Around Here Week 03: 01/14-20

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

photo cred: Pam H

Photo cred: Pam H (most Rusty face ever! love it!!)

Coach Drew with the post match debrief!

selfie credit: Julie

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 42+ Minutes...still(of 1000)
I zipped up a lot of winter coats and adjusted a lot of hats, and wiped up a lot of tracked in snow from winter boots and dog paws this week while everyone else enjoyed the outdoors and snow though! I enjoy a warm drink and a book and watching them out the window. LOL

Reading and finishing Unwind by Neal Shusterman and holy cow, no big deal - just stayed up on Monday night until 4am finishing the last 150 pages. Haha, really enjoyed it and will never stop promoting Neal Shusterman as the author of choice to get those teen reluctant readers to start reading. The dude just puts out solid stories and characters that captivate young men and women (and grown ups!) I am loving all my students accosting me everyday like, "Señoraaaaaaaaa, this book!" Next up are two books: Never Whistle at Night (an Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology) for Books&Brews Book Club and You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow (a borrow from my student Emma)

Visiting the art show at Laurel Arts to see the Somerset County elementary & JrHigh art show. Violet had a piece of work that was selected for the show so she and I headed out together to go see all the students' work. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with her. Afterward she helped me make Aldi grocery trip which meant she got to pick the cereal and that is always a treat in a big family - hah! 

Completely enthralled with The Curious Case of Natalia Grace on hboMAX. Um...what a wild ride. I'm a mandated reporter so I knew from the first few moments of the first episode the truth of truths. I feel so sad that so many adults failed for so many years. Besides the heartbreak, there was also crazy. So much crazy. Oh man, if you are getting snowed in regularly like us - you need to make some time to watch this documentary.

Smiling for Gemma who had her wish come true - to be allowed to take photos for the school yearbooks/newspaper/media. She dreams of a being a photographer someday, so getting the opportunity to be 'on the job' with the school media camera as a sixth grader is such a privilege (thank you Mrs. Feathers for trusting her and giving her the chance!) She took photos at Grey's home basketball game this week and was so visibly happy.

Interviewing for a new job! It was set for Friday afternoon, but then the snowstorm came and it got switched to zoom which meant work on top (blazer, earrings, hair done) and snow day mom of 6 on bottom (sweatpants & barefeet). You know I definitely tried the old panic-clean up of our bedroom that would be the background of my screen view (LOL) and God Bless Miss Emma who was there to keep all the kids downstairs and mostly quiet so I could be professional. The interview went great and I am feeling hopeful, excited, and inspired! 

Chaperoning the winter formal. B and I attended our 7th winter formal together and the kids all looked so nice dressed up - they were all excited and so sweet. It is nice to see them outside of school having fun and laughing together. B and I were exhausted after the week of mixed up plans and then the day of wrestling tournament - but it actually turned out the perfect little evening out together. 

Teaching so little in this wacky weather week. We had an Act80 day on Monday then a 2hr delay to start the new quarter on Tuesday. Then a Flexible Instruction Day on Wednesday, one normal full day of teaching/learning on Thursday, and then another Flexible Instruction Day on Friday (?!) Spanish 1 at least started Somos Unit 5 and got target structures. Spanish 2 learned about lustrabotas in Bolivia and read Chapter 1 in our novel Ekeko. Spanish 3 and 4 continued practicing Preterito (regular & super 7 verbs). I planned our staff potluck for this month for Thursday. It was soups, salads, and sandwich themed and like always all the staff totally showed up for it and we feasted. I made BLT pasta salad for it. 

Sporting while Rusty had 2 wrestling practices and then his last tournament at CT on Saturday. I volunteered from 6:30a-8:30a at the check in table and we donated some snacks and baked goods for the concession stand too. Rust had a great day and earned 3rd place. Violet had one basketball practice and a basketball game while Gemma took it easy on her ankle again and only kept stats for one JrHigh game and tried out her ankle at her 6th grade game on Saturday (it went good!). Grey had a baseball pitching practice, 2 basketball practices, and only 1 game due to weather cancelling the other stuff. We lifted twice this week and B started his winter basketball rec league in Franklin this week! 

Making for dinners: spaghetti, egg roll in a bowl, pierogies & kielbasa, and meatball sub sammies. Brandon made us a feast of Hibachi-style chicken, shrimp, veggies, and fried rice; he even made us yum yum sauce! On MLK Jr day while B was home with the crew - he and Grey made homemade chicken wings. On the 2hr delay mornings, I made applesauce & cinnamon muffins and buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake (unfortunately it wasn't cooked all the way through by the time we left for school - so we had it as afternoon snack instead). On Friday's snow day, I made cinnamon rolls with my grandma's boiled icing! For the wrestling tournament bake sale, I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.