2020 ~ The next 10…

It didn’t dawn on me until just a couple weeks ago that ringing in 2020 will not only start a new year but a whole new decade. What?! For some reason, that struck me hard. Woah, a new decade! It sounds so… big.

So then I started reflecting, something I rarely have time to do. The 2010s were pretty significant for me:

  • I started them at 30 years old; I’m ending them at 40.
  • I started them pregnant with our first child; I’m ending them with my pregnancies behind me.
  • We started them with 0 kids; we’re ending them with 5.
  • I started them having no clue what it meant to be a parent; I’m ending them as a pretty confident one.
  • I started them thinking having kids meant simply adding a baby to your family; I’m ending them knowing exactly how life changing having kids is. You’d better be prepared.
  • I started them working full time in the world of Wall St.; I’m ending them not working full time again for quite awhile, possibly ever. And definitely not in that arena; once I have the need/desire/time to go back to more time-consuming work, I will be looking for more freelance opportunities in my current editing field.
  • I started them putting myself first in pretty much all of my endeavors; I’m ending them knowing how to put others’ needs first constantly, namely those of 5 very small humans who live in my house. This past decade was definitely a lesson in selflessness and humility. Having kids can do that to a body.
  • This blog didn’t even exist in 2010; now it’s 9 years in.
Just us, pre kids and carefree

So. Our family is complete. Our house is nearing completion (that’s been over a decade-long project!). We are all healthy. And I’m happy. Simple joys, but ones that are important to me.

Looking into the 2020s, I do have some feelings. And I say feelings, not goals, because that’s not how I roll. I don’t set tangible, hard goals or deadlines. I live by how things feel. It’s much easier.

  • I feel like getting to do some traveling with our brood. Doesn’t need to be elaborate or far, just exploring and seeing new places with the kids is fun.
  • I feel like getting to know our kids as growing individuals will be great. I spent the last decade, the whole of my 30s, having babies; now I’ll spend this one raising them. Hopefully I’ll do it right and they’ll be good people, assets to humanity, not a bunch of little turds.
  • I feel like these will be years of doing – finishing our house, enjoying where we live, watching the kids grow and thrive, living life as a big family.
  • I feel like getting to do some things my way, not just doing everything as governed by a baby. Or two.

2020. It sounds so futuristic, yet it’s here. The 1920s are the one era I always say I’d love to go back to if I ever got to time travel. Will the 2020s be my roaring ’20s?! Thank you, 2010s, for all you gave us. Now cheers to 2020 and the next new decade!

#thankful

The kids and I spent another wonderful Thanksgiving break with my family in Illinois this year, and every day I remembered exactly how thankful I am for what we have.

The week started out less than stellar with 2 heads full of lice (uggghhh!!!!) on Monday, $500 unexpectedly spent in treatment for that, then getting rear ended on the highway Tuesday night on the way down to my mom’s house to begin our trip (thankfully no damage or injury!), but fortunately that was the worst of it. Each day after that was great.

I have always known how important family is. You only get one, whether you like it or not. And I am very thankful for the one I have. It was so much fun watching my kids play and have fun with my family just as I did when I was their age. The circle of life!

#familyiseverything #thankful

Up Nort’, annual #2

Last month we took our second annual trip up to Eagle River with friends, just like last November. In fact, I just reread that post (click right here!), and this trip was much the same. I’ll highlight 2 main differences: This year we saw hardly any deer – quite the switch from last year, where we had to drive well under highway speeds for about the last hour of the 4-hour drive up so we didn’t slam into one, and where they came up to the patio door of our condo daily. Secondly, the pool at our place was closed for repairs during our stay this time, so thankfully they paid the fee for us to use the pool at another hotel about 10 miles away. That saved the vacation for the kids, ha!

Once again, it was a fun 4 days with good friends, good food, good wine, a fireplace, and some good family relaxing time. I might even check into the availability up there for next summer. The rates are much higher, but we’re familiar with the place now, we know that it’ll hold all of us (for now!), and their summer activities sound great. We shall see. Either way, a happy Fall tradition has begun. Hopefully it continues for many years!

My boy

Morrison has been my little buddy since the day he was born, but it’s shown itself even more this year since he started school. I like to think it’s because he misses me during the mornings while he’s at school, or maybe it’s because I miss him during the mornings while he’s at school.

He absolutely adores playing with the twins, which is the most heartwarming thing I could have hoped to happen when we added 2 more kids to our family at once. There has never been an ounce of jealousy from him or any feeling of isolation when attention focuses on the twins. He jumps in and tries to help in the ways he knows how. Which can sometimes be a little much when I’m just trying to get them to stop screaming, but which are usually spot on. And it’s obvious that the twins love him to the moon and back. The 3 of them chase each other around laughing uncontrollably, and no matter how crabby I may be in those moments, I can’t help but just laugh right along with them. The cuteness is overwhelming. And of course his heart swells when he plays with his big sisters, whom he adores equally as much. He’s the middle.

He has a heart of pure gold. His teachers have told me numerous times how wonderful he is at school, how sweet he is to everyone, and how good of a friend he is. He is particularly helpful with one of the special needs friends in his class, and his main teacher told me how amazing he is with this student in particular – always making sure he’s included and can get to or do whatever everyone else is doing; always helping him in their little groups; always sharing. She thanked me for raising such a great kid and said to keep doing whatever I’m doing, but that’s just it with Morrison. I’m really not doing anything – this is all him and his beautiful little spirit.

He’s one of the happiest, most cheerful kids I’ve ever known. Sure he has his meltdowns and still cries sometimes when he doesn’t get his way or his sisters aren’t letting him do whatever, but in general, he is incredibly joyful. He comes out of their room every morning with a sleepy, “Good morning, Mama,” and a hug for me. Except that one morning after a night Packers game where my daily greeting was replaced with, “Go Pack Go.” I’ll let that one slide. 😉 But he is constantly giggling, laughing, bouncing and skipping around, and his little smile is ridiculously infectious.

He loves school with his entire being. He had no hiccups starting this year whatsoever, and I think it’s because he was already so familiar with the place, having been going there literally his whole life. Now it was finally his turn to get to go in with his sisters, and he couldn’t wait. He comes bounding out the doors every day with an excitement that hasn’t wavered since the very first day in September. I get the best running hug you can even imagine.

He has an amazing knack for numbers that has developed these past couple months. Just tonight he counted to 115 for me and didn’t get one number wrong! He rattles off address numbers as we drive down the street; he loves sports (he just started tennis lessons, too), always asks if there are any games on to watch that day, then constantly updates you on the score of the games; he keeps track of the time on any clock with precision. It’s really impressive, and I’ve taken to calling him “Stats” because of it. But man, for a 4 year old, he is so good. He knows double- and triple-digit numbers, knows some addition and subtraction already, and is always surprising me with how much he knows.

This boy. Morrison John. My boy. For as much as I fully expected a third girl to come out on his birthday, I cannot imagine life without him as him. It definitely wouldn’t be as special as it is now. I love him with every single fiber of my being and feel so lucky to be his Mama.