Around Here Week 26: 06/23-29

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

photo cred: Jackie F

photo cred: Uch

photo cred: Becky C

selfie with our first home and the three people that lived there.

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 269+ hours (of 1000)
The heatwave was brutal early in the week but then slowly calmed down a bit and gave us some much needed thunderstorms. The blackberries are just getting started and the few ripe ones that we spot on walks are gobbled up immediately. 

Reading and finishing Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I really enjoyed it and I contacting two science teacher friends and told them to read it! I loved getting geeked out on the science and math right along with Ryland Grace- just such a cool concept and fun way to tell the astronaut trope. Big thumbs up from me! Starting Miss American Pie by Margaret Sartor next (I haven't given up on The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store though - just setting it aside for a little bit because my summer TBR pile is staring me down!)

Listening during chores to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab

Supporting Gemma while she 'worked' this week. She was in charge of daily visits to our friends' house to water plants, check on their pet lizard, and empty the humidifier while they were away on vacation. Gem was dedicated and did a great job - she has another two jobs similar lined up for this summer (house check in and pup walking).She's also a great babysitter! This girl can do it all (love you, Roie). 

Teaching the kids a card game when our electricity was out for 10+ hours (LOL, during the heatwave - hilarious). I taught them Jackit-Smackit (a doubles slapping card game) and everyone was cracking up and being super competitive but in a mostly funny way.

Maintenance visits from the HVAC guy to try to get our AC under control (fingers crossed after some serious deep cleaning, deep diving into the filter system, and two separate visits...I think maybe we're good?) A guy came to give us a quote on putting millings down on our driveway too since our half a mile gravel driveway wears away after every rainstorm. Paying the bills for maintenance stuff is so fun, but the weight lifted off our chests when things are not broken is worth it. 

Stopping in to school to drop off all my school supply boxes that have been cramping up our bedroom and master closet since February! The kids all helped (bless them!) and it was such a relief to get them out of our house and into school. I have A LOT of work to do in my classroom to get things cleared and re-organized before the school year, but I took lots of photos and feel glad that at least everything is in there now. I also got to visit with cousin/bestie Heather (our new REACH counselor in the district!) and pick up my teacher laptop. The school year feels very far away right now, but I know how time works and it will be here before I know it, so I need to start getting my mind right. 

Giant moth sighting: a polyphemus moth at my classroom drop off visit, we found it on the sidewalk, so we scooped it up and put it in the mulch near a pine tree. 

Still got it! At almost 41 years old, I can still do a back handspring and back tuck on the trampoline, thank you very much. Hah - the kids were impressed so yay for me. Violet asked me to teach her to do a back handspring on the trampoline and after trying to explain it a few times, I was like forget it - just watch what I do with my hands while I do it! Then, it only took a handful of mid-flip chicken outs for her to finally get the courage and voila! Now Vi can do both on the trampoline too! Honestly, if you can just get over the fear one time, backwards tricks are easier than front flips! 

Participating on a virtual speaking panel with the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium at their Virtual Summit. My former volleyball teammate (and friend!) Jess S reached out to see if I would be interested in participating in their True Stories session about finding joy in education (thank you for thinking of me Jess!) I was so honored and grateful to be part of the panel and especially to hear the stories from other educators in a variety of departments and districts all over PA share their experiences. There was an excellent video, a breakout session to talk and reflect in small groups, and then meaningful guided questions to think about finding, encouraging, and supporting joy in the education world.

Spending two days with our nephews to babysit (Miss Emma was on vacation!) All three sweetie fellows spent the whole day at our house - 9 kids in the house and the little one said, 'roll over, roll over' (lol). It was so good though and I will stick to the philosophy that the more kids; the easier it is - I swear! All of our kids dote over the nephews and they just bumble around here giggling and asking for hugs; it's basically my version of heaven. I was forced into a moment of peace when baby Blair would not nap unless held - so hooray for forced rest! I was happy to snuggle that baby and tell everyone else, sorry I can't right now - I have to sit here with blair-bear.

Visiting Erie, PA for our cousin Mindy's retirement party. B and I used to live in Erie (bought our first house) and Grey was born there. So before the party, we did a driveby of our first house and it was touching to see it and be flooded with memories for a few minutes - how does it feel both distant and recent at the same time. (ugh, time). The party was great and despite having been forecasted to rain the entire day, by the time we got there the skies were blue and the sun was shining. (it had rained all morning though so the river was ripping!) There was great food, cornhole, live music, and best of all cousins! I was happy to give my godbaby Mallory a hug (almost 15! how!? Again, time - why are you like this?!) It was a good day celebrating our cousin and fellow educator (retired from teaching special ed - so proud to know you!) A very long day of driving though (3 hours each way!) but the kids were troopers and thank goodness for Spotify! 

Kitty & Bryan PCT Update: WALKED OVER 1000 MILES!! They made it to Kennedy Meadows on Tuesday afternoon. The mosquitos are unbelievable and the videos she is sending give the ick big time; mosquitos literally knock, knock, knocking on the roof of their tent - um, no. They are wearing face nets while walking to keep them away! They are finishing out the last portion of the Sierra mountains now and then it will be cruising speed without all the drastic elevation changes. It is hard to believe that they've been at this hiking for a full 3 months and walked 1000 miles on their own two feet! I'm so proud to be her big sis!

Sporting with soccer camp for Violet and Rusty M-Th with the varsity and junior high teams (so Gemma volunteered!) They had so much fun each night and Violet won the competitions enough two days in a row to egg and then pie a volunteer (she egged Gemma!) Gemma lifted twice and worked out with the Varsity soccer girls once. Grey had one Pony league baseball game, five (!) summer league basketball games (two nights were double headers), and went to lifting/conditioning three times. Grey and B had two football practices under the lights (and both in the rain!) and then went to the 7v7 at Central Cambria on Friday night.  B and I had a double header at Roxbury volleyball at 8p & 9p - so we didn't get out of there until almost 11p (thank you Uch and Kev for keeping the babies!) I had a football boosters meeting too and took on the Red & White game tailgate event and gave everyone an update on the golf outing. 

Making honey & garlic porkchops, blackened tilapia, taco pasta, baked ravioli, stuffed shells (thank you Rosas!), take out pizza, and meatball sub sammies. For breakfast this week I made buttermilk blueberry cake and pancake bites with chocolate chips or blueberries.