Around Here Week 19: 05/04-10

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

photo cred: B

photo cred: Uch

photo cred: Mrs. Spangler

photo cred: B

photo cred: B

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 114+ hours (of 1000)
Woohoo! first 100 hours down! The kids helped me weed out the front flower beds and they've been getting plenty of trampoline time too. Our mower was sent away for repairs but B was so desperate to clear some of the grass that he started weed whacking up to 3 feet from the house (I was cracking up and asked him if he was just going to weed whack the whole yard?!) 

Reading The Neurodiverse Classroom to prep for our upcoming book meeting. 

Listening to Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. The second book in the Part of Your World series and I am really loving Abby Jimenez! There is just a little overlap with the first book (those characters are friends of these main characters) and I loved the first book characters and now I think I love these characters even more! 

Family lunch at Abba & Chum's house on Sunday! All the cousins had fun playing together and we had delicious lunch and beautiful weather. Gemma took a spill while pulling the kids in the wagon and got a pretty nasty scrape on her leg but she was a trooper about it. 

Visiting with the Vorndrans who were in town for the day. They swung by Violet's Sparks soccer game to play and watch. Then they came over for pizza and dinner and playing! With the 8 busy kids between us, it is so hard to squeeze in time, but when we do we are always so thankful and spend the whole time laughing together. 

Sending all the good vibes to Kitty who spent this week at the Sky Cave Retreats in Oregon. She spent three full days in the darkness. We are so anxious to hear about her experience! You can see her post-darkness reel here. My Spanish 1 students learned the vocab word atrevido(a) this week and when I told them about my sister's darkness retreat, one of the students said, "tu hermana es atrevida." YES - my sister is very atrevida!! (atrevido(a) = bold, daring)

Screen Free Week! The meatballs actually suggested it (Violet and Rusty) complaining that Reddy and Olive are too tv addicted recently (hah). So we went for it and Violet taped Screen Free Week signs to the two tvs in the house. It is barely an issue at all because spring sports keep us pretty busy. My favorite though is with the tiny reminder that they can't watch screens - they find other things to do like trampoline jumping, basketball hoop shooting, drawing, nerf gun battles, reading, and living room 4-square. The little kids asked a few times if it is over yet, but no big fuss when they were reminded it was a whole week. The phone-users in the house (B, Grey, Gem, and me) used it as a reminder that we need more intentional non-required phone time too. We used our devices for calls, texts, and photos. 

Reddy is cast free! He got his cast removed on Monday morning but was still really hesitant to move it. When I got home from work, I did the nursemaid's elbow move on it and I swear I felt it pop back in!?! He was good after we practiced some stretches together so that he knew he could really move it without it hurting (poor buddy) but he's feeling great and back to normal! 

Releasing our Painted Lady butterflies (a Spring season tradition in our house!) 

Jamming at Gemma's chorus concert. What a great job they did (we all loved Country Roads the best) and it was a great time to see Gem and so many of her friends up there singing together. Brandon even had a little part in the concert as he was the administrator who did the welcome to the audience (he did great!) 

Hearing all about the visiting author at the elementary school. Violet's grade participated in the 'writing Olympics' and got to learn about writing from the author Alan St. Jean! The perfect week of creativity for my little artist and creative-brained daughter! 

Weirdly obsessed with our solar panel energy production charts. hah. nerd alert! So grateful they are on and pumping out the renewable energy! 

Muffins with Mom at the preschool with Red & Olive. It was very sweet with muffins and drinks and little homemade gifts like recycled planters, flowers, and cards. I took the whole day off and despite a very strong temptation to just bring the two littles home with me that afternoon - I resisted and came home to get chores done with no distractions! 

Cheering for a working tractor! Brandon and I got the blades hooked up to the old John Deer Tractor (which we mostly just use for the bucket attachment), but I was able to mow for about an hour and half until the belt broke. Of course it did. So then it was another couple of days, but B was able to pick up a new belt and we got the whole yard mowed (!!) and Grey even did some major weed whacking until that broke too. 

Getting a new 'momma blankie' which is really just a chunky cardigan sweater but I wrap it around the kids when we hug or snuggle so it feels special - and just in time for Mother's day! My former momma blankie had made it to her last day (a huge tear in the sleeve) and was pretty well worn too - it is one of my 100 small things to get a new one and I really like the one I picked. 

New tires for Jillian. We switched out the winter tires and got the new tires put on. We were able to keep the winter tires for next cold season too. Super expensive, but needed. I swear every year we make a plan for the tax return and every year it gets drained away by random expensive needs. (tractor parts and tires this year). 

