Week Eight

Daffodils are blooming! Spring is coming! Erin and I held down my porch swing while we discussed life, menopause and cute spring dresses for hours Sunday. We needed a blanket across our bodies but the heavy dose of vitamin D was necessary. 

Our weekend was restful around another eleven hour migraine. This is the seventh in two months. I am researching possible connections but fear the need to invest in medical support sooner rather than later. 

Friends had us over twice for meals and we spent the weekend laughing as result. Diesel was invited to one and spent over three hours exhausting the young Aussie Shepherds that lived there. Apparently this is not easy to do. Diesel has skills. 🤨 The math on this is One Diesel can wear out Two Aussies. 

Little man has been begging for a haircut since they arrived on the island but at $35 for a Great Clips experience that is often Not Great, Lauren has hesitated. He could not smile any bigger though so I guess it was a good investment.

Lauren says the dust has mostly settled from the move. She has a laundry room she tries not to look in as it is likely to crumble. The downsizing has been more brutal than she initially anticipated. Having cupboards not tall enough to stand a cup inside has created some organizational challenges. So she often closes the door and heads to the beach instead. Living in paradise has it's perks. 

Tuesday I lamented how long the week had been. On Tuesday. Like, the second day of the week. Lord help me. The kids were wild and I needed to pull eighty of them through assessments. It was not a good time. But there were some redeeming moments and I celebrated hard as a few of our kiddos accomplished awesome goals. There is a good reason I put myself through this insanity. But my energy simply didn't match the challenge this week. And for the first time ever, I put myself in timeout in the library for five minutes while I took deep breaths. This was a much better option than losing my mind on a rowdy group of second graders. Thank God for the librarian.

I hosted the entire yearbook club today for the digital reveal. The kids cheered and clapped for one another as each page was presented. I was surprised by their reaction and loved every second of it. I'm pretty proud of them. 

Ty, the boy who represented Homeless Spiderman for years and who thought until very recently that multiple shades of the same color matched, had a meltdown before school this week because he had nothing to wear. I have to admit, I never saw that one coming. It was the day I arrived at work later than usual; caffeinated and medicated. 

I just completed my eighth book of the year and the slower pace has been a challenge for me. I prefer to constantly have my nose in  book. The latest memoir A Beautiful Terrible Thing shook me with it's timing about a marriage involving a narcissistic sociopath. A difficult discussion took place this week with someone we love who has reentered a relationship with a man who previously exhibited similar tendencies. The red flags are waving and this woman cannot see them. Standing by while people we love self destruct is brutal. Perhaps, I know why I failed to keep my head above water this week after all. 

Week Seven

This weekend marks the two year anniversary of Erin's hysterectomy. The months immediately following her surgery were an enormous relief. But as she has processed the cost and met fellow survivors, she has often struggled with the loss. Survivor guilt kicks in every now and then and she feels somewhat indebted to make this one precious life matter. Of course it does but our girl will always strive for more. These last two years have been a bit turbulent as physicians panicked over unusual symptoms and sent her in for testing repeatedly. Each time pathology was required, we held our collective breath. Scan-xiety is real and we aren't immune, despite our desire to walk fully in faith. And so she takes this one precious life and lives it fully. Her version involves Cuban food, amazing friendships, compassion for the vulnerable, drive for lofty education goals and a family that adores her. Our beautiful girl is healthy. 

The week was long and at times, hard. Ty had a week worth of makeup work to complete on top of this week's homework. There were tears. Some of them, his. Sigh. I don't believe I've been this stressed about middle school since 1986. I wasn't sure I was going to survive it then and I'm not so sure we are going to make it through this round without medication and alcohol. Greg prayed over dinner Thursday night simply, "Lord help us." Amen.

Just when I thought I couldn't love Anna more...She is ten and this math test answer may be my most favorite part of the week. 

Anna and I putting the final touches on the yearbook today. 

We were gifted a gorgeous sunny day and two very mild evenings spent on a porch. I needed every moment of fresh air and am grateful for the opportunity to open windows to usher out the stale winter air. Spring simply cannot arrive soon enough for my weary soul because this morning arrived with flurries and ridiculous temperatures.

Makenna went from looking adorable at work to testing positive for covid. She loves her students so the unplanned days off we're anything but welcomed but she is managing symptoms fairly well. 

Kate and Hagan attended a school dance Saturday evening because he wanted to go. She wasn't all that interested but they did end up having a good time. I laughed as Hagan's mom pointed out the hours he spent getting ready as opposed to Kate who pulled her hair into a braid and declared it good enough. She is anything but fussy about these things. 

