April Update

 It seems like it was just January. Yet, here we are, with May lined up right around the corner. Someone once said that raising kids feels like long days and short years, and boy do I get that. Sometimes it feels like parenthood is either one extreme speed or another; there’s not much in between. It still amazes me how fast Adalyn and Bria can scale the island in the pantry to reach the top shelf, yet it takes approximately 47 minutes to put on one sock before school.

Since I’ve been home/not teaching at LC this semester, I wanted to make more of an effort to do learning stuff at home with the kids regularly (You know, so they don’t grow up saying words like ‘stuff’ in their blogs). I would love to be one of those moms who comes up with amazing developmentally-appropriate learning games on the spot with an endless fountain of structured-play ideas, Pinterest knowledge, and one of those cleverly-organized, always-stocked craft supply areas, but alas, I am the mom with half a box of macaroni and glue that we gleefully glob on the back of a cereal box and call it a sensory win.

So, in efforts to step it up, we wrote down a bunch of different learning-ish crafts, science experiments, games, and other kiddo activities, put them on folded up pieces of paper, and every day, we draw one out of my old Winnie The Pooh mug. So far, favorites seem to be making fake snow, egg carton flowers, scavenger hunts of any variety, milk magic and of course, the ole classic, rainbow macaroni art. We have had our flops too; turns out Pinterest lies about how fun some of these are. Salt drawing is pretty boring (spreading it on a tray and drawing pictures in it) and Lego math is yet to be enticing (the Lego love level Must change), but overall, the new routine has been fun! If you parents and teachers have other ideas that are my speed, pass them on for the Pooh Cup!

Other favorite things for Addie currently include anything Moana, cooking, doctoring, imaginary play, Simon Says, I Spy, writing letters, ‘doing science,’ and asking why about every possible thing that could be pondered in every possible way (Uncle Jordan’s answer to why some rocks sparkle is Epic). She still enjoys destroying neat spaces, unloading clothes, changing 400 times a day, and inventing games with rules I have yet to figure out.   

Bria is going to be two in May. This blows my mind. Favorite things include: bubbles, walking Wallie or any creature [read: Grace] attached to a leash, storytimes, reading, galloping in circles, tag, and Elmo. She loves the water, eating sunflower seeds, and expressing her opinions in a patient, quiet and coherent way (lolz). She knows her colors, as long as anything can be either blue or purple. She can count to one, many times (oooone… ooooone….oooone!), identifies diggers from miles away, and sings songs like Bob Dylan (Actual words are optional, ongoing-mumbles encouraged). She’s not as shy as Addie and in many ways is fearless; however, she remains terrified of elevators, bowling balls and lawn mowers.

Both girls are currently doing gymnastics. For Adalyn, this means actually doing some gymnastics, which is cool. For Bria, this means yelling “NASH-TICS,” jumping often and touching toes to do somersaults wherever possible, including in the wave pool at Great Wolf Lodge.

As for Sheaff and I, Sheaff survived another tax season, and I survived Sheaff surviving another tax season. Our accomplishment of Spring was growing grass in the front of our yard where dirt and/or mud has reigned the last few years. Domestic bliss, I tell you. I start teaching at LC again in the Fall, with a new Health Writing course I’m pumped about! We also played like kids at said-Great Wolf Lodge trip, and may have done every slide there. 

Missing Abram is hard, especially in March and early April when we expected him to be born. Some days feel very back-to-normal and fine; some days the pain still catches me by surprise, either sharp or aching or just there. I suppose we’re still learning how to grieve for him.  Sharing the scrapbook of ‘his story’ with the aunts at Easter had me in tears; the wave of grief that we weren’t able to pass around our new baby with all smiles and coos, burp clothes and blankets, but yet, so grateful for a warm and loving family who looked at every page of the scrapbook, and touched his ultrasound pictures with smiles, and treasured the memories we do have of him.  Every day I am reminded that he is so loved.  We’ve got quite the village.

We have planted multiple trees now that bring comfort every time I see their green boughs and leaves and reminders of his spirit. We’ll be welcoming Ty and Casey’s little guy into the world in June; I know holding that sweet boy will pull on our Abram heart strings, but I know there will be so much joy, and a little piece of that joy for me will always be how his and Abram’s stories started together. And Adalyn of course reminds us every time we look up at night that Abram’s there in the stars, showing us which one she knows is him.

At any rate, as always, we have much to be thankful for, much to love, and much to look forward to. Trips, pool days, playgrounds; the routine chaos continues. Stay tuned to see what these goofy hooligans bring to our adventures next.