Around Here Week 24: 06/08-14

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

photo cred: Heather R

photo cred: B

photo cred: B

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 214+ hours (of 1000)
Loving the summertime! Getting lots of hours everyday and feeling so happy to have the days stretch out wide in front of us. Even with activities scheduled for the evenings with sports - waking up by 6:30a everyday feels like so much time for outside and chores and planning. My soul is getting revived and it is such a relief! 

Reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow until it got watermelon juice dumped all over it in the Que snack bag. Thankfully, my next book club books arrived (from World of Books): Good Material by Dolly Alderton and The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Listening to and finishing The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. I really liked it and am ashamed to admit that one night I stayed up until 2a to finish it!! (is this the summer of listening to only Abby Jimenez?! hahhaa, it might be; they make me so happy and distracted/productive!)

Family celebration for Kitty's 40th birthday at Abba & Chum's house. Bryan brought crab for all to try and we hung out at Abba and Chum's house chatting and eating pickles right out the jar (hah, my fav!) Aunt Kitty is the most fun and coolest aunt and all my children are absolutely obsessed. Kitty - you are LOVED.

Organizing the summer Chore Chart and laughing so much when the kids got their lists because they were screaming in pretend horror. Everyone claims they got their least favorite chores (they have to do 3 tasks for a week and then we will swap) but that's no true and they are hilariously dramatic. All the kids did a great job on their chores this week though and there was some real pride in their faces about it. This week daily tasks: Grey had vacuum upstairs, check the cars for garbage/return left items, and tidy up the back porch and backyard. Gemma had cleaning the downstairs bathroom, hand wash the dishes, and be a friend to Osa. Violet had empty the dishwasher, help make dinner, and check all the trash cans. Rusty had vacuum the hallway and living room, help clean up after dinner, and scrub the sink after dinner. Reddy had feed Bullet and sweep up any food he spilled, tidy the shoes, and check the garden. Liv had collect the eggs, spray & wipe the kitchen table, and tidy the living room toys. Everyone has to do hygiene, make their bed, and put away clean clothes everyday. 

Laughing every time Red or Olive mispronounce the word "literally." It appears to have been born from the mashup of "literally" and the suffix "less." Which they would have heard maybe through "helpless" (aka, "you might be little but you are not helpless") and "harmless" (aka "it's okay, that daddy long legs is harmless!") --Nerd Time: it's a fun way to see linguistics at work in real time with little language learners! And bonus, if we break it apart Literal and Less would mean "without literal (meaning)" which is actually pretty close to the way Gen Alpha uses the word literally as an extreme exaggeration ("this is the most bored I've ever been. Literally") So, anyway now our whole family is saying it and it's ridiculous and borderline inappropriate.  They pronounce it "Literiss" and yes...it rhymes with female anatomy. Lord help me. 

Thankful for visits with the people that make us smile. Olive had a belated birthday date with Miss Heather to the ice cream shop. Violet got a playdate with her friend Bella, a sleepover at Abba & Chum's house (cat house building!) and then a sleepover at her friend Evaley's house. Gemma had a whole day of hangout with Aunt Kitty (ortho appointment, Starbucks, thrift shopping, movie watching). Grey went out to lunch with some of the basketball guys (all you can eat lunch at Applebee's) and a night swim at his friend Gabe's house

First swim at Pappy's pool! We stopped by for lunch and a swim at Pappy's. Pro-mom tip: the best way to get rid of leftovers is to give them when kids swim because they will eat anything with that level of hungry (hah). So I packed up a bunch of random leftovers (pioneer woman lasagna, buttered veggie noodles, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, hot dogs, and birthday cake!) and heated everything up while the kids swam. Mimi came down to hang out too and Grey helped Pap work on the retaining wall project and everyone got a much needed dose of sunshine and happiness! 

Last min non-motorized boat launch registration...because I literally forget every single year. I bought 2-year launch stickers this year for 3 kayaks and our fishing boat. And then forgot about our paddleboard and had to go in an buy a 5th sticker (good grief). 

