Around Here Week 36: 09/02-8

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

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  448+ hours (of 1000)
Getting outside early in the morning with the dogs and marveling over the spiderwebs, I was actually losing my mind how many there were and how beautifully delicate they all were. I had the whole family out early the next morning (Labor Day) for a 'spiderweb walk' with the dogs - haha! - so we could hunt and be dazzled all together. The weather this week was crazy hot (see below in Teaching for just how hot!)

Reading and finishing Dear Martin by Nic Stone - another great recommendation and borrow from her classroom English classroom library (thank you Renee!) It was beautifully written, compelling, and heartbreaking.

Labor day relaxing and trying to get things organized around here after that first week back to school. We got to swim at aunt Lisa & uncle Matt's while visiting my parents and having a cookout. Grey got to went to a birthday party, I cleaned and lesson planned (and also rested). It was low key which is what we all needed.

County fair visiting as a family on Tuesday night. It was our only non-practice night of the week, so even though Brandon and I were both tired that afternoon, we shrugged and headed out to the county fair anyway. It turned out to be the right choice and the kids had so much fun and the weather was perfect. They rode tons of rides, we visited every single animal barn naming each one by name, and we ate good fair food. It was our very easiest trip to the fair with kids so far, ever. Grey and Gem are tall enough to ride everything themselves (even the salt & pepper shakers!) and Rusty and Violet were totally captivated by the lights and sounds. It gave us a promising little look into family life with grown-ish kids and we liked the look of it!

Halting (at least, right?) the weight gain, hah. Time to get serious about turning that number in the other direction with better food choices and getting in real exercises. I have been killing it on my steps (+12,000 steps daily) but my body (and soul!) could use a real effort toward an actual workout (maybe yoga or pilates because my body is in need of some serious stretching).

Planning our 10 year anniversary mini getaway through airBnB. We are going to the Adirondacks in New York and we can hardly believe we are going to get away just the two of us for more than a night together. Also, ten years? how? but also, how has it only been 10 years? (well, 17 years dating, but ya know). There are still some major details that need ironed out, but we've booked a little house on a lake and our hearts are all butterflies for the road trip and the thoughts of coffee on the lake deck with the fall changing leaves and a fire going in the fireplace. gah. seriously about to build a paper countdown chain about it.

Upgrading to new garage doors. It's been an ongoing battle between mice and men in our garage/basement and one more tally mark on the side of men is new garage doors that seal correctly at the bottom (and also look prettier too). We are lucky to have our Uncle Jonny (garage door side hustle extraordinaire) who could help us order and then installed them for us. They look beautiful and finally our garage remodel (that was never even on our summer to do list in the first place) is complete!

Fall sports at practices and our first home game of the season. It's always surprising (and such a relief) how our kids fall into our chaotic routines with relative willingness and ease. We all just pile up into the car and head to the fields and figure it out for as long we need to be there. They babies make friends with other little siblings and play on the playground, the big kids practice, we all float back together (albeit to the sounds of pleading for ice cream at the Silver bell, but ya can't win 'em all right?) The more we relax into the commitments, the easier it is. (this comes as wisdom after years of riling up against them). Sidenote, remember to be patient and grateful to the volunteers that do the work so that your kid gets to play (that includes youth league board members), but especially their coach. Remember to Thank a coach., and maybe the very best way to do so is with your patience and your flexibility.

Can we also just for a moment recognize how adorable To All the Boys I've Loved Before was on Netflix? I didn't read the book (yet) so bummer, but the movie was so so sweet, I was smiling the whole way through. And Noah Centineo...cutest, no wonder he is currently the 'internet's boyfriend'. I literally was losing my mind about how much he reminded me of Mark Ruffalo and kept saying to B - "they have got to be related, this is ridiculous?!" But after the movie, I googled it and they aren't - although I am definitely not the only one who caught the uncanny familiarity to each other.

Teaching the 20 Spanish speaking country geography unit in Spanish 1, finishing up the Super 7 verbs for Spanish 2 and moving on to Carrie la perrita bailarina unit to prepare for starting Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro novel next week! Spanish 3 started learning about Guatemala in preparation for their first novel this year which included watching the Living on $1 a Day documentary. We had early dismissals TWICE this week due to HEAT (I mean, mother nature, are you kidding me?!) Both my students and our kids' schools got early two days in a row since most of our classrooms do not have AC (bonus though, my room does as its a former computer classroom).

Making grilled steaks and zebu (! Thanks High Ridge Hunting Preserve), thai noodles in black bean sauce with shrimp, crockpot potato soup, chili over noodles, and breakfast casserole. We also had peanut butter protein snack balls (YUM!) and lots of delicious salads for lunch.