Around Here Week 28: 07/07-07/13

A glimpse into our life as it is just this moment.

watches one episode of Marie Kondo...

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 369+ hours (of 1000)
Up 32 hours this week thanks to really beautiful and perfect summer weather. We have been catching lightening bugs almost every night - there are so many!- and I love seeing the kids run all over the yard with their arms up in the air. Violet is our master lightening bug catcher and she names them things like George. And our resident toad is back: Steve! Grey found him on the back patio one night this week as we were sitting around the fire.

Reading Miles Morales Spiderman by Jason Reynolds. Also read and finished We Got This by Cornelius Minor with the Book Love Foundation Summer club. I underlined and made notes all through We Got This and it really has me inspired and energized for the upcoming school year. I felt overwhelmed this year and I said multiple times (in my mind and aloud) that I felt like a drop in the bucket with a system that is often broken and kids that are struggling with big problems; what good can I really do?! But I loved these quotes particularly from the book,

"I came to teaching wanting to give tools to be free - free of the external structures and pitfalls that can rob young people of opportunity and free of the internal mind-sets and attitudes that can keep us mired to where we are instead of focused on where we can be....To love children is to love their futures." -pg 73 

"We are not victims in a dysfunctional system; we are agents with the vision to imagine new systems - even if they exist only in our individual classrooms or departments for  now."  - pg.115

Camping at the Quemahoming for the last day of our cousin weekend. The kids all had so much fun together and we had the perfect day for water fun on Sunday. I took the paddleboard out with kids crammed all over it and then use it as a diving board in the middle of the dam. Everyone was jumping, splashing, laughing, and shouting - it was everything that summer memories are made up. We looked like we were having so much fun; Brandon and Ray jumped in and swam all the way out with us to join in on the battle. We were so lucky to be able to get all packed up literally moments before a torrential thunderstorm hit around dinnertime. The most perfect ending to our cousin camping weekend!

Getting slammed with the Norovirus (stomach bug). Violet got hit first and started throwing up at camp, she was such a trooper and tried to hang in there. Luckily, we only live about 10 minutes from the Que, so I just brought her home to sleep for a few hours and when she woke up she said, "Let's go back to camp!" Then RustMan got it next (throwing up on the way to and at the farmer's market!) and he spent a few days with it because he doesn't understand yet that what he needs is rest and to just lay down!

Stressing about our THREE roosters! Apparently we have three roosters and I don't like it one bit; they are always herding the girls and chasing them around for you know what and trying to show their dominance by plucking each other's feathers. Grey is all like, "I'll shoot them!" and I'm all like "we are not shooting our own pets, child, even if I hate them." #outdoorsmanmommaprobs I'm looking to adopt them out to our fam & friend chicken owners for their flocks - anyone need a rooster?

Preparing Gemma for her theater camp audition. She practiced singing Mamma Mia all week and then auditioned on Wednesday. She said she was nervous and excited and Grey watched from the other room with his hands over his mouth (he was nervous for her!) She learned a little dance, read some lines, and sang. Her camp is this coming week and they are doing Annie Jr in one week!

Getting stuck in the mud, literally, on Wednesday after Gemma's audition. Hah. Oh, Sheila, she was sunk way down deep in some mud and there was absolutely no way she was getting out on her own. The kids and I took a hike around Westmont until B was able to come with the truck to pull us out on just about the hottest day of the summer so far (hah!) We walked several blocks in our bathing suits (having just come from the pool) like some kind of weird, cranky, tired, parade. It turned out okay, but it was pretty ridiculous.

Working on KonMari Method for Category 1: Clothing after watching one episode of her series. It was really inspiring and I was getting a little emotional actually when she was greeting and thanking the family's home for keeping them safe, warm, and dry. 'Spark joy' is a little awkward for me to use, so I have been holding each piece of clothing and asking my heart, "Are you truly grateful to own this?" There were a few items that I thanked and parted with because they were pieces of clothing that I know I bought and wore because I didn't like the way I looked and felt about myself. It was freeing to be able to thank them and then say goodbye. (#thanksketo #thanksmariekondo )

Saying farewell to our great uncle Sharpie who we laid to rest this week. Although it was a terrible reason, we were grateful to see our family and be able to be there to support them in these difficult days. Our whole family attended the visitation on Thursday night followed by swimming at the hotel with our cousins. Then Gemma and I went to the funeral on Friday morning.

Date nighting with B when all the kids were requested for sleepovers! Gem spent the night with the Fiores swimming and giggling, Violet and Rust got their aunt all to themselves at Aunt Kitty's house, while Grey soaked up all the grandparent glory at Gigi and Pappy's. B and I went for a bacon appetizer and cocktail at Tap 814 where we ran into high school classmates we have been missing and then ate too many carbs at Nyko's with sushi and steak. #worthit

Hosting our Goddaughter (and cousin) Mallory at our house for a two day sleepover! She lives near Pittsburgh, so Gemma was thrilled to have her with us for three days and two nights (me too!)

Visiting some summer favorite spots including the Jim Mayer Trail for a little overcast hike with the dogs. We met our besties, the Fiores, at Stutzman farms to pick buckets and buckets full of blueberries. I'm pretty sure Grey picked as much as he ate (about 1.5 lbs) and even though Rusty and Violet don't love blueberries - they had so much fun picking them! We spent Saturday morning at the Ligonier Farmer's Market with my mom and sisters snacking on samples, buying fresh jams, and stopping at Jarred for our favorite mustards (Kickin' Mustard & Roasted Red Pepper Mustard).

Summer sporting with two late volleyball games this week (won 5, lost 1) without the kiddos, thanks to our cousin and babysitter Ariel! Grey had baseball practice once this week and then played in the West Suburban tournament on Saturday afternoon (two games) & B worked in the concession stand for an hour too.

Making leftover chicken nugget wraps & mac and cheese muffins, walking tacos, frozen pizza, and mac and cheese casserole (left over extravaganza that the kids actually loved!) Violet helped mix up a batch of pumpkin/chocolate chip muffins.

Keto'ing with all kind of good eats this week. We had beef roast in the slow cooker, salmon & asparagus on the grill, turkey taco bowls with cauliflower rice, avocado, and jalapenos. We made buffalo chicken dip with cucumber, pepper, and broccoli dippers, and turkey burgers and hot dogs on the grill.