How Are you? A Truly Blessed Season

 A dear FB friend asked me how I was today. Often, people say, "How are you?" but they are just being polite, not actually inquiring as to your wellbeing. And to those people, the only correct answer is, "Fine, thank you. How are you?" However, this is a friend who really wants to hear a truthful, specific answer. Like, how I *really* am right now. And after a moment of reflection, here was my response.

How's life?

~Overall, pretty good. We've got our heads above water financially for the first time in years. Dan has largely settled down and when he isn't working, he's hanging out with the family. Derek is emerging from the sulky early teen years and is spending more time with us, has rediscovered his sense of humor, and has even left the house a few times in the last few weeks. In fact, Dan and Derek are currently sitting in the LR playing Minecraft together, and we already have an expansion of Dominion on the table for board-game playing later tonight. I'm loving my job at Acton, even on the days that drive me crazy. It is good to be needed and feel like what you are doing is making a difference. And frankly, making decent money doesn't really hurt my feelings either. 😉

I've been really enjoying this season of 'non-active parenting' with The BIGS and their ladies. We have breakfast together once a week, plus pizza and movie nights on Sundays, we all ride motorcycles together whenever the weather and schedules allow, and each of the boys pop in and out of the house in the evenings a few times a week. It just feels like everything is right with the world when your grown children want to hang out with you, while still being mature and independent adults. Sometimes, you just KNOW that a particular season of your life is fleeting, and you want to cherish every moment. And that's where we are currently. It's pretty great. 

Self Care Day 28: Listen to yourself.

 Self Care Day 28: Listen to yourself.

#SelfCare

This is an important one, friends. Stop and listen to yourself on occasion. Self talk is so important. Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep can not be emphasized enough. Boundaries, Boundaries, BOUNDARIES...I am slow to learn this one, but OH the difference it makes.

 Happy happy chickens! Usually, I’ve been getting 3 eggs a day in various rotations of colors, meaning most hens are laying every other or every 3rd day. But today, I found 6 waiting for me when I went out to open the coop. Yes! All the pretty colors and size variations.

I haven’t figured out which of the LunaChicks are laying yet (and I can’t really tell them apart since 5 are practically identical) but Black Plague lays brown eggs, Nutmeg lays blue, Clove lays green, and I think the one LunaChick that has different coloring than the others lays that pretty ivory rose color. The other LunaChicks lay white...I think.

#ChickenMama

#OldLadyChickenAdventures

#YesIKnowImADork

#ManCrewChickenCoop Updated to add: As it turns out, I was incorrect about the ivory rose and white eggs. Gray Beard, the one LunaChick that has different coloring, is laying the white eggs, and the other 5 LunaChicks are laying the ivory rose. I hit the jackpot this week, finding 9 eggs in the nesting boxes. 1 Brown, 1 Blue, 1 Green, 1 White, and 5 Ivory Rose. These ladies know it is SPRING TIME!

Self Care Day 24: Set Goals for yourself

 Self Care Day 24: Set Goals for yourself

#SelfCare

I set myself up with some pretty large goals this year and I am working my way through them, bit by bit. One of this is this post, and the many others like it. It is nearing the end of February, and I've already blogged much more than the last 2 year combined! I'm loving being creative this way. Check my 2021 Goals post over here, which I will be updating monthly with my progress.

New Board Game Alert! The Oregon Trail

 This #BoardGameNerd “accidentally” bought a new game for the gaming tables. Because we clearly don't already own enough games. *winks*

#CoronaMadeMeDoIt

Come on over this Friday and help us take it out for its maiden voyage.

2021 Goals: End of January Update

 I'll add updates and/or cross things off so we can all track my progress this year. 

I have many goals this year after a few years of actively doing less and I'm rearing to go. I'll add this list in the coming days and then offer a once a month update post.

Spiritual Goals:     

~Read the whole Bible this year. I'm using the YouVersion app to help me do this in a timely fashion. Doing great on this
~Pray from a list Yes!
~Attend Church and Community Group either in person or virtually, as Corona allows.

~Read and work through "The Road Back to You" an Enneagram book from a Christian perspective.

