Around Here Week 48: 11/26-12/02

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

photo cred: Kate

photo cred: Uch

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 684+ hours (of 1000)
B and Grey got a ton of outdoor time (close to 24 hours in total) since it was the first couple days of rifle season. But I am a wimp and it is too cold outside for me to have any motivation to get outside and then once I'm out there - I'm too miserable to be happy. Hah! Goal for next year - get outdoor cold weather appropriate gear so I'm not hateful. I did snag a couple hours at the youth football/cheer equip turn in though - so at least for that. 

Reading and finishing Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and crying at the end because sisters and love and forgiveness and life. Next up: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong which is a borrow from my student Ruby and I am full on obsessed. Loving it so much! Also - is there much better than reading by the light of the Christmas tree with a blankie and a warm drink? The answer is resolutely no, there is nothing better.

Pink eye update: My turn! haha, but only slightly watery and itchy eyes and just a little pink. It must be viral because we had antibiotic drops and they are doing absolutely nothing to help it along. We are just going to have to pass it the whole way around this family I guess. #bigfamilyprobs

Visiting with my bestie Kate and her two kiddos. They drove in for a visit and Kate and I went for coffee and chatting at Cafe Dodie while our two big girls watched the little kids. Then Kate took my big kids for a bowling & pizza play day while me and the littles got to stay home (sweetest gift! thank youuuu)

Rifle season butchering day. Our Gilmore cousins, Uncle Ray, Pappy, Grey, and B spent Sunday evening in the garage butchering our deer harvests for the first two days of rifle season. They skinned and quartered 3 deer in a little less than 2 hours, all working together side by side chatting and laughing. Do I like the smell of carcass and guts - obviously not, but to see my sons pitching in, learning, and helping alongside the men in our family who came before them? Absolutely. While the fellas were downstairs taking care of business - Lisa and I got time to chat and catch up while Gemma and Audra watched the baby girl and made 8 trillion hot chocolates and delivered coffee to the men. The four middle kids (Rowen, Vi, Rust, and Reddy) zipped between both levels eating handfuls of cookies and sucking candy canes into spears to poke each other (lol, but seriously). It was all the chaotic memory-making that make me love time with cousins so much.

Celebrating cousin Millie's bday with a party at the Rummell's house. That little sweetie pie turned four and is snuggly as ever. Happy birthday darling girl. 

Dressing the house for Christmas. We slowly rolled out all the Christmas decorations over several days. The tree ornaments went up on Sunday night and the kids have been loving our collection of Christmas books. We are missing nearly all the pieces to our play-able nativity set, so since our two meatball middles (Rust & Vi) are very into Legos right now - I ordered a Lego nativity set for them to put together for this year and as soon as it arrived in the mail - they got started! 

Hugging my sick biggest boy. He was out of school for two days this week - totally down for the count with the stomach bug and exhaustion (probably from four days in the woods rifle hunting for 12 hours, but what do I know?) He was really truly sick though and it killed him to miss basketball practice - but after the R&R, he is back up and at'em. 

Organizing for December and all the holly jolly on the way. My mom gets the kids chocolate advent calendars every year (thank you!) and they were so happy to get them started on Dec. 1. My planner is getting updated with lots of upcoming dates: Grey's basketball games, holiday dress up days at the schools, $ due for teacher gifts and holiday parties to the homeroom moms (bless you Homeroom moms!), and sketching out my timeline for cookie baking and gift buying. God speed to all you magic makers out there this holiday season! 

Marco (our elf) arrived on Thursday night. He is a touchable/snuggable elf and as long as the kids put him back in his 'charging bag' under the tree each night, he moves! This week he was reading Christmas books on the couch and then up on our bear mount! (here's the all the Magic Makers out there - God speed and you are incredible!)

Scrubbing carpets. So satisfying and gratifying. Thanks to B who did the whole upstairs (xxox)

Sharing kids. Uch took all the kids (but Booboo) for a cousin sleepover at her house on Friday night. They had so much fun and loved being with her and the boys. Grey and B brought home pizza and wings (after a vehicle stuck in the mud debacle?!) and we got to hang out in peace and quiet...I mostly read - hah! (thank you Uchie!) On Saturday morning, I spent some time at Uch's house so she could take her Lady dog to the vet before bringing my five kids back home. 

Addressing Christmas Cards! Tis the season! 

Teaching only three days this week since we had no school for First day of buck and then my school had an ACT 80/professional development day on Tuesday. I think it should be standard to always have a PD day before returning from a holiday break! What a blessing it was to rig the pigs back in, decorate for Christmas, and get all my plans & copies in order before the students return! Spanish 1 continued reading Capibara con Botas, Spanish 2 got some vocab and pre-knowledge about Billy la Bufanda (we watched the music video too) before we read the graphic novel next week. Spanish 3 and 4 worked on some pre learning about the United Fruit Company before they start their next novel, Bananas by Carrie Toth, next week. 

Sporting with two wrestling practices for Rusty,  a basketball game for Violet and Vi also participated in wrestling practice too. Gem had three basketball games to finish out the 6th grade games at the YMCA league and one JrHigh basketball practice. Grey had three basketball practices and a baseball practice. Brandon attended the Lineman meeting that the defensive coaches held this week for the Varsity football players and I spent the afternoon at CTYF equipment turn in day collecting uniforms and having a board meeting to organize plans for next year. 

Making 'Italian penicillin' soup for all my snot nosed, sore throat sickly family members. We also had chicken tacos, bbq/applesauce chicken, beef & biscuit casserole, and slider sandwiches from Miss Hannah (thank you!!) On butchering night, I made buffalo chicken dip, cowboy cookies, and fried up some marinated deer meat.