Around Here 39: 09/15-28

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

Photo cred: Loni

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  638+ hours (of 1000)
Up 17 hours this week and we are all marveling at the changing leaves - it's happening already over here in western PA! I have not been so good about making time outside after school, but we had some long days of outdoor activities that are keeping my numbers up thankfully.

Reading next to nothing because it was a busy week. I watched several Ted Talks and read a lot of articles too about dyslexia. And I soaked in up all that pinterest had to offer about Rainbow Unicorn birthday parties (hah),

Attending our first ever mountain bike race! Our cousin Reid who was in from Etown, had a race right here in our town and we got to cheer him on while he was biking the route and saw him finish (in 8th!) It was so cool and we had no idea it was even a middle/high school sport! (who knew our town has a co-op team the Johnstown Ridgebacks?!) We are proud of you Reid!

Overjoyed to get the text that our new best friend was born this week!

So happy for our Gigi who got her port removed this week! The last big step to finally close this journey. We love you and are so proud of you; our warrior Gigi!

Setting into motion the next steps to get our Gemmi Ro evaluated. I've been praying and researching and talking to her teachers and I know it is time. I feel relieved to know we can get something in place that is going to give her the best chance for success, frustrated that her incredible talents and abilities can't shine as bright at school because there is only one way to prove yourself in traditional school (through text), curious that I have so much to learn myself on how to be supportive and help and advocate for her (and all my students who struggle with text/language), and hopeful that nothing will ever dim the light of our bright, shining girl.

Recognizing my own limits and bailed last minute on the Que classic 5k on Saturday. After homecoming the night before and having Violet's birthday party that afternoon - I knew there was just no way I'd have enough energy or emotional stamina to pull it off. So I bailed, shook myself off, and moved on. Grey still wanted to run, so he caught a ride with the Garrettsons and then ran alongside his best bud, Ivan and they finished in under 25 minutes (?!) Thank you Stankans for running with our little man so I could stay home and get the party together!

Celebrating five years of our Violet Mary! We sang before school and then she had a special afternoon visit with Pappy & Gigi after school. On Saturday, we had a Rainbow Unicorn party at our house to celebrate our peanut. We got a beautiful day that was perfect to put up a blow up water slide that we borrowed from our cousins (thank you!) We had unicorn rainbow drinks, painted pumpkins into unicorns, and had rainbow cupcakes. Thank you to all who sent her birthday wishes and helped celebrate our Vially.

Attending our quarterly meeting with the You in Flood City board and leaving feeling inspired (as always!) The Zombie Crawl is coming up!

Proud of my handsome, decent man who always stands up for what is right with a calm, even response, even when emotions run high. He is such a good man and I am so grateful that he is mine.

Smh about our two big kids who are eager to take little jobs from their grandparents to earn some cash. hah! They went to Abba & Chum's house on Wednesday after school and did lots of chores and each earned some money, they were so proud! Grey wants to buy a new game on the Xbox and Gem saves all her money up for concession stands.

Learning about chicken molting as one of our hens kicks off the season! Poor thing looks pitiful!

Meeting our new cousin! My sister Uch and Kevin got a puppy! Her name is Lady and she is about the cutest darn thing anything any of us has ever seen. We all love her to pieces and the kids want to swaddle her and carry her around forever.

Enjoying hoco week at my school. We had dress up theme days all week and then a big pep rally on Friday. The teachers are always enlisted in putting on a skit and this year with the Barbie theme - some teachers and I played the parts of Spice Girls & the YMCA guys. The students loved it and were screaming, cheering, and laughing the whole time. On Friday night, the two big kids joined the Spanish Club and I on our float for the parade - we were Barbie Goes to Cancun, so everyone wore beach shirts and floaties and sunglasses (hah!) B took the littles and sat on the side of the route and scored about 8 lbs of candy?! Then we attended the hoco football game until halftime to see "all the pretty girls" (as Rusty said) and boys announced in the court.

Fall Sporting with a game at Shade (another hot & sunny one!) where my flag girls cheered their little throats sore and the minors took home another win! Brandon & Grey had one practice this week and then B and I both cancelled on Thursday night because we have a bye week and everyone could use a night off from running to and from practices! It was so nice to take it easy with fall sports this week!

Teaching Spanish 1 the Somos 1 Unit 2 (camina, corre, ve) unit which included a mini study on El Encierro de toros. Sp2 did a movie study on Canela and had their first food day on Thursday. Sp2 Honors finished reading Tumba, and started Somos 1 Unit 9 El Cucuy unit, including learning how to talk about things you are afraid of; most of the class fears clowns...speaking of, have you seen the trailer for Wrinkles the Clown (?!) Sp3/4 continued through their musical competition and artist slides while we work our way through Hispanic Heritage month.

Making baked pork chops and stuffing, creamy italian chicken in the crockpot over noodles, sausage and potato chowder. For the birthday party we had meatball sandwiches, buffalo chicken dip, and rainbow strawberry cupcakes.