SCENES FROM A WEEK, WEEK 7

We've now been semi-quarantined for 50 days. I've been listening to the podcast Staying in with Emily and Kumail and they talked about how we're in a place in society right now that is a little numb to everything. How when people were first being quarantined they were setting up routines that helped them through the work week and to feel their healthiest, but those routines aren't working quite as well right now. That makes a lot of sense to me. I was really trying to keep a daily photo journal but at some point I kind of stopped? Because it just all feels the same? I don't know guys. I think I need a nap and a new book and maybe a cookie.

The girls came to see what we were cooking for dinner. Not chicken, thankfully. 

Ava made matcha chocolate scones the other evening. SUPER simple and so delicious. Recipe is from Tokyo Kitchen. 

I was reading the latest Lady Darby book and Ava finished up the Harry Potter series this week.

BABY BUNNY SWEETNESS.

I did a home Lego coding virtual lesson for students this week. 

Ava's art teacher sent postcards out to all her students to send on smiles to others! Such a fun project.

Another virtual Scout Camp out this weekend. Dylan was able to participate with a couple other boys and still practice social distancing.

My current project. Stay tuned for the finished project.

SCENES FROM A WEEK

We've been at home now for six weeks. We're lucky: everyone is healthy, our neighborhood is nice for walking, both Neal and I are still working, we have internet access for the kids to do their work, we live in a state where our governor made quick, educated choices. We like each other, and the military has us prepared for things like missed vacations, not being there for someones birthday, endlessly changing orders and plans, being aware that you are indeed living through history.

But still. We're restless.We missed family visits and a long planned for trip. We miss our friends. And the library. I miss my students and co-workers and the kids miss their teachers.  It's an odd time. A slow time.

I have always loved being home. And I still do; even through the restlessness, the boredom, the worry.

Scenes from our week: 

I'm reading The Land of Stories series out loud to Ava. We are absolutely loving it.

Dylan is working on his Cooking Merit Badge for scouts, so he has been making dinners about once a week and using different techniques. This week he wanted to work on frying, so we made tonkatsu (Japanese fried pork chops). He used this video tutorial from Tokyo Kitchen. 

 YUM.

Working from home. I've been making a lot of anchor charts, which now won't be used until next year. 😢 We're out until the end of the year. I knew it was coming, but it was still very upsetting.

We did a backyard campout. It was fun, but cold!

 Campout dinner was chicken pot pie with biscuits. I found the recipe on this list; I'm working through all of them.

Ava is working on learning to braid her own hair. We've been looking at lots of braiding tutorials. Turns out I don't know how to do a traditional braid? Evidently, I always do "dutch braids" instead of traditional braids.

Ava's Earth Day art.

SCENES FROM A WEEKEND

I'm back, ya'll.
It was a long weekend, bless it, and we took it so super easy and it was fantastic.

There was pie baking.

The kids helped me make name cards. It was just the four of us for Thanksgiving, but that's no reason not to have a fancy table.

My Nana's china. It made me miss her.

After our big meal, we went down to the pond where Dylan floated a boat he made.

And my children found a snake skin and picked it up and brought it home because they hope that their mother will die from a heart attack because this nastiness is in her home. (Secretly, I'm glad I have a daughter who is not scared of things like this but STILL.)

There has been A LOT of TV and iPads and video games around here lately and Neal and I threw up our hands and said ENOUGH this weekend. The hubs hauled the kids out into the woods.

There were naps involved too.

And a handwritten letter to Santa.

Also, I still do not understand Snapchat. But this flower crown is pretty.

SCENES FROM A WEEKEND

Monday. You came a little too soon, but let's make the best of it, shall we? And since I've already done yoga, tried meditating for the first time, and am only on my second cup of coffee this morning, I'd say things aren't looking so bad.

The hubs was out at deer camp so the kids and I had a cozy, snuggling, at home weekend and it was great. Let's review:

 I went to a fall dessert swap. So many apples and I tried them all.

I joined a Dave Ramsey + Kon Mari facebook group (it's one of the few reasons I haven't given up facebook) and from a discussion on there, I was inspired to try out Rachel Cruze's clip idea for carrying cash and I liked it a lot. (For those of you that don't know, we've followed Dave Ramsey's advice with our money since Dylan was born. It works for us!)

 I preorded Food Freedom Forever, but my copy got delay. So I cancelled my amazon order and went to Barnes and Noble and physically picked it up instead. (Plus these two. Plus some books for the kids.)  I should have just done that in the first place. I think I need to cut back on online shopping...

