Around Here Week 43: 10/22-28

 A glimpse into what it is like to be in our family just this moment. 

photo cred: Iris & Rose Photography

photo cred: Iris & Rose Photography

our newest baby cousin Ryder!

first flag game vs. last junior high game (Center & QB)

photo cred: Barb Adams (thank you!)

photo cred: B at CTES parade

photo cred: Stacey B

photo cred: Deanna M

Intentional Outdoor hours: 667+ hours (of 1000)
Such a gorgeous fall week, the leaves were really showing off and our night of Trick-or-Treating was maybe one of the most pleasant we've ever had. It was so comfortable outside that no one needed extra layers. 

Reading What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty and really enjoying it. It's kind of freaking me out thinking about how it would feel to have lost ten years of memories. My gosh, if Tabitha of 30 woke up in THIS life with ALL these kids and animals and working at high school and involved in all the kids' activities and having to do all this laundry and feed all these bottomless stomachs everyday. LOL forever. You have to work your way up into this madness. I do really appreciate that Alice (who forgot) was just like, "yeah, no I'm not doing that" when Alice (that lived that life) felt locked in and there was no other way to do things. I'm feeling inspired to imagine 30 year old Tabitha popping into this life - would she be proud? overwhelmed? excited about her future? disappointed in any some aspects? What would naive 30 year old Tab think was important to keep doing? What would she be sad to have seen lost in 10 years?  Thanks Karpy for suggesting the book!! 

Clearing off the dining room table which is actually a full blown miracle. This fall sports season has completely wrecked the entire house and I honestly have not seen the dining room table since the beginning of August. It has just been the dumping zone for EVERYTHING. I blasted music on Sunday afternoon and just got to work ripping, tearing, clearing, and scrubbing. What a big job it was, but so worth it. Now we have double space for meals and homework - hah! thank goodness. 

Getting our family photos taken by Iris & Rose photography (Bailie) at Hinckston Run Farm. It was my birthday gift from my sisters (thank you!) and even though Olive was a grumpy cat - they turned out beautiful and I am always grateful to have a snapshot in time of our family just as we are right now. I can't get over the fact that I am shorter than two of our kids. How did time happen? I remember them being five years old and now poof! they're literally bigger than me. 

Dress up weeks at school for Red Ribbon. Grey & Gem had Adam Sandler, USA, Hawaiian, Anything but a backpack, and costumes on Friday (Grey and his Savannah Banana buddies won first place at the costume contest during lunch!) Rust & Vi had Red, sweatpants, PJs, team jersey, and orange&black day. On Friday, they also had their annual parade and fall fest party. B was able to get down there to see them in the parade. 

Snuggling our newest baby cousin, baby Ryder! Butter and Becky brought that sweet darling to Grey's football game and we all nudged each other around trying to get a chance to hold him. Is there anything sweeter than snuggling a new baby. You are so loved baby Ryder!

Hosting a Studerbabies Farm & Free Play event on the most perfect fall evening on Wednesday. We had a small group but it was great to chat with parents while the kids all played sweetly together. Every time we host an event, I get a little more insight into exactly the idea/words that I need to use to help explain what I'm trying to do with it (hah). 

Trick-or-treating with our CT friends on Thursday night. What a gorgeous fall night at nearly 70degrees..it was perfection. Grey and his buddies were all Savannah Banana baseball players, and Gemma dressed up with her friend Cooper as Taylor Swift (Red era) and Travis Kelce. Violet was Tinkerbell, Rusty was Captain Hook, Reddy was the crocodile, Olive was Mr. Smee, B was Peter Pan, and I was Wendy.  Osa came with us (as Nana dog from Peter Pan) and did so good walking and letting a bajillion people pet her all night (hah!) Uch and Kev and the boys joined us for awhile (the boys were stinky, cutey skunks!) and then after all the candy getting - we headed back to the Huffman house for food and hanging out; a trick or treat night tradition! (thanks for always hosting Pam!)

Giving Miss Emma a big hug as she is off to vacation to Disney! We will miss her so much this upcoming week, but we have Aunt Kitty and Abba squeezing in to cover the days with the babies for us (thank you!) Enjoy the week, Miss Emma! We love you so!

Tailgating at the end of season youth football picnic on Saturday. The rain held off until the very last minute (yay!) and we spent the afternoon playing kid vs. grown up two-hand touch football, dancing to music, and hanging out with friends to close out the youth league football/cheer season. 

Teaching the Spanish Alphabet in Spanish 1, and reading Chapters 5-10 of El Silbón in Spanish 2. Spanish 3 and 4 read chapters 11-14 of La Llorona which finished the book, so we got started on the movie La Llorona to celebrate (eek! spooky!) It was also Red Ribbon week - so theme dress up everyday, plus grades for Q1 are due next week (!! already!?), and IEP forms that need my input, and finally decorating for upcoming Day of the Dead! 

Sporting with cross-over season just beginning (football/cheer to winter sports). Violet had 1 basketball practice and a basketball game. Gemma had a basketball game, and Grey had 1 baseball practice, a football practice, and his last Jr. High football game on Tuesday- they finished the season undefeated! I felt like I was carrying around a momma's broken heart all day Tuesday with the last ever Jr High game to go. I know it is the most cliche thing, but honestly I remember him starting flag football in first grade and then a blink and he had his last jr. high game. Which means only 4 more football seasons left and that baby boy is an actual grown up. 4 more football seasons, how did that happen? oh mommas, I love you - hang in there. In other sports news, Brandon had four football practices and the LAST Varsity game on Friday night vs. United Valley. His very first season as Varsity Head coach under his belt. I am so proud of him and the boys and all the lessons and good that came out of the season - even if the record alone shows a different story when it stands alone. Football is more than football; sports are more than sports and that is something we believe to the deepest of our hearts. He also attended the SAFCA football meeting and had the last team dinner & film of the year. Off season starts now (LOL) so we are sitting down together and reflecting and dreaming big for next season. 

Making stromboli, hamburger casserole, copycat Olive Garden chicken over noodles, leftover fridge clean out, roasted veggies and kielbasa, and bedtime snacks like peanut butter & jelly sammies. Grey and I went out with some football families to Jim&Jimmies after the last jr high game (he got wings and I had a chicken salad and hot pepper cheese balls!). For trick-or-treat potluck at the Hoffmans I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pulled pork and for the tailgate party I made meatball sub sammies and cake mix chocolate chip cookies.