Que Day! We got all loaded up in the afternoon (late as always - God bless our friends who have so much patience with us!) and B joined us and helped load up the boat and the kayak. We met our friends the Cables, Lasures, and the Conns at the Que. The big boys (Reed, Bryce, and Grey) took the kayak and the boat out for an afternoon full of fishing. The rest of us had a great day at the beach swimming, splashing, and playing in the sand. It was the most perfect summer break day getting sun and eating all the snackies (hah). So grateful to chat and count heads with Becky and Onara while the kids played and showed us everything from shells to minnows to tricks and flips in the water. 

Thrilled to open our electric bill this month after our first full month of solar panels turned on! Our normal electric bill is around $300-$400 in the spring/summer (our house runs 100% off electric) and this month after a full month of solar panels - we have a bill of $11 !!! 

Birthday ice cream trip for Olive with Miss Heather! She felt like such a special girl to get her own mini date out for the afternoon. 

Fishing fellas. The boys got a little fishing time with our Gilmore cousins at Bob's Creek. Everyone was happy but no one more than Reddy! 

Graduation parties this week: my former NS student Ruby who is headed to Westminster in the fall,  my former NS student Julie who will be attending and my former NS student Kylee who will be on the competitive cheer team at PITT Johnstown. We also went to the grad party for Brandon's football player (and Grey's football and baseball teammate) Luke who will be playing baseball at Mount Aloysius. 

In disbelief about the propaganda coming directly from the White House. It is officially off the rails - every week I think it is the most outrageous is can be, only to continue get more insane the following day. Also happy Flag day and No Kings Day!

Sporting with Basketball Camp for Rusty every morning this week from 9a-Noon! Violet had her last 12U AYSO soccer game. We also had the last LHFC travel soccer games. Violet had her last Sparks game and Gemma had her last Gators game (both in the pouring rain!) On Saturday, Gem and Violet participated in the Richland AYSO tournament with their tourney teams too. Gemma had one basketball summer league game, participated in three Strength & Conditioning work outs, and assisted our trainer Ms Jenilee at the Ken Lantzy football game on Friday night. Grey had three summer league basketball games, one Colt City Baseball game, volunteered at the Basketball Camp every day from 9a-Noon, and signed up for five day Strength & Conditioning from 7a-9a each day. This boy is determined to put on muscle this summer - so we are packing in the protein and upping the calories everyday to go alongside all the weight-lifting.  I did a Baseball Booster task, got Grey registered for basketball team camp, got Violet registered for Cheer camp, and scheduled PIAA physicals for Gemma and Greyson! 

Making sloppy joes and homemade mac&cheese, Pioneer Woman lasagna, sheet pan chicken fajitas, beef & cheddar sammies, kielbasa with pierogies and cabbage on the blackstone, 

Celebrina the sourdough: discard chocolate chip cookies, a double batch of brownies, and giving the chickens some discard to enjoy too! I sent one batch of brownies to the weight room with Coach Daddy and it was a big hit - maybe will become a Wednesday weight room tradition this summer? Haha.

Keto favorites this week:  Egg roll in a bowl, cream cheese fat bombs, jalapeno cheddar brats, [B and I are back to it  again because it is the easiest way to limit sugar without feeling starved. And sugar is just wrecking my mental and physical state - I feel so much better without it in mind, body, and spirit; so Keto it is!]

Miles walked this week: 7 miles. On one of my walks I saw a Wild Teasel plant that had cup like leaves that made little pools of water and a slug was having a drink! 

10 Random Perks of being a mom to a teenager

There’s not much like being in the thick of raising teenagers. It is mostly a thankless, busy, loud, emotionally exhausting job. The toddler raising is physically exhausting, then you hit the blur of the elementary school years and it feels like you can finally catch your breath with kids who are becoming independent but still laugh at your jokes and want to be with you. And then, one day you go into their bedroom to wake them up for school and their big feet are hanging over the edge of their bed and the room has that distinct teenager smell and you can't remember when you had to look up at them to talk to them. 

