It was a great weekend filled with some fun, a little bit of downtime, and a lot of productivity!
My weekend started off with some “me” time as I had my monthly facial right after school. I had my usual combo of dermaplane and chemical peel. I started the weekend with a fresh face!
Then, we had some family time for dinner. (Not so) fun fact about me is that I struggle with Friday night dinners. I never know what sounds good or I’m just indifferent about what we have for carry out or restaurant choice if we go out and eat. Hayden suggested Buffalo Wild Wings (fun fact about my kids: they LOVE wings!), and while that’s not my favorite, I knew it’s one of the kids’ faves, so the decision was made.
When Hadley got home from practice, we headed to BWW and enjoyed our dinner out.
The Royals vs Reds baseball game was on one of the big televisions, so we watched that too.
I was the only one who didn’t get wings. 😉
Both Saturday and Sunday mornings were slow which is just what I needed. I will probably be setting an alarm most Saturday mornings during cross country season, so I loved sleeping in a bit both mornings.
Saturday morning, I made myself some toast, sipped my coffee, watched the news and then an episode of Real Housewives OC. Then, I worked out before getting ready for the rest of the day.
We wanted to go to one of the Royals games when they were in Cinci playing the Reds. We decided on the Saturday evening game which meant we had a little extra time to go to Top Golf.
The kids and Travis played, and I just hung out. We ordered a few appetizers, and we were there about an hour and a half. Hayden’s been playing lots of golf this summer, so it was fun seeing how much farther he can hit the ball. Hadley had a great time too, and she has a pretty good swing!
Due to traffic, we were a little late to the game. Travis let Hayden and me out of the car, and we got to our seats right as the second inning was starting. Travis and Hadley joined us after the second inning after they parked the car.
Thanks to a work connection, Travis was able to get us seats right behind the Reds dug out.
It was quite the game, and the Royals dominated the whole time.
We were able to see some of our favorite players like Bobby Witt, Jr. and Salvy was playing 1st base, so he was close to us.
To get on the road before it was too late, we did leave after the 7th inning stretch. Since the score was 13-0, we felt okay leaving a little early. One of the Reds players hit a home run right as we were leaving. The final score was 13-1. It was still 10:30 before we got home, so it was good that we went ahead and left.
On the drive home, I was scrolling “X” and saw a highlight of Dorian Blanco’s grand slam…and spotted Trav and the kids in the video. I’m behind the guy in front of Hayden 😂
We had a really great afternoon and evening, and I’m glad we carved out the time to go to the game.
Sunday, I dragged my feet with my grocery order, but once I picked up my order, I did a little meal prep for the week. I should do this more often, but I tend to meal prep more on Mondays since Monday night dinner is usually leftovers.
Anyway, we have a very busy week, so I even went ahead and made tomorrow night’s dinner. I think I’ve made thisChicken Parm Casserole before, and we should even have leftovers for Tuesday.
I also hard boiled eggs (I still LOVE my egg cooker!), cut up fruit, and prepped a couple of lunches. Like Amy suggests…what I can I do to help “future me?”
I hope you’ve been having a great weekend. We’ve had a great one so far.
I wanted to write one more Summer Sunday post to recap our summer!
Every summer seems busier and busier. Last summer, I was bummed that we didn’t get to take a family vacation because all the schedules seemed to overlap. I’m grateful that we prioritized that this summer, and also had downtime too.
Here are some highlights from this summer:
1. Pool time
Pool time is the best. This is the second summer, the kids were there more than me, but I still made time to go a couple times a week when I could. I always enjoy reading at the pool.
2. Camps
Hadley always looks forward to camp, and she had a blast at Young Life camp. Hayden attend this second running camp, and he really enjoyed himself too.
3. Olympic Trials – Eugene, Oregon
Of course, heading to Eugene, Oregon for the Olympics track trials was the highlight of our summer. We had the best time, and obviously, we enjoyed watching the Olympics even more because we’d seen so many of the athletes in person.
4. PNW – Oregon and Washington
After Eugene, we had some downtime on the Oregon coast before going to Olympic National Park and then finished our trip in Seattle. Truly, it was a trip to remember!
5. KC
The kids and I went to KC in early June to see family. We had lots of downtime, but we did go to the Royals game which was so fun. I went back to KC in early July to help my dad after his knee surgery.
