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!

Around Here Week 32: 08/09-15

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

2020 vs 2026

Rusty can climb to the top of the uprights to watch practice. LOL

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 426+ hours (of 1000)
Summer is still reigning supreme, but the gnats are slowly driving everyone mad. Maybe because of all the rain sitting wet in the ground(?), but good grief - the gnats are out of control. Anytime we stand in the grass they swarm our faces; trying to climb in ears, eyes, and nostrils. It's actually insane. I have to stand with my arm raised while filling up the water buckets at the farm and while watching kids' practices (the gnats go to the highest point) but even then they are still aggressive. LOL, you can easily see the swarms floating around the yard and fields. eww.

Reading Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I missed book club this week with the Somerset teachers which was a bummer but I was glad to be able to take Gem and Abby out to soccer team camp at SFU. 

Summer to do list completed: 

• Registered Grey for Driving School with TDS Driving Academy (we do not have driver's ed at our high school) so that he will get 6hrs behind the wheel practice with not his parents and complete his driver's test at the end of the training. Also completing the program will earn a discount on insurance for a teenage driver!
• Cleared out the closet floor in our room and switched all our Spirit Week items into a bigger tub so that it would all actually fit! (Spirit week items = random clothes/ costumes that can be worn in the various school spirit weeks throughout the year. Like tie-dye, crazy socks, reindeer antlers, Christmas jammies, spooky shirts, Hawaiian leis, Steeler shirts, etc) It's all in a tub for easy grab when needed.

Back to school/ Fall sports prep completed: 

• Rusty and Grey got their football cleats and I ordered Grey's QB towel
• Took Gemma to the Peds to check in about her POTS symptoms. We are going to do bloodwork and an EKG to make sure there is no other underlying issues next 
• Paid for: Reddy's basketball uniform and fall program happy ads
• I ordered my teacher planners!
• I brought out my football season tea towels and oven mitts to add some football season sparkle to the kitchen! lol
• I renewed my state clearances that were set to expire in December (future Tab says thank you!)
• B schedule back to school hair cuts with Lamont for next week!

A belated SURPRISE birthday party for Rusty at the Quemahoming Dam. We booked campsite #7 near the back dock and had a lowkey fishing/ swimming afternoon at the Que. Well, as lowkey as five 9&10 year old boys can offer - hah! Rusty was truly surprised; he did know we were going to the Que but thought it was just to hang out. He was baffled trying to figure out why they were all there! We had hot dogs and buffalo chicken dip and I repurposed the family reunion sheet cake into gob cake in the shape of the number 10 to sing. It was a beautiful sunny, hot afternoon to celebrate our Mr. Handsome. 

End of Summer Que day with the Conns as is our annual tradition for the last six years. It was me and Grey's first solo drive while hauling the boat, but we did it successfully, mostly to his diligence and care. Grey, Reed, and Rusty got to go out fishing for a little bit while Brycey hung back with the little kids and helped Reddy fish from the dock. Then a storm rolled in and trapped us in the pavilion for an hour eating and playing Spot it. We tried to wait out the storms, but to no end so the trip was short but always worth it to spend time with our Conn bonus family and keep the end of summer tradition! 

Dog-sitting Rosie while Pappy is in South Dakota exploring on his motorcycle! Rosie got royally spoiled with snuggles and books read to her. She loved chasing the chickens like a real farm dog! It was nice to have a pup in the house for the week and now the kids are even more eager to get another dog - but not until after football season!! 

Time with family and friends Violet had a playdate with Evaley at our house and had Bria over for a sleepover. Gemma went to breakfast with the Varsity soccer team at Gather at Flood City and babysat Lily U this week. Grey went to Old Tollgate Inn for wing night with the football team and went golfing with Chum on Thursday and golfing with Gabey on Saturday. We got to babysit the Moore boy cousins on Tuesday and then had a playdate with them and Uchie at our house on Saturday night.

Sporting with fall sports blast off! Reddy had one basketball practice and he got his 'drippy' ice cream jersey! Rusty had two minors football practices, weigh-in day, and one football scrimmage. Violet participated in three jr high soccer practices as the manager (but she and Bria go through all the drills and conditioning along with the team). Gemma had two Varsity soccer conditioning practices, one weight lifting day to finish summer testing, and then she had sleepover Team Camp at Saint Francis from Thursday to Saturday! Grey had five days of Heat Acc for Varsity football and participated in two weightlifting and conditioning days to finish summer testing. Coach Dad ran Heat Acc week and also attended the PIAA rules meeting. I attended the Football booster meeting and signed up for our team dinner (09/13), signed up to lead the tailgate event, and got squared up on my money due for happy ads and booster concessions. I also signed up for our concession duty for youth football and organized the Varsity players to volunteer as the chain gang for a home youth game. God bless all of those booster organizations in all sports! Thank you for making sure our athletes are supported! 

Making sheetpan chicken fajitas, mini chicken meatballs with shells&cheese, copycat Olive Garden chicken over noodles with roasted broccoli, takeout pizza, instagram chicken with pasta peas&cheese, chicken/ veggie/ biscuit casserole, Korean beef with rice and green beans, and smash burgers. For breakfasts we had double chocolate pumpkin muffins and chocolate croissants. For dessert, I made a double batch of oatmeal, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and for the LAST weightroom Wednesday I made chocolate chip cookie sheet cake with homemade icing

Intentional Movement: I rollerbladed 0 miles and weighted vest walked 0 miles! YIKES, but I was pretty tired and honestly, on the very crappy side of things (pun intended): I had been adding a heavy tablespoon of chia seeds to my yogurt every morning for about a week and the fiber caught up to me. It was several days of suffering through fiber shock which was pretty miserable (like 3 days of urgency and then another 3 days of general malaise). I'm not giving up chia seeds; just making sure I soak them first and using only a teaspoon.