Around Here Week 7: 02/14-20

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

photo cred: Kate

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 2+ hours (of 1000)
Getting MORE snow and ice this week (good grief!) we had a big snow/ice storm come through Monday night and then another one on Wednesday. I don't even know what we are going to do to have a full week of school after all of these snow delays/days! 

Reading and finishing Human.4 by Mike A Lancaster. It was a borrow from my student Kalese who always is excited to share with me what she's reading (and has good recommendations!) I'm also reading Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe which is one of our Project Lit books for this month. 

Enjoying a slightly more special breakfast on Valentine's Day. We had chocolate croissants, heart shaped cinnamon toast, and yogurt parfaits. The kids received a thoughtful care package in the snail mail from the sweet Miss Nell (former preschool teacher and friend), Daddy brought his girls flower bouquets in sticking with a tradition, and we had a couple extra hugs & a slow dance in the kitchen. Not too much fan flair, but just enough. 

Team building at our Act 80 day event at 814 Lanes and Games. The high school staff were split up into teams and were challenged to various events all day: bowling, escape room, and a virtual reality game (so fun!) It was a morale booster that we all kind of needed as we get through this crazy, overwhelming school year. Then we had our monthly staff potluck on Wednesday with a Fat Tuesday theme so there were lots of sweet and yummy treats to gorge ourselves on before Lent begins. 

Finding the baby in the King's Cake for Fat Tuesday at home after dinner.  

Decluttering the dining room built-ins and feeling so much relief at losing some visual clutter. I moved all the books to the shelves on the bottom (with doors) and I got rid of a bunch of serving platters/bowls because even though they are pretty - we don't use them and they just collect dust and look like clutter. I made a goal that we will try very hard to keep the dining room table cleared off (not a dumping zone like normal) for a month to see if it brings us happiness and clarity of mind.  

Smiling about Gemma and her (continued) obsession with playing teacher/school at home. She has the back of the living room all set up as her classroom and has her siblings jump in occasionally as students (or she just teaches invisible students). She loves photocopying on our printer/copier, and wearing a lanyard with a thousand keys on it, and having a water bottle, and taking lunch counts - hahhaa. this girl! 

Celebrating our NINE YEAR OLD Gemmi Rose! We blew up nine balloons that we snuck in her room before morning and then we all wore unicorn party hats to her game which she loved/hated because her family looked like a bunch of lunatic fans. After her game, we had cupcakes with her team in the lobby and then she got to have a sleepover with her godmomma/Aunt Kitty all by herself! They had dinner at 814 Lanes, watched movies, wear matching jammies, and got to hang out like cool chicks because if anyone is the coolest chicks ever it is truly Kitty and Gem. Earlier that week, she even had a sleepover at Sophie's house complete with a fancy-dress up Valentines dinner at the Blairmont (thank you Kate!) We have plans for a proper friends birthday pool party in the summer, but this was all a perfect way to make it feel special right now. 

Finally seeing my baby sis in person and feeling giddy about that teeny tiny baby bump of hers! She's due in August with their first (eeeeeeek!) I hadn't seen her in weeks (thanks covid, morning sickness, busy schedules, winter) and we finally got to give her the little baby gift we've been holding on to for too long. It had some of our favorite books in it Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle (for baby) and Babywise (for parents), some swaddling blankets, and of course Tums (heh). 

Having an (almost) kid free night while Gem had her Aunt Kitty sleepover, Grey had a sleepover for the Conn Twins birthday, and my parents took Violet and Rust for the night on Saturday! B, Red, and I ordered in Pizza Man's for dinner and I tried to keep my eyes open for a few episodes of Designated Survivor (LOL, it was a pathetic attempt with my head bobbing forward a million times and B laughing at me). But it was quiet and all our kids were happy and safe - so it was wonderful. 

Winter sporting with two games and one practice for Gemma's basketball team. Grey had one basketball game and two indoor baseball practices this week. I also got all the AYSO soccer registrations paid for and printed their registration forms so we are ready to go for the meeting next month (we have three soccer kids this year!) 

Teaching another wacky weather week at school. We had an Act 80 day, a two hour delay, and a snow day! Spanish 1 finished Ferdinand and took a mini post-viewing quiz in Spanish and then moved onto learn the merengue! Freshman are always so hesitant to learn partner dancing (ew! cooties!) but then by the end of the class, everyone loves it. (it was masks up, LOTS of sanitizing to be safe). Spanish 2 reading Chapters 2-4 of Esperanza and started their family tree projects. Spanish 3 started watching McFarland, USA so that they can complete a Movie Review past tense project. Spanish 4 turned in their La Dentista Choice Boards and started the El Que Se Enoja Unit. 

Making homemade pizza dough, sloppy joes, potato & leek soup, buffalo chicken dip and leftovers, and haluski. We had leftovers from my Act 80 day luncheon (wraps & salad) because a big family bonus is when there are leftovers from a party; everyone always nominates us for the food - hah! We definitely don't refuse and I was glad to have a night off from dinner making (thanks co-workers!) I made two pumpkin rolls for the Conn Twin's birthday sleepover and maraschino cherry cupcakes to celebrate Gem's birthday after her basketball game too.