6. Activities
We joined Trav at Churchill Downs for some races while Hadley was at camp. It’s fun to doing something like this on a Friday in the summer.
One thing I love about summer is the kids stay busy but have time to have fun doing things like hang with friends at the pool, play pickle ball, and ride their bikes to get ice cream. Hadley played in a sand volleyball tournament which she loved. Hayden ran a 10k on the 4th of July, and played basketball.
Hayden’s basketball team won the league summer tournament last week!
I know they do these activities often, but all of these are more laid back which is nice.
7. Lake time
Both kids had so much fun at the lake with friends throughout the summer. I always loved going to the Lake of the Ozarks when I was a kid, so I love that they get to have fun with their friends at the lake too.
8. Summer Reading
Well, unfortunately, August is going to be the month my summer reading comes to a screeching halt. I have read quite a few of the books from my summer reading list, and I’m hoping to finish at least one book in August.
9. Birthdays (Trav and Trav’s Mom)
July is full of birthdays including Trav and his mom. We celebrated Trav by going out to dinner when I got back from KC in early July. Travis and his siblings threw a party for their mom a couple of weeks ago which was a nice get together (and all of the cousins were in town!)
10. Olympics
I loved being home for the first week of the Olympics and watching the events in real time! The week I went back to school was when track started, so I tried to stay off social media and watch those events in the prime time coverage.
All of the athletes are so amazing!
It was another busy, but great summer!
June was busier than July, but once mid-July hit, the kids either had early morning or later practices. Welcome to high school athletics, I guess.
There are always things I wish we’d gotten to do. I’ve been wanting to see the movie Twisters, and it just hasn’t happened. I wish I’d gotten to the pool more, but I went when I could. It’s still open for a few more weeks, so I know we’ll get there a few more times.
Well, we made it to the end of the first week of school! The first morning was easy breezy (but filled with excitement and nerves), but then I forgot to set my alarm Wednesday night. Yesterday morning, Travis and I both woke up at 7:00…and I am supposed to leave for school at 7:30. I was in a mad dash to get out the door, but I made it in time. That being said, it just sets my whole day off in the wrong direction when I don’t get to ease into the day. I felt “off” and frazzled all day!
Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Today’s favorites include back to school pics and a few fun things the kids did before going back to school on Wednesday.
Open House was a great success on Monday night. I met about fifteen students, and enjoyed the evening at school.
Since I have a few classes this year, I did have to set up my room a bit differently, but I think it’s good to go for the year.
At the end of Open House, Hadley came to my room after volleyball practice, and then we went home and picked up Travis and Hayden. We went to IHOP for our “back to school breakfast.” Through the years, I’ve tried to make such a big deal about going back to school in order to get the kids excited (myself, too) about going back to school.
I loved the back to school breakfasts in elementary and then the back to school “brinner” in middle school, but I was ok with throwing this “curve ball” and suggesting IHOP. The kids ask to go there all the time, and we don’t go often, so I thought it would be a good decision for dinner.
It was just us and one other lady in the restaurant. Who can beat that?
I got the French toast, and it was delicious.
The kids had one more day to enjoy summer on Tuesday. Hadley slept until noon, Hayden had early cross country practice, and then they just hung out most of the day.
Wednesday morning we were all up and at ’em pretty early. They let me snap their pics, per tradition, before I left. If they can catch a ride with a friend, they gain an extra thirty minutes, so I understand if they don’t want to ride with me. (I’m sure they will some mornings). So, Hadley has been riding with a friend, and Travis has dropped Hayden off. The bus is an option, but it leaves pretty early, and I’m sure Hadley will avoid it at all costs! 😉
The morning light was hitting just right!
My freshmen:
One more for good measure!
…well, one more with mom too. Year 23 sure looks different for me!
Truly, so far the best part of the past two days, besides meeting my students, has been seeing my own kids enter my classroom at the end of the day. They are mostly tired and in need of a snack, but I love ending my school day seeing them (and giving them a ride home)!
End of summer fun:
Hadley has had such a wonderful Young Life leader during her middle school years. The leader’s name is also Hadley, and she organized a back to school send off for this great group of girls! A few of them are headed to another school, but most of them are at school with Hadley. That being said, the leader stays with the next group of middle school girls. I know they will still see her, and she’s made quite the impact on them.
