Bowdenisms: Life Lately: Summer-ing

Time flies when you're having fun...So we must be having a LOT of fun around here. It's been six months since I did an "all the 'ings" update, and when I look back on that entry it feels like a minute and a lifetime ago. So what are we up to these days? Well...glad you asked:

Making: not nearly enough. The other day I realized I don’t have any projects in the works right now, which is pretty unlike me. I almost always have something creative that I’m working on, but for some reason (probably 3 little human reasons, and 1 occupation reason) I don’t have a project right now. I really miss making- whether it’s writing, or photography, or quilting, or decorating…I just feel more fulfilled when I have something creative going on. I took a weaving class a few weeks ago which was a fun thing to try. I don’t know that it’s my new passion, but I loved experimenting with it. I’m thinking once it gets a little cooler (and we’re not soaking up as much sun as we can each evening) I’ll dive back into some of my crafty pursuits.

Cooking: all night, every night. Whole 30 requires planning, so we’ve been trying to prep meals each night after the kids go to bed. Dustin says he loves it- he’s proud that we are actually meal planning (which has always been a struggle), and says it’s like old times working together in the kitchen (Before we had kids we actually cooked a bit more, trying out new recipes and making fun dishes. With little ones around we’ve been aiming for speed, and have to divide and conquer a lot with prep and clean up, so we don’t cook for fun that often.) I do like feeling a little more “adult” with real meals each night, rather than cobbling together a combo of leftovers and frozen foods, but I’m not as thrilled with how long it all takes. The last few weeks I’ve felt like my only hobby was cooking, and it was a daunting task to make sure we were ready for each day. I’m hopeful that when the 30 days are up, we can keep some of our new habits, but also relax the rules a little to make things a bit easier.

Drinking: pineapple coconut water, and lime La Croix. I really miss soda (Vanilla Coke Zero if we’re going to get specific) so I’ve been trying to have a few “fun” drinks mixed in with all the plain old water we’re drinking these days. (I swear this entire list won’t revolve around Whole 30…even if it is basically the only thing I can think about right now.)
Reading: The Skimm. I signed up about a year ago, and it’s basically the only way I get my news. (and is also basically the only thing I read, besides a whole bunch of work email).

Wanting: to know how many kids we’re going to have. (whoa. How’s that for a massive statement to jam in the middle of a list like this?) With each of our girls, I knew I wanted another one even before they arrived, but with our third, I haven’t been so sure. People asked a lot when I was pregnant if we were “done”, and it still comes up quite a bit (mostly comments like- “Miller is so adorable, you have to have another!” which I find pretty hard to argue with). I go back and forth constantly on whether I want more (or really if we can handle more), which is maddening to Dustin, but also really hard for me. I’m such a planner, I’d love to just know for sure if this is it for us…but I just don’t. But in the meantime, I’m loving every stage with Miller, so for now that’s enough,
Looking: forward to going back to Pittsburgh for a wedding. A friend we made 9 years ago (what?!) is getting married, and I couldn’t be more excited for the reunion party weekend it’s going to be. Life has changed so massively over the last decade and the core group of friends we started with in Pittsburgh has been fractured and flung all over the country, caught up in different life stages and different adventures. And I know that we’ll never be back to our “Tuesday night” family, but for a couple days I’m going to relish the chance to squeeze them each tight, dance like crazy, and celebrate the love of one of the best guys we know.

Playing: monster. Ok, actually Dustin is playing monster- a simple game where he chases, and is chased, but the loudest two giggling girls I know. They can’t get enough, and even Miller gets in on the action, tackling Daddy, and enjoying his turn to be tickled too. They ask me to play sometimes too, but I just don’t have the growling and rough-housing stamina that Dustin does, so I usually go a round or two before tapping the professional to take over.
Wasting: entirely too much money on Miller’s birthday party. Well, I should probably say “spending”, not “wasting” because it’s not a waste exactly…but I do admit it’s probably at least a little bit excessive. But you know I love a party, and I sure do love my baby, so it’s pretty understandable that I might go a little over the top with this one.

Wishing: I took more pictures on my real camera. The iphone snaps have been taking over even more than usual lately, and while I love that I’m still managing to capture so many memories, I’m bummed I don’t have more high quality photos in the mix. Summer is a conundrum for me with photography, because it has some of the most photo-worthy sights and activities, but the pace (and heat) isn’t really conducive to lugging around a big camera. I’m holding babies, I’m pushing swings, I’m jumping in the pool, I’m sidewalk-chalking, and bounce-housing. I know there is no danger of my kids’ childhoods being under-documented, but I’d still like to get back in the habit practicing photography a little more often.

Enjoying: going to the pool. We took the plunge (ugh, so bad. Had to.) and got a membership this year, and we’ve been trying to take advantage of it whenever we can. My mom takes the girls during the week, either to pre-school swim in the morning, or with their cousins in the afternoon, and we try to go as a family once a week if we can. If we have a free Saturday we’ll make a daytime outing, but more often we’ve been heading out after dinner to get an hour or two of fun in before bedtime. The kids only last about that long anyway before they meltdown (though some sponge bob popsicles help boost their moods), and it’s a fun way to feel like we’re making the most of our Summer. We put the girls in swim lessons before we went on vacation, and now they’re practically fish, going down the slide, jumping off the side, and paddling around with their floaties on. Miller was slow to warm up to the water, but again, in Florida he learned to love it, and now is happy to wade around with us.

