Around Here Sixteen: 04/15-04/21

Friday, April 22, 2016

A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home right this second



 













Intentional Hours Outside:  89 hours and 34 minutes (out of 1000)
oh Spring, I love you.  I added over twenty-one hours this week to my outdoor total and it felt so good.  We enjoyed a lot of time out on our front porch, most of the time getting out there for breakfast before 9am.  While I read and sipped coffee, the girls would wander about playing babies, it was honestly wonderful.  One evening, our family had dinner outside and made a fire (first one of the year!) and looked up at the stars.  Violet was totally mesmerized by the moon and stars, like weirdly so and I think it's finally proof that she is in fact from another planet (hahha).  We got a chance to splash in the little pool and the girls 'cleaned' the playground with soapy water which they think is basically the most fun activity ever.  It was a beautiful week and I am getting so close to hitting my first 100 hours that I can taste it!!

Reading The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and really loving it, I'm highlighting through it like I'm taking a course on the subject and I keep bringing it up in conversation with my family and friends...I'm that girl.  Also started reading Name All the Animals by Allison Smith.  It's been sitting on my bookshelf in the 'to read' category for awhile now and I'm so glad I started it.  It is a really beautifully written memoir and I'm gobbling it up.  We also posted this week in our Inspired Readers book club that for the summer months (May-August) we have organized a summer book list challenge to encourage relaxed reading (by the poolside please!)  If you're interested in reading along, please join our facebook group or simply check out the books we chose for each month for some summer reading suggestions:)


Spending time with our Aunt Kitty for most of Friday as she was in town visiting from Pittsburgh last weekend!  It was so nice to get almost a whole day with her to talk, walk, and play.  She was brave enough to venture out with us for a walk with the two girls and two dogs and we even got in a mud bath!  Bullet was so very happy- he was up to his chin in the deep muddles loving every minute.  Kitty was even kind enough to help bathe the dogs when we got back and the girls! hahaha!! We love you Aunt Kitty!

Enjoying our annual traditions for the first day of trout season.  A two night sleepover at fishing camp for the boys and pedicures, dinner, and a fishing camp afternoon visit for the girls.  A full post to come soon but it was a great weekend for one of our favorite traditions! 

Tending to Greyson as he missed a day of school this week thanks to a "Booboo recharge day".  I knew we were about due for one and after his weekend at fishing camp, there was no delaying it's arrival.  Grey spent almost all of Monday in a horizontal position half asleep and chugging water and gatorade.  By Monday night, he had bounced back significantly.  Because he operates at 100% activity level at all times, so with the weather warming up and his range of free space to run and play ever widening for the spring/summer seasons - we are sure to see more Booboo recharge days in the near future.

Learning more about baseball season from a Mum's perspective.  We had a game this week and loads more on the way and I've been deep in reflection on how to make it the most enjoyable for all of us.  HAH.  I've been compiling a list of 'baseball snack foods' that I want to have on hand for only games for the girls and maybe a bag that is our 'outdoor game kit' that includes light jackets, sunglasses, the umbrella stroller, a water bottle, some small toys (like cars/babies), sunscreen, and a big umbrella.  Since we have a no-screen at games/practices policy for ourselves and games happen right around dinnertime - I've been brainstorming how to keep the girls to minimal whining and without visiting the concession stand three hundred times.

Celebrating our Uncle Juice's birthday a little early so we could trick him into meeting us for dinner without him realizing it was to celebrate him!  The girls and I made a little cake and we met at one of our favorite local spots for wing night with our family, Gigi and Pappy, and Mimi!  Uncle Juice was totally surprised and it was a fun low-key dinner party.  We are always glad to get in some quality time with him and also to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake any chance we can get :)  

Feeling so grateful for Gemmi Rose and her thoughtful maternal kindness.  She is such a little momma and has been especially helpful in these last few weeks of pregnancy.  As we were running errands this week, I got lots of compliments on how grown up and much of a help she is to her momma and her baby sister. She's quick to run and get something upstairs for me, or carry the diaper bag, or share with Violet or include her in play.   She has a tender, generous heart and I am just so grateful to have her as my girl. 

Creating a 'before Studerbaby4 arrives' list to keep my pregnancy brain in check.  We had a great ultrasound and appointment this week (all looks well!) and I've been very slowing chipping away at some to do type stuff that randomly pops into my mind.  It felt good to get it all written down in one place though and it will feel even better to get some stuff crossed off!  Only seven more weeks to go, so it's time to put our foot on the gas over here.  #fourthbabyprobs   Baby and I are both doing well, just my lower back, you guys!  kills.  I've been using a heating pad and hanging out in cat/camel pose like a weirdo.  I took an incredibly blissful bath the other afternoon with the window open and the cool spring breeze blowing in while reading...honest to goodness heavenly.  

Watching our new five little caterpillars crawl about and grow!  I ordered a new Painted Lady caterpillar kit from Insect Lore so that we could raise butterflies again this spring and they arrived this week!  The kids were so excited and Violet is pretty infatuated with 'buggies' as of late (she followed ants on the patio for over a half hour yesterday!) so she was overcome with joy and wants to look at them twenty times a day.  In about a week they should be wrapped up as chrysalis and then we will get to release our butterflies during Screen Free Week!  perfect timing! 

Making these loaded oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and they lasted approximately 36 hours in this house.  I think next time I'll have to double the recipe because they are too good to go so fast! Also grilling out this week:  we had steaks and grilled veggies one night and then grilled apple chicken last night alongside with my first attempt at smashed potatoes (success!  and so yum).  


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