Meanwhile…Hayden and friends went to Kings Island and rode all the rides.
On Saturday morning, Hayden ran his first high school race. It was just a 5k fundraiser for the cross country team, but he ran a great race!
Favorite Kid Quote(s):
It’s been a bit since I’ve shared a favorite kid quote, and both kids said something funny this week:
On Saturday, Travis and Hayden went to Louisville for the afternoon. As Hayden told me goodbye, he hugged me and said, “Maybe you can go to the spa and get your toes done.” 😂
Not sure where that came from!
Then, Tuesday night, Hadley caught me with a few tears and asked what was wrong. I said I couldn’t believe they were going to high school, and without missing a beat, she said, “Girl, I can’t believe it either.” haha!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Homer is always happy to see me!
Weekly Recap:
It was hard finding a blogging groove this week with all the back to school things, but I did write a couple of posts:
Well, first on my agenda is to not set an alarm for Saturday and sleep in a bit. We are going to the Reds/Royals game in Cinci, and I’m looking forward to that.
I hope to have one more “Summer Sunday” post on Sunday sharing the highlights over our summer.
Since the start of the school year has been a bit different the past couple of years, I thought it would be fun to capture what I’ve been up to as a teacher leading up to the first day of school. I’m always curious what others do at work and how they spend their time.
*Warning* this post did turn into more of a *long* diary of sorts! The English teacher in me loves to write.
Anyway…summer break is over…
To start the school year, we have professional development. We are required to get 24 hours of PD in a school year.
Before 2022, we always met with our departments for six hours one day the week before school started. Then, the Monday before school starts, we have six hours of professional development at school. The Tuesday before students arrive, we have a long faculty meeting and a couple of hours to work in our rooms. That meant, we had to do the other twelve hours of the required 24 hours of PD on our own either in the summer or throughout the year which is my preferred method.
I like choosing my PD in the summer rather than being told which sessions I have to go to. Also, we’ve moved to coming in seven school days before the students to get contract days in as well as 24 hours of PD. Some of this shift did happen because a couple of years ago, we moved to a week long fall break, so that’s three days teachers have to now work ahead of time. Of course, I understand having to work our contract days, but I would prefer for those to be sprinkled in throughout the year. I feel like I lose a week of summer now.
So – here’s how I’ve spent the past seven school days…before the students have arrived:
Monday, August 5th:
We did six hours of professional development at my school. Typically, we’re in groups, and we rotate through six hours of sessions. We do get an hour for lunch. This year, the English department is getting new textbooks, so instead of rotating through sessions in the morning, we met as a department with two district instructional coaches who led us through the new curriculum. We did end up having about an hour in our PLCs (professional learning communities) to start planning. I met with my English 1 people to map out unit 1.
After an hour for lunch, we did rotate through three sessions in the afternoon. We were finished at 3:30. I did go work in my room for about thirty minutes, and then left at 4:00 to go home.
Tuesday, August 6th:
We were supposed to have a convocation at Rupp Arena, but a couple of weeks ago we found out that it was cancelled.
A little back story – We had a convocation a couple of years ago, and that’s not my favorite way to start the year. We had to meet at school, ride buses to Rupp, and sit through the three hour convocation. Then, we got back on the buses, ate lunch at school, and had three hours of PD at school.
Last year, they did three days of district PD at the Central Bank Convention Center which is connected to Rupp. I will spare you the details, but it came with a lot of issues too. Parking was a disaster, sessions were over-crowded, and more.
Anyway, because of the previous two years when we wished we’d just been given a work day in our classrooms, teachers in our district have been up in arms after seeing this convocation on the calendar. Eventually, the news did a report after an open records request, and the findings included the fact that the district was spending over $25,000 on the speaker and it also costs to rent Rupp. The district instead gave us a work day in our rooms. (Sorry – that was a long back story)
So, last Tuesday, we worked in our rooms from 8:30-3:30. With no meetings scheduled, it was amazing! I got my room in order and started working on things like my syllabus. I also had time to meet with the district technology person for help with Canvas which is our platform for assigning work.
