Toppled Tree

As anticipated, my anxiety began to melt away throughout the afternoon. The combination of the warm sunshine and the laughter of my boys was the perfect remedy. The "best buddies" brothers continued their water fight, transforming the front yard into a mud pit. They only agreed to a truce when dark clouds rolled in ahead of the storms. 

After drying off and changing into new clothes, Timmy settled down on the couch to play some ABCMouse while Robby worked on making dinner in the kitchen. Robby has been taking a Home-Ec class and has been eager to try out some of his new skills. I could definitely get used to some help in the kitchen!

Robby and I were in the kitchen when the storm rolled through our area.  The winds were just strong enough to down a tree in our backyard. I hate it when trees fall because it reminds me of the vulnerabilities we face from living in the woods. Thankfully the tree fell away from the house and caused no damage. Once again, we were lucky.  

The rain is going to persist throughout the weekend, but hopefully no other trees will topple. It looks like this will be a weekend of indoor activities, which is not a bad thing. I've been doing so much walking lately my leg could certainly use a break.

Anxiety

Unless I can get a handle on my anxiety, today is going to be rough. For no discernable reason, I woke up this morning in full-blown fight or flight mode. My panic is in overdrive, and I can already sense that today will be a struggle. I abhor feeling this way!  

I am not sure why I find myself struggling with anxiety. I suspect it has something to do with menopause because I never had this issue before the hysterectomy. While things are certainly not ideal or perfect in my life, there is no overwhelming issue that would be causing this reaction. 

Even though I don't know the cause, but I do know that I'm tired of this struggle. I think I am going to add anxiety to the list of maladies I need to discuss with my doctor. I deserve to feel better and normal again. I have put off the discussion out of the hope that it would somehow self-correct, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

Because of the kids, I'm not able to surrender to my anxiety. Regardless of how I'm feeling, the weather is supposed to be warm and gorgeous and they will want to play outside. Despite the fact that I want to curl under my covers and hibernate, I know that being outside in the sunshine will be good for me. Playing outside with the boys is usually the perfect remedy for my anxiety, and I'm hoping that today will be no different.  

  

Muddy Puddles

The thermometer rose into the mid 80's, which was the perfect weather for some water fun. Almost as soon as I pulled out the water table and hooked up the hose both boys were in the yard, ready to commence the splash battle. With the large divide in their ages, I am so happy whenever I stumble upon an activity that both brothers thoroughly enjoy. It seems that battling with the hose is a mutually enjoyable game. They sprayed and splashed each other for over an hour, becoming thoroughly drenched and turning the front yard into a mud pit.  

After Robby went inside to resume his schoolwork Timmy took full advantage of the recently created muddy puddles.  Channeling Peppa Pig, he began to splash through the mud. Soon he was completely covered, prompting me to just give up and strip him down to his underwear. He continued frolicking in the mud for nearly an hour, giggling and transforming into a mud monster.  

I was finally able to convince him to abandon his mud in return for a warm bath and strawberry popsicle. After getting cleaned up, he was content to spend some time watching Grinch and relaxing. This downtime allowed me the opportunity to rest and to get some work done, both of which were much needed.

My leg is extremely sore this morning. I winced slipping into the socket and each step is a tender reminder that I have been overdoing it lately. I'm hoping that some ibuprofen takes the edge off the pain because slowing down is not an option. The weather is again supposed to be beautiful, and I feel horribly guilty keeping the boys inside because of my leg issues.  

Scooter fun

After two hours of working on purging the downstairs, Timmy became bored with our mission. As I was carefully packing up boxes, he was gleefully unpacking them, pulling out the contents as if it were Christmas morning. I finally flew the white flag, putting on his shoes and heading outside to play.  

My Mom surprised Hamlet with a battery operated scooter for his birthday. (Yes, it has training wheels and is virtually untippable.) He loves riding his little scooter up and down our road, wailing the siren whenever he spots a random bug or stick. (It is safe to say the siren is on more than it is off.) He takes his role as road patrol seriously and salutes any neighbor who happens to be outside or who drives by us.  

Unfortunately, the battery in his little scooter isn't quite strong enough to make it up every hill on our road, necessitating that I walk dutifully behind him to provide boosts when needed. Yesterday my Fitbit logged 21,000 steps, the majority of which were taken while on patrol with Timmy.  It's no wonder I was so tired when I finally took my leg off at night! 

The Purge

Another weekend has flown by and a new week begins. I don't have any great plans for the upcoming week. Being woefully underemployed has the benefit of a relaxed schedule. I need to focus on the positive so I am actively working on embracing that benefit while it is still available. 

Today Robby is going to focus on his classwork while Timmy and I continue to work on decluttering. Timmy's 'helping' is limited to bring me boxes, pushing the boxes into the corner and watching The Grinch while I work. I've discovered that The Grinch is integral to my decluttering plan. Without the distraction, Timmy actively unpacks each box in search of rediscovered treasures I was planning to purge.

I am pleased with my purging progress so far, but I have barely touched the downstairs living room. We haven't been able to use the room for years, and I'm determined to create a functional and comfortable space before the end of the school year. Wish us luck!