Around Here Week 50: 12/07-13

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

photo cred: Tribune

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 571+ hours (of 1000)
Some big 'ole snowflakes this week! So pretty! 

Reading By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. We stopped by my friend Renee's bookstore (The Laurel & Leaf Bookshop ) to drop off her secret Santa gift that was delayed for our book club Christmas party (love you!) I picked up a Christmas rom-com novella while I was there - I chose The Christmas List by Maren Moore

Listening to Christmas music 24/7 and when not Christmas music, I'm finishing My Friends by Fredrick Backman

Christmas movies watched: Christmas with the Kranks, The Naughty Nine, Elf

Christmas prep: 

• finished addressing the Christmas cards (finally) and got them all stamped and closed and sent!
• printing our neighborhood thank yous to hand out for their lights and decorations that make our neighborhood so lovely this season
• Brandon put up some Christmas lights over the garage, yay! 
• Celebrating St Nicholas day (one day late)
• 12 days of Christmas dress up for the babies at their Pre-K 
• hanging up Christmas cards received from family and friends (thank you for sending them). Violet has taken the task of hanging them all up for me!
• finished the ordering (mostly) of gifts that need to make it through the mail before Christmas eve
• updated my budget tracker and feeling pretty okay about how things are going - I think it's going to be alright timewise. 

Marco antics: sitting with the kids' shoes filled with candy for St. Nicholas day, hanging off of our bear mount, writing potty-themed lyrics on the toilet paper, sitting in Olive's babydoll high chair eating marshmallows, drawing silly faces on the eggs, hiding in Violet's cardboard gingerbread house display, and trying to fool everyone by dressing up like a Little Debbie Christmas tree cake and asking "Is it cake?" (I will never stop laughing at this)

A deer for Daddy! Brandon, Grey, and Pappy went out hunting on Sunday and B got a nice 8point buck. Hooray for a full freezer and we are shipping the head (and the TWO OTHER HEADS) to be European mounted. Yes, you read that correct - I have had two deer skulls in my deep freezer for months?! God bless hunters' wives, honestly. 

Confirmation class for Gemma, one more lesson closer to getting confirmed this spring! Gem also did her acolyte duty this week and Violet did it with her so she wouldn't have to fly solo. #sisters 

Trying to just knock out one single item from every category each day. LOL FOREVER. Did I do one extra school task (like grading/ filing/ email)? Did I do one home chore (laundry/ vacuuming/ cleaning)? Did I do one Christmas action item (card addressing/ present ordering/ planning)? Then okay, as long as I can do one of those things every day - I'm not fully submerged yet. I'm still doggy-paddling over here! 

Clapping for Gemma and the Jr high chorus at their winter concert. They sounded beautiful (and looked beautiful). I have never been to a school concert for my kids that I didn't get choked up. Every.single.time. These young people out here singing and learning the arts makes my heart sing and my eyes water. (thank you to all the educators teaching kids creativity and spirit and the arts - I appreciate you!) Gem stayed after her chorus part to take photos of the band concert for yearbook too. This girl - she does it all! 

Looking for my glasses. I really should probably be wearing my glasses everyday...I mean I can see just fine but for a crisper view of the world (LOL). I do not want to wear contacts (which makes Brandon crazy) but I just want to open my eyes and see like I always have but 40 is putting some strain on lots of my body - eyes for sure included! 

Giggling and retaping many times Violet's How To video for her writing class. She chose to Make a Breakfast Sandwich and at 9:15p at night this week, we filmed the steps and laughed the whole way through (taking a multiple takes) and then Grey added some humor to the end of the video and the three of us were cracking up in the kitchen way past a school night bedtime.  

Full blown panic when I was notified that my paperwork is not up to date for the state ed department. Real true desperation for a few hours thinking that I was going to be in real trouble with my teacher certification. And then I had so many people step in to help me and support me, I was overwhelmed with appreciation and relief. Thank you so much Loni (for talking me back from the ledge of doom), Ella (who said, "I will literally start taking online courses in your name if I have to?!"), my former principal who searched high and low and to the ends of the internet for answers for me, Nina who emailed and called on my behalf, Barb who sat me down and walked me through the process like I was a little child who needed cared for (I did! omigosh, how I appreciate your patience!), and my former universities who were so quick to respond and helpful. Yeesh. deep breaths Tab. Everything has been submitted and now we just wait for the state to finalize.

Eating peppermint and candy canes every day. Kids are concerned that I have a real addiction but peppermint is bringing me so much joy! I have been enjoying peppermint creamer in my coffee and we pack candy canes in our basketball games bag for the bleachers. 

