Around Here 7: 02/10-02/16

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

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  10+ hours (of 1000)
Just slowly snagging hours, but really doing it only as they are convenient for me (hah). I haven't made yet this year a concerted effort to spend a significant amount of time outside like I have in the past - but just trying to go with the flow and do what feels right and is needed (ie. chickens) - it feels good to not be so hard on myself because I'm still trying to snuggle up and live like the winter; knowing that once the snow starts to melt and things start to grow again - i'll be racking up outdoor hours.

Reading Educated by Tara Westover with my Books & Brews book club which I purchased at our local Books-A-Million store after I wandered into it even though my whole family knows I'm not to be trusted in a bookstore (hah! I was alone though, so no one was there to stop me!) I reasoned that it's been some time since I bought some new books, right? So I snagged this, this, this, this, and this (...gulp) I spent nearly an hour walking between the shelves and reading covers and flaps and putting down and then picking up again and putting down in an attempt to show self restraint, only to ultimately pick it back up again and add to my stack. I purchased a new chapter book for Grey too (Who was Jackie Robinson?) and two books for Gem (Fly Guy books) oh, and a new Valentines book, and two for our Easter collection (this & this). #sweetLordhelpme The cashier was like, "um, I hope you have a rewards card, because...girl!"

Snuggling up for another week of weird school days. We had two 2hr delays and a snow/ice day at my school. Our big kids had an extra snow/ice day thrown in there (they hung out with Gigi while we schlepped to school). I taped out Four Square on the living room floor with washi tape for a big win while we played 800 games of family four square to get those cabin fever wiggles out.

Celebrating Gemma's birthday early (multiple times!) Gigi made us all lunch and we sang happy birthday to Gem and Pappy (who have birthdays only a day apart). Then we got to sing a double stack of chocolate chip cookies with Gemma's bestie and cousin Audra

Spreading love on Valentines Day. I made some pink icing cinnamon rolls on Valentines eve for snack after the big kids were in charge of prepping their school party fruit donations. The babies helped them clean and pick all the grapes off the vines and Grey and Gem were in charge of cutting the strawberries into heart shapes. All four kids have Valentines parties and Brandon brought me lunch at school (Yamatos!!) Daddy brought home bouquets of flowers for the girls and I (they love this tradition so much!) I made frozen pizza for dinner and used the pizza cutter to make it into a heart shape and we had sprinkle cake box mix cookies for dessert.

Letting the kids have all the fun! We had a classmate's birthday party at Glo Golf for Gem, a sleepover birthday party for Grey with the Conn twins, a sleepover at our house with cousin Caleb, and a playdate visit with our Gilmore cousins from out of town! B and I had a little fun squeezed in there. He went to the St. Greg/Barnabas gun bash with our Gilmore cousins and I had my glorious afternoon in the bookstore followed by a quick eyebrow wax which made me feel like a human woman again (LOL, but seriously).

Basketball season'ing with Brandon's team last game of the season! We made it another season (his 6th!) with Coach Daddy. It is nice to have him back home again:) Grey had only one basketball practice this week because of weather and then had his game with his CT team at the Y on Saturday. It was a loss, but Grey had a whole lot of hustle in there.

Teaching as much as I can squeeze into 2 full days and 2 half days with this wild weather! Spanish 1 is right in the middle of El Capibara con Botas and we had some hilarious Readers' Theater actors for Chapter 8 when el mono salta encima de la cabeza de Carlos y dice "Salta!" (#jaja) Spanish 1 Honors did the pre-learning for their next novel Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro which included the Martina Bex mini unit about Carrie la perra bailarina. Spanish 2 is already reading BBQP and Spanish 2 Honors started the Martina Bex Niños prisoneros unit. Spanish 3 Honors started the pre learning to read Señor Wooly's La Casa de la Dentista next week!

Making leftover mac and cheese with some hot dogs and burgers, left over pulled pork over nachos with pineapple and jalapenos, pierogies, heart shaped frozen pizza for Valentine's day with cake box mix sprinkle cookies, and Thomahawk take out