Day 27 - Anniversary Surprise

Today we threw a surprise anniversary party for Les and Kathy.  It was SO much fun and they had no idea.  40 years is a really long time.  What an inspiration they are.  Love.

Day 26 - Girl's Night

We had tickets to the Seattle Coug game tonight.  Unfortunately the one who REALLY wanted to go, Matt, got too sick on Saturday for a big night out... So I headed off with Mike and Shannon to the game.  I met Amanda there and what it turned into was one of the best girl's nights I've had in a long time.  We ran around making friends and being ridiculous all night.  So much fun being silly every once in a while.

Day 25 - Little friends

Our little neighbor Kierston is 8 and she is fantastic.  She loves to play with Paul and Olivia.  Takes good care of them and even helps them remember to play nice.  The kids went and played at Kierston's house tonight and then she came and played at our house.  It's so cool to see them making friends!!

Day 24 - Love my babies!!

Just look at them! So cute. Such joy!

Day 23 - Reading

Tonight my big babies sat with me for 30 minutes reading books. They were both attentive, polite, and quiet. This was a most relaxing way to unwind from the day.

Day 22 - Sweet O

Olivia is a little lady full of personality. I'm amazed how many sides there are packed in that teeny tiny adorable body. Tonight we had dinner late because of Paul's swim lessons. Olivia ate her dinner (barely) and it was looking like a naughty night with a bedtime battle up ahead. Then she turned to me so calmly and said "Ready for bed."

I did not need to be told twice. I scooped her up and carried her to bed. She was so sweet and cuddly and good too! We brushed teeth without any drama. She got her pjs on with a little help and a little on her own. Then we read a story and said goodnight. It was so nice to have this special time with my little lady and get a few minutes with her sweet side.

Day 21 - Play day

Today is the first day I get to enjoy my day off in my new work schedule.  I work eight 9 hour days and one 8 hour day in a 2 week work period.  This means I get one day off per pay period.  I love this.  It means a full day to play with my babies.  I could use it to get chores done, run errands, or do somthing fun with my babies.  I love the flexibility and I really love another day with my favorite little people in the world.  Today we went to the zoo.  It was so much fun exploring the beautiful park and wild animals with them and grandma Dawn too.  I can't wait for my next play day with my babies.

Day 20 - Canning!

Amanda and I tried out a new hobby today. It was scary and exciting and fun!! And when we were done we had these beautiful jars to show for our hard work.

Day 19 - birthdays!

I love birthdays and all the fun that comes with them.

Day 18 - Family

My parents came to town for Paul's birthday. It's always so much fun when they visit.

Day 17 - Order

Tonight we settled into a bit of a routine and it felt so nice. We didn't try to do anything too crazy and we just focused on getting dinner done and getting kids to bed. There were bumps, but they were normal and manageable. There was chaos but it was brief. For a few hours it almost felt like I had regained control of our lives. That is very satisfying. In fact, I find being in control joyful.

Day 16 - Communication

I'm having trouble pinpointing my joy today.  It wasn't a bad day by any means, but there's not a moment that I felt that joy feeling fill my heart.  We're all a little overwhelmed these days; me, Lara, the big kids, the baby, matt... I can tell we're all feeling a little stressed as we transition and find our new rhythm.  I understand that a lot of this results my stress/tension levels.  All these wonderful beings feed off my energy and if I'm not careful this can be a bad thing. 

Chaos is the current state of our house every afternoon.  For example...Paul is so excited when I get home from work and doesn't have a good outlet for his energy so it turns negative and usually towards his sister.  I need a minute when I get home to put my stuff down, change clothes, breathe.  Lara needs to download her day to me and talk about things she might need help on.  Will needs a hug and usually wants to eat.  Olivia is busy playing and then immediately wants a snack.  Matt is calling because he's going to be home late.  And somehow, I'm supposed to make a delicious and healthy meal for us all to enjoy. 

So today I spent some dedicated time talking through some of the reasons we're currently in a state of chaos in our house.

Lara and I talked about a plan to help the kids stay calm and adapt when I get home.

Paul and I talked about having special time when I get home every day.

Matt let me download at the end of the night and try to make sense of it all. 

So it wasn't a distinct moment of joy, but it is a joy to have people in my life to talk to and work with.  And I know that together we will figure out how to make this work and make the chaos into fun and love.

