Somebody Pinch Me!

We've had such a good spring break (apart from one minor detail that I'm trying to not let ruin it for me).  It has been soooo good to have a slower pace.  My parents took our kids for the weekend to Audrey's birthday.  I was sad to miss but also couldn't pack my nearly 37 week pregnant body into a car for 4 hours.  And it gave Mike and I the perfect chance to pack up & me to rest up.  It worked out so nicely.  So that little break helped to start us out on the right foot.

I have been able to feel my tension with Peter lately so have been praying for God to help me love him better.  It can be a tricky prayer b/c who knows what that is going to look like.  But the slower pace this week has helped me to be more intentional to connect with him and slow down and engage with him, not rush him.  

On Monday, I was resting/napping on the couch and Peter wanted a sandwich, so I thought he was going to make himself a PB sandwich- cool.  I woke up to find that he'd made a chocolate syrup sandwich.  (!!! & part laughter)  But the frustrating part was that he'd gotten chocolate syrup everywhere- table, clothes, floor, and his bed, and shower curtain!!  I just didn't know what to do, how to adequately punish this, get my point across.  So I called Mike.  He told me to figure it out.  ;)  So quick moment of 'God, help me' and He totally did.  I decided to have him clean it all up.  Normally, I just feel like there isn't time for that.  But its spring break.  So we got the dishcloth and he wiped and scrubbed, wiped and scrubbed.  I told him that he'd have to do the laundry.  Each machine was full.  So he'd have to empty and switch each one.  I walked him through it but he did it.  Then we started each one on the next load.  To my shock, he sorta liked it.  What on earth?!

We went upstairs and then wiped and scrubbed, took off pillow cases with chocolate syrup and added those to the wash.  Later I found some on the shower curtain.  So I told him that the next morning, he'd have to take down the curtain, switch all the laundry again, and wash that.  

He is our early bird.  The next morning, Mike and I are still in bed, and he comes in our room with an arm full of the dry laundry so he can get started.  WHAT ON EARTH?!  WHO IS THIS KID?

He does the process all again and does a good job.  This is so crazy.  He is focused.  He doesn't normally focus on things besides Legos and books. 

Today, I needed him to help me again.  So I shout down from upstairs to ask him to switch all the laundry for me.  And he totally does it.  What?!  We are still working on the process and order of what goes where when....  i.e., The dirty laundry in the basket doesn't go in the dryer. And talking about washing darks and lights separately.  But he really likes the process I think and focuses.  And what good OT!  He has to climb up and down on the chair, using his core to reach in and get the clothes, his shoulders and arms to move the clothes, hands to turn the knobs.  Who knows where this will go.  But I've enjoyed the encouragement of him engaging in something that is helpful.  

King of the Laundry!

Kindergarten Registration

We registered Lily for K this week!!!

I wasn't going to do it on the scheduled day because of our move but Mike thought we should go ahead and use the contract on our new house.  So we did and I'm so glad to have it under our belt.

It turned out to be a really sweet day.  Mike worked from home so Lily and I enjoyed having him with us.  And of course, I'm sure that 'Daddy coming along' upped the appeal of registering.

 I really love them.  I love how they love each other.

 It was the prettiest day.  Temperature was nice and warm, but not hot.  We'd already done homework.  So we spent the afternoon in the yard.

 Our front yard has the best afternoon sunlight.

 Lily has loved watering the inside of the daffodils that Paw planted a few years ago.

She puts water in the "pollen".

 Getting more water... such pretty light.  Soaking it in.

 Sweet Clovey loves sunbathing!

 Peter's turn to water.

I counted this our last non-crazy weekday afternoon and I just sat there and took it all in.

We had house inspection today and will start packing up this weekend. 

I went in for my 36 week visit and all looks good.  The little boy's HR had been low at my last visit so I was anxious to go in today and see my dr.  Today it was 135 and all seemed good.  So thankful for these last weeks of pregnancy.  Altho, after cleaning up for house inspection last night, I am beat today.  My parents have the kids for Aundrey's birthday weekend and I'm looking forward to a productive weekend with my man.

Favorite Day

Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week this school year.

We have speech and TKD, then OT and TKD at the start of the week so we run around both afternoons. I don't think any of us especially enjoy it.  Altho, its fine.  Peter certainly enjoys speech and OT.  But I think he's just tired by time its TKD.  And it all just feels a little tense.

I've realized this week that I need to soak her in... its our last weeks together, just the two of us.  And I need to make sure we are in the best possible place for both of them before we rock this boat with a new one.  We'll start packing next week so it could be our last week of a slightly orderly routine.

{Sometime we run out to do other things, but yesterday we just sat at OT.  She thought we should do Sudoku.  I tried to tell her it was for grown ups, but she wasn't convinced so we worked on it.  It was good number writing practice and she liked 'taking turns' to do it together.  I did thoroughly enjoy the physical closeness so that was the selling point for me.  I wasn't able to "solve" the puzzle.}

 Then it progressed to this... fill my love tank.

  I need to work on my selfie skills to cut the double chin.

But Wednesdays are our free day.  I can feel my body relax on Wed mornings, after Peter gets out the door.  ;)  Its nice to head to sewing class.

I took in the snack today.  It was sorta fun to make them.  I don't bake often.

After school on Wednesdays, we just get to play.  It feels like we really should do what I want to do... just play!  It took a little extra encouragement today, but then they got in the zone.  Peter was telling Lily how to phonetically spell words and then Lily was typing them on the iPad keyboard, connected to nothing.  It was sweet. 

