A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment.
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| photo cred: Heather |
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| photo cred: Kate |
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| photo cred: Taryn |
Intentional Outdoor Hours: 279+ hours (of 1000)
I'm convinced we live in the rainforest now. It's blistering hot and humid and then the clouds break and we get torrential thunderstorms. It's great for our garden and all the plants, but geez oh man - I've had clothes drying outside almost every time the rain starts; including this big quilt that Grey and I joked about never getting dry again!
Reading How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott D Sampson, but not very much. I'm feeling a little unmotivated for reading right now, and then right at the perfect time, our book club reached out to start up again and we are going for it! First on the list is The Book of Dreams by Nina George which was suggested to me from my dear friend and fellow book lover Taryn.
Swimming and Grilling on the fourth of July. We spent the day at Pappy and Gigi's enjoying the warm, sunny weather for the holiday. I even got in, which always make the kids happy when Mom participates. We got Red in a little bit, but he still has a lot of fear for water (which I'm grateful for!) - I think he's attempted to drown himself in the bathtub so many times now that he recognizes how dangerous it is. Grey helped grill, Gemma and Gigi made funnel cakes, and we all had a great time.
Celebrating our garden! Oh, she's so beautiful. What pride comes from planting, growing, and sowing your own food. I can hardly stand myself. I picked the most perfect jalapeno and was showing it off like a proud momma to all the kids and Heather when she stopped by to drop Grey off from his sleepover. Zucchini and green peppers are growing aplenty and we can see sugar snap peas starting too! The cauliflower is growing great, although I want to wait until absolutely sure it's as big as it's going to get because you only get one from the plant! Our pumpkin plants are looking good and we only have about 4 watermelon plants that made it from the last goat escape (ugh). I did find a little Peter Rabbit who snuck into the fence though the smallest hole - sneaky fellow!
Picking blueberries as is our annual tradition with the Fiores. Of course, per usual, we went on a day that was sunny and blistering hot. But the kids hung in there and we ended up bringing home about 7lbs of blueberries! We could have had more but Red kept reaching his hand in my bucket and eating them by the fistfuls. After everyone had sweat running down our entire body, we made the trek to Kate's house where the kids got to swim before a huge storm swept through and poured while we enjoyed dinner in the pool house. It was wonderful, as it always is, to spend time with them and then the kids and I (except Gem who slept over) all headed back home in a soaking wet Sheila because I left all the windows down! hahhaa, oops!
Prepping for the baby shower. Each of the kids picked a book to order for their new cousin and then wrote an inscription in the inside. I wrote Red's to say, "Dude! This is going to be awesome. Let's wreck everything"....because honestly, that's the truest. We dropped off tables and the card basket at my parents' house and the kids were happy to squeeze in a little pool time with Chum at my Aunt Pete's neighboring house.
Giggling with Gemma at her blueberry muffin attempt. She woke up early and while I was feeding the baby upstairs, she tried to make her muffins all on her own using her The Everything kids' cookbook. Alas, she didn't realize the difference between tbsp and tsp and ended up with the wrong amount of baking soda. We all still had to try them though, and I was cracking up when Gem said, "I mean their not that bad, except for the after taste, wait...ohmygosh, my tongue is swelling up." HAHAH.
Cleaning up all the things as Red is in full blown wreck.all.the.things mode. And how are their little baby hands so quick? You don't think it's possible to be that destructive in that short amount of time, but their little fast hands can grab or swipe or dump so freaking fast. I don't know how they accomplish the messes they do (I couldn't make that big of a mess in that short amount of a time if I was trying!) but parents of the wreck it phase (about 15-24 months)....sending love to you, this is a time period where patience is needed.
Visiting the newest Zanghi baby. The kids and I popped over for a visit and they loved playing with Ivy and her new baby sis Indi. Carli ordered pizza and we brought the snacks and it was so nice chatting and catching up while the kids all played sweetly together. Welcome to the world, sweet baby girl!
Swimming and fishing at the Que on Friday morning with Becky and all the kids ever. She had the boys for a sleepover the night before (5 of them, including her twins) and I grabbed Gina on the way over - so it was the two of us and eleven kids and it was so relaxing and wonderful actually. Becky snagged a pavilion where we had food and snacks - all the boys are fishing self-sufficient and even helped my little ones, and the beach always keeps everyone happy. So it was an easy afternoon that gave the kids a lot of joy.
Enjoying an evening to celebrate my baby sis and future nephew. We spent Friday night at my parents' house for Uch & Kevin's baby shower with family and friends and it was perfect. Lots of great food, such great company, and the kids had an absolute blast. My mom was a total trooper hanging in until almost 10p, but so many people helped pull the day off - especially my sister Kitty, cousin Kara, and Kevin's mom and sister. I am so grateful for the people who love my family so well (thank you!) And could my baby sis be any cuter with that little bump. Omigosh, I'm dyyyyyyyying about becoming an aunt and every time I think about that sweet little boy I just swoon over the idea of loving that little nugget with all my heart but not carrying all the challenges of being his actual parent. OMIGOSH - can you even imagine!? hahahhahaa. don't mind me, #firsttimeaunt over here. I've been waiting my whole adult life to be called 'tia' (that's aunt in Spanish) and it feels like I can hardly wait for these last few weeks to move along and let me see this baby!! (you're doing amazing Uch and I cannot wait to see you as a mumma. what a supremely lucky baby. I have to stop writing about it now or I'll burst into tears for the 800th time of your pregnancy).
Handing out sleep overs like Oprah (you get a sleep over! and you get a sleep over!) Grey scored three sleepovers (!) one at the Rummels house on the fourth of July which included a bike ride to the Staple Bend tunnel, swimming, and fireworks! Then booboo stayed at Camp Harmony with the Stankans- swimming, gigging frogs, and fishing. and finally , he had a sleepover at the Conn's with four of his friends staying up half the night to trade fishing fly ties, jigs, and lures (hahh!) Gemma got two herself, with a sleepover at the Fiores with Sophie - swimming and girl movies and another with cousin Mallory after Uch's baby shower which was super short but so appreciated after not seeing each other for a whole year #thankscovid. And even the meatballs (Violet & Rusty) got a sleepover! They got to stay at the Vorndran's house all the way in Pittsburgh for a night. We met up half way for the exchange and they had the greatest time of their whole lives so far with best friends who are also siblings of the same ages! There were nerf battles and diy pizzas and make overs! Thank you so much to all our friends who love our kids and share their kids to give them all such special memories. We are so blessed by you.
Party hopping on Saturday. The girls and I attended a baby shower for baby girl Siwy due later this year. Then we had a family picnic at the Garretsons house with delicious grilled food and lots of fun with cousins followed by the annual summer party at the McKool's house with tons of Grey and Gemma's friends.
Sporting with Grey's first middle school golf practice (he loved it - thank you Loni for taking him!) B and I also had a volleyball game (thank Uch for sitting with the kids!)
Making lots of meals from our CT school meal pick up (what a blessing! CT families, sign up! it's been saving my summer grocery bill). We had walking tacos, and thawed pulled pork that we had left and frozen from Joan after the baby was born. B and I had one Green Chef this week: Blackened Cauliflower (so delicious) but I did end up canceling our subscription this week because we ran our course with it. I feel like I've learned so much though from having the meals about textures and flavors and really opened my eyes and tastes to eating more plant based. I was very happy with our Green Chef experience. We had egg sausage casserole one morning and I made a double batch of zucchini chocolate chip cookies from our abundance of garden zucchinis.
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