Mark and the kiddos are out playing on the swings in the backyard, so I’m taking a few moments to throw up a few quick takes. It’s a rare quiet moment over here . . .
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1.This is Mark’s call weekend for the month (well, one of 2), so he’s fielding lots of pages and trying to balance being present at home and being at the ready to care for patients at any moment. It’s a lot for him, but I’m grateful he does it for us. Say a prayer for us that it stays quiet at all 4 (!!!) hospitals he’s covering til Monday.
2. Our garden is going BANANAS right now, and I love it. We have a tomato forest (see the photo below of G crawling in), and they are absolutely delicious. The kids have been eating sugar snap peas off the vine and we are patiently waiting for our cucumbers to ripen.
3. I have reached the stage of pregnancy where I am just 100% ready for this child to come out and meet us. Thankfully the heat has dialed down this week, so it’s not quite as miserable. I’m beyond grateful for my mother, who, as always, is the biggest help in pitching in around the house. I
4. The book launch is getting closer by the day, which is proving to be a perfect distraction from “when is this child coming????” I’m so excited to be able to share this project with the world. The book is scheduled to hit warehouses next week, which means I’ll have an advanced copy in my hand then and can share some sneak peeks of the inside with you all.
I’m also planning on some launch giveaways of these beautiful extras that Rebecca designed, including a signed book plate, so you can have a signed copy without having to leave your house! Make sure you’re signed up for the newsletter and following me on Instagram to find out about those as they happen!
Make sure you pre-order your copy so you’re eligible for a coupon code for the beautiful coloring book that Rebecca is creating to accompany the book!
5. Our current reading lists: We are reading all the things over here. G is taking off on reading, and is loving the Tomie de Paola early readers (and much to Charlotte’s joy, she has realized she can read Hop on Pop). Charlotte’s current favorite is I Like Myself (which honestly, should be on everyone’s bookshelf it’s so good- fabulous message and vibrant illustrations). William is into animals right now, and he and Gram enjoy flipping through The Ark, a photo book of animals from zoos around the world. The kid knows a surprising amount of animal facts thanks to the Wild Kratts.
My current reads:
- Interior Freedom because I cannot get enough of Fr. Jacques Phillipe
- The Mindful Catholic, which I just started but am loving
- The Winter Fortress: a book about the Norwegian resistance and their efforts to sabotage a heavy water plant during World War 2. I’m not quite sure how I found this one, but it is riveting.
- The Fulfillment of All Desires: this one I’m listening to on Audible. When the kids are playing outside, I need to keep eyes on them, but also like to keep my brain engaged. Books on tape and talks on the Formed app are my go tos for that.
Also, I’m on Good Reads now, and am trying to learn the platform as it is not intuitive to me. So come and find me and also please send me tips or just comments as to why you love it!
6. A quick Gram update: She is definitely slowing down more, and we are still seeing an uptick in her dementia symptoms. She’s very content though, and thankfully there is a ton of construction happening just outside our house that she can watch from the front window. We do our best to keep her engaged and get her moving throughout the house. She is having more trouble with navigating her computer, which is hard- she really loved Netflix, but they lost a lot of their older shows, and Prime is just too confusing for her to navigate. But she still loves to read, and so we keep her well stocked with books too. The best days are when I can convince her to come outside in the morning with the kids. She always does so much better when they are close by.
7. I know a lot of families are contemplating homeschooling for the first time this year. There are a lot of posts here in the archives about how we make homeschooling work for us, so please peek around and don’t hesitate to send a message or leave a comment if you’ve got questions. But also, make sure you check out Kelly’s series on how to start homeschooling over at This Ain’t The Lyceum. She is one of my go-to’s for tips and wisdom on the topic. Today’s post answers 7 of the top questions she gets from families.
Never use the Q-word “quiet” during call weekend. It will guarantee that every possible patient will have every possible problem… or so I’ve heard on all the Ask Reddit threads for doctors and nurses.
I actually remember Memorial Day weekend when my (now preteen and almost as tall as me) son was in the NICU and someone put “where’s the stork?” on the board in the postpartum section of the maternity floor. When I came in the next night to see my kiddo, the ward was completely full and the NICU had three new pairs of twins!