KEEP CALM... CARRY ON.

Day 15 - Paul Fitch, friend to all

Paul's first day at his new preschool was today. These new places and experiences don't phase him. He heads in confident and excited for new adventures. He makes me so proud.

Only one girl in his class was having trouble saying goodbye to mama. I didn't see how it went because Paul was all settled and I headed out.

When Paul got home from school he was excited to tell me all about his day. In particular he told me about sitting next to Abigail at snack. And that he and Abigail were the only kids to play in the treehouse. Then he told me Abigail did all the things he did today because he was making friends.

Abigail was also the little girl who was stuck like glue to her mommy. I asked Paul if Abigail did all the things with Paul because she was sad. He told me yes, she was sad in the beginning but then she had fun with Paul.

Now, I like to think that Paul was a hero today and saw a sad girl who needed a friend. Or maybe the teacher paired Paul up with Abigail because he was doing well adjusting and she needed a little help. Or maybe she was fine and just happened to play with Paul a lot.

Whatever the reason, I am so proud of my little man with a big heart. I know that Abigail had a better day and I'm glad Paul got to make a new friend.

Day 14 - Favorite Things

Tonight at dinner we played a game I hope to turn into a tradition: "what was your favorite part of the day?". Everybody at the table takes a turn talking about what they liked most about their day. I love that my little family is turning into a little group of sharing and communicating people. It's so fun to hear their ideas and share with them!

Day 13 - I Quit!

Over maternity leave I got a little crazy and decided that it would be a good idea to take on just a little bit more responsibility.  I volunteered to manage the clubhouse rentals for IBIC.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Didn't seem like much work and seemed like a good way to get involved in the community.  Well...  turns out it was a LOT of work and turns out I had ZERO spare time between working full time and having 3 little babies at home. 

So I quit.  I hate quitting things.  You honor your commitment, that's how I was raised.  But there's a point where it becomes necessary to protect yourself and your family.  So I arranged for someone to take my place as clubhouse manager, passed on the information I had, and walked away. 

The relief and weight lifted from my shoulders felt SOOOOO good. Feeling in control of my life again brought a lot of joy.  

Day 12 - Fancy

This morning I treated myself to a homemade pumpkin spice latte.  It was fantastic.  I had a pumpkin spice via and I figured out how to steam my own milk.  Then I forced myself to sit and enjoy it and my babies while they had breakfast.  What a treat!!

Day 11 - 'Adorable and Totally Hardcore"

Olivia started her very first day of preschool today.  This is how a friend described the picture I posted of her on facebook.  This is the perfect description for my little girl.  I was concerned that she would cry or not want me to leave, but as soon as we got there and she saw all the fun potential she had a "Let me at it! Let me at it!" attitude.  She's totally adorable and totally hardcore.  And I underestimated her.  For some reason, I still see her as my little baby girl, but now I'm reminded to see her as the big girl she's growing into and that comes with a lot of joy.

Day 10 - New things

I love little babies, and I don't want Will to grow too fast... but we're entering my favorite phase.  The phase where he can use the upright toys: the bouncer, bumbo, and high chair.  I just love it when you can put a very entertained baby in one space and they don't move.  JOY!

Day 9 - Partners

Tonight I was in the red zone. I had to take a little time out to calm down and the deep breaths helped. I realized that I've been in this dangerous place this week with too much on my plate and not enough sleep. By the time I get home from work I have tons to do, little time to do it, and zero patience left for my sweet babies that I miss all day.

So tonight I asked for help. I told Matt that I'm in a scary spot and we tried to talk solutions, but none seemed realistic or doable. So, he did exactly what I needed. He sent me to bed.
Having a partner to lean on through these wonderfully chaotic years is so valuable and such a gift. I feel so much joy when I can see through all the madness and realize that this is what will help us last through the years as a strong and loving family.

Day 8 - New friends

Tonight was parent orientation for Paul's new preschool. Indianola preschool. The teacher had all sorts of get to know your neighbor games... For the parents. This was really intense and a little over the top cheesy, but deep down I really liked it.

The teacher told stories of past preschoolers who remained friends through high school or got married. I realized that in our small community the likelihood of knowing these kids and Paul becoming lifelong friends with them is pretty high. I had fun laughing with other parents and the thought of what the future might hold comes with lots of joy.

