Around Here Week 34: 08/23-29

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

photo cred: Mr. O'Ship

photo cred: Leisha Black

photo cred: Mr. O'Ship

photo cred: Mr. O'Ship

photo cred: Mr. O'Ship

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 454+ hours (of 1000)
Great weather this week for back to school. Still nice out but not dreadfully hot. The first Friday Night Lights game was absolute perfect weather and we only had to pull our hoodies out towards the end; sporting the official football season fashion of hoodies, jeans, and flip flops. 

Reading Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith but really not reading that much because it was a wild one this week with back to school. 

Listening to Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Now that I am commuting back and forth to work each day, it makes it convenient to listen to an audiobook. I am really liking Yesteryear because the main character is so unlikable it makes it a fascinating listen! Obviously late to the hype, but I'm liking it. 

Sumer to do list completed: 

• We had a secret mission to give Ms. Jenilee's trainer's room a little makeover before the start of the school year. All the kids and B helped with the glow up on Sunday night. We added some fake plants (no windows!), string lights, pillows, and a candle warmer. A few touches to make it softer in there where she spends her afternoons and evenings taping sweaty ankles (hah). Ms. Jenilee is so important to our sports programs at the school - but specifically to our family. Our girls work the sidelines alongside her at the football games, our kids are best friends with her kids, anytime my kids have injuries (or even the slightest concerns related to health) Jenilee is there to listen and offer her thoughts, and all of our kids spend hundreds (thousands? seriously) of hours with her from June to November while we are so deep in football season. She is a safe person to our family in some of the truest ways possible. We love you General Lee! 
• I updated the calendar for the month of September! (eek!)

Back to school & fall sports prep: 

• All my fellas got their hair cut before the start of school, Thank you Lamont - we love you!
• sent the full sports schedules to our family and friends (all kids games and times)
• last minute check that everyone had a backpack, shoes, and light jacket for the first week of school. Red needed a new pair of shoes because his current ones are falling apart - so I got his ordered, but he made due this week with the junk ones (oops)
• A quick school shopping run for basics (literally just a first day outfit). The girls and I went to TJ Maxx and they got their choices and the boys trusted us enough to pick for them! And then after the first day of school, Brandon and I took the girls thrifting too. 
• Every kid (first time ever) wrote their name on their handwriting page. The first spot is Kindergarten and Red and Olive got to do their papers this year. Grey only has one box left to go! 
• Everyone announced what they'd like to be when they grow up and we got their signs done and took all first day of school photos
• Red and Olive had kindergarten orientation on the first day of school. B and I attended and the kids got a little taste of school from 9:30-11:30a and then they got to go home! Pappy took them for the day to swim and ride quads and hang out while B and I went back to work. Our last kindergarten orientation! 
• Filling out SIX yellow emergency cards within the first two days of back to school. There are a million perks of being a big family, however, the school paperwork is NOT one of them.

First day of school for the kids! All six of our babies started school at CT on Wednesday. We've got a Junior, a Freshman, a sixth grader, a fourth grader, and two kindergartners this year! Tabitha of five years ago tried to imagine this day (all her kids old enough for school) and it seemed impossible by every account - not the baby being five which then made the biggest 16!? But here we are because as my dear friend Shelley said to me recently, "Time always wins" and ain't that the truth? What a beautiful and terrible truth it is! Everyone did great on their first day and although it is hectic in the mornings, it is very relieving to have everyone all in one school together with Brandon. (God Bless that man, getting six kids out the door. I have to leave before they leave and I send a little prayer up for a smooth morning for all of them each day as I drive down the driveway.) Babe, another man could never. I don't deserve you, but good Lord am I grateful I got you! 

