I can’t believe we’re already halfway through this week. I really don’t know where the time goes.

I got up early with Gary this morning because I wanted to see him off before work. I also wanted him to give me my shot before he left. I don’t know why, but I like it better when he does it. 😂 We’re slowly getting used to Bowser not being here. I still catch myself looking for him sometimes, especially when I call the dogs inside, but there is also a peaceful feeling in knowing we gave him a safe, loving home for a lot longer than we ever expected.

I’m about to get up and go walking with my sweet neighbor. We really haven’t had a chance to talk much since school let out. She saw me outside in the yard yesterday, so we spent some time catching up and decided we’re going to try walking together a few times a week. I’ve really missed her. We used to talk every day while we waited for the school bus, but now that the bus comes directly to our individual houses, we don’t see each other nearly as much.

I think we’re going to try walking right after lunch, which is honestly the perfect time for me because that is usually when I crash and want to go to sleep. It works well for both of us because we can get our kids fed and settled, then take off for a little while.

I feel like summer is going by way too fast, but I can honestly say we have enjoyed every day of it, even the rainy ones. I love the ages my kids are at right now. I feel like I’m building really strong relationships with each of them, just in very different ways. They need different things from me right now, and I actually like that.

Gage has really become my buddy this summer. He is also a lot nicer to me than Norah Harper is lately. 😂 He and I have a very similar sense of humor, so much of our relationship is built around being silly and making each other laugh. Norah Harper is hilarious too, but she is also at that age where she is going through a lot of mood swings. I’m honestly not sure which one of us has the worse hormonal issues right now. 😂😂😂

We’re still extremely close. She just gets bent out of shape over little things pretty easily. I try to go with the flow unless she becomes disrespectful with it. Then I have to bring out the mama bear. Yesterday, I shut off the Wi-Fi on her phone and VR for about an hour. It wasn’t one particular thing she said. She had just been using such an ugly tone with me all afternoon that I finally made her sit in there and get her mind right.

She was pretty upset because she felt like she hadn’t actually said anything bad enough to deserve being punished. In a way, she was right, but using an ugly tone with people can be just as disrespectful as the words themselves. I am way too good to that little girl to tolerate her talking to me any kind of way.

She did come to me on her own later that night and apologize, and I was glad she did. She is a good girl with a genuinely sweet heart. She just wears her emotions on her sleeve a little too much sometimes. I never want to toughen her up so much that she stops feeling things deeply. Her sensitivity is one of the things I love about her, but this world will chew you up and spit you out if you never learn how to manage your emotions.

She is allowed to feel everything she feels. She just has to learn that her emotions do not give her permission to mistreat the people around her. Honestly, if I let my emotions drive me all the time, I would probably be mean to everybody. 😂 But seriously, we cannot give the worst version of ourselves to the people who love us the most. Home should be the safest place to feel everything, but it should also be the place where we learn how to love people well, even on the days when we are struggling with ourselves.

All right, I’m off to do a little walking. Then I’m going to come home, get my house straight, and spend a little time making some art. That sounds like a pretty good way to spend the day.

Speaking of art, I have to post some of my newer pieces soon. I’m getting my feels back for the watercolor again. I’ve been doing some pieces with markers as well, but I think watercolor will always be my true love.

Have a great day everyone!