Currently: February
Valentine's for school friends during the first week back to school / our first date in 10 months – we got coffee and went to get Chris's second vaccine!
A lot of big things happened this month. The boys started back to school in-person at our neighborhood school. It's been such a great change for us all and I'm so thankful that we have the option to have them in-person. My parents arrived in town earlier this month and received their first COVID vaccines a few days later. They will get their second shots this week. Chris's parents are also nearly fully vaccinated. It is such a relief! My parents were lucky to miss the horrible snow storm, lost water, and lost power in Texas. Their house is fine with no burst pipes, whew! But for the friends and family still in Texas is sounded like a very distressing week. No one that I know was ever in danger but it was horrible to see what some people endured and that lives were lost.
Also this month Chris got his second COVID vaccine and we are so thankful. As many people have reported feeling, he felt pretty crappy starting about 12 hours after receiving the shot for about 24 hours and then felt great. He did say that his arm where he received the shot is more sore than any other shot he's had. I can't wait to get mine!
February always goes by fast and is a month of prelude to our spring. This is what February 2021 looked like for me...
Inspired by...
For a long time I've been inspired by Asha Dornfest and Christine Koh. I have especially appreciated how they have been sharing honestly about grief, hard days, and small joys during the pandemic. Although they have a large audience on their Instagram feeds and for their wonderful podcast, they are always relatable and encouraging. I think that's because they are both truly kind people trying to make the world a better place. Interestingly, I met Asha years ago when she attended a how-to podcast workshop that Erica and I taught at a blogging conference in 2015! Since then I've become internet friends with Asha and Christine and hope to one day be able to spend some in-person time with them.
Watching...
We finished Ted Lasso– it was so good! Highly recommend. We also watched Wandavision which was really intriguing. For the first three episodes I was thinking, "What is happening?!"
Reading...
I read/listened to some great books this month including: Rodham, Eligible, and The Book of Longings. I would highly recommend all three on audio. I liked but didn't love Oona Out of Order, Majesty, Bringing Down the Duke, and Prep. I abandoned American Dirt a quarter of the way through it (I posted my review to Goodreads). I recently started Writers and Lovers and am really enjoying it. I am loving listening to How To Be A Family written and narrated by Dan Kois. I used to love listening to Dan and co-host Alison on the podcast Mom And Dad Are Fighting when Dash and Cedric were babies. The book is funny and honest and makes me eager to travel as a family to far-off destinations when Maeve is a bit older.
Also, Sarah shared the 2021 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge with me and I'm enjoying browsing the categories and book recommendations.
Thinking about...
What birthday celebrations to plan for our April babies. A first birthday and an eight birthday. Cedric loved having a big yard sign so we'll plan to get one for Dash. Perhaps we can bring a birthday treat to the park after school too.
I'm also thinking about calm parenting and "walking alongside our children" through emotions and meltdowns. We are all in such a better place mentally and emotionally with the boys back in school. It felt like we were just barely surviving the days but didn't have the bandwidth to thrive. I think Chris and I were doing a great job parenting given the circumstances but I didn't feel like I could be the best parent. Or maybe I should say that I think no matter how great my parenting was it was just going to be hard because the boys were bored. With the boys happier, engaged, and getting more physical activity plus having calmer days myself I feel better equipped to be a great parent. Chris and I have had some great conversations and have gained insights about how to best parent some certain challenging behaviors.
I'm also thinking about how to make more time for myself. Yes, my days are easier caring only for Maeve as opposed to managing with three kids at home. But my days are still full and without predictable, refreshing breaks due to Maeve's inconsistent naps. I don't know if I'll have a 45 minute break or an hour an a half so sometimes I'm paralyzed not knowing how to use the time. When she goes down for a nap I'll think, "Okay, this is your chance! Be creative! Be productive! Relax!" How surprising is it that her nap time doesn't always feel like fulfilling creative or "me" time? Plus with her night waking (usually only once a night though, hooray!) I'm not always rested enough to wake at 5:30/6 a.m. and exercise/get ready for the day. I'm not sure yet how to best improve the situation but at least I've been able to step back and see why I'm not feeling the best life balance right now.
Listening to...
The sound of a much quieter house with the boys back in school.
Researching...
Ideas for spring break which is coming up in just a week for us. I'd love to plan one fun activity per day for the boys. I'm also researching Easter treats/presents and thinking about how we'll celebrate. Often Easter catches me by surprise and I'm scrambling to get ready. I'm hoping to start a new tradition of preparing early and enjoying a fun and relaxing spring holiday.
Cooking + eating + drinking...
We had cheesecake (from Trader Joe's) with strawberries for Valentines Day, which was the boys' first time having it and the first time I've had cheesecake in forever. Did you know cheesecake is delicious? Of course you did. But have you had it recently? Please address the situation if not. I've been enjoying preparing and eating bento-style picnic lunches using my new four-part lunch boxes.
We also made a delicious and super easy fish taco dinner using the mahi mahi burgers from Trader Joe's with the flour-corn tortilla plus their southwest chopped bag salad and frozen roasted corn with cotija cheese. So good! It's on the menu again this week and I'm excited. We also made crispy tofu with rice noodles and a limey sauce that was so good from Dinner Illustrated.
Grateful for...
Our great weather and slower days with Maeve. I take a long walk everyday with Maeve and listen to an audiobook. Sometimes we walk by the school and if we're lucky see Dash outside for recess, always playing tag. We walk to a grassy park and I lay a blanket in the shade. We eat lunch and Maeve crawls around and pulls up on me or the stroller while eating blueberries halves or an applesauce pouch. It's all very lovely and perfect. In the mornings Maeve comes along as I put in a load of laundry to wash and then I enjoy taking my coffee in Maeve's room. We look at books and she gnaws at her toys and books and crawls around.
The boys have loved playing with Magic Clay and I recently got them fresh boxes after they used up the first set. They are also very into big sticks and the wooded swords that Chris made for them. What can go wrong with big sticks and wooden swords? Again I say: What can go wrong?
The boys have also been super into books and it makes my heart so happy. Dash has loved the Bird and Squirrel books, Bad Guys, and the A to Z Mysteries. Cedric is very into the Who Was? series and can independently read the Acorn Hedgehog books.
Maeve is pulling up, biting me enthusiastically on the shoulder (Cedric used to do this too!), growing hair, loves crawling around on the bed and being crazy, has babbly or high-pitched scream conversations with us, and loves to eat. Maeve especially loves blueberries, broccoli, raspberries, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal. In the bath Maeve splashes merrily, sucks on her washcloth, and crawls around. She is deliciously chunky and soft. Lately Maeve's naps have become more consistent, at least in the fact that we know for sure she'll take two naps a day and we know a window of time when she'll go down. We never know how long she'll sleep but compared to where we were a few months ago – I'll take it! At night I don't go to nurse Maeve unless it's after 2 a.m. She often wakes once before then, cries for a few minutes, then lays down and goes to sleep. Sometimes she'll sleep all the way until the 4 a.m. hour which is great.
Missing...
Not feeling worried or awkward around other people as I have conversations through a masks. Missing not fretting over how to socialize or declining another invitation when I don't have the same level of comfort as other people.
Looking forward to...
Getting a vaccine although I don't know when that will be yet. There are lots of indications that by mid-summer the vaccine should be widely available to the general public. But I'm eager to get it soon!
I hope you found good things and small joys in February!