There are negotiations over rules about screen time and bedtime and homework. There are 11th hour clothes thrown in the washer when someone needs a jersey cleaned for tomorrow's game. There are eggshells to walk over because something happened at school with someone and you won't find out who, what, where, when, and why until 10:30p when you are half asleep but the teens are finally ready to talk. There are chargers in random places, and giant shoes ready to trip you all over the house. The daily greeting that starts to sound like a personal tolling bell, "what's for dinner, ma?" 

It is some tough times; emotionally demanding, exhausting, and heartbreaking to watch them grow up and away from you (literally and metaphorically). But there are some very specific and weirdly incredible perks of being a mom of a teenager!

1. Real Food
An official departure from the constant rotation of chicken tendies and mac&cheese (although they are still beloved). With teens, a much wider variety of meal requests make their way to the grocery list and thank goodness because both my tastebuds and my mind were very bored. Steaks! and sauces! and ordering in sushi! Adding spice! and Trying new cooking methods!  It's iced coffees! and Receiving recipe ideas texted from my teens! Even more fun when you have helpers in the kitchen who don't make a volcanic mess (and even if they do they are old enough to clean it up themselves!) Sometimes I get surprised with little treats to try and wing sauces to taste. After years of hot dogs and goldfish, what a joyful surprise to have teenagers who are ready to try new flavors and recipes! 

2. No Leftovers
Teens are very hungry (which makes for a whole other situation at the supermarket), but I have to be honest - it's nice not having leftover containers crowd the fridge only to be thrown out a week later. It has been a positive re-learning for us about food and energy as we teach our own teens about food as fuel. How a bag of chips and some cookies might taste good - but they'll be back in this kitchen in twenty minutes hungry again because their body needs a balance of protein and fat and carbs. Leftovers make the best 'snacks' because it gives them that balanced fuel and makes them feel fuller and not hangry. (At the first sign of grumpy teens, we get some food in front of them! 9 times out of 10 they are just hungry, honestly it's crazy). Sometimes the teens have their friends over and I just pull out any leftovers from the fridge and they happily load their plates with a smorgasbord of random things and consume it all like garbage disposals. What a joy to have no wasted food anymore! 

3. Surprise chore help

Most kids hate chores, but you know what teens love? More responsibility and freedom and that can be a big advantage when it comes to chores. My teen daughter loves the chance to rearrange the living room and make it more 'aesthetic and vibey.' Girl - go right ahead if that means cleaning under those couches, vacuuming, and dusting. My teen son likes practicing driving, so he is more than willing to pick up hay from the storage shed, and then someday with a license he can run errands and pick up siblings from practices (I hear from moms of drivers this is a major bonus coming soon!). With teens in the house, I have grocery list writers who take inventory of the pantry and fridge as long as they get to add their favorite snack to the list (of course, please and thank you - small price to pay!) And chores now hold real weight - teens actually have plans they want to do. When they were younger it was about learning and being helpful - but there was no real urgency behind it; they didn't have anywhere to go and no real need for an allowance. But teens! They have friends to visit and clothes to buy and places they want taken which gives some real motivation for getting chores done quickly and correctly! 

4. Up on trends
With a teen in the house, you will know what is cool and what is cringe. All the current musicians and songs, all the slang, all the brain rot. You might not understand it and need it explained - but hey - you have an in-house interpreter! Getting your teen to chat is very simple if you just ask them to explain something that is currently cool. My teens will talk on and on explaining lyrics or backstories to some phrase that was born from a reaction video but then turned into a meme song and then made its way to a sports interview and is now repeated by every young person. It's also pretty hilarious to use their slang in front of them and watch their face transform quickly to disgust (LOL). Makes me laugh every time I can take a cool word and make it cringe just by saying it aloud, ("Mom, please never say that again.") Does this make me old? Also, I don't care, it's funny. 

5. Movie and TV Show buddies
oh man, this is comfort at its simplest. On the couch, snacking, cozy, and totally invested in a storyline together. (watching a sports team counts too!) it's nothing and also everything. 

