The Last Days of Summer...

Dog Days of Summer

I am currently draped on our couch recovering from yesterday's 100 degree heat. We woke up this morning and were sweating within five minutes. It's that time of summer. I love the sun, but this heat? Not so much. I'm such a weather complainer; always wanting the next season to come. We've been going to all the parks with water we can find and we're lucky that we have a wonderful swimming pool in our complex. I would just like it if I didn't feel like I was melting everyday! But I will say that I love dining al fresco with a cold beer. Luckily, Portland has tons of places for outdoor dining.

Health During Times of Stress

Transitioning from a full-time SAHM to having a part time job is stressful. I tend to stress more than is necessary, and believe me I've been thinking about how and when and where  I will get back to work since the day Seeley was born. This wasn't because being home wasn't what I wanted (I would make the same choice over again no question), I just knew that eventually I would want to resume my career.

Well here I am today; ready to work and grateful for being given a chance to teach again! I'm so lucky with the teaching position I've accepeted. I get to start working slowly and build the amount of classes I teach over time. I get time to prepare as it starts in September. I get time, period. That's one of the things that marks true success in life. Time. So many people have no time to rest, think, grow or develop as a person. I am grateful to be in a position where I don't have to take whatever job I can get to bring in money. The leisure to look for a job out of pure interest and professional development is something everyone should be able to do and which far too few people are able. Carrying this gratitude with me has helped me when I feel overwhelmed and then consequently feel guilty for being so privleged and whiny.

Along with practicing gratitude, I've been trying over the last couple years to channel my stress into productivity. I definitely try to prepare, prepare, prepare!! I've been reading a lot of great public speaking books in preparation for my class(I'm teaching a communication and public speaking course), as well as watching a lot of TEDTalks online (I'm obsessed). I'm definitely nervous about entering a classroom for the first time in three years, but the information I'm finding is actually really informative and interesting stuff! I always feel less stressed and more confident when I feel like I have a solid message behind me.

(p.s. And while I was at the library everyday getting books, of course I had to get some poetry books, a book on floral arragements and a book about traveling to Paris. I'll read them all, somehow. Tanya+books=love.)

 

 

Seattle and Sleepy Sundays

I love the northwest. One of the things I love about the pacific northwest more specifically is that we have two fantastic cities within a couple hours of one another. We love taking day trips to Seattle. We have a lot of memories of the three years we lived in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Our downtown apartment was our first home as a couple; it's where we got engaged, where we started our careers and where we fell in love with living in a city. This trip we decided to visit a beach we hadn't been to in years. Seeley was her usual mermaid self and immediately tried to get in the water. She ran up and down the beach and we had a blast splashing and playing in the sand.
The next day we planned to go for a little hike after Wes made us an amazing french toast breakfast, but S fell asleep in the car for a much needed nap. So we ended up taking this amazing drive through farmland and orchard after orchard. We live in paradise :)

Time at Home and Big Changes

We had such a nice weekend! After a week of Seeley being sick with a stomach virus (seriously, Portland, what's up?) we decided to take it easy since Wes and I weren't feeling great ourselves. It turned out to be really nice to have some much needed down time. We really like spending time together at home. We both love our home and I especially take a lot of pride in how it's maintained and decorated. I'd like to think that our house is nice as well as inviting and comfortable and, most importantly, full of love!
We finally got the cherry tomato plant Wes has been wanting forever and Seeley helped him plant it by playing with the trowel and throwing dirt around. We also took little girl out for a ride on her balance bike but she was more interested in going for a walk with her helmet on. She also decided it was Seeley and papa time and let me know it multiple times ("no mama. I want papa to swing me!") I didn't mind carrying all the stuff and watching them run around. They're too cute to be mad at :)
One of the two big changes in our house is that Seeley is officially weaned from nursing! It just kind of worked out with Seeley being in Boise and then being too sick to tolerate any breastmilk without throwing up. We decided just to go for it entirely and say bye-bye to nursing. So she's done! I'm a mess though. Having that bonding time with her has been amazing and it's really sad to see her growing up (as well as exciting and fantastic, of course). I know that for us nursing Seeley for almost three years was the right decision. I wouldn't change it for the world.
Our other big change is also about growing and moving forward. Beginning in September I will be working part-time! Holy cow! I am excited and nervous and on the verge of a panic attack. I will be teaching a ten week course on public speaking at an educational resource center for homeschoolers! Basically my dream job in alternative education. And the best part is they have a childcare area so I can bring Seeley. It's amazing and I can't wait to get started. Onward and upward!