Day 7 - Endorphines!

Tonight was rough. After getting up at 4 am, working 9 hours, commuting 2 hours, solo grocery shopping with 3 kids, dinner prep, and 3- no-4 separate bedtimes, I was cranky. There were some glimpses of joy but I wanted more.

So I headed out at 8:15 after everyone went to bed to run some hills. It was dark and we live in the woods. Talk about heeby geebies. I heard noises in the trees, ran through spiderwebs, even confronted a real live dog.

But i did it. My lungs burn and I'm wide awake when I should be sleeping, but I feel fantastic! I'm proud of myself, I'm de-stressed, I got my alone time, and I'm ready for a new day!!!

Endorphines = JOY

(this is what it looked like when I got home)

Day 6 - Paul Fitch can swim!

These pictures say it all. This kid loves the water and it was so fun watching him play and do flips with daddy. My joy today comes from watching these little people learn new and amazing things.

 

Day 5 - Too much good stuff

Picking my joy for today is very tricky because there's just been so much joy and fun in our day; tailgating, Cougar football, showing Lara around the WSU campus, visiting Sloan, eating Sella's... and the day's not even done yet!

So I'll go back to where all this fun began: waking up to see the dawn. I LOVE to see the world just before dawn. It's so quiet and the sky is so pretty. Everything is so peaceful. I don't much like waking up early, but this time of day is full of joy...

Day 4 - Bear hugs

I love cuddling with my babies. Tonight Paul gave me one of those great big wrap your arms around hugs without prompting. This is the sweet spot; he's old enough to be able to give me a real hug and young enough to still want to. Joy.

Day 3 - Summer Fun

This summer I was very fortunate to get to spend many wonderful sunny days playing with my babies.  I felt bad that Matt had to miss out on this fun.  This weekend we are all travelling to Wenatchee and Matt, Lara, and I will continue to Pullman for some football.  I needed to work a full week, so I sent Matt out early with the big babies to enjoy some summer fun in Wenatchee.  I'm happy he gets this little break and special time with his babies.  I'm happy they'll get to enjoy some extra fun with Daddy.  This text brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart when they arrived in Wenatchee this afternoon:

"Made it.  Suits on.  Pool bound!"

 

 

Day 2 - Happy Babies!

Now that I'm back at work I miss my babies a lot.  And I worry about them a little.  I wonder what they're doing all day, if they're being good, and if they're happy.  Today I was thinking on my drive home where I'd find my joy or if I'd already found my joy. 

When I got home the JOY was so obvious I think I would have seen it without even looking for it!  Matt and I got home at the same time and walked into a silent house.  We listened and looked but didn't hear any babies or Lara.  I walked out to the back deck and heard some talking in the backyard.  When I looked down in the grass I saw Lara reading a book with Paul and Olivia in her lap and Will playing happily nearby. 

This sight filled me with JOY instantly.  My babies are more than happy and healthy, they are loved and enriched and I am SO grateful to have Lara here and part of our family for this year.  She is way more than I could have ever hoped for.

Day 1 - Fall beach night!

Today was my first day back to work. I was not too thrilled about missing my babies, the sunshine, and instead spending my hours inside. BUT to the rescue: Matt called on the way home from work with a genius idea: beach trip! This totally saved the day as we loaded up the golf cart and got to enjoy an extra day of sunshine and the beach as the days get cooler and shorter. What a treat!!

JOY

A friend on Facebook reminded me that attitude is all about perspective.  She used Facebook to post 365 days of love.  I really enjoyed watching her year through her posts and pictures and enjoyed the little things she loved every day, even the bad days.  We now have 3 babies, an Au Pair from Germany, and a lot of wonderful chaos in our lives.  It's easy to get bogged down and focus on the negative.  But these little people are just so precious and wonderful and we really have SO much to be thankful for in life. 

So I decided to start my own little project.

Joy.  I really like the idea of joy.  Just saying the word fills my heart with happiness.  To me it encompasses love and happiness and that feeling that your heart just might pop from all the good things going on. 

Joy is defined as:

The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.

I want to find a little joy in every day.  I want to take great delight in watching my little babies grow into kids.  I want to retrain my focus to all the wonderful things that are happening in our world. 

My mission: Create a daily blog with the sole purpose of recognizing the joy in my life. Here we go...