Time with family and friends. God bless those football seniors who showed up (in the snow!) to Violet's indoor soccer game to cheer her on - she appreciated it so much and felt like the coolest 'little sister' having her football buddies cheer for her (you are the sweetest - DJ, Cohen, and Dawson!) Grey went hunting with Chum early Saturday morning. 

Teaching a full week while the kiddos are already bouncing off the walls for holiday vacation. The elementary school students continued learning about Chile and the Moai of Easter Island. My Expo students finished up week 1 basic vocabulary. Spanish 1 finished Capibara con Botas, took their final book test, and started on their RAFT projects. Spanish 2 continued practicing quehaceres vocab and using Deber as their target structures. My Spanish 1 and 2 students are all practicing the Spanish Christmas Carols to prepare for the upcoming caroling at Patriot Manor Nursing Home and/or the Senior High Christmas assembly! 

Sporting with a basketball practice for Violet (but Rusty tags along) and an indoor soccer game for Violet and her Sparks team. Gemma had three basketball practices and three basketball games. It was our turn to provide away game snacks on Monday so we sent clementines and granola bars for the girls. Grey had two basketball practices, three basketball games, and a basketball tournament at UPJ (they earned champions again!) Grey also had his sports massage with Miss Emma this week. Brandon worked the concession stand at the JV basketball game for our volunteer duty for the basketball boosters and the kids buy chuck-a-ducks for all of our halftime games! 

Making crack chicken sammies, sheet pan kielbasa, tortellini, veggies, buffalo chicken dip (to eat at the school during chorus concert/basketball game night), Pioneer woman lasagna (small batch at 10p for the oldest athletes), meatloaf with roasted carrots and potatoes (I can never make enough! We always ending up wishing we had more!), frozen pizzas, sheetpan chicken fajita rice bowls,  I made a batch of strawberry cake mix cookies (Brandon and Gemma ate most of them straight out of the oven!) and I made some peanut butter & oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. For breakfast on Saturday I made Fruity Pebble muffins. 

Rustin James, 9 years old

 Rustman, 

9 nine years old. What words are there to describe you - truly - the essence of you? You are gentle but wild. You are contemplative but slapstick funny. You are so deeply sweet and sensitive but explosive. You are remarkably thoughtful but consistently forgetful. My Gemini baby, my two sides of the coin boy. I love both sides with all my heart. 

At nine years old, you are still ten toes down in imagination. You will not give up the line and I love that for you. You come home from school, drop your backpack in the yard and jump right onto the trampoline to beat the holy heck out of your stuffed wrestling dummy, shouting, "Mom, watch this" as you do a Superfly Jimmy Snuka across the trampoline. You fight zombies with nerf guns alongside Reddy, will sit patiently as a student for Olive the teacher, and you still want to believe in all the magic of holidays so much that you convince yourself to hold on for a just little while longer, even as you hug and thank me and Dad for all your gifts never once mentioning the big man with the red suit. 

You haven't quite figured out which sports you love the most, although you do love being on teams. We've encouraged and supported you to try lots of things (more than any other kid!) and you still don't know which ones you like the best because you still hate practice and being on a schedule. (Although it does seem like after your first year of tackle football, you are locking that one in!) You want to just play all day and never have a clock exist and you'd also just like to show up on game day because you hate practice. You probably could actually just show up on game day because you are so strong and athletic anyway, but babe, practice is important. We will keep trying to convince you. 

It's that way with most things actually, you like hunting and fishing just fine but you're not committing all your time to them. You like reading Harry Potter, and watching NFL, and building legos, and boxing, and watching pro wrestlers, and playing Madden on the Xbox - but you're not making anything your whole personality. You just bounce all through the different things that everyone else is choosing to be their schtick and trying them out and not ever really wanting to pick any single thing. And honestly, good on you, Rust. 

You love sleeping in and staying up late (one of my night owls - you and Olive). You can sleep through the craziest stuff; talking, shouting, literally jumping over top of your body like a hurdle on the couch while Reddy plays solo football. Of all the things that we own, the trampoline is your favorite thing. You like sloppy joes and mac and cheese and are still pretty picky about food, but you are slowly getting better at trying new things and I'm grateful for that. Henry Danger is still your favorite show.

The age gap between you and Grey still feels vast which  means you guys can have fun together for a little while and then it turns into teasing and arguing. I say many times a day - "just give each other space?!" The two of you are different enough that you feel absolutely zero pressure to follow in his footsteps or try to compete with him. Literally, never once have you shown that you are worried about that. Good grief, that is such a relief to my soul. Because Rusty, you never do have to compete with him -not for your sake or his or me and dad's or literally anyone's - but that is a hard thing for brothers to know and I am so grateful that you DGAF what he is, has, or ever will do because somehow you already understand you are you and he is he and we can all let that shit be. 