And…our principals grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, and teachers brought sides and dessert. We all got to hang out for an hour during lunch. It was a really thoughtful idea, and it was a great work day.
*Look at the charcuterie board our foods teacher made:
So cute!
We do still have to make up six hours of professional development since we had a work day instead of PD. Our admin has planned to add PD to our faculty meetings throughout the year.
Wednesday, August 7th:
This day was another professional development day at school. BUT…our school was being used as a “hub” for professional development sessions for para educators in our district. So, our admin had to “pivot” and we had three different PD sessions via Zoom. It felt like 2020 all over again, but I appreciated being at home in the morning.
Then, after lunch, we were to find somewhere to meet with our PLCs to work for three hours. My group met at the public library from 1:00-4:00. We pretty much finished planning out all of unit 1 which was a huge accomplishment.
Thursday, August 8th:
This was another professional development day, and this time, everyone in the district went to different hubs. We signed up for sessions online at our assigned hub. All elementary teachers went to one school, middle school to another, and so on. Some hubs were even more specific for intervention or world language. I did go to the intervention hub. We had five sessions with an hour and a half for lunch in the middle of the day. I actually got a lot out of this day, and now have 18 of the 24 hours that are required for the year.
Once I got home, I took the kids and a couple of their friends to school to walk their schedules. It was neat seeing them find their way.
Friday, August 9th:
We had a work day in our classrooms with no meetings scheduled. Yay!
It was the new teacher orientation in the morning, and I had to stop by at my assigned time to share about academic resources and intervention opportunities for students.
Then, I used the rest of the day to continue working on curriculum, figuring out Canvas, printing things like our bell schedule and phone list. I also just continued to get organized and get a handle on my emails. I had almost 100 unread…& now I’m down to five. 😂
Monday, August 12th:
We always have Open House after Labor Day, but this year we have a new principal this year. He scheduled Open House for last night. Since we were going to be at school until 7:30, he scheduled our day to start at 11! So, we arrived at school, had catered lunch, and then had a faculty meeting that lasted a couple of hours. The rest of the time, we could work in our room, and then Open House was from 5:30-7:30. I really liked having our day structured like this, and I was able to meet quite a few students last night.
Tuesday, August 13th:
Today, is one more work day in our rooms. I am meeting with my PLC for an hour just to keep working on lessons for the new units using our new textbooks, and then I’m meeting with my co-teacher to take a look at what we will have the students work on this week, I definitely plan on leaving by 3:30, and soaking in the last little bit of free time before school starts tomorrow!
We always start the school year on a Wednesday which means we have a three day week with students. Then, the following week, the students don’t have school on Friday, so it’s a four day week. I always think this is such a great way to ease into the school year.
We did find out that we can use “flex” time on that Friday which means as long as we fill out the form with what we work on outside of our contract hours, we can stay home that day. Usually we don’t have that option, so I appreciate that opportunity.
I will say with working all these days before the students arrive, I’m always ready for the students to walk through the door!
This year will look different for me. I will have a few classes this year which I haven’t had since 2019. I have two co-teach classes, one advanced class, and then two hours of intervention. I’m excited to have students again, but it will be interesting to navigate as I have some of my kids’ friends in my classes!
With tomorrow being the first day of school, I doubt I will have time for a blog post. Hopefully, I will be back on Thursday.
I hope you had a great weekend. Ours was good overall. Yesterday, we went to church and out to lunch which was nice. Then we picked up groceries. I took a nice long walk since the weather was beautiful and then I read for a bit. I’m a little worried that I’m only going to read one book in August…but what’s a girl to do? I just haven’t had as much time.
I try to keep it positive, but of course there are some things I don’t love doing. Since I don’t love doing these things, I tend to put them off. I wish I wasn’t this way, but I am!
Here are some of my least favorite activities.
1. Laundry
I’m good about starting laundry and putting it in the dryer, but it’s the putting it away that takes three to five business days.
For the kids, I always lay their dry clothes out on their bed, and then they have to put them up. So, they can’t get into their bed until they put up their clothes. (or, at least they shouldn’t! haha)
2. Packing and Unpacking
I dread packing for a trip, and I always wait until the night before or even the morning of a trip. Everyone else will be packed, but I’m always the last one…and I’m usually the one with the biggest suitcase.
