We are still in the throws of puppy madness here, so May is mostly a blur of white fluff.

1) Obi is now 12 weeks and 25 pounds. He wakes up in the morning at 5:30 am, which is still WAY too early for me, but much better than last month, which had me waking up around 4:45 am on average.

2) He’s learning a few commands. Strangely he does “wait” better than “sit” on verbal command, though he knows sitting is polite behavior and does it often when he wants something.

3) The school’s annual auction was held in person this month. It was exhilarating and also terrifying to attend something so…normal. I was slightly un-nerved with Covid in the back of my mind, but ultimately had a good time and was happy the event raised a lot of money for the school.

4) The next day was Mother’s Day. We celebrated with a takeout brunch from Marrow, one of my favorite Detroit restaurants. There was cinnamon rolls and smoked salmon and quiche and a delicious burrata salad, which was beautiful with fresh flower petals and pea shoots and tangerine slices.

5) My 9-year-old gave me a Mother’s Day sheet she filled out at school. Best ever.

6) The day after Mother’s Day was our 13th wedding anniversary. I always dig up photos from the wedding around our anniversary date to reminisce. It was such a perfect day.

7) I found another engaging Podcast. CounterClock is a deep dive into cold cases. The journalist and podcast host does a great job explaining the background and exploring all avenues of the case. She pushes hard for authorities to take a new look at the cases, so she’s actually doing something beneficial vs simply telling a story.

8) I’ve stepped away a bit from photography for mental health reasons. It’s one of the things I love most, yet still when I get a paid gig, it stresses me out somewhat. When it’s my own work on my own time, it’s never a problem. Hopefully as the work load dies down this summer, I’ll have more time to be zen in my creative work.

I did squeeze in a First Communion shoot for a friend in early May :)

9) Two moms saved the day when it came to my daughter’s dance recital this month. Very detailed instructions called for a “low bun” which I have no idea how to make. Luckily, my friend Tone has lots of experience making hair buns, and agreed to come over to help. But I would need a hair net. Ummmm….right.

This was two days before the recital and in a panic, I posted to a local mom Facebook group and a wonderful gal who was in the same boat and had scrambled the day before to find her own hair net gave me one of hers. It all turned out great, but I forgot to take a photo of the awesome hairdo!

10) Our 12-year-old daughter was presented with the Language Arts / Literature award for the 6th grade and I could not be happier, given my own passion for writing and literature. SUPER proud mom moment.

11) An Instagram account I follow mentioned this book in tribute to Asian Pacific American Heritage month (May), so I decided to pick up a copy from the library myself. It isn’t something I’d normally gravitate towards, but it was nice to read something different. The main character was vulnerable in a likeable way and the writing was very good, it was just a bit of an odd story, with a fish-man drawing obsession of the main character being a central focal point.

12) Spring is definitely here. Flowers are beginning to bloom, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at my irises because THE DOG ATE THEM ALL.

We’ve given up on trying to garden this year. I sadly won’t be purchasing any new plants because they will likely get trampled or rolled around in, but I’m enjoying what I can. Which is none of my lilies, half of my bleeding heart, and it looks like my daisies, bee balm and hydrangea will make it!

Ironically it is in the 40s today and not very Spring-like at all. Which is to say it’s a very typical Michigan day. There is always, always, at least ONE more really cold day after I tell myself “this is the last cold day of the season!”

Cannot wait for June. It’s been a long school year. Here’s to sunshine and sleeping in (HA. not going to happen) and barbeques. Cheers, friends.