Volunteering at the Somerset X-country color run with the girls. The run was quick and we volunteered our time from about 8a - 10:30a. We were covered in blue and yellow by the time we left (and I was happy to say hi to some of my students). The girls all earned donuts and drinks from Dunkin after and we stopped at Marshalls too! 

Mother's day lunch at El Jalisco with Abba, Shelly, and Uchie. The food and drinks were delicious and we laughed and got to chat with no interruptions! It was the perfect mini getaway for Mother's day that we didn't have to cook or clean up! 

Lots of outdoor time for my biggest kid. He went fishing at Wilmore on Sunday morning with B and Pappy for the trout tournament and even got a tagged trout and won $25! Then later that evening, he went fishing with his best friends in the stream at Violet's soccer game. Then it was turkey hunting with Pappy on Saturday morning. If he can talk someone into taking him fishing or hunting, he's going to weasel his way into it. When this kid can drive, I have real concerns that I'll only be able to find him in a creek or forest somewhere!

Despairing every day about the senseless deaths and weaponization of hunger that continues in Gaza. The capturing and detaining of people here in our own country with no due process. The harmful way we speak about and to each other. Most days my heart breaks for this world because I don't know how anyone could look at any other person and feel hate towards them. It serves absolutely no one. I don't know what fuels hate and cruelty but it feels like it is power. How awful if what anyone seeks is power over someone else. Power is not fulfilling or admirable. Love and grace are. We must do better; all of us; each of us. 

Teaching only three days this week. I took off on Thursday for Muffins with Mom at the preschool and Friday was an Act 80 day (no students!) In elementary school, we learned the words for family members and made and labeled family portraits. My 8th grade expo (the last group for the year!) completed the first week of basic vocab! Spanish 1 started their pre-novel work for Tumba (Mexico and Cenotes) and Spanish 2 read chapters 1-3 of Robo en la Noche. 

Sporting with two 5u AYSO games for Red, Olive, and Coach Momma. Rusty had two 10u AYSO games with asst coach Momma. Violet had one Sparks game, two Sparks practices, and two 12u AYSO soccer games. Gemma had two 14u AYSO soccer games this week. Grey had two Varsity baseball games and one baseball practice.  The baseball boosters hosted an end-of-season tailgate and I brought donuts with baseball icing! 

Making taco rice bowls (for Cinco de Mayo), baked deli sandwiches with cheddar, bacon, ranch roasted potatoes, pork chops with homemade mac&cheese and roasted green beans, cream Italian chicken over noodles with roasted broccoli, and smash burgers on Saturday. For desserts, I made m&m cookies to take to Adams family lunch and a double batch of cake mix cookies for our house (everyone is obsessed with these and they are so easy!)

Around Here Week 18: 04/27-05/03

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

photo cred: B

photo cred: Stacy B

3-peat champions!

photo cred: B

selfie cred: Gemma

photo cred: B

photo cred: B

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 94+ hours (of 1000)
Spring sports knocking it out of the park and getting outside everyday (yay!) We got a huge thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon with dangerously high winds and we had family and friends with power outages for 24+ hours! Gemma and Rusty were putting the chickens in the coop when it started to get too crazy outside with the rain and the lightening that they ended up just staying in the coop for 20 minutes until it slowed down enough to run back up to the house (!?) 

Reading Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy and The Neurodiverse Classroom by Victoria Honeybourne (for my school book club). We had book club this week to discuss Cloud Cuckoo Land and Once There Were Wolves. The snacks were amazing and the conversation was top notch. You know I showed up with my post-it notes and quotes marked because Nerd Life is the only life for me. 

Listening to Once There Were Wolves because I was trying to finish that thing in time for book club (hah!) I didn't finish it, but I'm down to the last 2 chapters. The book club kept the ending a surprise yet - eek, excited to finish it.

Waiting on a new mower starter and laughing every time we come up the driveway because our yard looks like a wild prairie! Laugh or cry, right? 

A dirtbike for Grey! He was so happy and thankful to have a dirtbike. He had worked out a deal with Uncle Buck for when he traded in cousin Morgan's quad. Between fishing and dirtbikes, I am so grateful that this kid has fun things to do outdoors and screen free! 

Chicken population: 34! We had 12 laying chickens (eggs out the wazoo, thank goodness I'm selling at school and we have family and neighbors asking for them! thank you!), 5 teenager chickens who moved out to the coop this week. And then B and the kids brought home 17 new babies this week - LOL, exactly what we need. The kids were all so happy though - we love those teeny chickies!

