Hello after a bit of a blog break! We were away visiting family in Philly where we spent the kid’s spring break. It was nice that the kid’s spring breaks coincided with my MIL’s birthday and Passover this year, since we don’t often get to celebrate with my husband’s family. Joel was already in Philly for a conference, so we flew out and met him. I was worried about the TSA lines being crazy and flying cross country with the kids by myself, but they were happy with all of the snacks and tv/movie time. It was nice to catch up with family and have the week there!
March highlights:
*Joel’s dad and his wife came to visit at the beginning of the month. It was a fun visit with a beach trip, bbq, and a boat trip to the harbor.
*Getting to celebrate my cousin at her bridal shower and catch up was great! I also loved getting to see my 8-month-old niece.
*Watching Zootopia with the girls--we rarely do family movie nights/afternoons, but it was a relaxing and cozy Sunday afternoon activity.
*Reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with A. She got super into the fandom too and watched the movie, did the Pottermore sorting hat quiz, etc.
*Signing up for a new session of music class with my toddler. It’s fun to have a special thing to do together, and so stinking cute when she sings all the songs to herself.
*Setting up the splash pad during the heat wave and having neighbor kids over + a few other neighbor hangs.
*A fun Wissahickon Creek hike while we were in Philly. Such a beautiful hike and the kids loved playing by the creek.
*Lots of time with my mom when she visited and watching the hulu series of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette with her.
*A visit to the nature center with M and some friends.
*A fun date to Mothership!
*Doing the Daily 10 series--I loved always having a short exercise queued up and was really consistent with it after being sick a lot in February.
Challenges:
*March was mostly a good month; the biggest challenge was supporting my toddler through a really clingy/emotional stage. I’m hoping that being back in routine after Spring Break will help, but school drop offs have been tough, and that’s always hard.
Favorite Reads:
*The Incandescent by Emily Tesh: This book ticks all of my boxes. I love a fantasy novel set at a magical school, and this was an excellent one. Loved that the teacher was the main character and thoroughly enjoyed this one!
*Inhale, Exhale by Nicole MacPherson: I absolutely loved reading Nicole’s book, and connected so much with Michelle’s voice and story.
*Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks: This is my 2nd book by this author this year, and I found this novel of the plague really compelling. This book reminded me how grateful I am for modern medicine.
*Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. This was a slower book that wouldn’t work for everyone, but I found myself engrossed in this story of an atheist environmental scientist who chooses to retreat to a religious community near her hometown in rural Australia.
What were your favorite memories in March? What was your favorite read or watch? Wishing you a good April ahead.
I'm glad the girls did well on the flight! It's so much easier to travel once they are entertained by shows/movies/ipad games! I can't even wrap my mind around using a sprinkler right now. It is still so cold here. The boys are still wearing winter jackets to school plus mittens and hats! It's been cold spring which isn't unusual for us - but I am just so sick of being cold!
ReplyDeleteMy trip to VA/DC to visit my sister with Paul was the highlight of the month. Paul entertained the 2 older kids quite a bit which gave my sister a bit of a break. Plus we got to experience some 80 degree temps which felt SO GOOD.
I also loved Nicole book, plus "So Old, So Young" and Anna Quindlen's latest release. I had a really great month of reading!
I'll have to check out "So Old, So Young." I'm so glad you and Paul had a great trip to DC. Sounds like he is a very sweet cousin!
DeleteOh my goodness, thank you Sam! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteThe toddler years - they can be so unpredictable! But I assure you the stage will pass. I read something, when I had toddlers, that they need their "tanks filled," and so when they are clingy and needy, it's because they just need a little extra, and to give them the extra love and attention. And it truly did work, for our family anyway. My mom was of the school that if you gave them extra attention it would spoil them and then they'd be bottomless pits of need, but I think the opposite is true. Anyway, what I'm saying - from what I can remember, my oldest just turned 22 - it does and will pass. I also found - and sorry! I realize I am sort of giving unsolicited advice, but I don't mean to. I think you're an awesome mom just by the wording "supporting my toddler" - that sometimes it's all about acknowledging that kids are sad and emotional. I mean, imagine if you were having a horrible day and just wanted to cry and someone kept trying to distract you with raisins or TV or something. Or worse, telling you that it was nothing to cry about! I think it's so important to provide support for our kids, and the fact that you are doing that from a young age tells me that you are going to enjoy a great relationship with your kids for years to come. I hope this doesn't come across as being a "know it all" but I'm just saying, those times are tough, they will pass, and keep on doing what you're doing. xo
Thanks Nicole! Honestly, this was a helpful pep talk. There's such an unreal amount of change and development in the toddler years, and it's a good reminder that sometimes all they need is extra love and validation.
DeleteHi Sam, thanks for the update. Overall, March was a good month albeit crammed with stuff since we had our spring break to South Carolina. April will definitely be more low key. I have finished "Some Kind of Paradise" and it was a memorable book. I was a low reading month for me, instead I opted for magazined (ugh, Gardian Weekly, but gotta know what is happening somehow) and Hello! for royalty updates. Oh, also Substack for easy articles.
ReplyDeleteI liked "Some Kind of Paradise!" I've been reading a lot on Substack too.
DeleteYou had an excellent March. Those toddler years are so dear in retrospect, but tiring at the time. I think giving your kids the extra that they need when they need it is a real gift and will help them to understand their feelings and their limits when they are older. Knowing that we are all different, and what one person needs is different from another, that’s a big one too. My husband is a talker. He processes things verbally and sometimes it can feel like he just wants to yammer AT me, rather than have a conversation. When I step back and realize that he is trying to connect by sharing details about his day, it gives me (at least some) patience. He would still tell you that my eyes glaze over sometimes. What does this have to do with your kids? Um, likely nothing. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a great March, with two visits with your in-laws, and time with your mom as well. Such a gift. I think my favorite March memory is celebrating my daughter’s 30th birthday! It was the first gathering in a while with my husband’s family where his mom and step dad could be there, which was really, really nice.
Your visit sounds really enjoyable and I'm glad you didn't have any issues flying with your littles. That can go sideways really easily, so glad it didn't. Your March was full of great favorites. How fun.
ReplyDeleteGetting away to Florida and sneaking off to a St. Pat's party in Michigan are a few of my March highlights. We rewatched The King's Speech while in Florida. The younger girls had never seen it. I love that movie. I read The Story of a Heart in March. Really sad, but still a great story. I enjoy true stories.
Heyyyy... I think we have the exact same water bottle! Same color and everything. Twins!
ReplyDeleteSeems like you had a really lovely March and I'm glad to hear it. I think my favorite memory of March was watching my best friend perform in a play at a local community theatre. It was so cool to see her on stage!