Health Goals:     

~Continue to shed inches through smaller portions, more movement, more veggies and more water. My year end goal to be down to single digit pants size and a M top. 
~Make taking my supplements a daily habit. Haven't missed a day all month
~Avoid late night snacking. This was difficult, but I'm doing well.
~Be able to run up a flight of stairs at Acton without becoming winded.

~Take a long hike once a month. (A Mountain, Dripping Springs, Carlsbad Caverns, The Catwalk, Aguirre Springs, etc.)

Personal Goals:   

~Read every single day, and I'm starting with books I already own. I can't purchase any more until I've read those. *Kindle books don't count as purchases if I get them free* Even if I only manage 15 minutes a day, I'm loving reading daily again.

~Blog daily. Eep, it's shocking how quickly I feel like I ran out of things to say. LOL

~Make 25 recipes out of my new cookbooks, Cast Iron Cooking and the Tasty Cookbook.

~Participate in No Pants April 2021 and 100 Happy Days 2021
~Buy a handgun and take a safety course.
~New Ink: The MeYeR Man Crew and The Grand Crew- paid for by PattyCakes

~Get passports for the family
~Conquer FSA syndrome by clearing a Flat Surface Area every month, and maintain all other FSAs from previous months. This month's goal was the movable island that David and Makenzie gave me. DONE! Next month's goal is the table in the office.  

Marriage and Family Goals:    

~Long weekend trip to Grand Canyon- if Corona Allows

~Celebrate 25 year anniversary in August

~Continue with weekly Pizza and Movie Nights These are so much fun!

~Visit IL at least once this year

~Dan and I Question Of The Day book daily Dan doesn't like the book and doesn't want to participate. I'll replace this with a personal journal next month.

~Date Night once a month Or, a date morning. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at The Shed this month. 
~Game Nights weekly Yes! 

Financial Goals:     

~Refill our emergency fund 

~Spend our Tax Refund wisely on home improvements, adding to our savings, and extra principal on our mortgage Making plans is an important first step

~Save money weekly according to my printout in my planner Yes

~Do a No-Spend January BOOM, Baby! 

~Pantry Challenge in January We owned it!
~Stock Pantry with 6 months of staples We are holding off on this goal until after we purchase another large wire shelving unit and a few more 5 gallon buckets with gamma seals to hold the bounty. 

Into the Unknown...

 

Friends, I am heading into the unknown today by subbing in the mid-high/high school studio today at work. It is the only studio that I don't know all of the students, or how their day normally runs. If you have a minute, would you say a prayer for me while I dip my toes in the hormonal tidal wave that is 6th-10th graders? Thanks!

#IntoTheUnknown

#JillOfAllTrades

#OldLadySubstitutingAdventures

#GuidingTeenagers

#AdventuresInSubstituting

Edited to Add:

You guys!! I lived. 

And the rumors are true that this is a great group of students. They were kind, respectful, hard-working, and several were quite funny. I enjoyed myself quite a bit, despite a few issues with my technology getting along with the tech in their classroom/studio. When their regular instructor arrived at noon, I was pleased to report that they had been kind and gracious with me. Thank you all for your prayers, I felt them all morning long.

Also, it was pleasing to my office-admin side to put faces with names I’ve seen 100 times, and to meet older brothers and sisters to many of the littles I work with each day. One of the students is a member of Dastroyah’s gymnastics team, and several of the students know The BIGS from time spent at Gym Magic so it was fun to have a small connection already. Good times all around.

Happy at Home on a Sweet Saturday

 Happy Saturday, friends!

I am looking forward to a weekend of going nowhere and just being busy at home.

Up first: the housekeeping trifecta...dishes, laundry, and cleaning bathrooms. After that, more cutting and laminating for work. I’m planning to binge Sweet Magnolias on Netflix.

How are you staying busy at home this weekend?

#HappyAtHome

#InTheKitchenWithKristy

#NorwexForTheWin

#ManCrewHouse

#BlessThisMess

#HomeBlessing

Update:

Bathrooms clean

#1  #2  #3 in-progress

Tile swept/cobwebs down 

Upgrade PattyCakes’ car insurance 

Dishes done and away 

Delicate/Mask load washed and hanging to dry 

Call Chili’s to let them know about the missing tortillas from last night’s order  *I even scored some free gift certificates, even though I said it wasn’t necessary. Woot!