6. Extra hands
The unending benefits of having another adult-sized person in the house is astounding. Another person who can reach things from the high shelf and carry in heavy grocery bags. Another grown-ish person who knows how to preheat the oven and who changes the empty roll for a new toilet paper roll when it needs it. Grocery shopping with a teen is like a bonafide vacation compared to the days of wrestling toddlers into shopping carts and convincing 7 year olds they do not need four different kinds of cereal. If you have younger kids with teens, it's incredibly helpful to just have another set of hands available for all.the.things - for opening snacks, for filling sippy cups, for buckling car seats, for laps to sit on, or arms to hold. And when you advance to adding another driver in your house - well, my friend, you level up big time. One extra adult sized person in the house can sometimes be the difference between what feels impossible and possible. 

7. Inside Jokes

Not having to explain stuff inside out and upside down is a very cool level of parenting. When you can use sarcasm and pop culture references and the kids just get it and laugh (or try to convince you that you're embarassing) It's next tier when the family group chats are littered with emojis and gifs and you receive DMs of funny social media reels that made your kid think of you. Dinner table conversations and car ride radio control and late night chats are all the tiny moments that cement your relationship. That's not to say that there isn't disagreements and silence too, but not much feels cooler than having banter and shtick between you and your teen. It's almost like a reset; hey remember - even if we argue and can't see eye to eye on everything...we're cool still. Like, the teen adding your favorite song to the car playlist: Truce. Unspoken but understood - okay, kid, love you too - let's keep trying together.

8. Bonus Kids
One of the best perks of raising teens is their friends. What a gift it is to watch how my teens' friends make them laugh and smile and be silly; how they help them be their real selves through this muddy part of growing up. So often as the person giving unconditional love (moms & dads) we get the roughest part of our teenagers; the moody and grumpy and short-tempered version - because they know they can release all of those parts of themselves and still be loved by us. They have to save up all their polished and perfect and best selves for the world they are out there trying to impress - trying to figure out their path in. But the friends give a space for both versions of our teens- the grumpy and the silly; the sad and the happy. the truest version of them right now as they are. Their friends are most important to their development at this stage, and it is a gift for the chance to be in their orbit as an invested adult. To listen to them, to feed them, to laugh with them, to give them rides, to cheer them on, to encourage them, to get to know them, to be grateful for their parents who do the same for my teens. Truly, one of the greatest blessing of teenagers is their friends; my bonus kids. 

9. Glimpses of the past
There are a lot of perks to having teenagers, but there is also a lot to miss from when they were younger. (don't rush it, parents of younger kids - you'll get to all these perks in good time!) Even though they are taller than me, and they have new voices and mannerisms. Even though they eat us out of house and home and make jokes we don't understand. It is still possible to catch glimpses of that little kid I knew so well. My little girl hides in the corners of her smile that unwraps when she notices me in the bleachers of her game. My little boy hides in the curve of his cheek right under his eyelashes while he sleeps. I miss those little kids; knowing what they were thinking all the time, the unrestrained hugs and affection, the simple delights of a child with no pressure from the world. But even in this teenagers, I still get glimpses of those little kids once and awhile and I will always be grateful for that reminder that once they were little and I was the most important person in their life. (and no matter how grown they get, they will always be the that to me). 

10. Glimpses of the future
There are a lot of perks to having teenagers, but there is also a lot of headaches and heartaches and frustrations too (I don't want to rush it, but I am hanging on to my horses somedays over here!) But I catch glimpses now and then of the adult who I will get to enjoy someday. It happens in the conversations in the car, and the snacks shared without words, and the sigh of relief shared after we accomplish a big task together. How wonderful it will be to come to know the adult who I don't need to parent but who I can just appreciate. The heavy lifting of parenting will be done. I'll still be the momma - so I will never be done worrying. And I will never tire of being available to answer questions or offer advice when asked. But the consequences and the rules and the 'I-am-still-the-boss-of-you' parts will be finally passed on to the adult that they will have become. They will be in charge of self-governing and it will be my new role to just enjoy them. I will get to watch their life unfold and know deep in my bones that I helped cast them out into that life. ("You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far." - Khalil Gibran) My hope of hopes is that we will be adults who choose to spend time together cushioned by safety, comfort, and generous grace as we each figure out how we will evolve as adults in the world separately but alongside each other. And I will still be loving them forever and ever. 

