Around Here Week 20: 05/14-20

Monday, June 5, 2023

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








photo cred: B

photo cred: Heather




photo & edit cred: Gemma




photo cred: Abba

photo cred: Becky C




photo cred: B

photo cred: Mrs. McCall





photo cred: Jackson B


photo cred: Kristi P



photo cred: Rachel K








photo cred: Gemma (!)



Intentional Outdoor Hours: 129+ hours (of 1000)
It feels like real spring now - sunny and warm, but still a little chill in the air. Just lovely, the green is bursting from the grass and trees and everything feels full of life. Mother's day and Field day at school turned out perfect weather days - so sunny and warm.

Reading Verity by Colleen Hoover (a borrow from my student Layla) I'm liking the suspense, but I'll need a Colleen Hoover break after this one - 2 in a row is a little too much. LOL. also, I'm re-reading Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I read it a few years ago and our Project Lit group chose it as our last book for the year. I love this book (and the series) so much. I think about it all the time actually. If you know a teen looking for a great book (boys and girls!) suggest this series - so good! 

Celebrating mother's day. My sisters, momma, and I all met up at Kitty's house early on Sunday morning for mimosas, french toast casserole (thank you Kitty), and we were supposed to go for a walk but then we ended up chatting, laughing, and bawling around the dining room table. HAH. exactly perfect and us. It was amazing. Then my whole family went to youth mass at 10:30a where the kids sang and it was lovely. After church, we headed to my parents' house for a taco bar (organized by the husbands/dads/kids) and it was delicious and so much fun. We obviously threw Uch in basket tosses (because that's who we are even at 30+ years old - LOL) and it was just a beautiful day in the sun with laughter, great food (and margaritas!) and so many hugs. We stopped by Mimi's house and Gigi's house too to give hugs and love - but we are all a bunch of snotnoses and fever kids, so we made just a quick visit until we can have more time when the sicknesses clear out of our systems. 

Working on fifth grade promotion party plans with Michelle and Jenn. We were permission slip making, bounce house communicating, and crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's-ing for the upcoming party. 

Marveling at my classroom closet that looks so organized and neat. Thank you to my student Olivia who totally managed the classroom de-decorating project and had all kinds of students working effectively for her as she kept everything tidy in the closet. I put together huge lists for each area, and then she just ran with it. I was really dreading this, but Olivia saved the day and I am so grateful for it!

My baby-iest sister had a birthday this week. Love you, #uchisthebest 

End of year activities for school! Violet had her spring concert on Monday night and I was disappointed to miss it (at Gem's concert) but grateful for photo sent to me and to hear Vi sing (literally) every song later that night at my own personal kitchen concert. (She really does have a beautiful voice that reminds me of my grandma Irene and I love so much when she sings Shenandoah).  Brandon chaperoned Rusty's kindergarten field trip to Vale Wood Farms, and Gemma had her Multicultural day event on Friday. She and two of her friends (Becca and Blake) chose Mexico and worked so well together. 

Scrubbing and using the Momma Conn cleaning method on Grey's bright white Pony league baseball jersey! She very sweetly sent an arsenal of supplies and sent two tutorial videos to me because she is an experienced queen with her twin baseballers who always somehow look sharp and clean no matter how much her boys slide and play. She saved me because I followed her exact steps and was amazed at how much it worked. Never in my life sent this kid to the diamond with a like-new white jersey like I did this week. Owe you big time, Beck! Thank you!! 

Prepping for goat babies next month. B gave all three soon-to-be mommas vaccines and we also read up and forced ourselves to look at some pretty intense photos of the whole process. Sometimes I wonder, what is actually wrong with us that we thrive in chaotic energy so much better than just being calm and sane and normal. So very grateful to be married to this man who matches and even encourages my chaotic energy. This is a three-ring circus under the big tent kind of a life we built babe, but very glad to be wearing a top hat next to you. 

Renewing my CPR certification during the Act 80 training. 

Shipping Grey off, first to his best twin friends' grandpa's house to help with the farm. He had such a blast and it's amazing to see how hard a kid will work if it's not at his own house (LOL). But seriously, he loved spending the day with his buddies being helpful (thanks Conns!) Then, he went to the lock-in at the church that our incredible youth group put together. He had a great time with 21 other teenagers (! seriously, bless those chaperones!) and came home to tell all the funny, goofy tales of the evening - including a too long running joke of fake fart noises at bedtime (good grief, let me say it again - God bless those chaperones!) 

Ordering a washer pump because OF COURSE at the height of spring sports season and end of the school year madness, the washer is going to die. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. I mean, come on. At least I have the handiest hubby who can fix it, but we still have to wait for the dang new pump to arrive early next week. 

Our baby-iest baby is two! Olive turned two on Friday and we hosted a TWO-ti fruiti birthday party at our house on Saturday. We had fruity pebbles gobs and a yogurt parfait bar. We were really hoping for some sunshine to be able to have the baby pool and slip 'n slide open - but it was mostly drizzling and chilly..don't worry, our kids still got their feet in the baby pool and played kickball in the rain (hah!) Oh Livy-lou, you are so deeply cherished; you little spoiled angel-face. we love you so. 

Teaching and barely getting through these last couple days. The kids are all over it - bigtime. But we are trying to keep the wheels on. If you have extra prayers, send them to teachers hanging on for dear life in the last weeks of school. Spanish 1 took their final (those that weren't exempt from earned Leave Me Alone Passes) and we started watching Chupa (on Netflix!) Spanish 2 finished their last book Robo en la Noche and did their last Baseline writing for the year. Spanish 3/4 finished the movie Sugar and the seniors' grades were due on Tuesday (half of that class) so we've honestly just been hanging out and reminiscing. On Wednesday, we had our awards assembly. On Thursday, we had Field Day/Color Wars between the grades. I was in charge of the Study Hall/Chill room (yay for reading!) but I also organized the sell of food with the Spanish Club. (We had Buff Chicken Dip, Nachos with meat, and Mexican corn for sale.)

Sporting Rusty had a baseball practice and a baseball game, Violet had two AYSO soccer games and a Sparks soccer practice. Gemma had three AYSO soccer games this week and thank the heavens that at the Windber game Heather was able to scoop up Red and Liv for playing and dinner at her house while I got to watch all by my peaceful self (!! you're the best!!) Grey had two city baseball games (thank you to the Conns for transport always). Brandon and I had a double header on Tuesday night for summer co-ed volleyball (whew! we were sore the next day!) B had open weightlifting M-Th and also met with the strength coaches and did a scouting meeting at JCS (the varsity football coach works in the off-season ya know!)

Making sheet pan kielbasa/potatoes/veggies, buffalo chicken dip in the travel crockpot on Tuesday night when we spent over 4 hours at fields for games, hamburger helper (from a box!), homemade pizza, spaghetti, and leftovers. For field day Spanish Club food - I made Mexican corn, buffalo chicken dip, and taco meat and then transported it all to school on Thursday morning. And on Saturday, I made homemade granola for Olive's yogurt parfait bar and the fruity pebble gobs and boiled icing for her 'cake.' 

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