Currently

  

 

Relaxing with family and friends last weekend over the Memorial Day holiday.  We spent most of Sunday at Prince Gallitzin campground with our friends, the Stifflers.  We had a great day and the kids are already asking when we can go camping with Maggie and Tommy again.  They rode bikes and even went swimming in the water despite it being freeeeezing.  It was such a nice day and sort of a tradition now that it's the second year in a row we've spent Memorial day Sunday with them (thanks guys!!) Then it was a big family day on Monday where we got to enjoy double cookouts; at each of the grandparents' houses.  Good food, people that love us, and beautiful weather - yea, pretty darn good weekend.

Crossing off items on my 100 small things list!  My baby sister, Tasha, and I ran in the Path of the Flood 5k last Saturday (item# 73) and, duh, our Dominican vacation (item #28).  Because my sails are low on wind for the 2014 yearbook, I jumped into completing item #56 Make the Hawaiian vacation photo book for the kids.  It's much shorter and sort of fun to go all the way back to 2009 when we only just discovered we were pregnant with our first baby.  I'm nearly done with the book already (only two pages left!) and I'll be happy to add it to our kids' collection of travel books and also cross it off the 100 small things list!

Reading Their Eyes Were Watching God and still loving it but a little sad it's almost done.  However, I'm so excited for the official announcement of the book club that I'm co-hosting with Ashley and Shelly starting June 1!  Stay tuned if you're interested in reading, being inspired, and breathing fresh air into your mind and life!

Delighting in watching our caterpillars grow each day!  Aunt Kitty got the kids the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden and our caterpillars arrived last Saturday.  Now only a week later, they are making their way to the lid to start to build chrysalis.  The kids (and let's be honest, B and I too!) are all so excited to see them each morning and talk about how they've grown and changed.  Nature is seriously the coolest.

Basking in the warmer weather.  We had our first outdoor dinner this week and the kids got to do a little redneck swimming in giant tubs since our baby pool didn't make it out alive last summer (add that to the shopping list!)  Brandon and I are back into our yearly disagreement about central air again.  He thinks since we have it, we should take advantage of it but I firmly believe that it builds character for our kids (and us) to be a little uncomfortable sometimes.  If it's hot outside, I want to know it when I'm in the house - I don't like the sterile feeling of a cold house and then you go outside and it's like, 'what?! it's summer, but I was just so cold in there?!' This week when I mentioned that I was too warm at night he said, "Ya know, I heard they make these things now that you can turn on in your house to make it cooler.  I think they're called air conditioners, we should get one."  he's HILARIOUS.

Awaiting Violet's first official crawl, gah, she's right there and I'm half excited and half bummed.  She's doing a lot of rocking, a lot of the knees-to belly-to knees-to butt movement (which is actually giving her quite a range of motion around this place) but no real crawling as of yet.  No hurry, little bug, Momma is fine with you not crawling just yet, hah!

Collecting items from every room and every space in our house of all the things that need.to.go.  It has been feeling increasingly suffocating looking around and feeling like all I see is junk.everywhere.  Too.much.stuff.  My inside voice is on a loop of repeating: 'get rid of all the things.' We are working on throwing broken things out (Maniacal Mom with a Garbage Bag is what makes children's nightmares, no?) and collecting other things that we are going to sell in an upcoming yard sale.  It's extra frustrating because we have lots of crap that we don't need, but also items that we need but have recently become busted....like the microwave (week 3 without it) and a grill (waaaah, grilled summer goodness, I miss you).  Serenity, now.  for real.  also #firstworldproblems in a big big way.

This week in interesting internet:

Cried my eyes out about this blogpost from Scary Mommy about the only regret of not having a daughter.  I know, I have a daughter, what's the deal, right?  I'm just so grateful to get to do the things the talks about.  Crying forever.

Discovered the Crystal Knows application and it blew my freaking mind (thanks Alana!).  Like brains exploded on the walls of my house.  It searches the public sphere to decide how to communicate with people in the most empathetic way (ie. in the way they best respond to).  It would be super helpful for businesses , especially if you're trying to sell someone something.  Looked myself up and it was spot on.  "It is natural for Tabitha to become offended by a borderline joke."  "In email always include a greeting and closing."  "Tabitha does not do well with blunt constructive criticism".  insanity.  #whoiswatchingme?

Crying some more over this makeover for a soon-to-be-wed couple.  Really emotional in a bizarre way to think of all the life and memories that is shared with your someone.  I just really love when life gets all smooshed down like that - to see the grand scope in only quick clip (movie montages are my favorite)  Brandon and I both agreed we'd love to have it done.  Also, dying laughing about the husband's reactions to his own make-up every time.

Feeling super inspired by Tess Holliday this week and her promotion of self-love.  I think I have fairly positive self body image on the spectrum of self-body image of all women everywhere(?) but as I was explaining to B this week, even despite that - when I'm looking in the mirror my internal dialogue is not particularly nice.  I mean it's not like I'm beating myself up but it's usually not any way I'd talk to a friend either.  Tess is honest to goodness flipping beautiful and somehow she reminds me that I am too.  Just the way I am right now in this second.  Even though I could be more in shape and I could eat better and blah blah blah.  That doesn't make me less beautiful than I am right in the very now.  I don't know how to explain it, but Tess Holliday helps me remember that I'm pretty right now and it's not like I have to hold out to be pretty someday in the future when I take better care of myself.  Anyway, I love her for that.