Pay City bill 

Send Venmo requests to my people for our shared (fleet-sized) vehicle policy 

Carefully read insurance claim emails regarding Dastroyah’s missing cycle. 

Clear off the dining room table and reorganize the card game drawer 

Peek in the freezer and do a quick mental meal plan for next week:

M-Chicken and Alfredo noodles with broccoli

T- Taco Pile Ups with refried beans and rice

W- Garlic Butter Steaks with baked potatoes and green beans

Th- Leftovers

F- Veg tray, chips and salsa, plus cheese abs crackers

S-DT cooks (tbd)

S-Pizza with the gang 

Phew!

I’m going to finish that last bathroom and settle in for some laminating work and Netflix.

Clean the 3rd bathroom 

Finish soaking Norwex and start them on a hot load in the washer 

Re-clean kitchen and do dishes after early dinner 

Brew tea 

Try to figure out game expansion with DT and determine that it is out of my range for today 

Water plants 

Clean out critter cages 

Sweep laundry/storage room and clean off top of dryer 

Finally get to cutting and laminating, woot! 

January 22 Throwback to 2014

 Facebook asks what is on my mind. Hmmm, let's see here. Everything. Nothing. Minute details that matter to no one but me. The prospect of a visit from an old friend. My mom leaving today. Wondering if Hercules got enough sleep last night to be safe at work today. Fretting over taking David to the doctor tomorrow for the cough that won't go away. Trying to remember what's for dinner tonight, and if I'll even have a chance to have any with all the Mama Taxi Running all be doing this evening. Being amazed that I found my homeschool confirmation letter from the current school year, and without spending 3 days looking for it. Appreciating my cozy home, faithful friends and silly sons. Reminding myself that I need to eat breakfast, take my supplements and take a shower before work so I really shouldn't be on FB right now. Wishing some hot tea would magically brew itself for my sipping pleasure. Feeling guilty that I am behind in my morning Bible study. Being thankful for the kind words of a dear friend from yesterday. You know, normal stuff.

So there you have it, the jumbled ramblings of my mind at 6:45 am. Better scoot.

Happy Wednesday everyone! Wow, the difference 7 years makes. And then again, not so much.

Random Thoughts

I am heading to bed early tonight, following the advice that every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after 12.

But first, three things.

1. My hair is long enough for the sprout hairstyle again, I NEED a haircut!

2. I have amazing, encouraging, marvelous co-workers who spread joy wherever they go.

3. The sun broke through this afternoon after 3 days of clouds and drizzle, and it was GLORIOUS!

#SproutHairDontCare

What do I do all day while working at Acton Academy?

 A day in the life of this #JillOfAllTrades

What do I do at the office all day, you ask? Most days, I scamper from task to task, “snoopervising” young students while they work on their core skills during the morning hours, sanitizing tables, heating lunches, cleaning up spills, settling arguments, sanitizing more things, reminding students to “mask up”, ordering supplies, answering emails, filing electronic documents, proofreading and editing posts before they post to the school’s private platform, telling students to use their “walking feet” in the building, searching for lost documents in the school’s huge Google drive, packing and mailing packages, ferrying supplies from studio to studio, organizing closets, emailing parents about missing paperwork, making copies and binding/sorting/hole-punching/placing them in the correct student folder, calling places to make maintenance appointments, answering the door 7-12 times per day, and occasionally having a chat with the custodian. (Basically, it is like being an at-home parent of 87 homeschoolers, LOL)

This week, I’m continuing my work on an enormous cutting, laminating, and re-cutting project from late last week. So here’s a peek into today...

a set of sight words ready to be cut apart, enjoying Pandora for tunes interspersed with the You Version app reading me my daily Bible chapters, the view out my office window, me, and the sight words being laminated. This set takes 3+ hours to cut, laminate, and re-cut. There are 17 sets. Guess who is getting some overtime this week?

Take a Leap of Faith

 

This old photo, paired with the age old wisdom of the Bible, is still relevant in 2021. Amen 


PS. When I posted this on FB, all the mamas were aghast at this photo of Dastroyah doing something so dangerous, and I chuckled to myself a little about what it is like to be a mama of all adrenaline-junkie boys. I'm never bored, that's for sure.