Apparently It's February and February is My Favorite Month

Hey there! So it's been a minute. And in the minute since I last wrote to you, I worked 6,000 hours, reviewed a billion documents, conducted 27 witness interviews, ate way too many meals at my desk, and forgot what it felt like to breathe fresh air. But damn, was it a good week to be a lawyer. (And I still fit in 45 minutes of exercise every morning on my HIIT Dog app and it was stress release and sanity and oftetimes the only time I moved all day.)

It was also a great week to be James's wife and my kids' mom because you guys, I worked a lot and I contributed nothing but my paycheck to my family, but from morning Starbucks deliveries from James to meals delivered to my desk at night by the kids, to this note and flower plucked from a volunteer bush in our backyard and placed on my desk during a break by Claire, I have never felt more loved.

Weeks like the last give me such cause to remember how very lucky I am in my partner (and then to get annoyed that I feel a need to use the word lucky, but it seems so rare, I suppose it's a bit of luck too). To have someone who sees me drowning and seamlessly and silently steps up and simply deals. Handles all the kid stuff, house stuff, pest control stuff (there are rats in our attic! fucking RATS y'all! a bunch of them! the first guy who came out quoted $8,000 to get them gone wtf but I was too busy to get worked up about it and James called more, but hit me up with your solutions; I'm about to send Moose up there), food stuff, school stuff, and the coming by to give me hugs on break stuff. And I just worked. And drank my Starbucks, put on increasing amounts of undereye concealer, and thanked the universe that I have a partner -- and my kids get to see a partner -- who hugs me tight when I finally come to bed and doesn't make me feel guilty when ALL the stuff shifts to his side for a short while.

I could hear James and the kids playing cards at the kitchen table at night and while it made me sad to miss, it also made me so glad to know all was well. And since I couldn't hang out at night, James picked out a bunch of really important movies he felt Landon needed to see for them watch together when the girls were in bed. And the high-pitched giggles I heard echoing through the house as Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Dumb and Dumber played in the living room gave me life while I was still on calls or prepping for the next interview.

My paralegal gave me life too.

Absolutely steadfast support.

In my busy week leading up to the busy WEEK, I got lots of visitors to my bedroom office.

Cuddly middle children who can never resist a fuzzy pullover.

Teenagers who literally never stop talking except when they're singing to the cat.

And husbands, who come take naps that lure you to take cuddle breaks of your own.

Prior to all that, back to a weekend when I spent time with my family, I had a few hours with Cora while the big kids were swimming with James. I told her we could do anything she wanted and she enthusiastically requested, "SkipBo and reading!" I assumed she meant one and then the other, but nope, she read at least a few pages (of her big sister's library book) between every round.

Her teacher sent me this picture of a project they did for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in January. Apparently she asked permission to add the podium and the ever-present power ponytail gave me a smile.

"My dream is for all the people in the United States to work together and stop the Covid. I also want animals to be treated kindly and fairly. I also want homeless people to have food, water, and shelter."

Also, January 26th was Maggie's 2nd Adoptiversary!

We've also decided that day is her birthday and she's now 6 (ish).

It was a big day full of pets and walks and lots of snoring next to me at my desk.

I love that little ball of love and wrinkles so very, very much. I feel like we continue to see her blossom into the bulldog she was always meant to be and it is a joy and an honor to provide her with beds and fluffy blankets.

And ending this post on the highest part of my week- I ended work on Friday at a reasonable time, grabbed my warm jacket and my husband who doesn't have any swim lessons on Fridays, waved at our somewhat bemused children who were told they could put on a movie, and took him out for a very early dinner date on a chilly, completely empty patio downtown. We chatted and flirted, ate all the tortilla chips, and I just soaked up this handsome man I'm so lucky to call mine.

I was going on no sleep and had hair I'd dried two days ago, but that hour with him and our chips and my steak quesadilla was sunshine to my soul. You know, free babysitting and impromptu dates might be the best part of having a teenager in the house. (Particularly since the nonstop comedy show receives only mediocre reviews, but I do enjoy how much he enjoys the show he thinks he's putting on.)

And now food! Last week's menu (carefully planned to be fast meals James could make at the end of lessons when everyone is starving) and this week's:

Mon: Pesto Caprese Gnocchi (cooked gnocchi, tossed with pesto, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and grilled chicken).
Tues: Pasties (frozen, from the last batch; they were every bit as magical as I remembered).
Wed: Beef Tacos, rice, beans, toppings.
Thurs: TJ's Gyros, Naan, Tzatziki, Cucumber, Tomato, Oven Fries
Fri: Surprise Date Night; Mac and Cheese for the minors.
Sat: Homemade Stromboli, veggies. (This time I spread a can of chopped olives between the meat and cheese layers and it was perfect.)
Sun: Greek Pasta Salad (based on the Ina recipe, linked; I add lots of extra veggie, double the dressing, and toss it all with a pound of boiled and chilled whole wheat penne), grilled chicken, naan, tzatziki sauce.
- - -
Mon: Foil Pack French Dip Sandwiches, tater tots, raw veggies.
Tues: Beef tacos, brown rice, black beans, toppings.
Wed: Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice, brown rice, steamed green beans, corn bread.
Thurs: Creamy Tortellini Soup, crusty bread.
Fri: Fuji Apple Salad
Sat: Mississippi Pot Roast, cooked carrots, mashed potatoes, rolls.
Sun: Surprise Valentine's Dinner, cooked by the kids - I can't wait! We're doing a breakfast for them in the morning. It's a silly holiday, but I do love celebrating my little crew of Valentines.