Saturday afternoon I had the unique privilege of photographing a wedding for this adorable couple. These lovely ladies have been together for forty years and decided to make it official with a months' notice. I stepped in as a favor for a friend because I am not a wedding photographer. The event was a casual family party and I'm glad I agreed to step out of my comfort zone. I'm still not a wedding photographer but I'd love to hang out with this group again someday. They were a good time. Also, I kinda hope to grow up to be like my new feisty friend. She had everyone laughing the entire day. 

Lauren and Taylor received their household goods this week! They are so happy to be back in real beds after two long months. Austin is excited to have his toys again. They are now navigating creative storage solutions as they have downsized by more than a thousand square feet. Hawaii isn't yet feeling like paradise but they are still seeking adventure and making the most of the experience. 

Girlfriend Day Out/Week Six

Erin going with me was a surprise for my friends and one they absolutely loved. There were several comments about their pride in helping raise her; the first baby of our group. 

Erin and I met some friends in Florence for a day of eating, shopping and laughing. We caught up, hugged often and slipped into personal conversations in between ridiculous stories of aging and life. At one point, we were all gathered around magnifying mirrors discussing the need for them to pluck the stray hairs we no longer see. Someone confessed to a waxing job gone awry and we drew an audience as Jill burst out laughing that twenty years ago we were drinking mudslides in my kitchen without a clue of just how glamorous life would become. By the time we left that store, a clerk thanked us for coming in so full of joy. I'm so grateful for my tribe. We have weathered some serious hardships and celebrated the journey alongside one another for decades. It is the absolute best. We plan to retire together like the golden girls and have selected our roommates based on folded towels. Although one of them says she started folding hers after the horror on my face about causally shoving them into a cabinet. She is claiming towel folding as exercise. As I said, ridiculous. Of course the same one who is insisting on a very attractive pool boy for our elderly years is the same one who bought sweatpants at Victoria Secret for Valentine's Day. I have no words. 

The sun showed up on Sunday and we all rejoiced! Goodness we need more days like that. But Ty, who had been feeling rundown for a few days managed some trampoline time and I thought we were in the clear until Erin pointed out his nasty cough. By Monday it was clear he was once again sick. Tuesday he needed lab work to rule out quite a few illnesses. Wednesday we learned he has been fighting two viruses and both have been hitting kids pretty hard this year. The RSV is still a bit concerning given he is also an asthmatic, so he scored a week out of school to sleep it all off. He was not disappointed but also not well enough to enjoy himself. 

Despite all the fun Diesel promises to bring to any and all situations, Oliver is not having it. Poor Diesel.

Greg tells him to stay off his pillows. He obeys until the moment Greg leaves for work each morning. But look at how sweet he appears to be when he is sleeping. 

Our Everyplate box contained a planned surprise for the kids. They were thrilled. These silly little cookies have been difficult to locate. Come on Pillsbury, the kids need you to get it together. The holidays, they claim, aren't the same without your bland cookies.

I am leading a brand new yearbook club at school and today we took a quick photo of our motley crew. They are loud, hilarious and doing a great job tackling this year's book. This is the first time it's been student lead and I'm honored my boss allowed me to opportunity to launch it this year. We've been on quite the learning curve as a team but I have mostly enjoyed the process. I kinda like these people. I'm going to be pretty sad when they graduate from the elementary school in a few months. 

Week Five

Our grandson has tried snorkeling and loves it. He has a waterproof case for his camera and cannot wait to take it on his next adventure. He is promising pictures as soon as it is not cold outside. It's 76 degrees in Hawaii. Pray he pulls through this trying time. 

Saturday was mild enough for grilled steaks. Yes please. 

We visited the cutest little ice cream shoppe. 

We had a relaxing weekend and even slipped out for a fun double date of bowling and ice cream. After almost twenty-eight years of parenting together, we go out when we want to and no one will starve. It's a pretty sweet season. 

He was pouting because I wasn't ready to play Saturday morning.

Erin came over for her customary Sunday nap and laundry day. Only one of them successfully napped though.

Monday I saw my chiropractor for what I believed was a pinched nerve in my neck. What I learned instead was that I needed to eliminate sugar. I used to like that guy. It's been an unpleasant week since. I miss all.the.things. And also, I still have the symptoms that took me too the chiropractor; plus sugar cravings. 

Tuesday we were granted a snow day; the first of the school year and spent it wisely. We read, napped and played. It was good. 

Ty loved the ice and laughed his way through multiple slips and falls. Later, Diesel escaped the yard to steal a neighbor boy's basketball while he shot hoops in his driveway. We scolded Diesel and put him in a timeout. He was absolutely the opposite of remorseful as he spent the next half hour pacing and whining to go back outside to play with the neighbor. He immediately hops up on the deck when he goes outside to see if the child is out so he is back on a lead in the yard. Sigh. We feel like we are making progress and then he has nights he is absolute menace or reverts back to old behavior. It's a good thing I think he's cute because he is exhausting.