Mom win of the week
I kinda have two this week. The easy, low hanging fruit is that we are nearly halfway through Lego advent calendars and they have been going off (mostly) without issue. I thought it would be hard for them to wait each day, or they’d lose interest, but they’re all in. And I think the little village we’re creating is super cute.
If you follow us on Instagram you already heard my other win. We took Nolan in for an Occupational Therapy evaluation this week. Our biggest concern was with his hyperactivity, his insane endurance and recently he had started flapping his hands. Flapping is generally associated with autism, although Isla has never been a flapper. She didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, but she did refresh our sensory knowledge and gave us some new things to try. She also wasn’t appalled or shocked by anything we were saying, which was comforting. Every autism “expert” I have ever talked to always spoke with the same intensity one would discuss terminal, late stage cancer. The OT we saw was so encouraging because she related to everything we were saying and rationalized all of it. She never related anything back to our parenting pitfalls and really had no judgement about his behavior. It was a really great reminder that a small child’s behavior isn’t their personality. I don’t think that this is the last time we will explore Nolan’s sensory seeking behavior, but I’m content with it for now.
One comparison the OT made that was so helpful for me (and may be for you too!) is that Nolan is a sensory seeker, while I am a sensory avoider. Because of that, his behavior seems so much more intense to me, especially for the prolonged periods I’m with him. Pair that with Isla and her sensory needs and I’m pretty much toast at the end of each day. I know this, but to have someone who doesn’t even know us articulate it so perfectly made a huge difference. It validated to me that yes, motherhood/parenting is hard for everyone but these two are extra.
Mom fail of the week
I’ve been nursing a dumb head cold for the last week and a half, and so I haven’t been working out. I’m fully aware of how gross this sounds, but if I don’t work out, I don’t shower. Especially in the winter when I’m not constantly sweating. Chalk one up for working out. I’d also like to clarify that I have showered multiple times in the week and a half that I’ve had the cold, but I’m not showering every day as if I were working out.
Currently...
Listening To
We drove to the Bay Area for a belated Thanksgiving celebration a few weeks back, and AJ listened to Finding Fred. I haven’t finished, but I’m loving all the Mr. Rogers nostalgia!
Watching
I watched Home Alone with the kids yesterday and I was shocked at how much they actually sat to watch. I probably would have waited, but I picked this book picture book version of the story up and the kids have been really into it!
Wearing
I got this sweater on Black Friday and I can already tell this is going to be in heavy rotation this winter.
Looking Forward To
We have our preschool’s Christmas party this weekend, including Santa pictures. I’m excited to add another year’s picture to my collection. Isla is all in on Santa this year and it’s pretty fun. She even wrote a letter. So many heart eyes.
Planning
Trying to figure out how to fit all the holiday magic in while also still maintaining every other aspect of our lives.
Meal Planning
Ugh, why do we have to eat every night? I’m doing a game time meal plan approach this week, which really just means I’m deciding day of. Which, of course, means disaster.
My go to is always Skinnytaste. I got her One & Done cookbook about a year ago and I’ve put it through it’s paces. Highly recommend. This week has been the maple dijon sheet pan dinner and chicken tortilla soup.
I actually talked about how I’ve been in a meal planning slump this week. I signed up for an accountability group because it’s the holidays and I’ve never met a sweet treat I won’t eat. I’m just in a weird headspace lately and the thought of doing the whole meal planning dance every day is just blah.
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This week from Okayest Moms: Meal Planning Slumps & No Bean Turkey Quinoa Chili and Christmas Home Tour + Kid Friendly Decorating
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