Finished: 76 meatballs are now in bags in our upright freezer ✅ I’ve listened to 3-4 more podcasts 🤓 Next up: finishing the beans with the immersion blender, letting them cool, and bagging some up for the feeezer Right now I’m sitting on the front porch where the temperature and breeze are both very pleasant, taking a break.

I’ve never gone wrong with Tevas ETA: I’ve had a pair similar to this: https://www.teva.com/women-sandals/elzada-sandal-lea/1099273.html#start=10&cgid=women-sandals and one similar to this: https://www.teva.com/women-sandals/sirra/1019240.html#start=24&cgid=women-sandals and liked them both equally well.

I’m in the middle of a kitchen prep day, and while I take a break, I thought I’d share what I’m prepping and then ask for ideas. I’m prepping ✅roasted sweet potato slices (baked to eat this week) ✅baked cranberry orange oatmeal with chocolate chips (in muffin tin) (baked to eat this week) ✅”refried” Beans in instant pot (some to eat this week; some for freezer) ✅meatballs for freezer ✅sheet pan chicken fajitas prepped to be cooked for Sunday dinner and then leftovers for burrito bowls on Monday What do you prep in advance to make your week go better?

Taking a break from kitchen stuff so I’ll update: ✅roasted sweet potatoes ✅baked cranberry-orange oatmeal (in muffin tin & with chocolate chips) ✅pintos currently in instant pot for “refried” beans ✅switched laundry ✅two podcasts

Finished Farewell to Manzanar. SO good! How had I never read it before?

All of my kids went with dh over to dmil’s house where he has his tools, etc., to change the brakes on our van. I sat with coffee number two and did a bit of reading/thinking/praying, which has helped with the inevitable Saturday overwhelm. Now I need to decide how best to spend the quiet: cooking with audiobook or podcast or working on school stuff? 🤔 Also done: one load of laundry half way (need to switch). ✅

Thanks for sharing! I’m intrigued by (and a little intimidated by) the Circe crowd.

I’d like to hear more about the Angelina Stanford talk. I’ve been out of the Circe circle (😝) but recently listened to a Close Reads podcast and enjoyed it.

Move to AL! We’re in almost 4000 sq ft here (full, finished basement), and our house was WELL under 200K. 😝

All that stuff I haven’t done all week because dh has been off and I’ve been discombobulated? Yep. On the agenda for today. 😑 So: walk✅ coffee/reading/praying ✅ grocey pickup/return library books/drop dh to pick up van✅ kitchen day: make meatballs for freezer; oven chicken fajitas prepped; rice in instant pot; baked oatmeal (in progress) prep school stuff: MUST GRADE SPANISH; look at what dd13 has left to accomplish in history; prep boys’ math; formulate plan for ds8’s writing; look at dd14’s literature catch up on reading dd14’s and dd13’s school novels (finished dd13’s novel✅) co op prep: two more weeks to sketch out! CC class: come up with poetry journal assignment visit parents? think about ds5’s birthday on Tuesday and look for bicycle order boys’ comforters online collapse

Dh and I had a fun day—some hiking, a couple of meals out, some coffee at a coffee shop. I also got a haircut—my first since October! (This is unusual for me.) Now to pick up the kiddos and crash.

The party continues here! 😝. This is dh’s last day off (excepting the weekend, of course, but that’s normal) , so he and I are off on a day date. Three kids are staying with nana, while one is off to spend the day with a friend. 🎉

We had a great hike with friends and the kids enjoyed getting into the creek. Now I’m off to our local farm/outdoor store for my dd13 to buy stuff for chickens. Also, a quick grocery trip and then out to see my parents are on the agenda. The fun never stops! 😝

Yes to Timothy Dalton!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 🤣 Anne of Green Gables ❣️❣️❣️❣️ Anne of Avonlea ❣️❣️❣️❣️ You’ve Got Mail ❣️❣️❣️ Imitation of Life 😭

✅I flaked yesterday because we went on a little family adventure by way of a road trip. It was an exhausting day! Managing my four children, two of which have some extreme anxiety issues (and are TEENAGE GIRLS! 😅) was taxing to say the least. Add into that my own anxiety (which I am managing but still spikes periodically), and whew! I was pretty much a zombie by the time we got home. I’ve made the executive decision to not do school with my boys today. I have SUCH a hard time when dh is off work—do I try to maintain some semblance of our schedule? Do I just call it all off? My “good homeschool mama” nature says keep up the schedule; my “I must stay sane” nature says give it up! So today I’m choosing sanity and getting dh to help me do some cleaning out in our library in anticipation of a trunk sale next week at co op. I have SO MUCH homeschool stuff that needs to go! We do have a hike this afternoon with friends, so there is that. Today: coffee/reading✅ Shower✅ go through books and curriculum in the basement to fill a few boxes for the sale (ongoing—filled two boxes already—I have a LOT of stuff!) lunch✅ hike✅ visit my parents while dh takes ds8 to soccer practice laundry, of course

I just started using the face wash from Trader Joe’s which I saw recommended here. I really like it!

Sleep

Woo hoo! I’m at Starbucks with my laptop and books, working on my blog and enjoying tr relative quiet! 🎉. I texted my parents and they’re good, so I can skip going out to check on them tonight. Before Starbucks, I went to a local shoe store and bought myself a pair of Birkenstocks and a pair of Teva leather sandals. This is something of a splurge but also needed. I tend to buy pricey shoes and wear them until they’re completely worn out.

I haven’t actually read this one (so I can’t 100% vouch for it), but I purchased Eugene Peterson’s Every Step an Arrival for dmil’s birthday. I had been reading Peterson’s A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, which I LOVE, and thought I couldn’t go wrong with something by him. He also has a praying-through-the-Psalms book. I also like Keller’s psalms book.

I know the sense of relief this brings and I wish for you all a very smooth transition!

Amen!

Update—school? What’s that? 😝 SOmetimes I’m amazed that we ever accomplish anything! Dd14’s counseling session went well as far as I can tell. She is seeing a counselor we’ve used for several years who also saw my other dd who has OCD and I have also been to. Dd14 is a bit teary now, which is unusual for her, but not an unusual after-effect of counseling.

Just wanted to say that you mamas are rockstars! Seriously. You do SO MUCH and are keeping it together. Way to go! 👊🏼

Crazy day here up/showered/dressed ✅ coffee/read/prep lessons for dh to do with boys ✅ (let dh figure out the math lesson 👊🏼; spent rest of time discussing redoing the boys’ bedroom) nag girls about school dd14 to counselor (huge anxiety issues—first visit 🙏🏼)✅ home for lunch✅ (Eat RX Bar in van ) head to funeral for friend’s grandfather about an hour away✅ back home to finish up school (?)✅ visit mom and dad? supper whatever else gets done housekeeping wise I’d Love to sneak away for a bit for some quiet time/reading/writing, but we shall see. ✅