Waiting: for fair season. Is that a thing? We just had the Ohio State Fair (loved it so much we went twice!), and in the next month we'll have the Canfield Fair, The Delaware Fair, and St. Michael's Festival. I can't even handle how much fried cheese and big slides are coming my way.
Liking: My letterfolk co. board. It's like a lightbright for grown ups (there's something so soothing and satisfying about searching for the letters, spacing them out, and popping them in). I sure did love lightbright.

Wondering: where social media is going…I don’t blog like I used to. I’m on Facebook just enough to not hate it. I technically still have Twitter. I’m (kinda) trying to understand Snapchat. And I still love Instagram but don’t yet know how I feel about Instagram stories (because...it's basically Snapchat). I don't want to get all crotchety about "the good old days" of content creation and sharing but I do struggle to keep up as the trend shifts towards constant real time broadcasting. (And yes, I realize the irony of complaining about oversharing within list about every mundane detail of my current life).
Loving: Piper's new Bentgo lunchbox. She could not be more excited about packing a lunch at her new preschool, and I'm getting pretty pumped too. It could definitely end up being an annoying and monotonous chore, but I've got big dreams of being super-magic-fun-mom with it. We'll see if that lasts longer than the first week of school.

Hoping: we get out on the boat (my parent's little speedboat) more often. We just went for the first time this season last week, which is madness! The kids are learning to love it (as long as we don't go toooo fast) and every time we go I remember how much I love it. I'm hoping I can convince my parents to take us out a few more times before it gets cooler...maybe we'll even get Dustin to try skiing!

Marveling: that I have an almost one year old. And an almost five year old. The first year of each baby’s life seems to go sooooooo slow, and also SO FAST, so it’s surreal that Miller is actually turning one next week. And as for that five year old- there’s just something different about “five”…like it’s a bigger milestone than the years before. It feels like the last of the toddler/preschooler days, and the transition into real big-kid stuff. I’m excited about it, but also holding on to the time while she’s still little. (And don’t worry- “3” might not be as much of a milestone age, but I still marvel at Fin every day).
Needing: another hour or two in every day. Nothing new, I realize, but man it would be nice. I'm picturing the Zach Morris "time out"- where you could pause the world for a bit, and get some things done behind the scenes, before jumping back into real time, with no one the wiser. Wouldn't it be awesome? Nobody bothering you, throwing off your groove, and no guilt about what you're missing out on or neglecting elsewhere. Yeah. That'd be sweet.

Smelling: the roses. Metaphorically at least. It might be because Miller's about to be one, or maybe it's because we're in the last stretch of Summer, but I've felt really blessed to have moments of perspective where I realize just how awesome this phase of life is.

Wearing: allllll the spirit gear at VBS. You know me and costume theme- I'm All In. This year's theme was Cave Quest, and the kids adored it. We've been listening to the music for months (weeks before they even went to VBS) and they loved every second of the week-long party. I of course loved the "light up night" where all the kids wore neon and sported glow bracelets, but my favorite sight was my two little Yinzers putting their hands in the air to sing to Jesus. Tears.
Following: the Olympics! We had an opening ceremonies watch party, I’ve got apps that add big events to my calendar, we’re DVR’ing the primetime coverage, we stumbled upon a cable station called “The Olympic Experience” that shows all the current coverage on one screen. I love pretty much everything about the Olympics- the backstories, the drama, the patriotic outfits…oh, and the sports!...but it really doesn’t get better than the Summer games. Plus it’s in a gorgeous locations, known for their festive flair. Yeah I’ll watch that. All day every day. Two weeks straight. I’m making great effort to teach my kids to love of all things Olympics, too, so it warms my heart when they ask to watch “‘nastics”, and cheer for the U.S. swimmers. Raisin’ ‘em right.

Noticing: my kids' every move on our dropcam. Between that and our garage door app (why can I not remember to shut it ever?!), we're pretty much The Jetsons over here.
Knowing: the world needs a replacement for Parenthood. Ok, that "ing" was a stretch...but I really just want to link to This is Us because I pretty much bawl every time the trailer comes on. pleasepleaseplease be good. (it doesn't hurt that one of the promos features a Ben Rector song I will never stop loving...I may have to go to that show)

Thinking: I can't make it all the way to November with this political drama. I don't want to add to the noise, so I'll just say this:...Trump's the worst. And I'm kind of scared.
Bookmarking: The Love Dare. Anyone read that? (or maybe just watch the Kirk Cameron movie?) I'm thinking it could be a good challenge for Dustin and me, and an encouragement to focus on loving each other well.
Opening: an Amazon package pretty much every day. Anyone else feel like once you signed up for prime, things maybe got a little too easy? Just because I can have anything in the universe delivered in 2 days (or 2 hours!) doesn't mean I should. That being said- I'm pretty much obsessed with my spiralizer. So...no regrets.

Giggling: at pretty much everything Fin says or does. To say she is a character is woefully underselling it. She drives me ba-na-nas, but also makes me laugh like no one else. I'm pretty pumped to watch her grow up.
Feeling: good, good, creeping up on you So just dance, dance, dance, come on...