I don't consider myself someone who experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder, but every time spring rolls around, I'm reminded how my body relaxes with sunshine and clear skies. Al fresco meals, evening walks, and neighborhood blooms are inherent mood-boosters! Perhaps my nervous system is also settling into the fact that parenting has felt less rocky and bumpy than it has in the past. Between shifting schedules, growing kids, and heartfelt sendoffs, this season has been full of meaningful changes. My dad always said, "things will get easier as they get older," and that has finally felt true—haha!
This spring, we started soccer for NLW and had incredible weather for all his practices and Sunday games. The combination of knowing one of the coaches, half the team, and living around the corner from the field made it an easy "yes" for our first foray into kid sports. We loved cheering on his team from the sidelines and watching him gradually improve throughout the season.
Another big change to our weekly rhythm included Friday drives to Seattle Children's Hospital for CCW's speech therapy. Breanne has been an incredible SLP and CCW has responded really well to the games and activities she sets up. He can now say his sister’s name accurately—those double Ls were tricky!
Earlier this month, we said goodbye to our incredible nanny—words cannot express how wonderful she has been for our family! Witnessing her ability to facilitate such an engaging at-home preschool using the Busy Toddler curriculum, has confirmed my belief in the power of early childhood education. Our children did 100x more arts and crafts, baking, counting, and early literacy games, than I would have mustered on my own. I feel extremely fortunate that we essentially had a personal tutor for each of our kids, along with the benefit of her two daughters as dear playmates. While it's bittersweet to close this chapter, I am so excited for EDW and CCW to enter a traditional pre-K class this fall, and all the growth that will come with it!
Other highlights include:
- West Seattle Garage Sale (and getting a whole new living room)
- Continuing to nest in and decorate our home
- Brunch with friends
- Backyard BBQ with friends
- "Home school" days with EDW and CCW, and in general, getting more time with just the two of them
- Cousin Katie coming to visit
- Playing The Quacks of Quedlinburg board game
- Peonies the size of a dinner plate
- Viewing Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei at Seattle Art Museum
- Twins upgrading from balance bikes to pedal bikes and learning how to slide down the firefighter's pole at the playground
- Day trip to Southworth + Scenic Beach State Park
- Kindergarten concert and celebrations
- EDW wearing scrunchies as ankle bracelets <3
- NLW saying "No way to say no" when I ask him to clean up
- CCW asking for "a book that no one can join in" every evening at bedtime
- Celebrating Mother's Day at Pike Place Market—keeping with tradition
- Celebating Father's Day exploring Eastlake
-Teaching my children how to play Solitaire
Less toddler and more kid,
-SJW
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