My 43rd birthday! The perfect day! A true Virgo over here about my birthday meaning I'd rather not talk about it because I'm going through a lot of reflections and soul searching in my heart. The gratitude, it literally consumes me and I mostly silently cry all day at the beauty of the world and my life and the people who love me. It's a lot for my internal self (Lol) so I am incredibly thankful for all the friends and family who know that and give me grace for my retreat-into-self. All six of my babies headed off to school happy and excited, I got to make it to every one of my kids' activities that was going on (Violet manager at the JrH soccer game, Rusty's scrimmage, and Gemma's scrimmage). B got me an ice cream cake to sing at night, Heather had my lunch delivered to my school (it was even the perfect order! thank you!!). I got so many texts and voice notes from friends and family, a hug from my momma (who did all the work 43 years ago - thank you momma!), and enough time at night to make sure that we were prepped for the next morning of school. A mostly normal day...because honestly, what is better than my normal days of life? Literally nothing. This wonderful chaos is my perfect day. 

Starting antibiotics for Gemma who was ASO+ in her bloodwork from last week meaning she has strep in her system. At no point did she show signs of strep this summer, but apparently, she had it and it's been lingering in her system untreated (!!?) Do not google what untreated strep can do to a body unless you want to panic spiral (obviously I did. ugh. God bless the peds nurse who talked me through her bloodwork to assure me that this was not a panic situation). We have been tracking her heart rate and o2 levels with a pulse ox at soccer practice (bless her coaches and our trainer Ms Jenilee) when she has her 'episodes' which we were thinking was maybe POTS but now that we know she has been battling untreated strep (!!!?!) maybe part of her issues were that? She gets super dizzy and lightheaded, and then will feel like she can't breathe. She mostly has episodes at soccer practice, but she had one at the sideline at the football game too (less strenuous). Maybe some of it is anxiety based? Maybe it is low iron and teenage girl hormones? Literally no idea but I am determined to get to the bottom of this. Glad the antibiotics will fix one piece of the puzzle and get the strep out of her! 

Camo season brewing and I got Violet registered for the Hunter Safety Course in September. Luckily her friend Evaley is also a future hunter and they'll attend together! Shout out to Ev's mom, Onara for keeping me on track with the registration link!

Time with family & friends Red and Olive had a fun last day of summer with Pappy on their Kindergarten orientation half day while everyone else was in school (hah!). Violet spent the night with Bria at the Somerset County fair where Bria won multiple events showing her animals (we are proud of you Bria! and thank you to the McDannell family for allowing Violet the experience of being a AG kid without us having to raise animals for show! xxoxo!) Gemma babysat the Moore nephews twice this week and had the Varsity soccer sleepover. We all stopped by to visit my mom on the night before her heart appointment (Update: she did great and is feeling better! We love you Abba!) 

Teaching Prep with a full week of in-service days. It was a really nice ease into the school year, especially with the staggered start with my own kids. Not having students all week at school helped me get all organized while still being able to focus on my own kiddos first weeks of school. I don't know how the stars aligned this year, but I hope it does every year from now on out! hahaha, I'm spoiled! Both my high school and elementary classrooms are all set up, Schoology is prepped, a fun staff scavenger hunt organized by our asst principal that took us all over the school and community for team building. We had our Back to School open house was on Thursday night and I got to meet some new-to-me eighth graders and say hello to some of my upperclassmen students. It was a good and productive week and I am grateful for it! 

Sporting with one basketball practice for Reddy. Rusty had two minors football practice, one scrimmage, and his first Minors football game on Saturday. Violet was the JrH soccer manager for one scrimmage and practiced with the team once. Gemma had four Varsity soccer practices and one scrimmage. Grey had a sports massage with Miss Emma at Peak Performance Therapy, four football practices and the first Friday Night Lights game at Purchase Line. Grey, Coach Dad, and the football team had their annual car wash on Sunday morning - thank you so much to all of the community that showed up for them! All the kids and Brandon participated in the Fall Sports Pep Rally and the team vs. all star CT Staff tug of war was great! It's Fels-Naptha season for scrubbing uniforms but only occasionally as half the football fields are turf. Unfortunately for me, Grey played on grass this week in a white jersey - so to scrubbing I got. I transported the soccer players who are also the sideline crew for football from their Friday practice to the away football game [some of my favorite memories of fall will be driving out with a car full of teenage girls (and my three littlest) with the music blasting while they pass a box of pizza back and forth and put their mascara on as we head to the football games. Gosh, these are truly the good 'ole days - I love these kids.]

