It’s finally time for a 5 for Friday! My Fridays look a little different these days during deployment because weekends are far less relaxing as a solo parent of three little ones, but I’m still so grateful for the end of a work week and spending more time with my boys. Mieke is still home with me until early June, so I relish my weekends full of both Spencer and Porter’s infectious energy – as hard (and as tiring) as it may be.
I’ve been trying to stay pretty positive through all this chaos, but if you follow me on instagram, you probably saw I had a rough day yesterday. I think it’s important to share those, both for my own catharsis and for others who may be going through or feeling similar emotions. To all those who offered insight, wisdom, kindness, and love, I truly can’t thank you enough! So, today, I’m sharing 5 things making me happy during this hot PNW spring…
1 // Amazing teachers – It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and I, for one, am so grateful for all my boys’ teachers and caregivers at their preschool. They love them, care for them, teach them, and offer them a semblance of normalcy during this deployment that they might not otherwise have. For that, and a million other reasons, I’m so grateful and happy that we have them in our lives.
2 // An ENT Appointment for Porter – This has been a long time coming. He was diagnosed as failure to thrive at his last appointment, and he’s only in the 8th percentile for weight, and 24th for height. He has constant sinus infections and eye issues. I’m hopeful we can finally get to the bottom of this because my mama heart tells me it’s all connected.
3 // Warmth & sunshine – You guys…it warmed up out here…fast! It’s going to be near 90 today, and while I’ll admit that’s probably too hot too soon, I’ll take it. After a cold and nearly unbearably drizzly spring, this warm weather and sunshine is so welcome for all of us.
4 // Mieke is getting bigger & more alert – It’s a double-edged sword, of course! Each change means she’s getting a little bigger and a little older. It makes things easier, but it means time is flying. That said, I love watching all these changes and seeing the boys interact with her. The fun is just starting!
5 // We booked our South Africa trip – We’re going for Christmas again this year, and we can’t wait! We got an incredible deal on our tickets (in large part due to some of Kait’s amazing tips!), and we pulled the trigger. It’s after Ryan’s deployment, of course, and it gives us something to look forward to.
For now though, I hope you all enjoy your weekends. And to all the mothers out there…I hope you are celebrated as much as you deserve this Mother’s Day! Love to all of you.
