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Monday, August 31, 2020

Our Week - The One with Quarantine, Week 24 (An Unexpected Back Surgery… Sigh)

Well, in keeping with the 2020 spirit, last week threw us yet another curveball.  Brian finally saw a neurologist about the back pain he’s been having these last few weeks, and he ended up having to have immediate back surgery… like in the same week he saw the doctor.  It was obviously not something we had planned for in advance, so that threw a bit of a wrench in our week to say the least. 

However, if there’s anything that these last couple of years have taught us, it’s that you have to roll with the punches, get back up every time you get knocked down, and all that.  We’re practically pros at this after all of the things 2019 and 2020 have thrown at us.  Fortunately, we received a lot of answered prayers this week and we’re feeling much better heading into the new week.

Here’s the recap.

Monday, August 24 (Day 164 of Quarantine)

I should have known on Monday that the week was going to be a tough one after we received several different pieces of bad news all back-to-back-to-back.  All of the news was about people who are very close to us, so it was just a lot to take in first thing on a Monday. 

The good news is that one of the things has since resolved with a happy ending, and we’re praying the other two do, as well.  I won’t go into details here for the privacy of others, but I will say that one of the pieces of news we received is that one of our close family members tested positive for Covid on Monday.  Thankfully, this person has been asymptomatic so far, so we are praying it stays that way.  And no, it’s not Brian, Jacob, Olivia, or myself.

I started the day getting in a quick shopping trip at Walmart right after I dropped off the kids.  We’d been needing a few items that are easiest to grab in the store, so I swung by there at 7:45 AM after I dropped off the kids.  I pretty much had the place to myself aside from the employees, and that’s always a relief in these Covid times.

One of my girlfriends from bible study just happened to be there the same time I was, so we stood outside chatting in the parking lot for a while catching up.  It was really nice to see her… I’ve literally seen none of my friends these last five months in person aside from seeing my girlfriend at curbside pickup at the library once.  I miss all of them so much.

I stopped by Publix after that to do our grocery shopping for the next two weeks, and then I headed back home to unload everything and do some work.

Brian had his appointment with the neurologist Monday morning, and the neurologist did not like what he was seeing, so he scheduled B for an MRI immediately (like, that same day).  He then told B he would see him back in his office first thing Wednesday morning to go over the results and then they would go from there.

While he was getting his MRI, I stopped by my friend, Amanda’s house, to grab the painting of Maui that she had done for us.  It turned out soooo good, and I just love it so much!


After that it was car line to grab the kids, and then home for snacks, homework, dishes, dinner prep, and putting away the remaining groceries that I hadn’t put away earlier that morning.  Jacob was supposed to have had baseball practice Monday evening, but it was canceled due to the rain, so we spent the rest of the evening in.

Once the kids were in bed, I was able to squeeze in some time on the stair stepper and also do some light weight-lifting while we watched a couple more episodes of Schitt’s Creek.

Tuesday, August 25 (Day 165 of Quarantine)

Tuesday morning after I dropped the kids at school, I went for a run.  I made it two miles before my SI joints started screaming at me, so it ended up being a quick workout, which was good anyway since I had to run to Fresh Market for chicken.


While I was there, I noticed that they had a big display with aaaallll the fall goodies, so I grabbed some maple cookies for me and candy corn gummies for the kids.  I was sad to see that they didn’t have any pumpkin stuff, but the maple cookies are almost as delicious as pumpkin ones!


The rest of the day was spent working, picking up the kids, and getting homework done, and then B took Jacob to baseball practice.  It ended up running late, so we didn’t sit down to eat dinner until almost 7:45 and then we were in a rush to get everything cleaned up, get the kids ready for bed, and get them into bed.

Tuesday evening, our city was moved to the yellow zone for Covid by the White House Covid Task Force, so that was great news considering we’ve been sitting in the red zone for so long.  Baby steps, y’all!  More people are wearing masks now, so I’m sure that probably has something to do with it.

Wednesday, August 26 (Day 166 of Quarantine)

Wednesday morning, after I dropped the kids at school, I headed straight to Starbucks to get my first pumpkin spice latte of the season!  They were actually released on Tuesday, but somehow, I missed the memo, so Wednesday it was.  It was pure bliss and it got me totally pumped up for fall!

Wednesday morning, B had his follow-up with the neurologist and the doctor told him that the MRI showed that he had a ruptured disc and that he needed surgery.  Without the surgery, there was a 99% chance that Brian would eventually have a dead foot, so the doctor told B he needed to have the surgery the next day.  Sigh.  Obviously, we weren’t prepared for back surgery last week, but we did what we had to do to make it work. 