Kind of like laundry, sometimes unpacking a suitcase takes three to five business days too!
That being said, I always unpack everything else, and the kids always put their stuff away pretty much as soon as we get home. For whatever reason, I just don’t mind my suitcase on the floor until I can get to it.
3. Calling to schedule an appointment
I don’t know why, but calling to schedule an appointment is one of my least favorite things to do. Some appointments I schedule for the next year before I even leave the doctor’s office. I appreciate it if I can schedule an appointment online.
4. Changing bed sheets
Changing bed sheets is like an Olympic event, which I mentioned in last week’s Hodgepodge post.
I wash the sheets on all three beds often, and then I also wash the quilts and bedspreads at least once a month. It just takes a lot of cycles of laundry and sometimes multiple spins through the dryer to get the comforters dry.
5. Assemble things
I don’t love putting things together. Thankfully, Travis is handy enough to put together furniture and whatever else we need. Just last night, he put together a cart for my classroom.
I’m not sure why he’s laughing when I asked him to put the cart together…almost two weeks ago and he finally got to it last night. (& I was just kidding when I was being bossy) 😂
Those are just a few things that are my least favorite activities. What’s one of your least favorite activities?
Next month we’re discussing finding peace in your day. We’d love for you to link up with us!
I hope you have a great week. The kids have two more days of summer, and I’m sure they will be soaking up every last minute of it.
How has your weekend been? We’ve had a little bit of everything going on. Hadley’s been at the lake with her friends, Hayden had a race yesterday morning, I’ve been working on school stuff, but I also enjoyed a bit of time at the pool yesterday. We all have been watching the Olympics. I’m sad to see it end!
Anyway, I had time to throw together another Summer Sunday post, and I’m sharing a few side dish ideas for summer.
I know I’ve been acting like summer is over, but that’s just because we’re back to school. We’ll still have warm summer weather through September, so there will be lots of time to keep enjoying summer foods.
We grill out from time to time, and I always enjoy making side dishes while Travis is in charge of the grilling.
Here are a few ideas:
Pasta Salad:
I use the Betty Crocker pasta salad from the box quite often, but this pasta salad with cucumbers, mozzarella, and more is a favorite that I make a few times in the spring and summer months.
Baked Beans:
I love baked beans, and usually “cheat” and just warm up some of the canned baked beans as a side dish for dinner.
I’ve shared this recipe before, and it’s one that my kids request during the summer months. These asparagus fries are SO good.
Salad:
Like all of these other recipe ideas, I usually “cheat” which means I often buy bagged salad. I haven’t made this arugula salad recipe, but it looks delish! I hope to make it soon.
C/o inspiredtaste.net
Watermelon:
One thing I love about summer is using fruit as an easy side dish. We always have strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple and other fruit on hand. I take advantage of watermelon being so good during the summer months and often have it for lunch or dinner as a side.
I don’t think I ever feel “TGIF” like I do at the end of the school year and the start of the school year.
It’s always a difficult transition back to school as setting an alarm clock is painful, but it is nice seeing my colleagues again and getting my room in order. Today is another work day in our classrooms, and I’m ready to tie up some loose ends.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
This is a special “back to school” edition of some of our favorites for the school year.
New Faves:
Shay shared this planner, and I immediately ordered it. I loved that it’s a small planner, and it has “doodle” pages and trackers. It arrived, and it’s super cute. I want to use it to meal plan and jot down moments from the day. That being said, I might see if Hadley wants to use it for the school year. Who knows though…she likes to “wing” her way through life. haha
I’m using the smaller Happy Planner again this year. I love that the box comes with stickers, although I always buy additional sticker packs too. I use the stickers for the planner and my school desk calendar. I typically get my planner from Michael’s, and teachers get a discount.
Guess what! High schoolers love stickers on their papers just as much as elementary kids do. I ordered this pack for the year.
Hadley got these pens when we went school shopping at Walmart. I borrowed them to fill out my desk calendar, and loved them so much that I bought myself a pack from from Amazon. Teachers love their pens…and we’re pretty particular about them too!
Hayden has the navy version of this Under Armour backpack that he used for the three years of middle school. It held up nicely, but was kind of a mess…because Hayden is messy…haha! So, I ordered him the same backpack again, but he requested it in black.