When Daddy's away we have sleepovers and watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" together in the big bed.

FALL, in a photo.

Kon Mari inspired.

We got booed! It's the first time ever that we got booed before we booed someone, and the kids were thrilled.

Let's crush this week, guys!

SCENES FROM A WEEKEND

I love three day weekends. Even when they're "celebrating" people who did not in fact "discover" America. We ignored that and had a super fall themed weekend.

On Saturday night we went to Byrne Farm Market for their Annual Jack O Lantern display. We went last year and it's so fun. They have hundreds of pumpkins carved and lit up. You can also buy fabulous pumpkins and gourds there. My kiddos love the goose necks. If you're in the area, you should definitely check out Byrne's!

Sunday started off rainy, but cleared up so we went apple picking at another farm, Johnson's Locust Hall. Ava has gone to this farm twice now on school field trips and has been asking us to go as a family for months. It was so worth it! The kids had a great time and we got some delicious, huge apples. I have to admit, I was cracking up a little-I grew up on a small farm and picking fruit was a chore for me growing up and now I was paying money to let my kids do it.

Sunflowers are my favorite.

And with our extra day off? Harry Potter.

Seriously Voldemort, don't even. Professor the Dowager* will destroy you and and all your hooligans.

I've been reading Spark Joy, the second Marie Kondo book and have been going through my clothes and folding them properly again-I have gotten out of the habit. I was pleased to find that there were no clothes that didn't "spark joy" in my closet though! I had the hubs go through his stuff and get rid of his unjoyful clothes as well. I also started using my bullet journal for tracking my KonMari Method cleaning-because I'm that person. I've done the clothes in our house and the papers, but I need to work through my miscellaneous and keepsake stuff still.

I like neutrals.

Finally, last night Dylan had a baseball game. A night game under the lights. Where he pitched. He's been playing first and short for the past two years, and just moved up to pitching, Neal and I had zero chill, guys, Like standing at the fence, clapping, and yelling positive things and closing our eyes tight because we were so nervous for him. And we so didn't need to be nervous, because he CRUSHED IT.

When he struck his first person out, I asked Neal, "So I shouldn't yell really loud 'THAT'S MY BABY!' right?! Because my heart is telling me do it, but my brain is saying that might be embarrassing for him and maybe I should, like, calm down."
He agreed with my brain. IT WAS HARD GUYS.

And THEN. The Giants won their game. It was a good day for baseball.


Hope you had a great weekend!

 *If you don't understand this reference, please go watch Downton Abbey and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows and then return.

SCENES FROM A WEEKEND

Happy Monday! This weekend was a much quieter weekend that the past few-and that was 100% intentional. Neal and I talked about it yesterday-we have a few commitments through the end of October, but then we are giving up saying yes to things on Sunday. Sunday is our home day, our family day, and we are going to actively work toward making that the priority. It makes the whole week better for us. Of course things will come up, but over all - Sundays are going to belong to just us.

Here's what our weekend looked like:

We started out Friday night with jammies early, a big bowl of popcorn for the kiddos, and a movie. Ryder was really hoping for a couple dropped pieces.

 It's popcorn season for Scouting.

 An afternoon with their library books.

 New things. Neal bought these all for me, so I guess he's an official  #tiuhubby. (He'll be disappointed to know that he falls under a hashtag or as he call it, a pound sign.) Tone It Up fall challenge starts Saturday! I first started doing Tone It Up workouts last fall during this challenge, so I'm excited to see what happens this year.

DATE NIGHT. Long over do. We hit the road all smiles and ready for adventure! Just kidding. We  went to a movie (Sully; excellent.) and came right home. We also had no popcorn because we are Whole 30ing. We were THOSE PEOPLE who took dried fruit ropes into the theater and bought bottles of water. Also, there are a million and a half finger prints all over that back window, which is where Ava's seat is.

 Sunday Runday. The weather was gorgeous; fall is in the air. And my time was...better than it has been. But still sloooowww.

 My run was followed by a morning of food prep.

Pot Roast for Sunday Supper. It is the BEST meal for a fall evening. (I use The Pioneer Woman's recipe from her original cookbook. It is perfection). We ate it with Whole 30 compliant mashed potatoes, I'll be posting the recipe later this week!

 Set up my bullet journal for the week outside in the sunshine.

 Fall scents are my favorites.

 Our lab gets weirder everyday, bless his heart. Love him.

Chalkboard art. 

Have a fantastic Monday. May your coffee be strong and your eyeliner straight.