One Step Report #23

Hello from Newport Beach California!  After 11 hours on the road yesterday, we are loving the salty air and cool breezes of the beach.  This is our one week out of the year when we truly change gears.  We live entirely by our needs, not by the clock or the world’s expectations.  I love it.


It took a crazy week to get us here, and we’re happy to have lived through it.  Getting ready for a trip is almost like moving.  It takes SO much stuff, so much cleaning, so much planning and arranging before you leave.  Every time we go on a trip I promise myself that it won’t be like this next time, but it always is.  And you live through it.

So here we are with another week’s report.  23 weeks, and I haven’t missed a single one.  Pretty cool.  This week I recorded 73 steps.  Included in those steps were some big things:  purchasing a new vehicle for our family, celebrating my husband’s birthday and driving to California.   In addition to this, I have a few other highlights.

1.  Upon arriving at the beach house, we were amazed to discover that we can park the space shuttle in my Grandpa’s little driveway.  After conferring with him and with his neighbor, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a parking space for the week.  If you know me and how I sometimes worry about dumb things, you’ll know that this is a huge relief.


2.  At 8:00 p.m. on Friday night (when I should have been packing and cleaning) I finished a quilt.  It was commissioned by my sister in law for her Dad’s 60th birthday.  It wasn’t the wisest commitment to make at this time of year, but at least I kept it.  By some miracle, it is completed and is now on its way to her.  Pictures to come in the next few days.

3.  I started another book.  I know.  I have this strange habit of reading 5 or 6 books at a time, but somehow I always finish them.  I packed several books with me to read this week while the kids are falling asleep at night and my husband is working remotely.

4.  I took my son to what we believe was his final doctor’s appointment for his broken finger.  After a little more than 2 months, it appears the adventure is over and he has a functional finger.  He’s managed to get his range of motion good enough that the doctor sees no need for therapy, and we just have a few warning signs to watch for.  Slowly but surely it’s beginning to look like a normal finger again.

5.  I tried a new recipe.

6.  I got a haircut.  This is a bigger deal than you might think.  The last one I had was before my baby was born, ten months ago.  The only haircut I’ve had since then was one I did myself.

7.  I keep learning the same lessons about being a mom over and over again.   Stay calm.  Be patient.  Speak softly.   If you want something from your children, give them a way to hand it to you cheerfully.  Smile more.  Hug them more.  This was one of those weeks that made me wish that I had learned more fully, wonder if I’ll ever really get good at this.   I hope I’m slowly getting better.

8.  I learned that when my two year old starts screaming (the kind of screams that make you pause to see if the electrical circuits in the house are going to explode like in the movie Monsters, Inc.) I can calm her down by holding her and whispering to her.  If I’m patient and persistent, she stops screaming.

Just for fun, I’m going to share one specific goal I have for the coming week.  I am going to buy 4 bowls for my Grandpa’s house.  Last year he had exactly 8 bowls in the house.  This year we can only find 6, which means that two have been broken.  After washing dishes in the middle of breakfast this morning so the rest of the family could eat, we’re just going to restock his cupboard and hope he’ll keep them around till next year.

One more thing.  If you want some entertainment this week, just wander the streets of Newport Beach CA after dark.  If you can find a house that has a cacophony of sounds pouring out of its windows, it’s probably us trying to get 8 children to sleep in one room.  It’s a real adventure, let me tell you.   Every year I wonder if we have a little crowd gathering on the street outside, covering their mouths to stifle the sounds of their laughter.  The thought of it makes me laugh, too, which is better than yelling.

That about sums it up.  This week I’ll be disconnected from the electronic world for the most part, so I’ve scheduled some posts for the week that will re-cap our recent trip to Denver.  In the meantime, we’ll be soaking up the sun, playing in the sand, surfing the waves and just being together.  I’ll check in as soon as I’m able, and share pictures soon.

Have a great week!

Jennifer