Around Here Week 23: 06/02-07

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

photo cred: B

photo cred: B

photo cred: Peyton L

photo cred: Jackie F

photo cred: Onara C

photo cred: Becky C

photo cred: Mr. Mike B

photo cred: Violet

photo cred: Gemma

photo cred: B

photo cred: Uchie

Intentional Outdoor hours: 185+ hours (of 1000)
So happy it is officially summertime and we are racking up the outdoor hours all day long. I take on the farm duties in the summer, so even chores contribute to hours earned, hah! On the first day of a summer break, Olive came outside with tyedye, teeny shorts, and a bubble wand and shouted, "I'm a Summer Girl!" and I was like, YAS queen. This is the official vibe of the season. (Also, confession: I don't know what is wrong with me because I do actually love summer and want to be a 'summer girl!' - but for just a moment I thought about football and Halloween and had an actual ache in my chest for fall. Can I just be chill for like five minutes?!)

Reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow because it is one of my favorite books and I wanted to re-read to celebrate the start of summer. (Pausing Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner for a minute)

Listening and finishing Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez because I waited until the last week of school to enjoy it. And I did - I am really a fan of her rom-coms; they make me smile and get me swept up in their world. My commute feels quicker and I get so many chores done if I listen while I work! Big recommend from me! 

Adding another 'braid' style to my repertoire: dragon braids! Our cousin Audra taught me how to do them while in Lancaster this past weekend. My braid count styles include: French, Dutch, Bubble, Dragon, and Fishtail (only in a ponytail for this one though, still mastering from the scalp). My favorite is Dutch because it stays the tightest. B and I joke that after braiding three daughters hair regularly my hands are going to be gnarled and stuck in permanent braid position and he will need to spoon feed me in our future (he says he will). 

Super Fun School day for everyone on Monday. Violet and Rusty had outside parties at the elementary school and I got pics sent to me from generous and thoughtful mommas and teachers who were chaperoning the events. Grey and Gemma both participated in the annual SHOFCO soccer tournament at the high school on Monday. Both of their teams did great and they spent the entire school day outside playing soccer (they were tired and sunkissed!) At my school, we had carnival day in the morning and then Somerstock (outside) at the high school in the afternoon. Perfect fun days of community building to close out the school year! 

Dropping Gem off for her first house-sitting job for the summer. She waters plants, empties de-humidifiers, checks mail, takes care of small pets, and does a general well check on the house. She had her first week long house sit and is always good about remembering (because you know I forget every darn day). If you're in the market for a pop-in house sitter while you're away on vacation - I know a girl! She's also babysitting aged and is happy to play with your kids while you get summer projects done without interruptions! 

Celebrating our Rusty who had his 9th birthday this week! He doesn't usually get to celebrate in school, but this year he got to take ice cream sandwiches to hand out to his teachers and classmates. We also sang with his teammates at the soccer game and we took snack (juice bags and mini donuts) and celebrated with family at the fields too! He wanted his ears pierced, so he and his bestie Liam headed out for a friend ear piercing adventure with Violet and I on the first official day of summer (Hah!) They both were brave and no tears were shed! Rusty looks so cute and I love his earrings - talk about highlighting the sparkle in his eyes! We are going to plan a swim party with his friends when it is a little warmer outside! 

Thank goodness for B who took Last Day of School Photos. I had to be at work before anyone was ready, and on top of getting all 6 kids dressed, ready, packed up, and to school on time - he also lined everyone up and got their photos taken for the momma who is a big ole sap about it. Thank you, B for pulling that off - SuperDad for real. I am so grateful. What a shock it is every year to see the difference in maturity and flat out growth between the first and the last day of a school year. Makes me so proud and so dang sad too. Time, I will never understand you. 

