Around Here Week 7: 02/09-15

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

photo taken at 2:40am - thanks pregnancy insomnia

 

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 6+ hours (of 1000)
I didn't commit any intentional hours outside this week which was a bummer, so still holding strong a little more than 6 hours this year so far. The kids (as always) are beating me and donned their winter hats and gloves to jump on the trampoline and go shed hunting behind the house. They come in frozen like Popsicles, but they couldn't care less. Saturday morning was so dry and everything stilled outside frozen with the sun coming up - gah, so beautiful.

Reading Scythe by Neil Shusterman. I love it and now I fear as soon as I'm done with it, I'm going to have to read book 2 in the series...even though my Books&Brews book club choice awaits me!

Thankful for amazon prime because I remembered to order kids' valentine party supplies (valentine cards, party plates & napkins) on Friday so that they'd be here on time.

Having crazy postpartum nightmares that are obviously my worries about getting things ready at school and for college before the babe arrives manifesting themselves. I dreamt this week that our newborn was here (no delivery in the dream, he was just here already) and I was still teaching at school. He fell asleep, so I just put him in a box on my desk and went on with the school day. Then I got so distracted and busy that I LEFT HIM THERE and went home. I mean. Good Grief. I didn't realize until I got home and rushed back to school for him and he was fussing and hungry and I rationlized that the night maintenance guy probably held him and shushed him for a little while - so it's fine. everything is fine.

Praying for a dear friend who awaits medical news for someone she loves. It also gave me a chance to talk to Grey and Gem about being there for friends who are facing scary news. We talked about how you can let them know that you are there for them if they want to talk - but people don't always want to talk about it because it makes them worried. Just letting them know that you are there if/when they are ready to enough.

Cheering on my student basketball players at their Westpac game. Unfortunately they didn't end up winning, but I was glad to catch a few minutes of our dudes between checking on the kids who I parked in my classroom to watch Ferdinand during the game because the gym was packed to the brim and they were very much over another basketball game that night after watching their brother's. #teacherskidperks

Considering options that will make sense for childcare as we move into the next part of the year. After a lot of budget looks and talking, it makes sense for the little ones to stay home with me and the baby for the last two months of the school year. Would it be a daydream to just be home with the baby and sleep when the baby sleeps and get things done interrupted? of course, but losing two months of pay while out on leave and the hospital bills we will be contending with - it just does not make financial sense (or reality-hah!) I'm excited that Vi and Rust will get an extended 'summer vacay' before Violet goes to Kindergarten this fall (!!) and I know they will be helpful too and keep me company in those rotten 8 weeks. All is well and I'm glad that the decision is made and we can move on with the next preparation for new baby bro.

Lunch dating with my handsome hubs during 9th period. He surprised me with hibachi take out from Yamato and some California rolls for me to celebrate Love Day.

Stating for the record that Valentines day school parties are my least favorite school holiday. The valentines for every classmate, the amount of candy they bring home, the pile of tiny pieces of paper that literally go from backpack to garbage upon arrival home. We have that times four...just no thank you.

Taking a personal/flex day on Friday because I needed to gift myself a little Valentines day of rest. It was my first student day that I missed this school year! (I've scheduled all my ob appts for Act 80 days) and it felt so nice to be at home with no one else.

Sorting all the baby clothes we had in the attic and all those that we were gifted (thank you!) into a pile of things that need washed & folded and that can be donated to the local women's shelter. My momma generously offered to wash all the clothes (!) and so I put all the newborn and 0-3month clothes in a huge tote for the little man while the rest of the clothes got packed away to donate (after I double checked with the kind families who handed them down to us).

Smiling about how much the girls love getting a rose from their Dad on Valentines day. They totally expect now but that doesn't make their delight any less.

College'ing with a 2-3 page debate response with personal reflection paper about Inclusion. I did my check ins and had another classroom observation (thanks again Renee!) to make sure that I'm squared away before maternity leave. Each week (since the beginning of the year) I also have to do a weekly reflection about my own classroom practice - so onward and upward.

Winter sporting with five basketball games which included a championship win for Grey's Legion team! His Sportsman's team lost in the playoffs - and so both of those teams' seasons are done. We are down to two teams now for Grey and we just had one practice. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Teaching the merengue in Spanish 1 as we learned about Carrie, la perrita bailarina and got our vocab words for their upcoming novel Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro. Spanish 2 finished their pre-novel activities for Esperanza including the documentary Which Way Home. Spanish 2 Honors created storyboards to summarize chapter 7 of Esperanza and then did small group presentations to present them in Spanish. They were so nervous, but they did awesome and I was so proud of their courage to put themselves out there (with no notes!) and go for it in Spanish. Spanish 3/4 Honors learned about the real Coach White and the McFarland track team before we started the movie McFarland, USA. Next week they'll have a chance to use their past tense skills for a movie review project.

Making chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, frozen pizza, crescent rolled 'lil smokies and mac and cheese, air fryer chicken and french fries, and a fridge clean out leftover extravaganza. Since I called off, I made a big Valentine breakfast before school on Friday that included heart shaped french toast, bacon, and heart shaped strawberries. Grey made us egg sausage casserole for breakfast on Saturday and decided that it's too easy for him now and he's ready to move onto something more challenging for a food specialty (hah!)