B spent the rest of the day doing pre-op at the hospital while I took care of the kids and called everyone in our “village” to ask for their prayers and to be on standby in case we needed help with school drop-off or pickup.  Then we had a taco night at home complete with margaritas because we both needed a drink.  Lol.  Goodness gracious, 2020.



In other GOOD news, though, my brother who works for NASA aced his engineering exam and is now officially a NASA Flight Controller.  We are so proud of him!

Thursday, August 27 (Day 167 of Quarantine)

Because of Covid, I wasn’t allowed to go with Brian to the hospital, and we also didn’t want to risk having any of the grandparents take care of the kids (because potential Covid germs since they’re in school) so he just drove himself there.  He had to be there at 5:30 AM and he was third in line which meant his surgery would start around 9:30 AM as long as everything went well.

I got the kids up and dressed and off to school and then I spent the morning working on blog posts and listening to my favorite morning show to take my mind off of things.  Brian had to turn his phone off and hand it over to the nurse to be locked up around 7:30 AM so I was completely in the dark after that.

It was tough not being able to be there with him at the hospital and not being able to know what was going on every step of the way, but thankfully, the doctor called me himself just after 10 AM to let me know that everything had gone perfectly.  He told me that Brian’s rupture was “huge,” and he even joked around that Brian must’ve not been very fun to live with these past few weeks because of the pain he was probably in.  Haha.

Just for the record, Brian hasn’t complained at all.  He never complains about anything.  It’s just not in his nature.  So, while I could tell some of the time that he’s been in pain, he never once actually complained about it. 

Also, for the record, I complain all the time about everything.  I can’t believe he actually puts up with me.  Lol.

The nurse called me just after noon to tell me he was being released, so I picked him up and got him home.  The drive home for me was nerve-wracking… I was driving like a little old lady to ensure I didn’t jostle him too much.  It reminded me of both times B and I had to take the kids home from the hospital when they were newborns.  Terrifying.  Haha. 

I got him settled in on the couch at home and then I stepped back out to drop off his painkiller prescription.  They weren’t able to fill it right away, so I ran back home to hang out with him for a bit longer before it was time to leave again and grab the kids from school.  We swung by and picked up the prescription on the way back home, and then we were able to be settled in for the rest of the evening.  I didn’t really like leaving B home alone even though he insisted he was fine.  Check out those sexy compression socks!


B was up and moving about throughout the afternoon, and he even sat at the table with us for dinner.  My parents were kind enough to go to the hospital and pick up our car to bring back to our house since B had to leave it there after his surgery.  And Maui stayed right by his side because she was mad at him for taking over her spot on the couch.  Lol.



We were all exhausted from the day, so after the kids got into the bed, B and I watched one episode of Schitt’s Creek and then we were in the bed, lights out by nine.  That might be the earliest ever.  Haha.

Friday, August 28 (Day 168 of Quarantine)

Friday morning, I got the kids up and off to school and then squeezed in a two-mile walk.  B was up and moving about before the kids and I ever left for school, and he woke up virtually pain-free.


My daddy came over around 9 to mow our yard to help out since B won’t be able to do it for a while.  I don’t know what we’d do without our village right now!  We are so thankful for them.

B did really well all day, alternating between laying on the couch and walking around the house.  I alternated between working in my office and spending time with him downstairs, and later in the afternoon, I pulled out all of the fall decorations and started putting them out!!!!  WOOOOT.



Friday afternoon, we got some fantastic news from our school… as of the end of the third week of in-person school, they are reporting ZERO known positive Covid cases for all students, faculty, and staff.  GREAT NEWS!  We are praying every single day that it stays this way. 

The rest of the day was spent picking up the kids, doing some more decorating, and picking up Five Guys for dinner, and then we watched Dennis the Menace for Friday family movie night.  Did y’all ever see that version that came out in 1993??  It is so dang cute and funny, and it was always one of my faves growing up.  That was the first time we’ve shown it to the kids, and they loved it.  It had been a long time since I’d seen it, but I still remembered numerous quotes from it because I watched it so much as a child.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched the new Netflix movie, Desperados.  Just like most of the movies we’ve watched recently, it was cute and had some funny parts, but it wasn’t great.  I thought a lot of the humor fell flat, but if you’re looking for some mindless entertainment, it’s watchable.

Saturday, August 29 (Day 169 of Quarantine)

Saturday, I made homemade waffles for breakfast as always, but this time I busted out the Halloween sprinkles for the kids!  They were soooo excited.  They get it from their momma!  ‘Tis the season!

After breakfast, I emptied the dishwasher that I’d neglected on Friday, emptied the kids’ bookbags and lunchboxes and got them in the washing machine (because germs), did some laundry, and tidied up the house for a bit before squeezing in a cardio workout.  Jacob had to be at baseball practice at 12:30, so we ate a super early lunch and then he and I headed to the park.

