When I worked at College Possible Portland, a nonprofit that helped low-income high schoolers get into and graduate from college, we often ended the week reviewing the ups, downs and what we’d change. Allow me to steal the format for today’s blog!
Ups
Swimming It’s still blazing-hot hereabouts, so we went swimming in the Clackamas River at Milo McIver State Park (yes, still one of our favorite places to be!). Peeper is her happiest in water, and I’m carrying a 38-week-old furnace, so splashing in the river was pretty much the best.
Peeper’s birthday party We didn’t throw a party for Peeper’s first birthday and I knew I wanted to do a little something this year. I considered canceling it (see the downs below) but am so glad I didn’t. Peeper and her friends had a wonderful time painting and playing in the water, and we got to properly break in our newly fenced front yard! More about the party in a later post.
Seeing family Much of my side of the family came in for Peeper’s birthday party, and I’m always grateful when the Ryans are around! After the party we watched the U.S. women’s soccer team beat Japan (in style!), eat pizza and play video games. As we drove away from my brother’s house, I was overwhelmed with the wish that we’d all live near each other permanently. My brother recently moved to Portland, so that leaves only two more siblings to get down here!
This up was a little bittersweet, though, because Eric’s parents were meant to have arrived this weekend, too. They had to delay their trip out to deal with some health stuff (good thoughts/prayers/internet love to my mother-in-law much appreciated!), which is important and necessary, but we still missed them. In fact we re-sang Happy Birthday to Peeper so we could record it and send it to them! Peeper didn’t mind. 😉
Downs
Fireworks Ah, the holiday my noise-phobic toddler and high-anxiety dog love the most! Happy 4th of July! Call me a grump, but I hoped every single boom was the last. We will not be spending Independence Day in town next year. You can find us running away to the mountains somewhere fireworks are illegal.
No sleep Ironically, Peeper slept a few hours through the fireworks and woke up shortly they were finished—and wouldn’t go back to sleep. It was horrible. She hasn’t had a night like that in… oh, a year and a half? We finally left her to cry herself to sleep and she passed out around 5:30, a half-hour before I’d set my alarm to prepare for her party.
Eating struggles I should apologize to all my friends who have to hear the latest tale about how Peeper just doesn’t eat. Not that she’s picky in a I’ll-only-eat-chicken-nuggets kind of way, but in the sense she’s completely uninterested in food. It was worse than usual on Saturday, which led to my redefinition of a meal on Sunday because hey, at least Ritz peanut butter sandwiches and ice cream are calories!
Change
Here’s where I mess up the format. I wouldn’t change anything (except maybe the fact I got 2 hours of sleep on Saturday). Every experience, both good and bad, shapes me as a person and a mother. I learn from some of it (leaving town on the 4th!) and revel in the rest (treasuring the memory of Peeper “getting the baby wet” in the river).
How about you? How was your holiday weekend?
I am totally with you on the noise thing. No more, please. I have a rescue pup that takes to hiding on my head and under my hair while the “festivities” carry on. I love the shot of you and Peeper! You are just about the CUTEST bikini-clad furnace holder I have ever seen 😉 Many good vibes/prayers coming your way for your mother-in-law. Cheers, friend!
Thank you so much! And maybe we should start an anti-fireworks movement—I know a lot of people (and dogs!) who would be into it.
That picture of you two in the river is so amazing! And I love your attitude about not changing anything. And wow -38 weeks in this heat. Hang in there!
Thanks Ali! Having AC is definitely a lifesaver. That and a toddler who loves to pour water on me. 😉
I like the Ups and Downs format, and the positive perspective you have on all of it. Sending positive healthy thoughts your mother-in-law’s way!
Thank you Marlynn! I know she’ll appreciate it.
I too like the Ups and Downs format, and you seem to have badly needed the getaway to cool off in the river to cool off your baking oven! With the heatwave continuing this weekend, I’m sure you’ll be checking out more places to keep Peeper happy in the water!
Absolutely! Water is a part of just about every day’s plan.
Love your “change” observation. As Beth Orton says, regrets are “just lessons we haven’t learned yet.” 🙂 And I’m so with you on fireworks! I never liked them anyway, expensive and loud and wasteful and polluting and all that, but we are dog/chicken-sitting this month – poor things were just freaked.
Animals just can’t hang with the fireworks! The dog I was watching hid in the tiny space under our bed and I couldn’t get her out for anything. Poor thing.
Sounds overall like a good weekend though. I love your “change” piece on accepting both the ups and downs, enjoying the good and learning from the not so good. And seriously that watering hole looks amazing!
It’s our favorite! It has a sandy little beach and partial sun—aka a little slice of heaven. 🙂
we were at milo mciver too! 🙂 we had a great time except for the abundance of people swearing, yelling, and chain smoking by our spot… it felt a little less peaceful than it could have been.
Oh no! What a buzzkill. We were there on Friday, when there was surely a lot less traffic. We also hike a ways through the disc golf course to get to our spot.
Looks like you had a great time! Love the picture of peeper getting the baby wet 🙂
I love that you wouldn’t change a thing, even though there WERE downs. This is a good format for examining life!
Okay seriously I’m cackling at “and I’m carrying a 38-week-old furnace.” Sending good vibes to your mother-in-law!!
-Warren
I hear you with the sleep. We have all been struggling hard over here with sleep – it’s probably partially due to the sauna that is our room.
I’m not a fireworks fan either. My husband and his family are complete pyros, so I ALWAYS lose on that battle. Sigh!