Around Here Week 14: 04/03-09

 A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment. 

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 42+ hours (of 1000)
don't worry. it snowed again this week. at this point, I'm honestly getting seasonal depression. is it too much to ask for consistency and normal expectations for the seasons? Where are my spring thunderstorms and slightly warmer temps each day, little by little? ugh. sorry, I'm cranky about it.

Reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. still loving it so much.

Visiting with Mimi for Sunday brunch to celebrate her and Reddy's birthday. She wasn't able to come to the birthday party, so we brought the party to her! (honestly, our big family is truly a party in an of itself!) Mimi whipped up a delicious brunch, like only great grandmas can, and we sang over leftover cupcakes. 84 years young and just the very best. How lucky we all are to have our Mimi. 

Honoring chickie season! hahahha, we adopted 12 new baby chickies for the spring season. They are very sweet and we all just swoon over them all day long. 

Planning for Easter. I organized and loaded up the online shopping cart, I pulled out dress clothes from everyone's clothes stash and put together outfits that are ironed and hung in our closet ready for the next two Sundays. And I talked with both sides of family to finalize times and figure out what we are contributing to the celebration. It takes a lot of prep, but not being last minute frantic is always worth it

Calling in the tooth fairy as Rusty lost his first tooth! He had us cracking up when after Brandon pulled it out, he said, "Ugh, I can feel the goosh everywhere!" 

Missing Bud who headed out to Spruce Creek this week for his annual fishing trip with Uncle Jonny. They had a great time and caught a ton of beautiful, native trout. We did great holding down the fort, I told him it's a lot easier now that we have some bigger kids - Grey and Gem were so helpful. Chummie picked the girls up off the bus and visited for a little bit and then Pappy and Gigi stopped with groceries on Friday while Heather swung by and dropped off dinner too. My gratitude for the people that squeeze in tight when we need support and care is unending. We are so incredibly blessed by the people that love us. 

Sending Grey to the funeral home for a buddy who lost his grandma unexpectedly this week. Thank you Stankans for taking him with you!

Giggling about Liv and Wells. They are really coming into their little personalities, especially with each other. Welly loves the dogs and Livy loves stealing every single thing Wells ever has in his possession. They smile and coo at each other and were overjoyed when I put them both in a sink bath this week (although Red was really jealous and had a hard time understanding why he couldn't get in with them. He got a solo turn after them!) 

Congratulating Gemma who earned her Knights of the Math table in division this week (48 division facts in under a minute) and who is inching forward in progress as she learns the trumpet in fourth grade band. It's hard to believe I have these two tall (!), mostly grown kids walking around my house - like how did this happen?

Celebrating our 12 year old. Grey! If I said it once, I've said it non-stop for the past 12 years, I cannot understand time at all. He was thrilled to be picked up early from school by Dad and Uncle Jonny to go get wings and pizza for lunch. He is planning a survival-type camp out for a few weeks from now when the weather warms up a bit with his friends. 

Prom planning with a virtual meeting on Friday. We've finalized the budget and menu! Prom spirit week is planned, we are in the final week of ticket orders, and all our chaperones are covered. I feel really good at the spot we are in, which thank goodness because it is coming up quick! 

Grocery shopping with Grey and mostly laughing at his simple-minded middle school goofiness. He mostly drives me insane all day, everyday because tolerating the bizarre noises, movements, catchphrases, and "jokes" of middle school is a full time job. But I tried to lean into the awkward, cringe, ridiculousness of it all when it was just the two of us and we actually had a pretty fun time together.

Sporting with only one soccer practice this week due to the rain and muddy, swampy soccer fields. Since it was only the first week, the board decided not to ruin the fields right out of the gate (hah). Gemma had soccer practice on Monday while B took Rusty and Grey to get new cleats. Grey had a baseball scrimmage and then picture day on Saturday. 

Making chicken tenders, sloppy joes, spaghetti, slow cooker orange chicken over rice, take out pizza, steaks and moose on the grill with asparagus. For Keto: ground turkey, broccoli, and cheese skillet, alfredo shrimp and asparagus, taco meat over cauliflower rice, hot dogs, broiled haddock, lots of avo toast, eggs, and salads. 

Starting Keto this week because we are just disgusted with ourselves. hah. I know that sounds like negative body image talk - but really its more like we are tired to thinking about our bodies all day long; thinking about how our clothes feel uncomfortable, or our bones ache, or what we look like in photos, or moving easily. My goal weight is always the point in which I'm not even thinking about my body, I'm just taking it for granted because I feel comfortable in my own skin and it works like I want it to work. And we don't hate Keto after day3, it's actually pretty nice to have that carb brain fog lift. I went back and re-read my Keto posts from 3 years ago and was re-inspired and excited to get to that feeling of just being ME again, the me not so exhausted and controlled by carbs, processed foods, and over sugar. So, so far so great!