Every five years or so, I get a new school bag. I’ve had the same bag from Target for quite a few years. I wanted a bag with a pouch for my computer, and I loved that this one was cute, spacious, and has pockets on the outside to hold my many beverages! I’ve been using it all week, and I love it. It comes in a few colors, but I got the gray one. There’s a 35% off coupon right now too.
I bet it would make a great diaper bag as well.
Old Faves:
I’m always nostalgic about the elementary days especially now that we are entering the high school era.
These cute lunch box notes were ones I used for years when packing the kids’ lunches.
She only bought school lunch in 7th grade, but last year, she wanted to take her lunch sometimes, and we got her this lunch box. It comes in lots of colors.
This pack of note pads is one of my favorite purchases from a few months ago. I kept one note pad at home, took one to school, and then gave two to a couple friends. I use it most days at school for my “to do” lists.
I bought this wireless keyboard and mouse to use with my laptop at school. There are lots of color options, but I love my pink one.
Back to School Breakfast/Brinner:
During the kids’ elementary years, I always had a “Back to School” breakfast the morning of the first day of school.
Once the kids started middle school, I started making a “Back to School Brinner” the night or two before the first day of school.
I’ve always enjoyed this tradition, but as the years have gone on, it’s sometimes become more difficult to find a free evening due to late practices. The Sunday night before school starts usually ends up being a good option.
I’m not sure my plan for the high school years. I’ve honestly thought about taking them to IHOP because I think they’d enjoy that/appreciate that just as much. I guess I will see what they want to do 🙂
Favorite Mom Meme:
Of course this hits home, but Hayden’s been getting up very early the past couple of weeks for cross country conditioning. Hadley, had her team volleyball camp this week starting at 7:30, and it lasted all day. She was tuckered out!
I know she plans on sleeping in the next few mornings until school starts on Wednesday.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
This memory popped up in my Facebook memories from 2015. My sister-in-law took this pic, and was wishing the kids a great start to kindergarten. She’d gotten them balloons and a cookie cake when the kids spent the night in Louisville.
Such a sweet memory. They were so excited to start school.
Share our Lives:
We have our monthly post on Monday! This month’s topic is…least favorite activities. Well, currently, for me, that’s setting an alarm. haha!
What are your weekend plans? Odds are I will be in bed by 8:00 tonight, but maybe not. I’ve enjoyed staying up late watching Primetime Olympic coverage, but 11:15 bedtime and early wake-up had me taking a solid nap yesterday!
Anyway, I’m not sure what we will do this weekend. I’ve been hoping to go to a movie all summer, and that hasn’t happened…and I’d love to get a little more pool time in this weekend since those days have been so sparse these past couple of weeks. We’ll just see, I guess.
I hope you have a great weekend,
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Shew!! This week has kicked my tail. Besides starting back to school for meetings and professional development, Travis was out of town the past few days, so I was doing “all the things” at school and at home…including waking up at 5:30 to take Hayden to cross country. That’s usually “Super Dad’s” job!
As our summer break winds down, I’m looking back on my first summer as a “stay at home” mom with the kids.
Obviously, before the kids were born, my summers weren’t so structured or busy!
Even though it was fourteen years ago (how is that possible?!) the summer of 2010 was one of my favorites.
I was a little nervous going into that summer because juggling two kids on my own was going to be a lot of work! (Side story: I was on maternity leave from the day the kids were born (November 20) until mid-April after spring break. I had about eighteen weeks off with them. Around early February, I called Travis at work on a Friday and told him I was going to go back to work the next Monday. Being at home with two babies was hard work. Hadley had acid reflux and was often fussy…and I felt overwhelmed. He told me to hang on and think about it and that things would get better. (If I went back to school and then changed my mind, I would be giving up my FMLA) Well, we found out Hayden had colic, and about ten days later, both kids started sleeping through the night. That was a game changer! I did end up enjoying the remainder of my maternity leave with them 🙂
Anyway, that summer was so good. The kids were on a great schedule, they slept ten (or more) hours at night, took a two hour morning nap and a shorter afternoon nap, and they started to interact with each other. Honestly, we had a really great time together!
There was lots of tummy time…
…and rolling over…
…and sitting up!
