I'm so happy to be kicking off the month of May as I had some rough patches in April. Lots of parenting struggles and harder days. I long for my children to use their words, remain patient, listen well, and be calm, kind, and generous! While I remain dedicated to guiding my children toward those skills, traits, and inclinations, I was recently reminded that the baseline goal of parenting is to keep my children safe, loved, and cared for :) Excited for the breath of fresh air a new month brings, especially as we creep our way toward summer.
Recent joys:
- Taking my mom to the tulip festival
- Cheerful flowers in our yard
- CCW as gardener
- Beach outings
- Nature scavenger hunts
- Amazing weather and outdoor workouts
- Impressive kid drawings
- 1:1 time with children
- Watching the twins cut paper
- Admiring the unique train tracks NLW comes up with
- Having a happy house in party mode
- Slumber party at my friend's house complete with Gossip Girl viewing
- Double date with L&A
- Watching Bluey as I brush/do EDW's hair
- Making up "Would you rather" questions with the children
- Setting up a get-to-know-you call with another Executive Assistant
- 'Telling the day backwards' with my children
Looking Forward to:
- Dog-sitting
- West Seattle Garage Sale
- Mother's Day
- Family trip to Tacoma for Memorial Day weekend
- Field trips for NLW
- Mr. Fleece's birthday
- Finally picking up this book
Watching | Anne Hathaway
While I never read the book and who knows if I'll ever make it through the new Netflix series...I decided to revisit the original movie with Anne Hathaway. She's a gem. So much so that I've found myself watching interview after interview after interview. I've also got her new chick flick on my list for this weekend.
Eating | Umi Sake House
At this point in my life, I'm only eating out at a restaurant roughly once a month, which thankfully keeps this category alive :) We squeezed in a double date with friends on the last day of April and it was spectacular! It's hard to go wrong with uninterrupted conversation with dear friends but the delicious meal and unique interior made the evening feel extra special. We ended the night with a joy ride along Alki while playing 'Poetry for Neanderthals' in the car -- basically Taboo but you can only give one-word clues. Me love game.
Reading | James by Percival Everett
Even though I had heard good things about this buzzy book, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the writing and story. While it follows the same plot as Huckleberry Finn, this adaptation definitely conveys a lot more depth given it's written from Jim's perspective. While I don't think you need to have read Twain's original, I think it's helpful to have some familiarity so as to better appreciate what Everett does with the story, characters, and dialogue.
Listening | Sam by Sturgill Simpson
This song came on while listening to "Zach Bryan Radio" and it was an immediate share with my dad, sister (who actually had a treeing walker coonhound) and cousin -- all dog lovers. The lyrics are just so great! A little bit different than TTPD album haha!
Well, a good dog on the ground's worth three in the saddle
No matter where you're from
Been many good dog was a friend to a man
But Sam was the greatest one
He was a hound of hounds
He was the wonder of all walkers
