How is it May already? April flew by, the way a good month does. I can’t help but think about how different this year is from last year. It’s a weird feeling to look back at photos from this time last year and miss the precious time I got to spend at home with Jona and Violet while I was on furlough, but at the same time be so thankful that I’m back to work and they are both in school.
Read on for more reflections, and for what I’m currently up to for the monthly linkup at In Residence.
Consuming: lots of strawberries, lots of ice cream. It’s all about balance, right? Both have been tasting so good lately.
Exploring: options for swimming lessons for Jona. Jona has a lot of anxiety around swimming, and I really want him to feel comfortable in the water. He took lessons for a while but never made much progress (I’m talking less about skill and more about feeling less fearful), so I want to try somewhere new that will really focus on helping him feel at ease in the water.
Getting: fully vaccinated tomorrow! I’m so thankful and relieved.
Hoping: Violet’s resistance to reading together will pass. Thankfully she is happy to read if it’s just the two of us, but anytime I try to read to both Jona and her she complains and will even leave and go do something else. I know that it’s not really about the reading, but because it’s something I really enjoy doing with both of them, it’s really frustrating. She continues to challenge what I think I know about parenting. Sigh.
Seeing: the value of rest. I like to be busy. I like to make lists and check them off. Planning out my days and accomplishing lots of tasks makes me happy, but I’ve learned recently that I do have a tipping point. With Jona and Violet getting back into activities—piano and baseball for Jona, ballet for Violet—our calendar has filled up quickly. Work has also been overwhelming, and I had been trying to do so much on this blog and on social media too. I recently realized though that the pace I was keeping wasn’t sustainable, so I allowed some rest into my life, and it has helped. I took a couple of days off work, I took some breaks in posting here, and took the pressure off myself to post regularly on social media. Rest, as it turns out, is needed.
April Favorites
Book: Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic. This was really sad and dark, but it’s one I keep thinking about. It wasn’t an easy read, but it was a memorable one.
Children’s Book: The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill. I read this to Jona and Violet, and while it wasn’t a fast-paced adventure story that Jona usually goes for, they both really liked it. It’s about a rural village in Alaska that has a hard time keeping teachers in its small school, but the year Miss Agnes comes everything changes.
Recipe: Brookie Pie. Brownie meets cookie, but in a pie? YES PLEASE. This was delicious.
Purchases: shoes and dresses. I did a little spring shopping this month, so I have a couple of favorite purchases. One is these pink Adidas sneakers, which are so comfy and cute. My other favorite from this month is matching mother-daughter dresses from Target (for me, for Violet). Lots of pink!
Outing: Denver Biscuit Co. We went out to brunch for my birthday to a place we haven’t tried, and it was delicious. I had a breakfast cocktail and a biscuit sandwich that was as big as my head… both were delicious!
What is May bringing for you so far, and do you have any April favorites to share?
