Around Here Week 31: 08/02-08

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

ODU campus

The Bluestone Playground Norfolk, VA

The Dirty Buffalo  Norfolk, VA

Uch & Kevin exactly in front of us!

photo cred: Becky C

photo cred: B

Heritage Conference Media Day

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 400+ hours (of 1000)
I took down the hummingbird feeder to refill it after vacation and forgot for literally one day and a hummingbird flew up to me when I was outside like, "um, what's the wait, lady?" I said aloud, "oh honey, I'm sorry!" ...Like what in the Disney Princess is going on over here? LOL. I don't hate it even though I do already talk to and care for so many living things over here at Studer HQ. I made a bee waterer with things I found from all my deep cleaning/ organizing and put it in the flower bed, but don't tell the kids or Brandon, they already think I'm out of control. 

Reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Summer to do list completed: 

• Rusty had his orthodontist appointment to check on the progression of his front top tooth (#8 tooth!) to see if it is going to break free on its own. It really looks promising on the x-rays and he has orders to use his tooth brush to lightly brush the gum there to try to stimulate the break. If not, in February we will check again and have the orthodontist break it free or put partial braces on to move his other teeth out of the way. Fingers crossed that thing finally breaks free (it's been 3+ years waiting on it!!)
• I went through all the shoes in the laundry room, dining room, and foyer and got them organized which produces a giant garbage bag of donations. Sports shoes (cleats, etc) get stored upstairs for future last minute panics in seasons, and anything that was busted went into the trash. I am trying to clear the space for the kitchen-dining wall break through to make an island project
• I also house mapped the foyer that generally becomes a dumping ground and I picked up a chair, a basket (for shoes that inevitably find their way there), and tiny end table on Clearance from TJ Maxx to put there. 
• I moved the GIANT, viney pothos plant from the dining room to the hallway and got it all wrapped up and stacked up like a bush instead of snaking all over the place. 
• I picked up Grey's eye contacts (finally!)
• I picked out a new possible front door and set ambitious timelines for the three big projects:  Front door by start of school (!), roof over front porch before the first snow (!), and my kitchen/ dining island before the annual Christmas eve party (!!!) A girl can dream.
• Violet sewed a couch cushion back together with her sewing machine. The zipper broke so it's been hiding in our closet all summer because the stuffing is such a problem. But she and I worked together to feed it through her machine (a million re-tries and tangles, but my Vi does not give up! Thank goodness!) It is all closed up and back on the couch! 

Back to School & Fall Sports Prep: 

• Made my back to school snacks order for Brandon's office so the kids have snacks before and after school. I send my order to Heather and she gets them for me through Sam's Club and delivers them to my house! Thank youuuuu - appreciate you! 
• I ordered Grey's football gear: base layer pants, compression shirts, and his towel 
• Both Grey and Rusty got their mouthguards fitted
• I submitted my artwork for the Fall Sports program for Coach Daddy, Grey, and Gemma

Feeling weirdly relaxed though about going back to school. Like whatever, it will all be fine...? I don't know why I'm being delulu but I'm going to keep chilling in this state of relaxation until panic sets in. HAHAH.

ODU unofficial college visit just to get a feel for what a college campus could look like in a completely different town/state. Grey doesn't have very many thoughts yet for post-high school graduation besides a hope to play sports at the next level (any sport, anywhere essentially). I was given great advice from a mom of an older athlete to make a list of the top 3 wish list items and Grey's top 3 wish list is: 1) fishable streams nearby (LOL, but seriously) 2) scholarships/ financial aide 3) gets to play all four years. So since ODU was on the way home from the beach, we made a stop in Norfolk, VA to check it out (we got to walk around campus, popped into the student center, and checked out the baseball and football fields. While Pappy, Daddy, and the oldest two walked back across campus to get the cars - the littles and I visited The Bluestone Playground next to the ODU football field. Then we all got lunch in Norfolk (The Dirty Buffalo) before making the long trek back home after vacation.

The long drive back home after vacation. Oof, the long ride home with a car full of stuff that needs unpacked is always a bit of a bummer. We hit crazy torrential rain in northern VA along with traffic and we were all about to go a little bonkers. Grey and Violet drove home in the truck with Pappy and the rest of the crew was in our car. We made it all the way back to Bedford (one hour from home) after stopping for the ODU visit, eating lunch, and hitting the traffic/weather only to pull up to the light AND KEVIN AND TASHA AND THE BOYS were exactly in front of us. Absolutely insane considering they left Sandbridge and stopped two random places on the way back to let the boys play, run, and eat. And then somehow, we all pull up to the light in Bedford at exactly the same time. (the same thing happened last year when we both stopped at the same random park/ playground on the way home without planning it!)

