life Reading

5 on a Friday: Somewhat Moody Edition

June 2, 2023

1- LOOKING FORWARD. I felt super emotional this morning. A family from the school who became our good friends is moving out of the country and their last school day was today. They have 3 kids – one in each of A/C/G’s classes. A & G were particularly close with them (they are a 3 girl family), and the parents were good friends, too. Endings are tough.

Honestly, I’m kind of feeling sad about this school year ending. Something about leaving the “only elementary school years” feels big and a little bit scary. I won’t have anyone in preschool anymore. I have very little desire to relieve the baby stages (seriously) but . . . I don’t know. The passage of time just seems sad right now.

(I’d blame hormones but since mine are pharmacologically regulated, probably not that! Maybe it’s the constant rain/lightning/thunder every afternoon . . . #southfloridasummer)

2- MUSIC REC: Do you want a short album that is both relaxing AND poignant? Good for moody feelings, hormonal or not? Gia Margaret’s Romantic Piano is just so, so lovely.

3- SUMMER READING LIST: I have a draft but there are still an unrealistic number of titles on it! I started with Ann Bogel, added some recs from Lisa and Sarah, and wow – there are just so many books out there. I *do* anticipate having a decent amount of reading time this summer but not 27 books’ worth. I just don’t read that quickly!

I do know that I am going to have to work on ninja-level-library-holds list management. Luckily, the library is basically on my way home from work.

4- PIANO. A restarted piano yesterday + G started! The teacher was super nice and they are both supposed to practice 10 minutes/day which seems reasonable. G learned middle C, D, and E. A is remembering some of what she knew from before (way before, like 2019ish). I started piano and learned to read music at G’s age and do feel like it helped to start early. The big kids had really interrupted music lessons (with the move, and then COVID) and I feel a little bit bad about it but I also have very conflicted emotions about getting kids to practice so . . . I think I just avoided thinking about it for a while.

5- PT. I have had some intermittent knee pain (#%$@#) – nothing severe or consistent, but I want to get on top of it. It seems to pop up when I wear my Hoka Cliftons and I was dumb enough to wear them for a run this week when I didn’t see my ASICS right away in the early AM. I got a rec for a local PT. I worked with a chiropractor who was amazing in NC, but maybe I’ll try this first as I think there is some overlap (?) in what is offered.

8 Comments

  • Reply Keren June 2, 2023 at 4:11 pm

    Hi Sarah, I hope your day gets better. Maybe the knees pain is just because of the wrong shoes, but lately I feel PT has become the new activity of everyone around me . I’ve been going to PT sessions for over a year,first for my knees and now for the hip. Everyone one at work is going for various reasons, I thought it’s because we’re all older, but even the young go….
    I hope PT helps and that your knees get better soon.

  • Reply Michelle June 2, 2023 at 8:25 pm

    We said goodbye to my children’s day school today (K and Pre-K) and I was feeling some sad feelings. The school is warmly regarded in our community and it’s a very special place with the most caring and patient teachers. It’s a big transition when your babies move into that next level. It’s especially hard saying goodbye to friends or your children’s friends.

  • Reply Irene June 2, 2023 at 9:32 pm

    Oh Sarah this time of year is very emotional for me too. Both my kids are having feelings about the school year ending and I will no longer have a preschooler either. I’m excited in some ways and just very sad to have that particularly sweet, cuddly phase ending. I am one of those rare people who just loves toddlers and I’m struggling a bit with my oldest who is still a great kid but definitely not little or sweet as often. I’m a bit nervous about camp – have had a couple of mixed experiences in the past- and just wanted to savor this time. I think being a working mom is hardest in the summer personally.

  • Reply Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns June 2, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    Saying goodbye to a family is really hard. Our neighbors moved to the suburbs and even that change has been sad. I seem to be in the minority in not feeling really sad about transitions generally speaking, though. Our oldest starts K this fall and I am so excited. I think I am best suited to parent school aged kids, though. And I am an ISTJ, though, and the T in particular makes me extra pragmatic about things. Maybe I will feel differently when my youngest leaves our daycare, though!

    I hope you enjoy your summer reads!! I felt a bit meh about my reading earlier this year but have read some great books recently!!

    • Reply Grateful Kae June 2, 2023 at 10:57 pm

      Lisa, I had Ethan take the 16 personalities test in the car on the way to a 2-hour away soccer game last weekend, and turns out he is a ISTP-A. Kind of made sense because like you, he tends to be very pragmatic too! He just had his 8th grade graduation yesterday and I asked if he was sad. He was so matter of fact about it all and was just basically like, “um, no. This is what happens, you finish here after 8th and you go on to high school. End of story, what is there to be sad about?” And I’m over there like, ohhh but the memmmmories… and the friends… and the teachers… and you’re getting so old.. 😭” hahaha! 😅

      • Reply Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns June 3, 2023 at 12:45 pm

        Ethan and I are so similar!! It’s that T aspect that really seems to impact things like the end of eras/transitions! Friends with kids of a similar age often send texts about birthdays with a crying emoji and I’m over here feeling really happy about them getting another year older and into a more fun/independent stage!

  • Reply KE June 2, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    Transitions are hard! Maybe your kiddos can be penpals?
    Also, a few Piano lesson practice strategies that have helped our family, in case they happen to help you…
    1. “You have been challenged to practice 10 minutes a day!” Reminders sound like- “Are you doing the challenge today?” Which doesn’t sound as much like nagging.
    2. “Can you play me a song while I do dishes/fold laundry/etc.? Music makes this task more joyful.” (Focus on the joy of music rather than the task of practicing.)
    3. If you have recording of any songs they do practice, play them in the car. My kiddos will play along in the air, which (sort of) counts as practice too.

  • Reply Coco June 3, 2023 at 4:44 am

    Goodbye is hard. I felt sad for weeks before leaving Manila, mostly because of the friendships. Yet, it did better over time as we settled into the new city and forming new friendship and acquaintances. They are still not as good as old friends, and that’s okay. When I saw my team from Manila in dc, they felt like family.
    Sorry about the knee issue, I would have thought hoka gives more cushion. Let me know what your PT says if it’s shoe related.

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.