Home. Today was my last day of co-op - it was my 2nd Graders, and some of them I've had for 3 years (and now they leave me for the 3rd Grade teachers if they return to our co-op; a lot of kids go elsewhere after my classes......). Waaah!!! My least favorite day of the year, though I got some great notes. ❤️ @mom31257, so glad your sister is home!!!! the rest of today is "put away all the stuff" (sooo thankful for my cabinet at school!!! I didn't have to bring home *everything* this year!), eat dinner (baked potatoes w/leftover taco chicken on top), take DS to church, go to the grocery store/hang out with DH, come home, veg out. Happy Weds!

My kids are old 😉 The 22 yr old runs a game for some friends, part online, part local. It includes my youngest, who's just turned 18 in Feb, as well as some of youngest's friends from church (they are 14 and 16), and some of Middle's friends (two 19 yr olds and another 22 yr old). We're going to be doing a game as a family this summer.......should be interesting. Only the 2 youngest actually play regularly, but Middle has roped us all into it for a mini-session he wants to do.

@ScoutTN - your summer cooking plan is genius. @hjffkj - I hope the back feels better soon. Also, I've been wanting to ask, how often, and for how long each time, does your kiddo play D&D? (ours are down to once every other week, but for about 5 or so hours at a time; they'd like it more often & longer....) @SKL - I think it's normal to feel the stress you feel re: the kids; my DH is very much the same way (still, and the "kids" are older), I am not. How I arrived there.....I'm not sure. I think a lot is how we're all wired. But you aren't wrong to want to let go of that - I think it's good to learn to separate ourselves from their stress. *how* to do so......I wish I knew and could explain it, it would help my DH a lot if I could.

Rice is cooking to go with dinner. Everything but refrigerated stuff is packed & ready for tomorrow. Laundry is put away. I have a plan of what I want to work on/do while hanging out at the coffee shop w/DH (while Middle does his exam) - and a back-up plan.

folded the laundry - need to put mine away did school with DS -- his chem teacher did a ton in class, so we had a few to finish and then I had him walk me through the extra problems to make sure he knows his stuff (he does), so he's reviewing the rules for this module on his own, my part is done decided on fencing - DH & I will take Middle to his final, I'll throw some food in the crockpot for the kids to eat while here and we'll eat when we get home, we'll skip fencing and come home after the final -- we'll stop by the grocery store on the way home checking my list to see what else I need to do before we go out

Home from the doctor; it's storming like crazy so I did not stop at the store - we'll figure out lemonade some other way. Did get the stuff printed off for school, so that's done.

Okay, my list for today ...coffee ...prep for 2nd Grade -- need to gather the info on history of stuffed animals for them ...doctor's appt ...stop at the store on the way home, get lemonade for tomorrow and more forks too stormy, will make do with something from here ...decide on dinner for tonight, prep that figured it out - sandwiches/beans from various leftovers ...fold clothes/put away clothes ...school with DS - wrap up his chemistry stuff ...decide who is all going with DH to take Middle for his final -- all, and then the kids hang out while we fence? Skip fencing? Not sure ...go to the final (or not), and fencing (or not) ...veg out, go to bed on time

just starting us off...

Done with fruit kebabs. They are mini ones, so I made 250 -- 100 for K, 150 for 1st grade, b/c with parents/siblings, that allows 5 per person for each group. Thankfully my HEB had blueberries super marked down ($1.80 for an 18 oz container). I *think* that's all the prep I can/need to do tonight, other than get the wagon and load up the non-refrigerator things. Going to eat something, watch some TV (DH is working in the yard), and will do that later.

MIL's visit was good; I headed back for a 2nd nap just before she left, as I must kick this "trying to be a migraine" before tomorrow. Dumb weather - it's been thundering and such but no rain; I'm sure it's the pressure change causing the headache. Got up, DH had started my chicken in the crockpot for tomorrow (yay!), so I got the school things organized -- did the cutting out for Kindergarten, packed all the stuff for class time for all 3 classes (mon/weds), and I already packed the stuff for party time, so that's all set. Next up (well, probably later tonight since it involves cut fruit), make the little fruit kebabs, and the lemonade concentrate/simple syrup for making lemonade at school (I'm going to do the lemon juice/sugar mixture, pack that, take our big orange 5 gallon water dispenser thing, and mix the lemonade at school with water from the water fountain). I'll assemble the corn/bean mixture in the little crockpot at school. I should grab the wagon and load all the non-refrigerated things into it....

Cleaned the closet, sort of -- I moved the piles of papers to a box, to be dealt with later. Migraine-fighting is not the time for that chore. Got some of the school stuff packed and ready; MIL arrives shortly, so stopping here for now.

Okay, I counted what's in my closet. I have 160 hanging items -- that includes dressy-dresses, hoodies/jackets, nice skirts, college sweatshirts/t-shirts from my kids' colleges, pants, workout clothes, etc. Also, it is TX, where we have all seasons, sometimes all in one day (and often all in one week - in Dec it's not unheard of to have 20s one day and 70s the next.....). I'm still purging, and that doesn't count shorts or pajamas. Some things I can't purge until I get the replacement - so, for ex, there are 2-3 pair of pants that will go away when I get the wool blend pants I want to replace them with. I will spend some time this summer going through the dressy-dresses and skirts and trying on, seeing which ones I can purge. things like that. The things I've been purging, I've donated to the local Goodwill &/or the local thrift shop that supports the women's shelter, and those normally do not end up in landfills, hopefully.

