Around Week 38: 09/16-22

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

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  477+ hours (of 1000)
Up 18 hours this week! We finally got a break in the rain (thank goodness, for serious I was starting to get weather-related depression, no joke). We also had a lot of outdoor activities this week that lent themselves to lots of time outside. I still haven't figured it out enough to get out during the school day on my lunch - it's a goal of mine to walk a few laps on the track during that period just to get some fresh air and some head space, but alas, not quite there yet.

Reading This is How it Always is by Laurie Frankel (still). Even though I haven't finished yet, we had our Books&Brews book club meeting at Pappy's Pizza and it was amazing as always to chat and hang out with some of my favorite ladies.

Delivering dozens of eggs to our Home Ec department from our free range brood. With all ten chickens laying, we average about 10-12 eggs A DAY, so we have plenty to go around. The Home Ec teacher and I worked out a system that if she sends one of her students up with some cartons, that's how many she needs back. It's so nice to know our eggs have a for sure home (and need!) 

Fall sporting with football practice and cheerleading. Gem cheered at the CV game and Grey had a bye that week. We even enjoyed pizza and snacks at Luray playground afterward with the Stahls and their girls.

Planning for Violet's upcoming birthday! She decided she wants a "princess bouncy house birthday party" please and thank you. haha. this chick. Okay then, on it.

Volunteering at the kids' PTA annual color run. Our fam ran the yellow color station again and Grey ran with his friends. We had a blast all morning spraying everyone and also cheering them on - because you know I love that the most at races :)

Helping out at Uncle Dave's house as he is laid up from his recent injury. Uncle Dave and Aunt Cindy have four horses (including Violet's favorite, Dawn!) and a whole ton of land, and a wood burning furnace for heat! Our whole crew, along with his daughter and her fam, and our cousins Albert and Caleb spent the day there loading up chopped wood in the basement, cleaning stalls, and mowing grass. It was a powerful lesson to explain to the kids on our way home that it was no big deal for us to spend a few hours helping (it was fun even!) but it was so important to be there all together because Aunt Cindy could never have caught up on all the chores on her own.

Teaching weather, seasons,and days of the week in Spanish 1 and Spanish 1 Honors. Spanish 2 continued learning about La Universidad (Somos Unit 4). In Spanish 2 Honors, we are continuing reading the book, Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro. In the book, Brandon builds a fort so we built forts in class to read the chapters! (#jaja). Spanish 3 Honors began reading their first novel of the year, Esperanza by Carol Gaab. We started with Chapters 1 and 2 and I love following along with Martina Bex's esquemas and suggestions.  We had dictation quizzes across the levels which is my favorite quick glimpse into how everyone is following along. Students had a random day off of school due to a technical glitch, but it was a great day to get a ton of grading and organizing done on my side. Then we had an ACT 80 day with ALICE training which was amazing (and also heartbreaking that it's needed at all).

Making Korean ground turkey and green beans over rice, steak'um tacos, crispy shrimp pasta with farmer's market cheese, restaurant style filet steaks, meatball sandwiches, and Coney Island burgers. We also made zucchini bread which was eaten in under 10 minutes because we have an obsession.