You, Gemma, and Olive are my kind hearted, sensitive, skips (skip a kid in birth order). Gemma dotes on you and knows that if she needs help with something that you'll do it even begrudgingly, you'll still help her. You baby Olive and she knows it; the girl never wants for a thing because her knight in shining armor Rusty already has it ready to hand over. All three of you take care of each other and take care of the rest of us in kind words, and thoughtful gestures, and sweet hugs. I love the trio of my sensitive skips. 

Violet is the left hand to your right. My two meatballs in the middle of this family. So much of your life has been lived side by side, you two. Many of your friends are the younger siblings of Violet's friends. You share similar humors and interests. You have spent so much time together, you are the best version of compromising between siblings - you find a way to make it right for both of you in sharing and playing. Reddy is so lucky to have you as a big brother. A big brother who has older sisters (like you) is a brother who has rounded corners; who can tease you right up until the crying - who will accidentally elbow you in the mouth while wrestling but then say sorry and mean it (instead of, "it wasn't that hard!") The two of you buzz around this house like a little cyclone of nerf guns, foam swords, footballs, and boxing gloves. It is wonderfully chaotic. 

Honestly, no one has as many friends as you. Like on this Earth. Every where we go, kids are always calling out to say, "Hi, Rusty!" I look at you and say, "Who even is that?" You tell me that its some kid who you played with at an older siblings' game three weeks ago...ya know, so and so's brother that you've seen literally once in your life but apparently you made an impact of friendship on them. 

You really are a friend to all - older kids, younger kids, kids your age. You are kind and patient with adults who want to yap with you and you stand there and let them speak and then answer thoughtfully back when they ask you questions. You can hang with the big kids because you are tough and strong and so freaking funny. You go all in on games with kids your age always everyone's first pick on their kickball or recess football teams. And you are the most silly big kid when you are with little kids - they love playing with you because you act so goofy and make them feel like the main character in your life. All your little cousins say, "Where's Rusty?" first thing when they walk into our house because they want to play with you most. 

Dude, you will probably grow up to be a politician or a stand up comedian because the charm comes off of you in waves. Aura (as the kids say these days), you've got it my Rustman.

Rust, your laugh. I love it so much. 

You have lots of a laughs because you are such a chameleon among people (you get that from your Dad). But there is a real laugh that doesn't come for free and it can't be faked. 

You are sensitive and always reading between all the lines of situations and conversations. You are very good at reading a room and a vibe and I think that means that maybe you know the world can be a little brutal out there. You are always ready to be the one to pick someone up with a kind word or an offer to play. You hug me multiple times a day just to say, "love you mom" and when I ask you if you had a good sleepover or playdate you say, "it was great, only thing was - I missed you." and you don't even really mean that (LOL) but you say it because you just wanted to be a sweetie and remind me that even when you are not with me, I matter to you. (how did I get so lucky to be your mom?) Like somehow you know the world is lonely and harsh and we need to remember to tell each other we're not alone. You get that because you are brilliant and kind and soft hearted and no one deserves you (not even me, baby). 

But, when you find something truly funny and you are honestly surprised and delighted in the humor of the world - your laugh comes from the deepest part of your belly; so genuine and fully rounded and good. I can hear it from the front seat of the car when you're in the third row. I can hear it from the kitchen when you're in the living room. It is like a honing signal that grabs my attention and says - it's all going to be okay. It gives my heart a jolt of relief and joy to hear that real laugh come out of you. One of my favorite sounds on Earth, Rustman. 

Love you forever and ever
even if you make me crazy
even if you forget a million things
even when you are so much bigger and stronger than me
forever and ever and ever
I love you, Mr. Handsome,
Momma

Around Here Week 49: 11/30-12/06

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

photo cred: B

photo cred: Greg R

cousin Gracie

photo cred: Shannon L

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 571+ hours (of 1000)
Big 'ole snow storm this week - our kids even had a snow day! - so they were happy to get some time out in the snow sledding. We are in need of some new sleds though; hope you're listening Santa! 

Reading By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. We had our Lit Ladies Christmas party at Rizzo's this week. Violet got to join us because she had a soccer game right before (thank you book club for being so sweet to her!) We had good food, great conversation, and a little secret Santa gift exchange. It was a great evening and our next book was selected: The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. 

Listening to Christmas music all day every day. Current favorites include: Ready for Christmas by Tabitha Meeks, Sugar Cookies by George Strait, Christmas Song by The Ravonettes 

Marco , our elf, is back! He arrived on 11/30 and started his antics on the first of December. Everyone was so happy to see him again and he is getting lots of snuggles and love. He sat on our lifesize Santa's shoulder, read some Christmas books, brought donuts to celebrate Rusty's half birthday, Toilet-papered the Christmas tree, sat in the garland like a hammock, and turned our milk green.