Took a couple days to dig out of the vacation backlog of laundry and unpacking. Our poor washer & dryer took a beating with some sandy bathing suits. Most of the kids did well unpacking their own bags although Olive wanted to play 'travel girl' with her suitcase all week and I kept finding it refilled with clothes - she was not happy to unpack every single day, but girl...maybe choose a different game!? By Thursday though, I felt like maybe we were back to baseline. 

Learning more about POTS because I suspect Gemma has it. She has been experiencing lightheadedness/ dizziness, fast heart rate, nausea, and anxiety when she exercises (especially in the sun) or after waking up in the morning or even after a long hot shower. All of which are signs/symptoms of POTS. It first started about a year ago and her flare ups were months apart, but within the last few weeks they have becoming more frequent. There is no cure but it is not life threatening and some people with POTS have found ways to eliminate symptoms all together through lifestyle changes like removing blue light at night, decreasing sugar in diet, drinking way more water, adding more salt in diet, and increasing electrolytes. First things first, I scheduled an appointment to check with the pediatrician. 

Camo season starting again. Brandon took most of the kids to the woods to hang tree stands and trail cams this week (although they got caught in a huge thunderstorm and waited it out under a pine tree!) and Grey went to Archery Zone with Pappy to get his bow all sighted in and get new arrows. 

Uzelac family reunion on Saturday with our extended family. It is always nice to see great aunts and uncles and cousins, especially our Forte/Burgh cousins! My godbaby, Mallory, is heading into her senior year!! (crying with pride every time I think of it!) The kids had a blast all day on the playground, running the BINGO table, singing karaoke (!), and playing wiffleball. Grey and B played in the horseshoe tournament, we ate delicious potluck food, and everyone smiled while the little kids completed the annual costume parade and listened to the money tree story. It was a good day with family and I am grateful my momma is one of the cousins that keeps up the tradition! (good job, Abba! and the reunion falling on your birthday! you are loved!!)

Time with family and friends Gemma went to see the new Spiderman movie with Peyton and had a day with Abba and babysat the Moore nephews this week. Violet had a playdate with Giada (she got a ride down through the neighborhood on Pappy's motorcycle!) Grey went golfing with the fellas, went to play pickleball with the friend group, and also fishing at the big bass pond with Bryce and Reed.

Sporting with Reddy's first basketball practice! He is obsessed and we are very grateful that Coach Jeremy has taken on the task of coaching this K-2nd grade team (the patience! Bless you!) Rusty had three minors football practices, and Gemma participated in the Alumini vs. Varsity soccer fundraising game on Thursday. Violet and Rusty volunteered to be ball runners for the game. Grey and Gemma attended five weight lifting/ conditioning practices. Grey and the boys went to personally request sponsorships from local businesses for our upcoming football program. Coach Daddy, Grey, and four football players attended the Heritage Conference Media Day to talk to local news and newspapers about the upcoming season. I attended the soccer booster meeting and Coach Daddy sent out the August football schedule that includes Heat Acc, Team Camp, the first scrimmage, the first Friday night game, and the first team dinner! Here comes the Boom, baby. 

Making homemade stromboli, crack chicken sammies, sheet pan kielbasa/ veggies/ tortellini, ground turkey tacos (Violet did most of the cooking!), viral chicken kebabs on naan (with gr chicken), shredded beef and cheddar sammies, Marry Me Chicken over orzo, and meatloaf with roasted potatoes and carrots. The cost of ground beef is killing me honestly. For the reunion, I brought a crockpot of meatballs for meatball sub sammies.  For desserts, Loopy helped me make rice krispie treats, and I made cowboy cookies too. For weightroom Wednesday I made Tandy Cake.

Movement with 2.5 miles of weighted vest walks and no miles rollerblading. I did start mindful eating (aka tracking all my food to see true calorie intake) and trying to eat more protein at every meal. I just want to feel good - perimenopause is truly kicking the shit out of me right now so I'm trying to be better focused on the fuel I'm putting in my body and the rest I'm getting. 

Around Here Week 30: VACATION WEEK! 07/26-08/01

 A glimpse into our life as a family on our beach vacation with three generations at Sandbridge, VA

The Corner Deli in Remington, VA

Gino's Pizzeria by Maurizio

Golf cart ride with Mrs. U and Cooper!

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 386+ hours (of 1000) 
What a beautiful weather week we had at the beach! We had just a few mini thunderstorm bursts but mostly it was perfectly sunny and hot. We did a pretty good sunscreen job and no one really suffered from sunburn (yay!) we did have a very sand-rashed child named Rusty who loves to play right in the wave crash area. The deck was decorated so magically with lights at night, but the mosquitos were out in full force so we didn't spend too much time outside after dark (bummer)

Reading and finishing First Time Caller by BK Morison. It was alright but I do think there is such a thing as too slow of a slow burn and this book was definitely that. Then I started reading Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine and also continuing I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Catching up on sleep because my body literally forced me to! I was asleep by 9pm the first three nights of vacation against my own will (hhah). It was wonderfully healing to float in the ocean or sit in the hammock on the pool deck at the house reading my book or planting my beach chair close enough to the water that the waves hit my feet while I read and watch the kids in the water. peace to my soul 

Using PhotoCircle to share all the beach pics with everyone. I was introduced to Photo Circle from the soccer tournament in NJ (thank you teenage girls!) and it was very handy to be able to have everyone dump their photos into the same place for sharing and saving. 