Last day of school shuffle. Since the last day of school is only a few hours for students, we had everyone going every which direction (I had full day). Grey came home and slept (!hah), Gemma went shopping with Colbi, Violet went with Evaley (thank you Onara!), and Rusty went with Chum (thank you Dad!). The babies stayed until naptime when B was able to pick them up after his half day. 

Checking in with our Financial Planner and finally setting up Red and Olive's accounts (# 15 on 100 Small Things list). 

Impressed with Violet's formal presentation of why she should be allowed to get a Kindle. She sat me down and showed me a video on a review, showed me confirmation that there were no games or apps on it besides the reading, gave me examples of books that she would like to read, and talked about money she has saved that could go towards it. This is the kind of preparation I like! The girl loves making a PowerPoint presentation and I AM HERE FOR IT. 

Planting some seeds in our mini garden and crossing our fingers. It is so late in the season, but honestly we just had a frost again - so maybe it's right on schedule. I planted some snap peas, kale, lettuce, broccoli, and onions. I want to plant zucchini and cucumber somewhere there is a little more room. I also put some marigold seeds in tire containers down at the chicken coop. Our potato plant buckets have some small sprouts in them already from a few weeks ago, so fingers crossed! 

Celebrating my sister Kitty on her milestone birthday: 40! Kitty, Uch, and I had dinner at El Jalisco to celebrate her and were joined by Russel and Kim by perfect chance at the exact right moment to have the servers bring out a shot for Kitty it was so hilariously loud and chaotic with the noisemakers and singing that I am still laughing about it. My beautiful, atrevida (bold & daring), incredible little sister - I am so grateful for your life and can't believe I've been lucky enough to watch all 40 years of it unfold. SCF. 

While the sisters are out, the boys and kids will play. Tell me how I get home from Kitty's birthday dinner to a yard full of husbands and kids setting off rockets, gnawing on pizza and wings, and blasting music. Actually, just kidding, that's my literal dream of a life.

Graduation parties this week: my former NS students Stasi & Shelby. Thank you for inviting me! I will always be cheering you on! Stasi will be playing soccer for Penn State in the fall at college and Shelby is headed to architecture school at Penn State.  

All Eyes on Deck as I watch the Freedom Flotilla on it's way to break the seige in Gaza. God speed to the crew. 

Teaching the last three days of the school year which was mostly just craziness. Carnival and Somerstock (field days) at the elementary and high school on Monday. Then it was the last full student day on Tuesday which mostly consisted of returning work and finalizing grades and then just two hours on Wednesday to say goodbye. I had a few students stop by to wish me a happy summer (so sweet). I attended my graduation (carpool with Heather, yay!) and the weather held out for the entire outdoor ceremony (it didn't even get too cold after dark!) And with that - the school year is officially closed. You can bet I had coffee on the front porch swing on the very next morning to kick off summer break! 

Sporting with the last two 5U AYSO soccer games for Red, Olive, and Coach Momma. We had a little team picnic after our last game to celebrate a great season. I am so proud of our little Green Machine and all they learned this season! Rusty also had his last two 10U AYSO soccer games with Asst Coach Mom this year (he had a fun year but is adamant about going back to baseball next year. I think both he and Red will make the switch next season!) Violet had one 12U AYSO soccer game, a Sparks soccer practice, one  AYSO tourney team practice, and on Saturday she played in the AYSO tournament. Gemma had one basketball summer league game, two 14U AYSO soccer games, and one Gators soccer game.  Grey had one summer league basketball game, and two City Colt baseball games. I got Rusty registered for basketball camp and confirmed that Grey would volunteer at it and finally got Grey's varsity baseball pants cleaned as good as I could and turned in. B had the first offseason meeting with Coach Chad and Coach Dig to finalize the summer training schedule. 

Making shredded bbq chicken sammies, chicken, veggie, and biscuit casserole (Rusty's birthday dinner request), pork roast and sauerkraut in the crockpot, kielbasa and fried rice on the Blackstone, burgers and parm pasta, For the soccer tourney, I made cowboy cookies at Violet's request.

Celebrina my sourdough is back out of the fridge and working hard already. I made two loaves of cinnamon swirl quick loaf and a proper sourdough loaf too.