Life Wright Now | April 2023

April was a month of hearing my children yell "bus" and "cherry blossoms" in equal measure every time we drove. The pink and white trees along with the daffodils and tulips astonish me every year. Even though most of the month was spent in puffy jackets and knit hats, the bright colors help me transition out of the winter doldrums and welcome people and activity into our lives in greater volumes. It wasn't until this weekend that we finally broke out the bucket hats, sunscreen, and balance bikes. Three beach days in a row and a biker gang...what a fantastic glimpse into the summer ahead!

Highlights:
- Bouldering gym and Jack's BBQ date with Mr. Fleece
- Signing my new contract and receiving my Business License!
- Annual Easter Egg hunt through our neighbors' yards
- Taking a wellness half day and hiking Rattlesnake Ledge with Mr. Fleece
- Animal watching at the Woodland Park Zoo and our neighborhood Duck Pond
- The Ballard Farmer's Market and Locks 
- Eating at Pizzaria 22 with friends 

Watching | Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
This movie! It's quirky and such an iconic classic. One of those films I don't recall watching a ton as a child, but when revisiting as an adult, all the scenes feel familiar. The absurdity really shines through and I loved seeing how many scenes were word-for-word from Road Dahl's writing. As usual, we started with the book before watching the movie and have been listening to the soundtrack at breakfast ever since.

Eating | Mezzanotte
We celebrated my friend's 40th birthday with a family-style dinner at Mezzanotte, an Italian restaurant in Georgetown. They served the thickest, puffiest, most delicious focaccia bread I've ever eaten. It was an incredibly delicious and memorable meal with friends (made possible by babysitters :)).

Reading | The Anthropocene Reviewed 
Familiar with John Green's "The Fault in our Stars" and his "Crash Course" YouTube series, the premise of his first non-fiction book sounded interesting -- short essays on various niche topics that he  rates on a five-star scale. From the QWERTY keyboard to Halley's Comet and "Auld Lang Syne" to Piggly Wiggly, the chapters themselves don't always seem to connect. However, Green skillfully weaves together interesting facts and personal stories touching on history, anthropology, climate change, pandemic reflections, mental health and more. I was entertained while learning, and appreciated his vulnerability, humor, reflections, and research. He brings a contemplative perspective that centers on the beauty of our world, the impact humans have on it, and the importance of art, music, and sports that can connect us. A wonderfully heartfelt listen -- the audiobook is the way to go. I give 'The Anthropocene Reviewed' five stars. 

Listening | The Girl Next Door Podcast 
Recommended by a friend, I just started listening to this feel-good podcast. With a ten-year backlog of episodes, it's been in my earbuds a lot recently. Hosted by two neighbors living in Gilbert, AZ, they share reflections on personality, friendships, reading lives, equity in marriage, calm parenting, and navigating the toddler years. I particularly love the structure of their show -- the opening cocktail, a succinct topic with joyful conversation, current obsessions, endearing/funny neighborhood news, and the sign off of "be neighborly." 

 A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men, 

- SJW

Ebony Jones

Our dear dog Ebony died three weeks ago on March 27. She was ~13 years old and her health had been declining since August and took a significant downward turn in January. With lots of vet visits, medication, and a seizure it was a new experience walking through this stage of having a pup. I'm thankful that part is over and that Mr. Fleece and I were both able to be with her at the end. I miss her sweet face, soft ears, and Ebony's uncanny ability to snuggle into the tiniest of spots. My first and only dog -- she was a forever puppy and extraordinarily wonderful! 

Things I'll always remember:
- First meeting Ebony in the parking lot by our duplexes when we fostered her from a friend of a friend
- Lots of dog-friendly work days, PNW hikes, and dog parks
- Giving her baths from the hose in our parking spot at the duplexes
- Getting her to swim at Lake Union, thanks to a duck 
- Her love for food, treats, and crumbs
- Her distaste for skateboarders and rain
- Mr. Fleece trimming her nails with the dremel
- Watching her run in snow
- All the walks -- I learned every street and back alley of Lower Queen Anne.
- How great she was with our children!

Thanks to our many friends who watched her for us these past 10 years: Laura and Kyle, Sophie and Zach, Hannah and Burton, Lilyanna and Morrie, Caroline and Sam, Josh and Meagan, Peggy and Brian. We never once needed to board her -- she had a large fan base :) 

I'm so glad she was ours!

Cheers to all the couch curl-ups,

- SJW

Life Wright Now | Winter 2023

We seem to have turned a corner as a family. While we've always prioritized getting outside the house and park time, the fact that everyone can now get their boots and jackets on and walk down the front steps by themselves has made a noticeable difference! There's also been increased eagerness, verbal communication, and understanding from the twins. I love CCW's demands for "playground! playground! playground!" and that all of our children particularly enjoy "Costco" trips with Mr. Fleece. While we still have daily doses of tantrums, whining, and squabbles, they're offset with an ample supply of happy squeals, "positive attitudes", adorable new pronunciations, giggles, and laughter.  

Highlights:
- So many outdoor adventures
- New house decor and dining table for our front room
- Snow days in February 
- Attending their first group birthday party...sitting together and eating cake in the party room :) 
- NLW completing his first LEGO set
- Opening weekly letters from Poppa
- Watching CCW walk his balance bike all the way from our house to Hiawatha
- EDW's burst of vocabulary following her ear tube surgery
- Read-a-longs on the couch
- NLW's excitement to meet new friends at the playground
- EDW getting good at undressing/dressing herself
- Our evening pattern of race + chase + squeal as they hide and run from daddy 
- Moving the children to three across in the back row
- Audiobooks in the car during our school commutes

Watching | Daisy Jones & the Six
Daisy Jones & the Six takes a clean sweep! I binged the audiobook, watched the TV series, and have been listening to the soundtrack. I adored the fashion, the cast, the music, and the adaptation to screen! These scene packs were what originally got me interested. 

Eating | Menchie's
Besides getting donuts with Mr. Fleece, our children so rarely go into restaurants/eateries. The five of us have eaten out together literally a total of three times (Natalie's on Alki, Pagliacci Pizza, Marination). I often forget that this is something we can do together! One Sunday Mr. Fleece and I both happened to want to take the kids to Menchie's, so we made it happen! No real reason, we weren't celebrating anything in particular. The children loved it :)

Reading | The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
I really enjoyed this poetry collection and wish I had encountered his writing sooner. Surely it should be part of standard school curriculum! 

Listening | A Heart that Works by Rob Delaney
This will be in my top books of the year, I loved it that much. There are a couple of odd parts, but honestly it's one of my favorite books about parenting (that's not marketed as a parenting book) because it captures the love and devotion of a parent so beautifully. It's a memoir about two year-old Henry that dies from a brain tumor, so you have to be ready to engage with a painful and heart-breaking story. The audio was well done as it's read by the author/father.

Hold fast to dreams, 

- SJW