Making bbq shredded chicken sammies, turkey taco pasta, chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, Mississippi Roast over egg noodles, take out pizza for the ride to the football game, I also made confetti muffins for the first day of school and a double batch of peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert. B got me an ice cream cake for my birthday (my fav!) Always a little bit of a relief on my brain to get the kids back to school where they eat breakfast and lunch on the weekdays. A little less groceries to keep in stock and a little less mental work trying to come up with meal plans. So yay for me - hah! B and I went out to eat on Saturday night for a belated birthday dinner at Westmont Gardens. I ordered the Goat Cheese flatbread with pickled beets and it was amazing. He was like, 'of all the things, you pick that?!' and I argued, "this is what I LIKE. I'm surviving off of sloppy joes and mac&cheese at home because of our kids!!" Story of a mom's life, honestly. 

Intentional Movement. I rollerbladed less than a mile, but still was glad to get out and blade during Rusty's football practice. 

Around Here Week 33: 08/16-22

 A glimpse into what it is like to be in our family just this moment. Buckle up it's camp week! 

photo cred Ms Hannah

photo cred: Ms Hannah

photo cred: Jenn V

photo cred: Peyton L

photo cred: Becky C

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 444+ hours (of 1000)
We have another rooster! I suspected that it would be simply by the way he was looking, but the little guy started to try to crow this week. Fingers crossed that he's a sweet one like the last one was (very sorry that the fox got him!)

Reading Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith but very little. Not much reading at all though if I'm being honest. Like literally maybe 4 pages. Also kind of re-skimming The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini because Grey is reading it for his Global Studies summer required reading. Remember that book?! SO good! 

Summer to do list completed: 

• Put away (finally) the beach wagon with sand supplies to the storage unit (thank you Rusty for the help!)
• B deep cleaned the bathrooms and I could not be more grateful. That was a to do list item that was slowly killing me and he went into scrub and scour mode and did I mention I love this freaking man?
• Took Gemma for her bloodwork and EKG on Friday afternoon. She did great and was a brave trooper for her first time for bloodwork! Now we wait to see if it offers any insight to see what is going on with our girl.

Back to school/ Fall sports completed: 

• purchased Gemma's soccer sock guards
• Staples/Locker supplies shopping run with Violet, including poster board for the first day signs
• put in my order for team manager shirts for Violet & Bria with cousin Becky who uses her cricket to make cool stuff (thank you!!)
• set up plans for kindergarten orientation half day for Red and Olive and other logistics for next week's back to school plans
• I got Grey scheduled with Miss Emma for football season sports massages (weekly in season!)

First tooth out for Livy Lou!  That thing was hanging on by a thread and she finally let Brandon pull it out. Our last baby's first tooth lost. The last first visit for the tooth fairy. ouch...motherhood. 

Playdate with Ms Hannah and Cooper at the Que. The three littlest, Hannah, baby Cooper, and I spend a beautiful sunshiney day at the que chatting and watching the kids wander and play. It was such a nice time to catch up with Hannah. She is doing an incredible job with her sweet sonny boy (almost one year old!) and I am so proud and thankful to know and love her. Hannah has been in our life since she was in high school (!) and she is Reddy's godmomma too. We love you so much Hannah & Cooper! 

Concussion check for Rust who slipped on the cement tubes at the Que playground and smashed his head off the tube. Sheesh, right as we were leaving and he was pretty brave about it. Grateful his cousins Brookie and Benny were there to help him get up and check on him. No concussion (even Miss Jenilee checked) but this child - so prone to bumps and bruises!

Sending love and hugs to our friends and family dropping off their babies at college this week and next! Our cousin Reid started at Juniata this week and will be studying and swimming for the Juniata team this year as a freshman. We love you and are so proud of you Reid! (sending a big hug to you cousin Lisa and Ray!! First baby off to college - it's unbelievable!) Barty stopped by to say goodbye and drop off Coach's favorite hot sauce (the sweetest!) And we have four former football players in college playing football: So proud of you Barty, Brennan, Josh, and Ethan! 

