Around Here Week 8: 02/16-22

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

photo cred: Ms. Kayla

photo cred: Ms. Kayla

 

Intentional Outdoor Hours:  9+ hours (of 1000)
The kids and I took the dogs for a walk and a tree climb one evening and then met Dad on the driveway where he had the truck. Momo (our runt chicken) wandered down to meet us and the kids scooped her up for a ride back up to the house on the back of the truck - I was cracking up! Momo - don't you know you are an easy meal for a fox down there on your own you brave chick! I took a quick few laps around the track at school once this week during lunch because I just needed some fresh air and some movement, and then we took a great, much needed family and pups walk along the Jim Mayer trial on Saturday afternoon. The kids were reluctant to get dressed at first, but the minute we got out on the trail, they all found sticks and skipped and walked along stopping to check out ice patches in the half melted puddles. They even billy goat climbed up the waterfall creek.

Reading and finishing Scythe by Neal Shusterman and immediately moving on to Thunderhead (the second book of the series).

Smiling that our kids make special little sibling memories like having a 'campout' in Gemma's bottom bunk with blankets all hung up around it so it was like a fort lit but by twinkle lights on the night before an in-service school day. The three big ones squeezed in together while Rustman was like, 'I'm sleeping comfortably by myself in my own bed thank you very much' (very Rusty of him).

Grateful for the friendship Violet has with her best friend, Grady. They got to spend the day at preschool together on Monday (since he's a teacher's kid too and needed childcare for the in-service) and he brought her a Violet cloth flower for Valentines day.

Having dinner with the original Adams crew (my sisters, my parents, and I) to talk about future plans and dreams. We ate and chatted at Franklin Street Bar and Grill and it was so nice to catch up and spend the evening with the OG crew.

Knocking out appointments this week. Baby brother and I had another ultrasound and check up this week. low-lying placenta still, but it's okayish. Now little fella has done so many somersaults that the umbilical cord is up over his shoulder and in the way of the exit (Good grief, little man!) Other than that - all is perfectly fine and another ultrasound is on the books to see how it's looking in another two weeks. Grey had a great check up at the dentist!

Self-caring after my baby appointment on Tuesday since I had about 2 hours to burn before my half day was up for school. So I enjoyed my favorite breakfast (everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and a slice of tomato with a cup of chai tea latte) at Panera and then went and got a much needed pedicure. My toe's and accompanying chipping nail polish has been annoying me for weeks now, but who has the time (or the physical ability at this point - HAH) to do something about it. I was so so grateful to get them done (I chose a turquoise color for our babe).

Thinking the Rustman is growing because he is as hungry as a horse and asking for food non stop. He woke up at 1:30a this week, came into our bedroom to say, "Momma, I want someping to eat. How about toast wit peanut butter and jewee?"

Singing non-stop the entire soundtrack to Hairspray because that is all that Gemma and Violet ask their bedroom Alexa to play non-stop on repeat every day. #sendearplugs

Excited to receive a thoughtful gift from a student - my very own piece of Hagaromo chalk! I showed them the Great Big Story video a few weeks ago and my student, Tabby, ordered some of her own and then gifted me with a piece. I'm obsessed.

Mini celebrating Gemma's birthday with dinner and cake at our house, shared with her birthday neighbor Pappy (they have consecutive birthdays!) I also surprised her with a sleepover that night with her best friend Sophie. We've agreed to have a big party in the summer so we can swim and our new baby bro can be there too! Gem also got to share school lunch on her actual birthday with her family and I was so thankful that Chum, Aunt Uch and Uncle Kevin were there for her. Grey even asked to leave class a little early so he could stop by because Gem had asked him that morning on the bus! And she got a special evening date with her Godmomma Aunt Kitty to get a mani/pedi and Aunt Kitty did a diy hair tip dying for her. Luckiest birthday girl!

Asking Miss Hannah and Uncle Kesin to be our new baby brother's Godparents. They said Yes! We are so grateful to have them in all our kids' lives and that is one lucky little baby boy to get these two.

College'ing  with a 3 page paper due on Sunday that Brandon had me cracking up with his commentary. After I was reading it aloud to proofread and he said, "Do you think that maybe your professor reads your paper and says, 'geez, sorry I asked." LOL, but seriously - not much gets me fired up like education, so yeah #sorrynotsorry. I also had some articles to read to prep for next weeks' assignment.

Winter sporting with four basketball games and two practices this week. Grey's CT team played in the playoffs on Saturday and won both games taking them to the championship on Sunday. We had a long chat about how it will be great to win, but also - dude, it's a game and whether you win or lose -you have homework and chores to do and school on Monday...so relax. Their team has come such a long way from last year (they only won 1 game last year!), and Grey loves so much playing with his best friends (all of the guys also play football and baseball together too - so there's a lot of love and trust there).

Spring sporting with one indoor baseball practice this week for Grey and B. There are some decisions that need to be made about Grey this year and what division he is playing in and it annoys and frustrates me. He's moved up early every year in baseball so far and we knew eventually he'd get an extra year somewhere - we thought this was going to be the year that he gets to stay and play with kids his own age. Alas, it does not appear that is going to be the case and as much as my momma bear instincts are bubbling under the surface, I have to be ready to support whatever decision is made.

Teaching only 4 days this week because we had an ACT 80 day on Monday. I loved having time in my classroom to get organized and prepared with no students. I took a half day on Tuesday because of my baby doc appointment - so really I only had a three and a half day week! We had our monthly teacher potluck on Thursday too- brunch themed! Spanish 1 made some predictions about their upcoming novel, took a vocab quiz, and then read Chapter 1 of Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro. Sp2 read chapters 1-2 of their novel, Esperanza, and I pulled out Pear Deck to help support them as they trudge through the plot. Sp2 Honors finished Esperanza and took their final quiz. Sp3/4 Honors finished their past tense reviews of the movie McFarland and then did small group presentations to practice speaking.

Making korean ground turkey and green beans over rice, ham & cheese texas toast sandwiches, kielbasa and sauerkraut, and brocolli & rice soup. For Gemma's birthday lunch, I woke up early and threw together some monkey bread to sing before school and then we ordered in pizza for her mini birthday dinner at our house on Friday night. I also tried my hand for the first time at making ice cream cake - we had fruity pebble ice cream cake at her and Pappy's mini party since Gem loves cereal more than any other food. It turned out delicious and actually wasn't too hard to make! I made double chocolate pumpkin muffins for the monthly teacher potluck lunch I organize too.