F I S H I N G. always with the fishing. All our boys were very happy to have their rods in the ocean. There was early morning fishing, dusk fishing, and even taking the paddleboard out to fish past the waves. The boys caught some cool stuff like flounder, croakers, and bluefish! 

A lot of kid-led fun which is the whole point of the beach. When they want to swim in the pool - we head to the pool. When they want to go to the ocean - we walk to the ocean. If they are ready to get out of the sun, we let them watch tv and fall asleep mid day. We wake up slow and we don't rush out the door. We linger around the kitchen island after meals or before bed. It is slow and relaxed and a perfect break from our normal hustle bustle. 

Smiling at our Ocean babies. Our kids love being in the waves of the ocean and that makes me so happy. They boogie board, play kind of the mountain on the paddleboard, body surf, jump waves, try to withstand the waves crashing on them, dive under waves, surf (!), and dive down for shells. We spent considerable time in the ocean every day. Olive, Red, and Rusty also loved going from the ocean to the pool to keep the swimming going at lunch time. I thought they were maybe going to start growing gills with as much time as the youngest three spent in the water over the week! 

Playing nighttime games which is my kids' very favorite part of hanging out with extended family. We played werewolf most nights which is probably the biggest family favorite. The kids played Hitster, The Game of Life, magnetic stones, and Spot-It. Abba and Chum organized a treasure hunt with a real treasure chest for the kids one night. Rusty and Violet got to help set it up and we all cracked up as the kids ran all over the beach looking for clues while other beach goers smiled at the mayhem of the little kids giggling and sprinting. 

Family photo night on the beach. Everyone got dressed up-ish and we got to the ocean in time for Golden Hour. The boys all held it together long enough to get pictures and then as soon as we were done, they were running and diving everywhere into the sand and got properly dirty in their niceish clothes they brought with them (hah). 

Night time Crab spotting. We all headed out to the beach on the last night to spot crabs and the kids had a blast. Grateful we did it and kind of glad we waited until the last night because we would have had to do it every night otherwise - hah! Reddy was diving everywhere to catch the crabs and we had enough phone flashlights or headlamps to keep most of the kids satisfied. Next time we'll need to remember more head lamps! 

Time with family and friends - well the whole week was time with family! But we got even a few more added time! Violet and Rusty got a golf cart nighttime ride with the their friend Cooper and his aunt Abby. They were visiting Sandbridge the same week as us! Our family friends Josh, Marjorie and their kids who leave near Viriginia Beach came down to Sandbridge to visit too which made Violet happy that she could get some one-on-one surf lessons from Marjorie! (thank you!)

Sporting with a whole week off! Although all the kids boogie boarded like little maniacs, Olive swam like a mermaid in the pool, Reddy chased down and snagged crabs like they were recovered fumbles,  Rusty played multiple games of ping pong, Violet learned to surf (!), and Grey and Gem went nearly undefeated in Spike ball (only lost one game all week!) I did a few sports chores though like ordering the boys' mouthguards, paying for Gemma's alumni soccer game jersey, and getting Gemma registered for the Saint Francis soccer team camp. 

Making enough for 19 this week! It was a group effort and many Walmart deliveries to keep the fridge stocked. I packed my crockpot and we also had the stove and grill at the house. We had elk burgers/ hot dogs with roasted potatoes, meatball sub sammies in the crockpot, church picnic chicken on the grill with peas&cheese pasta, sloppy joes with shells & cheese and roasted broccoli, take out pizza from Gino's Pizzeria by Maurizio, buffalo chicken dip with chips and veggie dippers, sheet pan chicken fajitas, spaghetti, beef roast with potatoes and green beans, seafood boil with shrimp and kielbasa, and teriyaki chicken and broccoli with noodles. For breakfasts we had dbl chocolate pumpkin muffins, egg casserole, egg wraps, pancakes, and lots of bacon. For desserts we had Aunt Kitty's salted chocolate chip cookies and treats from the ice cream truck from Abba and Aunt Carli who spoils these babies so well! 

Intentional Movement: well, kind of a bust in the sense of weighted vest walks and rollerblading. I did rollerblade half a mile on our street and fell once because I hit a patch of sand. After that, I was kind of uninterested in rollerblading LOL. I spent most of the time in the water when we were at the beach helping kids dive through waves, surf, or swimming. I got up to standing on the paddleboard once to prove to the kids that first of all I could and secondly that if their old momma could - they certainly could!