Took the first nap tidied up some of my school mess so the house is presentable-ish when MIL gets here (DH sweetly said "your mess can stay, it's alright...") Adding "clean the closet" b/c I'll need to anyway to reach the various bags/bins/rolly carts I'll need to pack everything for school tomorrow, so heading to do that.....

Oh, I should count! I've been on a path lately of adding sustainable, not fast fashion garments and donating/purging the stuff I don't wear, don't like, etc. so I know it's significantly less than it was, but probably not yet down to 74 items.... I have "clean the closet" on my list for today....I'll count and update later.

Tackling and napping here too. Have done already: ...coffee ...grocery store ...caught up all my school receipts for my records Still need to: ....nap ...lunch w/MIL (coming over to help us make use of the leftovers from the Friday work party) ...prep the food for my class party tomorrow (chx in crock pot, make simple syrup for lemonade to fill at school, make fruit kebabs) ...pack all my school stuff into how it will travel w/me tomorrow ...wash my wool stuff so I can wear my comfy dress tomorrow ...did I mention nap??? the weather here is rainy and gross and causing a migraine; I've taken meds, hopefully that knocks it out ...should there be any leftover time, try to sew?????? ...veg out, watch TV, go to bed on time

Party is on - everyone decided (with input from the colleague who has to miss) that it was better to keep it tonight than reschedule. Whew. Everything is ready, now we wait. @ScoutTN - that made me tear up. I continue to pray for your family, your church family, and all the families impacted by such a horrible event. I'm glad you were able to see signs of healing & hope before they get covered by the new paint and carpet. And I'm glad you didn't go when it was still awful.

DH's work party is cancelled/postponed -- one of his co-workers had to leave work early & go home, due to a family emergency. The kids are over for DS's get together. Taking a brief nap while they are all occupied together and then will head upstairs to chaperone better later.

finished school with DS DH is at the store; everything is ready until he starts cooking

Okay, I got all of the last day stuff prepped & ready; I"m going to put it all in one folder, organized, ready (it's all just copies for me, nothing to send home with kids) and keep it as the "last day of the year" folder so it's just ready to go from here on out. Need to eat something and see what school DS needs to do before his friends come over.

Good morning! Today is going to be crazy. DH invited his co-workers for a Cinco de Mayo party tonight, so that's the main thing, but also DS is having friends over during the day, and Middle has an appt in the afternoon. So, my schedule is wonky. Already done: - tidy up all the downstairs area - done To do: -coffee -take trash out -assist DH w/whatever cooking he wants help with -answer some emails -- a mom I met with, who has a kid turning 4 & wanted to put him in K, I offered @ home K4 instead; she wrote back, wants to do it, has 2 friends interested in joining if I'm okay making it a small group instead -- YES. Need to work out the per person cost for that and email her back -prep for the class portion of Monday/Weds next week (will save party prep for the weekend) -get my class stuff packed to take (rearrange things, etc., so it's minimal) -do some school with DS before his friends come over -tidy my closet b/c it's driving me bonkers -when his friends are here, find things to do upstairs so I can chaperone (quilt? work on school stuff/party stuff in my sewing room? etc...) -take Middle to his appt -come home, decorate for the party (DH will be taking kids home during the appt) -finish any other last minute things for the party -have the party, have fun, kick everyone out at a reasonable time, go to bed It should be fun, just lots to do

home and had a nap. Whew. Grandma seems to be doing really well, thank goodness. Also, I scored a stunner of a dress for my niece's wedding, at the really good resale shop -- it was $30, everything was half off, but for some reason this dress was 75% off, so $8 once we added tax, and really could not be any more perfect a dress for the particular wedding - I'm so excited! I have shoes & a shawl already for it. (the wedding is the end of May).

That is amazing! And incredible! Way to go, Quill!!

Okay, heading out...got a few things done here that needed doing first, and set DS up with his "work on school" list for while I'm gone.

Praying for them; keep us posted as you can.

good morning! Praying for your sister & BIL, Amy; I hope she's able to get the healing care she needs. I'm taking the day off today and going to visit my grandma - my aunt was with her for a week (she's about 3 weeks out now from the fall/fracture in her neck), and left on Monday; Grandma's been solo since (well, plenty of visitors checking on her). So, just want to get down there, put eyes on her myself, make sure she's doing well, etc. Will leave here about 9-ish (once rush hour traffic clears), visit my mom, do some shopping (quilt shop/fabric shop, and a really great resale shop), visit grandma, come home. DH gave me the go-ahead to stop at Costco for a quick, easy meal for tonight as he will also be gone all day today. So: ...coffee ...dress, gather stuff ...text mom, figure out what to do when ...go visit mom/grandma ...come home, get Costco dinner ...nap??? ...cook, eat, go to fencing ...come home, go to bed