And there was some of this... 

 Then "sleeping"...

 I have time to cook dinner, and then we do homework.

We can now do it all in one night.  Which maybe isn't totally ideal, but its what needs to work with our schedule.

Doing Y this week.... making it the end, altho it hasn't gone in order.

Each week, he has to read a Y poem, find and circle all the Yy's.  

Write Y and ys.  Write your name- first and last.

Cut out or draw and color pics of things that start with the letter of the week.

Then phonetically write the word you've cut out or drawn.

Thankful for the "break" that Wednesdays are!!

Meanwhile, at the river house...

I can't believe this was two years ago!

Saturday we had a little re-do and it was just as awesome.  It was sunny and pretty on Saturday, probably a high in the mid-60s.  The sand toys came out first, then the kids thought it was warm enough to get in the water.  So they did!  Of course, we didn't have swim suits with us.  Underpants work great!  If you could hear the sounds from these pics... GIGGLES and JOY and SQUEALING (lots of squealing this weekend)!

 Peter insisted right away in bringing over the slide.  Warning: lost of pictures! :)

 They weren't excited or anything- Lily's feet off the ground.

 That face is so gorgeous.

Mom and I went to our favorite consignment shop, looking for a dresser for the baby boy.  I saw this one and it was the perfect size but old so the drawers weren't on runners.  We we will keep looking- or go back again.

 Love this gorgeous face too.

 Had to get an updated teeth picture... they are coming in... 

 This girl had a nice loooong afternoon beauty rest.  Love a sleeping pic.

 We celebrated Paw's birthday.  Although, I accidentally deleted the pic of Paw and Maw together.

 The required cupcake eating pics.

And some snuggles from this sweet, sweet girl.

For a few weeks, I've been telling Mike that the kids are having a hard time playing and pretending together.  There is lots of bickering instead.  The best part of the weekend (maybe tied with selling our house!) is that the kids pretended and played and had fun together all weekend.  Maybe it did them good to step away from our normal setting and just be together.  It was wonderful to see.

Wonderful Whirlwind

Its been months in the making.  Its been a step of faith.  Its been lists, lists, and more lists.

Its been joyful too.  And wonderful that we get to do this.

My mom was here with us the end of last week.

We finished off all the the very last little tasks... We iced the cake, if you will.

We cleaned, raked, swept, and Mike painted a floor.  We vacuumed, and steamed floors, and bought a valance that we'd lost in packing; we ate, and washed and Windex'ed.  And ran kids here and there, and painted more trim.

And we stopped to play ball and we laughed because we were getting punchy.

Then on Friday afternoon, we walked away.  One whole hour before the bus stop (write it down- I'm rarely early), we locked up the house and drove away.  Our house was on the market!!!  Woah, it felt sorta like a wedding day... the feeling of 'I've never done this before, but I'm taking the plunge'.

 We got Peter.  We got milkshakes.  And we drove to the river.  And we napped.... all but Maw.

There had been some build up.  We'd had a post in our front yard for a few weeks.  I was so thankful... and told HIM so, over and over... that with all the bad weather, snow, and rain we've had this winter, we had a week of sunshine leading up to listing our house.  We "listed" on Wed and had "delayed showings" til Friday at 5pm.  I was a mix of excited and relaxed (these two below with their foot therapy helped...), hopeful and trying to curb my expectations.

There were 3 showings on Friday night, 2 on Saturday, and an open house planned for Sunday.  That felt good but I was also preparing myself to be able to go a longer haul.

By 7pm, we had a call that there were 2 offers.  (!!!)

We talked it over, talked with our realtor, worked it out, and by 10:30pm we were "under contract" with one of them!!!.

Unbelieveable!!!

Mike and I kept squealing in disbelief.  Mike was pumped too!

It's all felt surreal in some ways, yet in others, its just felt like we could soak in God's care for us.  What a gift!

Saturday am, I read psalm 126... perfect, fitting, & profound.
It is not lost on me that this season is different that it has been.  I am oh so thankful.
My eyes want to see it.  To see what He has for us here too.  To not be lost in the rush.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

    we were like those who dream.

 

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

    and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

    “The Lord has done great things for them.”

 

The Lord has done great things for us;

    we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

    like streams in the Negeb!

 

Those who sow in tears

    shall reap with shouts of joy!

 

He who goes out weeping,

    bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

    bringing his sheaves with him.

So, so great to come home to this!!!

Clean Water

Many of you have read here (specifically here & here- and other posts since) that my cousin's (who I think of as my SISTER) husband passed away 3 years ago at the young age of 31.  

Walking through that with her has blessed and shaped so much of me.

She has begun raising money to build a well to honor him in Kenya, Africa. 

Be still my heart.  God is good.

Would you join us in helping her to raise close to $10,000 to build the well and to GO!

She is a Community Planner in Currituck County, NC and she will travel with the team to the community where the well will be built this coming summer!!! 

Read more of her story & give here:

Charlie's Well

Progress

Coming up on 35 weeks!! Only about 5 more to go!

What the heck?

We had our new house inspection today!

All looked great!

It got me super excited and helped put any hesitations to rest. :)

What on earth will we do with so much space?!  I can't wait to find out.

Baby Boy, we can't wait to meet you.  It feels quite surreal.  But stay put til close to 40 weeks and be easy on your mama!!