A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment.
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| photo cred: Jackie F |
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| photo cred: Becky C |
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| selfie cred: Gemma |
Intentional Outdoor Hours: 569+ hours (of 1000)
Saturday was the perfect day for jumping in leaves - it was mid-50's and tons of leaves everywhere. I found another chicken egg-laying hiding spot! They've been laying eggs under one of bushes in the front of the house (found about 2 dozen) and I cleaned out the cat house where they've also been laying (another half dozen there). Literally an egg hunt every week!
Reading Strange Pictures by UKETSU. I sadly missed my teacher book club to discuss My Friends by Fredrik Backman because of the norovirus. I didn't finish the book yet, but there were so many insightful snippets about teenagers (definitely as a mom to teens but also a teacher to teens) that I appreciated and found valuable reflection from. I don't love Backman's style/ voice, but I did appreciate the characters, story, and the powerful points about young people. I sent my notes and love to the book club girls though - I'll keep those germs away!
Listening to When Things are Alive They Hum by Hannah Bent which is my pick for my Lit Ladies book club. I also set my date for hosting book club for later this month!
Oof. stomach bug descended upon our home early Sunday morning. I didn't leave our bedroom for 24 hours. Kids carrying around puke buckets, the laundry piled sky high, I placed the most 'we have the norovirus' grocery order of all time (crackers, Pedialyte, bananas, and bread). I called off on Monday and kept the babies home. Thankfully, the other four kids already had a day off for Parent/Teacher Conferences. We all just hunkered and endured. When all was said and done- the virus claimed 7 of the 8 of us! Only Brandon made it out unscathed!
Prepping the outside for winter weather. We added straw to the cat house on the back porch and got Bullet set up in the downstairs den. I got some much needed time in the side flower bed (trimming back all the plants) and the littlest kids (Red, Olive, and the nephews) all helped clean up the cuttings.
Proud to have my little sister, Kitty, as the guest of honor with Red and Olive at our elementary school Veteran's Day program. Our two elementary schools put on such a sweet program, I was glad to be there to see all the local veterans (but especially my sister) stand up at their own branch's song being played during the ceremony. We love and are so proud to be yours, Aunt Kitty!
No luck on viewing the aurora borealis this week. We kept checking on it the night of the solar flares, but didn't see anything here in western PA. The night sky sure is always lovely anyway - so no complaints from us!
Worried maybe that Reddy's cheekbone is broken (?) About 2 weeks ago, he fell into the ottoman playing football in the living room (typical) and his cheek was black and blue for a couple days. But now, when he smiles there is what looks like a dimple (or an indentation) where he hit his face. When we touch that spot, he says it "doesn't hurt hurt", but there is a clear difference in how it feels on that side compared to the other side. Almost like a ridge. Ugh, the worries never end. The internet (LOL) says there's not much to be done anyway - unless he would need reconstructive surgery (!?) but it's not bothering him...but also - like, what the heck? Good grief.
Smiling at Grey in his Letterman jacket. It came in this week and looks great.
Proud of our community that came together for the volleyball tournament and Shave it or Save it event. (Bravo Mrs. Buckham - the kids' health teacher who organized the whole event!) The proceeds for the whole event and basket raffle all went to fellow classmate, basketball teammate, and friend Ethan Matera who is battling T-Cell T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. Grey and Gemma both played for volleyball teams in the tournament all day and Grey and his team made it pretty far into the event (one of the last 3 teams at the end). There was an incredible turn out for the Shave it or Save it event - many students and many teachers/staff participated. Most of the participants just shaved their beards - but basketball players shaved beard and heads in support of Ethan, including even Coach Lesko the head coach! The whole basketball team is planning on shaving their heads for the season in solidarity with Ethan (Grey has an appt scheduled with our barber Lamont next week!)
Receiving our 2024-25 family yearbook! It is a labor of love that takes over a year to complete but I secretly love doing it and it is really cathartic for me to organize and design a whole years' worth of our family memories. I go full nerd and hand pick each photo and design, crop, and organize every single layout. (It is actually a form of psychosis, I'm sure, like some way to give me a false sense of control over the passing of time? LOL) but I am so happy with the way it turned out and everyone in the house loved it too. It is our 15th family yearbook and they are all treasures in our home.
Overwhelmed (like this time every year) with the state of our home. Since June (football pre-season) until November (end of football season) it is absolute mayhem around here. Back to school, summer with 8 people at home, and fall sports - it is a mad dash everyday...so by November, when we are finally able to come up for air - B and I look around at the house like - wtf happened here? Everything unorganized, a million things just left wherever they were last used. So B and I had a long morning chat, wrote a list, and got started on tackling the list of things that need attention. It will take a several weeks, but we usually can get it under relative control before the holiday season (just to ramp up the crazy again!)
Cousin Day! At our house since Uchie was the next one to get hit with the stomach bug and she was solo parenting while Uncle Drip is in Montana hunting elk! It always feels like the best kind of party when the fella boys are here - so we spent the day playing and snacking and Violet even took everyone for a little hike around the treestand loop!
Celebrating Sophia's 16th birthday with Gemma and Peyton. I can't believe our Soph is sixteen, gah, a little part will always just be that teeny two year old of my best friend. I just do not understand time in any way. Katie and I were chatting and Peyton was staring at us and then said, "you guys talk exactly the same" - not the first time we've heard that - but that's what happens when you're best friends I guess! The party was so cute - Gem and Peyt spent almost the whole time dancing to the most fun playlist from the DJ (Katie's cousin Sam who is an adult now but who I've known since he was eight years old?!) So glad we could be there to celebrate Soph - love you forever my darling.
Time with family and friends. Rusty went to the Thomahawk hockey game with Liam and then had a sleepover at his house. Violet went hunting with Chum and also got to have a sleepover with her friend Kaylee. Vi and Gemma both had a dentist appointment and Pappy too them (thank you!) Gemma went to the movies with Cooper, Peyton, and Devin. Grey got in his tree stand a few times this week
Praying for Gaza. Praying for Sudan. Praying for all victims around the world to be heard, believed, and find peace and receive justice.
Teaching about the Dominican Republic in elementary school. The students were excited to learn about all MLB players that come from the DR (including Oneil Cruz, a current Pittsburgh Pirates player) and they watched how to make a baseball glove out of a cardboard box like many Dominican kids do. Rusty and Reddy made them at home with cereal boxes and played with their cardboard mitts all week; playing catch with an orange. Spanish Expo started their geography week and Spanish 1 got into the capibara disguise project (always a fan favorite). I had some really creative ideas this year and they all got so into it. Spanish 2 started Somos 12 with personal belongings vocab and target structures like 'no conoce a nadie' and finishing the lyrics for Shakira's Sale el Sol.
Sporting with an indoor soccer game at Turfside for Violet and her Sparks team. The two oldest kids had the tiniest window of a sports break this week until Friday when the winter sports season officially opened with practices. Gemma had two jr high basketball practices and Grey had two varsity basketball practices.
Making chicken teriyaki noodles, chicken quesadillas, kielbasa and pierogies, sloppy joes with mac and cheese, Parmesan garlic sheet pan chicken and veggies (thanks Instagram), and meat sauce spaghetti. It was a lot of crackers and pedialyte around here while the stomach bug worked through the house.
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