Life Wright Now | June 2024

This month we celebrated NLW's preK graduation and flew to Minnesota for a family reunion. Both momentous events were special and fun! Otherwise, June offered summery excursions with a side of familial sickness. Hoping the bugs are out of our system and we can keep enjoying backyard BBQs, wading pools, spray parks, and opportunities to 'buzz the beach'. 

Recent Joys:
- Father's Day ferry outing to Vashon Island
- Low tide on repeat (4 different beaches pictured below: Constellation, Vashon, Lincoln, Lowman)
- Marco Polo-ing with friends
- Trampoline bouncing
- EDW's 'June Gloom' fashion, complete with her "arctic jacket" and mermaid rainboots
- EDW's generosity and kindness in helping her brothers with laundry
- CCW's enthusiasm for helping in the kitchen i.e. washing dishes and cutting fruit
- Telling CCW "I love you. I love you. I love you" from each of his stuffed animals as they snuggle and surround his head before bed
- Watching EDW and CCW be "babysitters" to my friend's 8 month old daughter 
- Daily tours of a kid-designed zoo in our basement complete with 30+ stuffed animals
- Playing "Guess the Animal" game as a family

I am so thankful NLW landed at A Child Becomes Preschool this year! Some of my favorite PreK memories include: releasing salmon into Fauntleroy Creek, NLW writing his classmate's names on Valentine's Day cards and signing his name, Teacher Stacy giving the twins high fives, daily drop-offs and pick-ups with the other parents, asking NLW what his job for the day was, classmates' birthday parties, field trips to Seattle Children's Theater, class parties, the start of playdates, and being a class Mystery Reader (along with my mom!) The entire staff lives in West Seattle which made for some fun celebrity sightings when we were out and about. I know EDW and CCW are looking forward to being sunbeams just like their older brother! Here he is on one of his last days of school and after graduation:

Teacher Stacy: What do you want to be when you grow up?
NLW: An explorer!

Our trip to Minnesota was a wonderfully worthwhile whirlwind. 17 adults. 7 children. The "echo room" half-court basketball court in our Airbnb. Handprint shirts. Good conversation and catching up. Playing cards. And a TON of food :) I loved seeing my parents and reconnecting with aunts, uncles, and cousins. I left the weekend feeling so grateful to be part of a large and loving family. It was a good warm-up trip before Hawaii this month. 

Watching | Bridgerton Season 3
Scenes with Eloise and Francesca were my favorite, but as long as there are fancy hairstyles, elaborate gowns, and quippy dialogue, I'll be a devoted viewer.

Eating & Drinking | Little Donkey & Shug's Soda Fountain & Ice Cream
This month was rather boring in the food and beverage department. Hoping to turn that around and try out two local spots in our neighborhood. Envisioning walking to Little Donkey for a girl's night or date with Mr. Fleece, and meeting up at Shug's to treat the children just for fun! 

Reading | Lark at Night by Blaze Bratcher
Recommended by the author's sister-in-law, this was our book club pick for summer, a whimsical middle grade novel short enough that I started and finished on our Minnesota trip. I'm looking forward to discussing the story along with these subtopics: debut novels, creative writing and self-publishing, middle grade literature, books with illustrations (these in particular are lovely), and more. Crossing my fingers for a bonus author talk as well!

Listening | Daniel Tiger Songs
Kid music can be silly, clever, and energizing -- Lately we've been listening to Daniel Tiger, which is chock full of positive language for my children to emulate. "Find a Way to Play Together" or "You Can Take a Turn, and Then I'll get it  Back" or "Take a Step Back and Ask for Help" or "Grownups Come Back" or "Use Your Words" or "Saying I'm Sorry is the First Step." 

Who knew something so straightforward as "It's Okay to Feel Sad Sometimes"could be just what I needed to hear on a rough day? That Fred Rogers was on to something and it's heartwarming to see his legacy continue.

It's okay to feel sad sometimes
Little by little
You'll feel better again
It's okay to feel sad sometimes

When you are feeling down
It's okay to feel sad
But little by little
You'll see if won't always be bad!

"Thank you for Everything you do" for our family, Daniel Tiger!

"Fill the world with warm fuzzies" - Teacher Shelley

-SJW

Life Wright Now | May 2024

May was filled with many mini kick-offs to summer. We celebrated annual events: Mother's Day at Pike Place Market, Mr. Fleece's birthday with chocolate cake, and one of my favorite days of the year, the West Seattle Garage Sale! We also enjoyed some seasonal firsts: releasing salmon into Fauntleroy Creek with NLW's pre-K class, hose showers in the backyard, and an inaugural al fresco dinner at our new picnic table :) 

Other Recent Joys:
- Sunny weather and beach visits
- Discovered Gatewood Elementary Playground
- Kid drawings and maps 
- EDW "going to work" with her toy laptop and backpack in tow
- Our Paw Patrol era 
- Our rainforest era
- NLW beginning simple mental math addition
- Telling "group stories" where each kid basically fills in a made-up madlib I facilitate
- Julia Donaldson books
- Time with friends
- Swing time...giving underdogs and underpenguins and underjaguars, and undercows, etc. 

One of our best family photos!

We ventured to Tacoma over Memorial Day weekend to explore the area, tour the Children's Museum and Zoo, and visit with friends. The zoo/aquarium is phenomenal and we loved Wright Park. Plus, we chose the perfect Airbnb in terms of space, location, and charm. We also took the children to Dairy Queen for the first time and had a sweet interaction with an elderly couple -- the wife shared she had a twin brother.

My favorite type of travel blends new adventures and sights with old friends, and this vacation brought us both. Overall, it was such a lovely time and just our speed. I was so proud of us for not allowing the stress of packing up the whole house and leaving "on time" get to us. Hoping to carry that attitude forward into a busy summer of travel and camping :) 

Watching | Gossip Girl
When in a reading rut, I tend to turn to TV, and with the number of Gossip Girl episodes I've been binging, it's no wonder I haven't had time to turn pages. The quippy dialogue, dramatic characters, luxurious fashion, and soapy soappppy plot lines can't be beat. Dorota and Blair scenes are chef's kiss.  

Eating & Drinking | Strawberry Vanilla Olipop
A friend introduced me to this refreshing drink and Mr. Fleece and I have been hooked. I don't usually like carbonation but it's undeniably delicious. 

Reading | Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
I love thinking about friendship so this book was a no-brainer for me. It made me reflect on and appreciate all the wonderful friends I've made and kept over the years. It also had me daydreaming of a girl's trip. 

Listening | Olivia Rodrigo
I forgot how fun it is to listen to fun music :) Great voice. Great lyrics. Great mood. 

Seeking margin and margaritas, 

-SJW

Life Wright Now | April 2024

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

Chocolate chips in my trail mix,

-SJW