May is one of my absolute favorite months. It’s when spring really seems to arrive here in Maine. It’s also Mother’s Day and my birthday! Sometimes we joke that it is the month of Julie.
General review
May started off with strep throat…for me. It was incredibly miserable. Thankfully, my mom was able to take a few days off of work to take my girls. I was fairly incapable of “mommy’ing.” It also goes to prove that moms take care of their kids, no matter how old they get. May did get better. Matt took the girls and went to his parents’ house for a night and a day. The night was a surprise. He had planned on the day as I had a meeting for Thirty-One consultants. It was so nice to get so much sleep! The Thirty-One meeting, called Celebrate and Connect, was also awesome. We got a sneak peek at some of the new prints coming out this summer. (If you want to check them out, hop on over to my Facebook customer group.)
Mother’s Day went as most Mother’s Days do. I think there is some unwritten rules that kids must be cranky and overtired that day. However, that aside, it was a nice day that ended with our annual free ice cream. I love that part! My birthday is during Memorial Day Weekend. I took the entire weekend off from cooking! Best decision ever. We also did some much needed work on the house. Some boring but important things like relocating the stink pipe and finally getting the bathroom fan vented properly.
The exciting thing was getting a new kitchen window. The one that was here when we moved in 8.5 years ago was a weird size and high up on the wall. I had to stand on a chair to see out of it. To watch the girls playing in the backyard, I either had to go into the bathroom or out onto the deck. It’s so nice to actually look outside! And sooooo much more light. I’m loving it! Wish we had gotten to this sooner but my dad found an amazing deal on the window.
Money review
Which leads us to the money review. Most of the windows I was looking at that size (42″ by 43″, huge and odd size) were close to $300. He found one for $140! It is a single hung not double hung (which means only one side opens but that’s totally fine). Even the single hung ones I was finding were over $200. So thankful for my dad and his carpentry skills. He ran his own remodeling business when I was a kid so he knows how to get the things I need.
I did spend a bit much on groceries this month but I’m getting the freezer restocked with meats, ice cream, frozen blueberries, etc. I am looking forward to later this summer when our high bush blueberries and our wild blueberries are ready.
Motherhood review
I’m pretty sure I’m going to be dealing with “toddler hurricane” for a while. Even when she’s not a toddler anymore, I feel like “hurricane” will still be her default setting. It’s very tiring but every kid is different. She is so much fun but also so much work! She is my intense kid and probably always will be.
We are done formal homeschooling for the summer. I know some homeschoolers go year-round but we follow a little closer to the public school schedule. It makes it easier for playdates and such. We will do some minor workbook work a couple days a week and lots of reading, just to keep her from regressing.
I have definitely come to realize that motherhood joys and struggles ebb and flow. Or maybe it’s more like a roller coaster. Sometimes it’s easy and I have plenty of time to get the things done I want and need to. Other times I’m fitting my entire day into a two-hour nap window. I’m currently in a season of “everything into a two-hour nap window.”
Those of you who receive my email newsletter found out this morning that I will be taking a step back this summer. Less social media time, less blog posts, no emails. A large reason is that motherhood is taking up more of my time than it did six months ago. My toddler needs my attention now. I need to not feel pressure that I have work to do when I’m with her or feel guilty that I should be with her when I’m working. I am also spending more and more time on my Thirty-One business as I’m still in the process of building it.
I’ll be around but less than normal. Have a great summer and find some time to slow down and enjoy it!
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