Sixth grade orientation with Violet. Our girl has been so excited and eager to move up to the big school, she was thrilled to get her locker combo and schedule this week. She's opening her locker like a pro and painted a little lighted sign to hang up in it too. She is going to crush it and I'm so happy for her. God bless you sixth grade teachers for your patience and encouragement!! We appreciate you! 

Gemma's 14 and a half birthday. Our girly pop. We had a whole pumpkin roll leftover from the football team dinner (thank you Sherry!) so we sang over that and got her measured on the height chart before her belated birthday/ half birthday celebration the next day. 

Gemma's bonfire to celebrate her half birthday/ belated birthday/ end of summer. She had a bunch of friends over to do the slip 'n slide and have a fire and shoot hoops on the black top. There was food, music, and even some jailbreak at the end of the night.

Time with family and friends.  All the kids got a playdate and swim at the Lasure's house while I ran out to grocery shop for team breakfast supplies (thank you Jenilee & Matt!) We all got to snuggle Lady dog when we babysat her over the weekend while our Moore cousins were camping for Wells' birthday (we love you Welly!) Rusty and Violet got to spend most of the day at the Wiffleball tournament with their friends Liam and Kaylee (thank you Laura for such a fun day!) Violet had a sleepover at the Lasure's house. Gemma attended Jennabel's sweet 16 soiree birthday, and babysit sweet Lily U once. Grey went to Texas Roadhouse with the football team (post-scrimmage annual tradition) and then had a sleepover at Gabey's. Coach Dad and Grey had football team sleepover on the Sunday of football camp, and football team dinner on Thursday at Jim & Jimmies (thank you Boosters and Jim & Jimmies!) 

Teaching preparations. I updated all my course photos and set my categories in Schoology. Rusty, Red, and Olive stopped into my classroom for forty-five minutes to drop off my plants, hook up my new floor lamp, and open some of my order boxes (new copies of some Spanish language learning novels - yay!) 

Sporting with CAMP WEEK! Reddy had one basketball practice and Rusty had three minors football practices and football pictures on Saturday (also turned in the fundraiser gun tix). Violet had five days of manager with the jr high soccer team (3:30-5p) and also worked as a water girl four days this week at football camp (8a-3:30p). Gemma had four days of soccer camp (7a-12p), one day of soccer camp (6a-7:30a) followed by team photos, and also worked as asst trainer at football camp four days (12-5p). Grey and Coach Dad had the football team sleepover on Sunday night, four days of football camp (8:30a-5p) and then Friday football camp of photos and community service (8:30-2p). On Saturday, the football team had their scrimmage game at home vs. Homer Center. I worked on the booster Tailgate plans for the first home game, finalized the games for the community pep rally, did social media work, and did so much chauffeuring between practices and fields (back and back and back and forth all week!) B and I attended the annual coaches&wives hang at the Valentines on Saturday night (thank you for hosting Jenn&Joel!)

Making grilled cheese sammies and tomato soup, meat spaghetti, slow cooker cream cheese chicken taquitos, sloppy joes with shells&cheese and Hunsberger sweet corn on the cob (!!), Hawaiian Meatballs over rice (Gemma's favorite for her half birthday).  For breakfast, I made banana bread. For football camp breakfast on Monday morning I made 36 egg/ sausage/ cheese sandwiches on English muffins and cut up three watermelons and plated mini donuts. Jenilee made 36 egg/ Canadian bacon/ cheese/ bagel sammies too! For Gemma's birthday I made 48 ham & cheese sliders, cousin Becky's fruit dip, and buffalo chicken dip. For soccer camp snacks - I made peanut butter power balls and double chocolate muffins for Gemma's soccer team. We also surprised the football team with popsicles on a very hot camp day too. 

Intentional Movement: 1.2 miles weighted vest walking during Reddy's basketball practice!