May Coffee Chat

Good morning!  I hope you had a really nice weekend.  We worked on some stuff around the house and had a few activities at church.  The weather was so nice which just makes everything a little better.  If we were sitting down for coffee today, I'd share an Oatmeal Hershey Chocolate Chip Cookie and an iced coffee with you.  And these are all of the things I'd run by you:

 

1 // Toddlers are wild.  Exciting and Exhausting.  

Leo and I met some friends for a play date last week and I left in tears.  Let me explain.  Ever since he turned three, he's been having lots of big feelings about everything.  He wants everything to go his way (who doesn't though!?) and cannot be reasoned with when he gets upset.  Then he's totally fine a few minutes later.  It feels exhausting for both of us.  

We were playing at one of our favorite spots and having fun until I spot Leo tight rope walking on the outside of the railing of a platform that is about 6ft off the ground.  The kids are supposed to climb the ladder on one side and go down the slide on the other side.  Simple.  Unless you're super agile, super strong and a great climber.  Then you realize that you can climb a whole new area.

I ruined his fun in the name of not breaking any bones or getting hurt and he was so mad.  He threw the biggest fit that felt like it lasted for hours.  In reality it was probably less than 10 minutes.  It was exhausting for both of us.  He recovered and played, but we were both on edge.  We stayed an played and then headed home for lunch feeling more frazzled than when we arrived.  Our friends were sweet and it was all fine-ish.  He told me "that was so fun!" as I buckled him in his car seat.

We load up and get the snacks flowing and then a stranger mom flags me down.  I recognized her from the play place and rolled down my window assuming I'd forgotten something.  She said, "I hope you don't think this is too odd.  I just felt like I had to come and  tell you that you are a good mom.  I know that was hard in there, but you handled it perfectly and you're doing a great job.  Keep it up and have a great day!" 

I'm not a burst into tears kind of girl, but I totally burst into tears.  

I thanked her for her kind and encouraging words and told her that I appreciated them so much.

All that to say - if you're in the toddler years or even the teenage years - and you have a hard day, you're still a good mom and you're doing a great job!  This encounter was a really sweet reminder to me that compliments and kind words matter regardless of how old you are.

2 // We finally started watching TED LASSO and we are OBSESSED.  Neither of us like soccer and still love the show.  We went to a couple of professional soccer games when we lived in Salt Lake City.  They're wild and the fans are super into the games.  So even with our limited soccer knowledge, we are hooked on the show.  Have you seen it??  No spoilers - we're just in the middle of Season 1.  We got Apple TV for one month to watch it.  We love the characters and the story line so far in season one and we both can't wait for the end of the day when we can watch an episode or two together.  There is spicy language and it's definitely not a family friendly show to watch with the kids. It perfect for adults only stay at home date nights.

 

3 // Do you ever hit a streak and you feel like everything at your house is breaking?? 

We had to get a new dryer.  Ours died after 8ish years and 3 moves.  It's so nice to have a quiet, efficient dryer again.  We'd highly recommend Lowes for well stocked dryers and a fast delivery and install.  Kevin ordered everything online (and of course stacked some coupon deals) and they arrived promptly at the beginning of their delivery window.  Install and removal only took maybe 15 minutes.

We also had to get a new push mower.  That was also probably 7-8 years old and an important part (don't ask me which one) snapped while Kevin was mowing.  Kevin picked out a new electric push mower.  He says it was much cheaper than a gas mower and he's happy with it.  It's no fun to spend money on stuff like dryers and mowers.  Yuck!

 

4 // I'm currently reading The Penderwicks; A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeannne Birdsall.  It's cute an fun and both kids are enjoying it.

5 // Something is nibbling on our lettuce in our garden.  We think it's bunnies because we've seen a few hopping through our yard.  Kevin bought a fake snake (that scares me every time I check on the garden) to see if that would keep the bunnies away.  He read that bunnies will dig under fences unless they're buried several inches deep so we may need to get a cage for our lettuce.  Or do you have any other bunny/garden advice??

 

6 // The big kids are done with school on Wednesday.  They're excited for the last few days of school and eager to find out who their teachers are.  Both kids have made some good friends this year and are hopeful to be in their classes next year.

7 // I spent a good chunk of time reorganizing, purging and tidying up my closet for Summer.  I took a big bag of things to the consignment shop and only kept things that I love.  It feels good to see my closet organized and ready for a new season.

8 // Olive turns 10 at the end of the month!!  I can hardly believe it.  We are working hard to plan some special surprises for her and all the birthday festivities she can handle.  It should be such a fun kick off to Summer.

9 // Kevin picked up a bottle of pink moscato for me to try and it's so good!  Sweet, but not too sweet.  If you are a moscato fan, I'd recommend the Barefoot Pink Moscato.

 

10 // Last thing - have you ever tried the DIY eye lash kits??  The ones that you apply in tiny little sections and then they last for days with just a few touch ups?  I'm so intrigued.  I have never worn fake lashes, but the idea of having your lashes done and looking luscious (not super thick or super heavy) is appealing to me.

Let's chat in the comments!!  I'd love to hear your advice and opinions.