A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this minute.
Intentional Outdoor Hours: 443+ hours (of 1000)
Up 20 hours this week. We sat out by the fire on Saturday night with guides from the hunting preserve and the kids and I have been trying to do some homework on the back patio after school. Their favorite after school activity though is jumping/wrestling on the trampoline to get all their pent up school wiggles out.
Reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and starting Crooked House by Agatha Christie. One of my students is always reading her books and I asked him to pick one out of hers for me to read. He even let me borrow his copy and it's my first Agatha Christie book ever! I am liking it so far - what a timeless writer, it's actually blowing my mind.
Getting back into the swing of the school year. Dinners between practice schedules, washing face masks, packing Rusty's lunches, finishing homework, checking folders & backpacks each night, picking out clothes, early bedtimes, squeezing in chores and grading somewhere, catching the bus to and from school. It takes an adjustment but I do have to say it feels good to get back into the routine of things again after such a long time off.
Kissing the sweet face of our 5month old! Red can roll both front to back and back to front. He is chowing down on some baby food (his favorite is banana) and he's sleeping usually from about 7:30p-4:30/5a each night. He loves his siblings so much (even though they shout in his face and are always in his personal space) and is obsessed with taking baths. When he's ready for bed....HE'S READY. He is a perfect, happy, easy going baby and we are so lucky to have this little ball of light in our family.
Smiling at Redland's first 'art' project. He painted some fall leaves at daycare this week and it brings joy to my face every time I see it hanging on the fridge!
Puzzling together plans for Friday since the three big kids didn't have school for the holiday weekend. The girls spent the morning and afternoon with the Conns (thank you!!) and we snagged them from the Quemahoming after we got done with school where they were fishing and swimming in the sunshine. Grey had a double sleepover; Thursday at Ivan's house for his birthday and then Friday night at Landon's house for his birthday (!luckiest, sleep-deprived boy ever).
Resting and catching up on chores on Saturday while my parents kept all four biggest kids (thank you!!) and Brandon spent the day at High Ridge hunting preserve as a guide for the fall jambo. I snuggled with Red and did mountains of laundry - and also read a ton which was salve to my tired soul.
Fall sporting with practices and one home game against Meyersdale. Gemmi did great cheering and then I swapped places at the stadium with my parents after the first quarter since we have limited spectators this year (2 spectators per athlete). My parents were at our house watching the meatballs and Red (thank you!) Grey's team ended up losing, but you always learn a ton from a loss.
Teaching Somos 1 Dice unit in Spanish 1, Spanish 2 started Somos 8 Food unit, Spanish 3 is doing the Tomatina mini unit this week (including the tissue paper tomato fight!), and Spanish 4 started learning about Costa Rica in preparation for our first novel of the year; Robo en la Noche. I also went over classroom procedures this week which include intruder training. Right after finishing my talk, the secretary came over the loud speaker with a really weird message "students! stay in your rooms!" and all the kids were looking at me like - whaaat?!?! Haha, it was freakishly timed for what we had just covered, but it was actually one of our students lost control of their car and crashed into the handicap ramp in front of the school (!). He was okay and no one was hurt, thank goodness. Here's hoping that the most excitement we have all year - get it right out of the way in the second week of school!
Side note to high school teachers: after we discuss our plans for an intruder (get out if possible or fight if we have to), I give a speech like the following (in case you need some brainstorm ideas):
but the most important thing we can do to stay safe is to take care of one another all the time. As much as us teachers try to stay alert to things going on in your lives and as much as I try to notice if something is up with any of my kids - I cannot get on the inside. I don't see your social media pages or your snapchats. (that's probably a good thing!) I can't hear what is talked about in the lunchroom or before school. The grown ups just don't have access to that information. So you need to be aware of your 'spidey sense.' it's that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that says, "this doesn't feel right. this doesn't feel safe" If you see something or hear something that makes you uncomfortable or worried, you need to tell a grown up that you trust. That's not snitching, and maybe it ends up being nothing. But maybe it ends up being everything. We have Safe To Say on the district website - that's real and goes to our administrators. It is anonymous and an important tool to use if you have something that you need to share with a grown up. In my room, I have box over by the pencil sharpener that you are always welcome to write me note and tell me anonymously or write your name - whatever! maybe it's about something important like you're worried your friend has an eating disorder or maybe it just says "hola senora, I'm having a great day!" The grown ups in the building want you to be successful and for all of you to be safe here at school and wherever you are in life. The very best way to keep each other safe is to take care of one another and get someone help before they feel like they don't have options. But you guys have to help us do that.
Making turkey chili, taco Tuesday, and a roast in the crockpot with potatoes and carrots. Brandon and I got only a tiny little piece of roast and ended up eating some leftovers that night because the kids devoured it and reminded us that we are in big trouble as they continue to grow. We need all the food to feed this crew!
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