They could sit by each other and entertain each other and play with toys. Plus, they weren’t crawling yet (that milestone came later in the summer), so I knew they would stay put!
(Also, FYI- Hadley was a very serious baby. I blame the acid reflux. Once she turned one, she lightened up and became her happy, free-spirited self that we all know and love.)
We were home quite a bit, but we’d go on walks and hang out on the back porch.
We even got a little pool that they could splash in on our screened in porch. They loved it.
Bath time was always fun!
They loved hanging out with our dogs, Shiloh and Scout. The pups were good to the twins.
We went to KC around the 4th of July, and that was the beginning of them wearing red, white and blue for the holiday.
On the drive back from KC, we decided to stay the night in St. Louis, so the kids had their first overnight at a hotel.
They thought it was great! Smiles and pacis 🙂
They really started to interact with each other and become besties!
I know we did more, but apparently I took less pics in 2010 😂
And…here are my big kids now:
Every summer has been great, but I will always look back fondly on those less hectic summers when they were little and needed me a bit more.
I’ve always felt like teaching has provided me a great balance with time with my kids during holidays and breaks as well as continuing my career in education.
I can’t believe next week they’ll be in high school!
Hello! I hope you’ve had a great start to your week.
I’m linking up with Joyce and answering this week’s “hodge podge” questions.
Here are my answers to this week’s questions:
1. What’s a task you do on a regular basis that feels like it should be an Olympic event?
Change the sheets on everyone’s bed! I hate this task, and it always takes multiple loads of laundry to get it accomplished. I change sheets every couple of weeks, but then I wash the comforters and quilts once a month, so it just takes a lot of time. Of course, there’s always a fight with a fitted sheet too!
2. What’s in the trunk of your car right now?
Not much! While my car isn’t spotless, I do keep it picked up. In my trunk, I always keep a bag that I mostly use during track season that has a blanket, sunscreen, a towel, etc. I also have my stadium seat that I sometimes use for volleyball games and always use for track meets. In the storage unit below, I keep my umbrella and rain jacket.
3. Summer foods vs. fall foods…which do you prefer?
I love lunches in the summer, but I prefer fall dinners.
I just love having the time for a longer lunch in the summer, and I typically make a “snack plate” of whatever I want to eat.
I love hearty meals in the fall. Give me all the casseroles, chili, and soups…and I’m happy!
Would you rather…
watermelon or caramel apple? Watermelon for sure!
iced coffeeor pumpkin spiced latte? I don’t drink PSL like I used to, and I rarely drink iced coffee, but that would be my preference.
potato salad or sweet potato casserole? Can I say “pasta salad?” That’s definitely my preference. I don’t like potato salad (actually, I don’t even try it…no thank you to mayo!), but I will have a dollop of sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving.
BBQ ribsor roast turkey? My kids LOVE ribs. I do not. I do love turkey though…Thanksgiving is my favorite meal.
Ice cream sandwich or apple pie? I rarely have apple pie, but I like it. I don’t think I’ve ever made one. Ice cream sandwiches definitely hit the spot in the summer.
Corn on the cob or candy corn? I like corn, but not the messiness of corn on the cob. I only like candy corn if it’s mixed with peanuts.
This little mix is great too!
4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you’re visiting an area known for theirs?
When I was in high school, we took a vacation to the northeast…and I’m sure I saw some lighthouses in Maine. I’d love to see more lighthouses one day.
5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a light bulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight…of the “light” idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain.
Oh…a couple of these apply right now…
Light at the end of the tunnel: It’s always very overwhelming going back to school, but I know that I can see the first few days of school lesson plans coming together as this week goes on and I’ve had time in my classroom.
Out like a light: Uh…me every night! There’s no tired like “back to school teacher tired!”
A light bulb moment: I have plenty of those every day as I get back in the swing of school!
6. Insert random thought here.
One of my friends mentioned Kroger Boost recently and how great it is to have groceries delivered when needed. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Kroger had the “same day” option for $50 for the yearly subscription instead of $100. I went ahead and purchased, and I tried it the weekend before last. I used the Kroger app like usual, and I appreciated that the Instacart shopper texted with substitution options.