Christmas movies: Noelle, The Knight Before Christmas, The Santa Clause

Christmas prep: 

• attending the family activity for first week of advent at St David's with the kids making countdown activities
• addressing half of our Christmas cards (Rusty & Violet stuffed them all and stamped our address label on them on their snow day! grateful for that!)
• designing and sending out our Christmas Eve Party invitations (always thankful for Canva!)
• picking out the Christmas cookie recipes I would like to make
• making a shopping trip run on the cancelled day of school (thank you Miss Emma for keeping the babies!)
• making notes in my planner of upcoming school-related holly jolly = 12 days of Christmas dress up at the babies' Pre-K, 1 week of dress up at the elementary school, $5 gift exchange day for Rusty, movie day donations for Violet's class (they will finish the novel Holes before the winter break! I got Peach shaped napkins after first making sure their teacher was good with the possible 'butt' jokes - she said yes they were good - hahh!)
• Rusty and Violet got to shop at their Santa's workshop at school (thank you PTA)

More camo and orange as the first weekend of rifle continues through Monday. (In Western PA, we have off of school on the Monday after Thanksgiving every year because of whiteteail deer rifle season!) The hunters spent all day Sunday and most of Monday out in the woods hunting (still nothing!) and we had 'butcher shop' night at our house with the Gilmore cousins.

Shrugging about my future arthritis because braiding three daughters' hair a few times a week (and in sports seasons sometimes teammates' too!) is doing some real damage to my joints. After braiding, I have to stretch my fingers out because they honestly feel stuck?! Brandon said he will do all my zippers and buttons for me when I someday can't move them from over-braiding hair. LOL, but not kidding.

Celebrating a half birthday! Rusty turned nine and a half this week! He requested cake mix chocolate chip cookies for his dessert and we had sloppy joes and mac & cheese (his favorite dinner). 

Getting a pedicure - first one in honestly years and it was so wonderful (and needed - yikes). I feel like a new person. If you really know me - I hate sitting in a chair for self care (LOL). I hate having a hair appt, massage, pedicure/manicure, facial. It's the time that it takes, and also the money, and also the not being able to do anything else. (hahhaha, very unhealthy enneagram 2 of me, I realize) But the pedicure was worth it and I am so grateful (plus it was on my 100 small things list!) 

Grey's Christmas formal on Saturday. We rushed home from the basketball tournament and he had 40 minutes to get ready (thankfully I ironed and picked up our bouquet and boutonniere from Grace & Bloom at Becky's house in the morning before the tournament) He asked the beautiful (and sweet friend) Leah to be his date for the dance and they went with their whole friend group. We got pictures at Leah's house and then headed downtown to our friend and very generous Kristy from Flood City Cafe who opened her coffeeshop up just for her kids and their friends to take pictures and eat before the dance (thank you - you're amazing!) I got to hang out with Violet and the other moms, especially Becky (my kids' bonus mom) while we took pictures and waited to transport the kids to the dance. They all had a great time and then spent much of the night hanging out at Gina's house for the post dance hangout. 

Time with family and friends. Olive and Red got a whole day with their cousins thanks to Miss Emma and Uchie (thank you so much!) Violet and her friend Giada babysat for us while Brandon and I went to Grey's basketball tournament on Friday night. Grey had team dinner with his basketball team at Applebee's after practice this week. 

Thinking of all people around the world. Everyday praying for Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, American immigrants, American farmers, American democracy. 

Teaching only two and a half days this week! Monday was off for deer season, we had a two hour delay on Tuesday due to snow and sleet, and then Thursday we had a surprise day off due to an abundance of caution when a threat was made to the district (!) Grateful that the district acted with caution on our behalf. Elementary students learned about Chile and I had my Expo students for just a few days before switching to a new group of eighth graders. Spanish 1 reviewed and read more of their capibara novel (only one chapter left to go!) and Spanish 2 started Somos 14 and learning about chore vocabulary. 

Sporting with an indoor soccer game with the Sparks for Violet. Gemma had two basketball practices, three basketball games, and one indoor soccer game with the Gators. Grey had two basketball practices, a basketball game, and a basketball tournament (2 games). Grey's team earned Champion at the basketball tournament at Central Cambria and Grey made the all-tourney team. 

Making meatball sub sammies, crockpot potato soup, chicken enchiladas, chicken and broccoli alfredo, sloppy joes and mac&cheese (Rusty's half birthday request), turkey and gravy sliders on Hawaiian rolls,  We finally cooked the turkey (!) and slowly ate it throughout the week on sandwiches. For breakfasts I made banana bread twice! For desserts, I made cowboy cookies and cake mix chocolate chip cookies for Rusty's half birthday.