Moving Osa back into the goat pasture since she got her stitches removed this week. She looks great and is all cleared for security detail again. She was happy to roam wild and free in the pasture and watch after her goatie girls again. I am happy that she's out of the den and we were able to get it all cleaned up and un-dog haired and un-dog smelled!

Violet's Scrabble tournament day! She was partnered up with her friend Cooper and they won some and lost some at the tourney that day. My own Somerset students actually ended up winning for the tournament (you can bet they loved telling me that! hahha!) She had a great time and it was fun to watch her try something new. Proud of you Vially. xxo

Smiling at the boys who have been frying frozen sausage on their homemade fire pit in the yard. They even fried an egg once this week (we fed it to Osa). The building, the wood chopping, the fire making, the cooking - it was occupied quite some time for the boys and that makes me happy. Outdoor, risky play is the best kind of play! 

More fishing for Grey which is the only thing he wants to do in any free minute. That boy and his love of fishing! 

Ice Cream season! Our local ice cream shop The Silver Bell is open. We have friends who are Ice Cream shop girls (love you and proud of you Colbi, Grace, and Gina!) and so we picked up Rusty's friend Liam for a playdate, but stopped at Silver Bell first to fuel up on sundaes! 

Fangirling at the North Star musical production - The Spongebob Musical. They did incredible and I went in knowing nothing about the show. It was really funny actually - Gemma, Violet, and I were laughing the whole time! My friend Renee (and a former teacher at NS too) met up to see the show together. Gah, I love those kids and I am so proud to have been their teacher! I got to chat with everyone post-show while my girls were so patient so that they could give me details about what is next in their life - so many seniors! 

Hugging and reminding my kids that I am THEIR momma even when it feels like other kids need me too. This is one of the trickiest things both B and I have had to balance through parenthood as a teacher and coaches. Lots of kids need and want to be near us - and our kids are sometimes frustrated that we seem more patient and more happy when we talk to other kids. Occasionally we need to remind our own kids that we only have small opportunities to support our students / players (sometimes only minutes) and our own kids have access to us literally 24 hours a day, at any moment, every moment, never not thinking of them. For the most part, our children are used to sharing us with lots of students and players - but every once in a while, one of them will need reminded that there is no contest. 

Infuriated and embarrassed (in a million ways) but specifically about the official White House social media account. It is everything I try to teach my teenagers and my students NOT to do online. Everyday - sometimes multiple times a day - I am shocked by the immaturity and unprofessionalism of the social media platform.  I am out here trying to teach young people about privacy, etiquette for future employment, that the internet is forever, and to post like your grandma is looking at it. It is already impossible enough to try to parent a teenager, I do not need the leaders of the free world doing everything in its power to be an awful example in social media accountability (and in literally every other possible way to be an example, but for today at least this one example specifically).

Teaching during the last week of PSSAs and then my elementary students about the meaning of Cinco de Mayo and playing Bingo with them. My 8th grade expo students finished their last week with me and I got a new group (the last one!) on Friday. My Spanish 1 worked so hard on their Cuentos and they impressed me so much with their creativity and effort. Spanish 2 started the pre-novel work for Robo en la Noche. It's pretty hard to keep everyone on board since we are down to only 21 student days - but I'm trying to keep this train on the tracks!

Sporting with AYSO games in full swing. Red, Olive, and Coach Mom had two 5u soccer games and Rusty had two 10u soccer games. Violet had two 12u AYSO games, two Sparks soccer practices, and one Sparks soccer game. Gemma had two 14u AYSO games, two weightlifting days, and she took yearbook photos at the Varsity baseball game. Grey had four Varsity baseball games (three of those games in white pants - Lord help me). We had AYSO photos on Saturday and that is always a debacle because there is so many of us. I was in two coach photos, we could only find one 5u jersey so Red and Olive did a swap in between pics, and Violet's shirt was damp because you know I was pulling that thing out of the dryer 30 seconds before we had to be there. Yeesh. Brandon and his Frannklin basketball team won the championship again (3-peat!) Those old men still got it! 

Making meatball sub sammies, ground beef tacos, frozen chicken & stuffing (thank you Miss Janell - leftovers I froze after her parents' 50th wedding anniversary party), homemade strombolis, sloppy joes and cheese balls, For desserts, I made cowboy cookies and rice krispie treats (cinnamon toast crunch version!), and a double batch of Chocolate Chip PB oatmeal cookies