A couple of things that would take getting used to is everything was in plastic bags, and Kroger pick up is always paper bags. Whenever we have a lot of plastic bags, we do take them back to Kroger for recycling. Also, our garage is in the basement, so usually I unpack basement fridge items and then bring up groceries. This time, I had to take basement items downstairs since she delivered to the front door.
Anyway, these are first world problems/adjustments. This past Sunday, I did my regular Kroger pick up, but I know I will use the Boost service every once in a while.
This week has been a big adjustment for me, but I’m trucking along. Today, my PD is on Zoom…It’s like turning back the hands of time…all the way to 2020! Really, I appreciate this option today!
How was your weekend? Overall, ours was really good. We went out to dinner Friday night at a pizza place we hadn’t been to in a while.
I spent most of Saturday watching the Olympics and doing things around the house. Then, Hayden had a basketball game, and Travis and I joined Hadley for the family picnic with her volleyball team on Saturday night.
After the volleyball picnic, Hadley and her teammates had a lock in at school. She got home yesterday morning around 7:30, and slept most of the day. I spent most the day being in denial that I head back to school today 😉 Oh well, the time has come!
As always, I’m linking up with Tanya to share my Amazon purchases in July. Buckle up! haha
Here are my purchases this month:
Me:
Well, I jumped on the layered necklace trend. I’ve been wearing this one all summer, and sometimes add in this beaded necklace. I’m so trendy. haha
I’ve seen this striped sweatshirt shared by quite a few people, and when I saw this color way, I decided to purchase it. I got my typical size large, and it’s over-sized, but not too much. The material is more structured, and not typical sweatshirt material. I’ve already worn it quite a few times lounging around at home, with jeans, and with shorts. It did arrive sooner than originally stated.
After two years of doing SNS/dip polish, I decided my nails needed a little break. Well, when I went to look at my nail polish collection, most of them were pretty dried up. So, I turned to my tried and true brand: OPI and got my favorite neutral color: Bubble Bath.
My eyebrows have always been a lot, and now I’m thankful that thick/bushy (am I explaining this correctly!?) eyebrows are in. Hadley likes to brush (again, not the right word?) hers, and when I saw this brow wand, I thought I’d give it a try. I’m liking how it’s working to tame my brows.
Kids:
Trav bought these Drip Droppackets for the kids to use in their water for hydration.
Before running camp, Hayden needed a few more pairs of socks, so Travis ordered these for him. There are lots of color options.
Fun fact: Hadley used to have twice the laundry as Hayden, and now that’s reversed. Depending on the day, sometimes he runs (one outfit), works out (another outfit), and then has his regular clothes. Throw in swim trunks if he’s been to the pool , or hot and sweaty after mowing the grass, and numerous pairs of socks from all his running and sweating, his laundry piles up quickly!
This summer, Hadley requested a matching set of pajamas. I got her this pair, and she wears them non-stop!
Hadley needed a couple more sports bras, and she found this one. It’s less than $20, and has 41,000 reviews, so I picked up two of them during Prime Day.
More Prime Day:
Other Prime Day purchases include:
A new makeup bag for me….
I had my eye on this one, and ordered it. There are many color options, and it’s been perfect for me as I was looking for a makeup bag that was more compact than the one I’d been using the past few years. Right now, it has a 20% off coupon.
Also on Prime Day, I ordered the viral “snackle” box. There are various sizes, but I got the one with eight compartments. I haven’t used it much yet, but it’s come in handy for fruits and veggies.
If you have one, what do you put in it?
Travis is a patient man until it comes to dealing with our Tupperware. He hates all the odds and ends, and we don’t have a good storage system for our various sizes of Tupperware.
When I saw this set on sale during Prime Days, I asked him if I should order it, and he said nothing would make him happier. #sodramatic
I know I will use these a lot for lunches and leftovers. I did take a moment to get everything organized, and toss some of our older Tupperware or those that were missing lids, etc.
Anyway, I feel like I’m really adulting with these glass containers!
I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but I ordered this shirt, in a THIRD color. I just love the over-sized fit, and it can be worn with leggings or demin. It goes on sale off and on, so I snagged it during Prime Days for a lower price. It does have a 10% off coupon right now.
I hope you have a great Monday. My alarm is going off at 5:30 to get Hayden to cross country practice before I head to school for a day of professional development. I’m really jumping back into the school year with both feet! #sayaprayerforme
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