Currently: April
Holy moly, April was FULL! From our anniversary on the first all the way through Chris's weekend away with guy friends in Scottsdale towards the end of the month, every week was a lot. Plus Chris had extra work commitments and some late meetings, the boys had two days off of school, we hosted Easter brunch and a family happy hour, and I hosted a girls' movie night out. I'm ready to take a breath and have a little less on the calendar.
Of course now we're staring at the last few weeks of school plus we're planning to be away for the whole month of June. But at least Chris's schedule is easing up so it feels like we can take on tasks as a team, or divide and conquer more than when he was really busy. Given how busy April was I didn't make as much progress on my goals as I'd hoped but that's life. Here's how I did:
+ Finish writing and publish Maeve's birth story. Nope! I didn't have much writing time at all and not the lengthier time I need to finish this. It's okay, it WILL get done eventually.
+ Tidy up my phone photos and catch up on sharing photos with family. Yes! I used time while I was waiting to give blood to go through photos, choose favorites, and delete duplicates. This was satisfying to take care of; I love keeping family and friends in the loop with the kids. Plus I backed up all my photos to Google and deleted over 1,000 off my phone. Very satisfying.
+ Start tracking my cycle on paper. I printed a calendar but did not write one thing on it. Even though I thought of it often!
+ Finish setting up the Toyota app on my phone. When I sat down to write this blog post this was not done and I thought this really is something that I can take care of. WELL, friends. I spent THIRTY minutes on the phone with Toyota only to figure out that since Chris already had the app set up I'm going to have to log in as him because only one person can have remote access. Which I find very frustrating. All of this is very riveting I know but I just want you to know how much effort I put into checking off this goal. Now when I turn on the car remotely this summer and hop into a not-as-hot-as-the-sun seat I will know that all those minutes of listening to hold music were worth it.
+ Make progress on our 2021 family photo book. Nope. I really enjoy working on this project so as life becomes a bit less busier it will be easy to jump back in and finish.
+ Make some summer plans for the boys. I made progress on this! I booked a half-day camp for four days for both boys with good friends of theirs and am feeling good about that. Plus I booked Dash for a week-long soccer camp that meets for a couple hours a day (inside!). I think if we find just one more activity for Cedric then I'll feel good about our summer structure. During the summer while we're in Gilbert, Maeve will continue her three-days-per-week daycare schedule. Overall, I'm feeling good about our summer structure!
Also in April...
Celebrating 2 and 9 with at-home parties, confetti cake, and a bigger friend party for Dash complete with a homemade Minecraft cake, all organized by Chris including the cake.
Watching our front yard palo verdes trees fill with yellow blossoms and then our front yard become blanketed in gold.
Playing in a bin of soapy water with scrubby brushes in the front yard shade with Maeve.
Recharging and connecting with Chris during an anniversary weekend overnight staycation in downtown Phoenix.
Eating our fill (and then some) of the best french toast casserole with salted corn flakes on top.
Grappling with the news about the potential Roe v. Wade decision and what it will mean for women in our country, especially poor women and women of color. When I feel overwhelmed, heartbroken, or enraged – or all of the above – I always feel better and more grounded after listening to Pantsuit Politics and it is true this time too. I also really, really appreciate their episode from the archives all about their personal views on abortion and think that anyone, no matter your views, will appreciate the nuanced conversation.
Looking ahead to the summer and fall and finding lots to look forward to. We leave for Eau Claire in three and a half weeks – whoa!
Appreciating that life is feeling more normal and settled than it has in a long time.
I like the way Tom Cruise is photo bombing.
Laughing so hard while watching The Lost City along with 13 girl friends who joined me for a movie night.
Going on a family date to The Pemberton in downtown Phoenix which is a city block of food trucks, shady places to hang out, and large works of art. It feels easier to take Maeve out and about places than the boys were at her age which is quite nice and makes me want to plan more family adventures.
Planning out our flooring project. We'll be ripping up carpet and prepping the floor underneath. Plus we'll be tearing our all our baseboards. Then we'll be laying vinyl plank flooring throughout the entire house. Where we have tile the new flooring will go right on top. Chris is our contractor (although we're exploring getting some help as well) and I'm so appreciative of him taking on this big project.
Mentally preparing to live in a construction zone for a few weeks. It'll be so worth it! (Which is what I'll need to repeat to myself.)
Making a weekly batch of pecan pie energy bites because they are so dang good! Cedric and Maeve also like them and I'm always thrilled to find a filling snack that the kids will eat. Have I already mentioned these one million times? Sorry/not sorry!
Sharing an important conversation about white privilege on The Girl Next Door Podcast that I would love to invite you to listen to.
Ordering summer clothes for the kiddos from Primary, Target, and Old Navy. Plus Native shoes which I love for the boys during the summer, and some Native knock-offs for Maeve from Target.
Reading my one-line-a-day journal from this time last year and remembering how hard Maeve's naps were, how little time I got to myself, and how far away having consistent childcare was. That was HARD. My days feel really full right now and I don't feel on top of life in the way I want but it's not hard like it was a year ago. I am thankful.
Loving the ages of the kids right now: 2, 7, and 9. These are the days.
Wrapping this up and wishing you a lovely Wednesday!