Side Effects, Happenings, and Perfect Weather

 This week has been kind of a wonky one. I was in a bit of a funk for the first part of the week. I think it has to do with a hormone I was taking. I started it last Thursday to see if it would help with my bleeding and while it did I think help with that it caused some serious side effects. One was being easy to anger. My kids couldn't do anything right. They are by no means perfect but everything bad they did was like I wanted lash out irrationally at them. Also, I couldn't feel joy. Most days even the really bad ones there is a moment of joy something that went and felt right but on these days there were a ton of things that went right, yet Gaupo would ask me how my day was and I was like it feels crappy. I don't know why but I just cant feel happy. On Wednesday night, I decided that enough was enough and I needed to stop the hormone to see if it help. It was seriously a night and day difference. We were still late to school, but instead of being irate and panicked about it we just rolled with it and did the best we could. I could plan the activities I needed to work on, I got my dinner prepped in the afternoon, and once again I felt light. Even in the last couple days I have had some rough patches but I feel so much more lightened about it. It is like even though I still want to get angry its more of a choice and I can stop from acting in anger when I couldn't before. I can think ahead again. I don't know for me its like, well those hormones may help with my some womanly issues I am having, but it is destroying my relationships and me, so its not worth it. We will figure out something else. I have worked to hard at trying to be present, patient, organized, and building myself to stop now.

In other things this week, Tia had an orthodontist appointment that Guapo took her to. It didn't turn out well. They couldn't get the brackets that we needed on, so now we are waiting again for them to be made, so we can get her teeth moving again. It has been a slow, slow, somewhat agonizing process. I hope it is worth it. Kylee was sick on Monday, so sick she stayed home from school and went to the doctor. The rapid test they did, didn't return a result. Tuesday she was feeling better and went to school. However, about 10 I got a call telling me she was positive for strep, so I debated a lot about what to do. I picked up her meds, and then picked up her when I picked up the twins. She was pretty mad about having to come home, but she survived. I did let her go to the middle school parent meeting and instrument petting zoo, but made her wear a mask. Then there was  a 5th grade concert and activity days that I also let her attend but made sure she wore a mask. She wasn't happy about wearing a mask, but she didn't want to miss anything either. It was such a tricky day to be sick and I still am in debates about if we handled it right.

Kylee has a the green mask.

We finally, had a golden weather day yesterday. It was so nice outside. We took our first family bike ride as a family of 7. It was pretty fun. The twins are getting good on their bikes. It is probably time to take off the training wheels, I just don't have the time and weather to be consistent yet, so we will wait just a little longer. We rode to a nearby park and enjoyed playing their and Hope went done her first slide and scooted on her first playground equipment. Later Tia noticed out neighbor Isabella out and wanted to go out and ride with her. By the time, the night was said and done there were 7 kids in the backyard playing, we had talked to our neighbors who think we should have a block party (sounds great to me), and we had grill food for dinner. It was a much needed spring day with lots of good spontanious neighbor connections. I love that my neighborhood is getting more kids and that my kids are old enough to play its awesome.

Kylee is 11

Kylee turned 11 this week. I am so grateful for this girl. She has taught me so much and continues to teach me so much. She has really blossomed this past year and I love getting a glimpse of who she is becoming. She has found some good friends to hang out with out school--Charolette, Racheal, and Kierra. She is actively participating in student council, the before school choir, and being the oldest in primary. She said last week on my family chat, "It's kind of hard being the oldest in primary because you can't just dink around." I worried a lot about how this year would go with her cousin in young women and Kylee still in primary, but so far they have both been champs about it and a growing just the way they need to where they are. Kylee has also decided that she like reading. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter and Fablehaven series. She is a great sister. She has started taking on some babysitting roles here at home and though her siblings are still learning that when she is in charge they need to listen she is doing great and learning all kind of great things. She 'practices' being a babysitter by making our mac and cheese on Sunday's and reading to the twins when they will let her. She is doing well in school. She recently led her parent teacher conference and it was fun to hear her tell me about how she thought she was doing in school. At age 11, Kylee's favorite color is purple. Her favorite food is still tacos. She loves to 'dance' to music which she plays as often as she can in the CD player. She know where all her favorite songs are on the CD's and handles the discs and song like a pro to dance the ways she feel or wants to feel. She loves to play with her cousins and watch movies.

To celebrate her birthday, we started with presents and cream of wheat before scholl. Then we had the cousins over for tacos, pumpkin pie, and a movie. She loved her celebration and I think she felt very loved so it was a win.

Earlier this week, Kylee also received the Spirit of the Golden Fox award at school. It is given to only two .kids once a month: one in k-2 and the other is 3-5. This month Kylee was chosen. Her teacher said the following when she gave Kylee the award:

"Congratulations Kylee!! Kylee comes to school every single day with a smile on her ace and that smile is infectious. She is excited and ready to take on the day. Kylee is the perfect example of every one of our R.O.C.K.S. expectations. Kylee is respectful to adults and students. Kylee's outstanding  behavior shines each and everyday. She is willing to try any and all things even when she knows it's going to be hard. Kylee cares about our community. She keeps our classroom clean and organized. She can't walk past a piece of trash without picking it up. Kylee is kind to everyone and I mean everyone and that transfers to being safe. She takes car of her friends and always looks out for her safety and the safety of others. We talk daily about 5th graders being the leaders of the schoola dn Kylee is exactly the role model Fall River is proud to have."

I loved being at the assembly where she got this award and watching the teachers that got to know her and really rooted for her when things were hard. It was great to see them be excited for her. Kylee has had a lot of rough times at school with the work and friends and things, but she kept going, kept trying, and she has really made leaps and bound of progress in all areas and it was so great to see her recognized for it. I know most kids don't get recognized for all the work they do, but this time she did and I am so grateful because it just helped add to her confidence bucket. 

We sure are grateful for our Kylee girl.