but when will it not be? I want to be more at peace with the craziness and not let it swirl me away into chaos, and I want to find joy in the everyday drudgery of feed/clean/laundry/repeat. I heard this song the other day and I just was crying thinking about it, yes!! one day I won't be able to take any chances or spend that time, so the time is now. Looking forward to a new year, new growth, and new surprises along the way.