They’re not allowing spectators at practices right now to help prevent the spread of germs, so I sat in the car and read for an hour and a half while he played.  It was cloudy and only about 86 degrees, plus the awful humidity that’s been hanging around the last couple of weeks finally subsided to 60%, so I was able to sit in there with the windows rolled down and the engine off.  There was a nice breeze and it was quite pleasant.


The rest of the day was spent video gaming, working, grabbing pizza to-go from our favorite place, and catching up on AGT.  B and I also watched some of the first college football game of the season even though it was two tiny teams who aren’t even in our conference.  #DesperateTimes  Our conference delayed the start of the season by a few weeks, so it’s just something to hold us over until our season (hopefully) begins.

Sunday, August 30 (Day 170 of Quarantine)

Sunday morning was cinnamon rolls and church, and then I spent the rest of the morning decorating the house for fall while the kids played and did homework.  After lunch, it was more decorating, and then I finally sat down and did some work later in the afternoon.  I thought about posting a couple of pictures of the décor today, but I didn’t want to spoil it… the full house tour will be on the blog in September so stay tuned!

Sunday evening, we had another #SundayCharcuterie, and it was an extra delicious one since I’d just loaded up on goodies from Fresh Market.  I found some Maple Bacon Onion jam, and oh my gosh, it was pure heaven.  Just look at that beautiful board!



B and I opened a bottle of wine to accompany our board, and then after dinner, we got out for a short walk… B’s first one outside since his surgery.

As of this morning he’s still doing wonderfully, and we’re praying that the surgery has fixed his issues for good… we probably won’t know for a few more weeks as he continues to heal, so only time will tell.

On another note, please continue to pray for my cousin who has been struggling with Covid for two and a half weeks now.  This weekend she was rushed to the emergency room via ambulance again, this time because her leg stopped functioning and her foot turned purple.  They found multiple blood clots in her leg, and we are grateful that the clots were caught before any serious damage was done.  She is also still suffering from vertigo, nausea and vomiting, and terrible headaches, and she has lost a ton of weight, so she still has a long road of healing ahead of her.  She is young, only a couple of years older than me, so this has been scary for our family.  We would truly appreciate all of your prayers.

Happy Monday, y’all.  I wish you the best start to your week!

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Friday, August 28, 2020

Five on Friday - New Artwork, Great Dress, and Fall Things

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Happy Friday, y’all.  We received several different pieces of not-so-good news on Monday followed by some bad news on Wednesday, so this week I've been a bit anxious.  I like to keep these Friday posts light and happy, though, so I’m not going to get into the particulars right now, and instead, I’m just going to focus on some of my favorites from the week like I always do!

O N E – PSLs are Back!

I’ve been praying all year that somehow, some way, fall is going to be the turning point in 2020.  September through December has always been my favorite time of the year, so I’m hoping that these months will provide a little bit of much-needed normalcy for us, and help us to salvage this weird, wild, wacky year.      

I always associate the release of the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte with the unofficial start of fall, so when they announced this past Tuesday that it was back, I was ecstatic.  I actually didn’t find out about it until later in the day of the release, so I wasn’t able to get one that day, but you better believe I was there bright and early Wednesday morning to enjoy my first one of the season.

That first sip each fall is always heaven, and it sure lifted my spirits and got me excited for things to come.  I’m hoping to decorate the house for fall this weekend, so it was just the thing I needed to get me in the mood since the weather here is not exactly screaming fall. 




T W O – Maple Crème Cookies

I had to go to Fresh Market on Tuesday to pick up some chicken, and while I was there, their fall endcap caught my eye!  Much to my dismay, they didn’t have any pumpkin goodies, but they did have these maple crème cookies.  I loooove maple, so I threw them in my cart and I’m so glad I did.  They are the perfect treat to accompany my morning cup of hot cinnamon tea.




T H R E E – Painting of Maui

My friend, Amanda, is a very talented artist, and she did the sweetest painting of Maui for us this week.  I’m head over heels for it and I know I’ll treasure it forever.  I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect frame for it, and once it’s framed and hung, I’ll be sure to share it again. 

Amanda just started an Instagram account for her art @amandadavenport_art, so you can follow her there for beautiful floral works, doggie portraits, and other stuff.  She does have several pieces available for purchase and she also does commissions if you are in need of a custom piece of art. 



  
F O U R – Amazon Dress

I dedicated an entire post to this pink Amazon dress on Wednesday because I love it so much!  It’s only $24.99 and it is incredibly versatile, which was why I was drawn to it in the first place.  I styled it five different ways for hot and cold weather, and you can see all of the details here if you missed it.




F I V E – Date-iversary

Finally, today is B's and my 17-year date-iversary!  I cannot believe it's been that long, y'all.  I remember the day like it was just yesterday and it's hard to believe we've been together that long.  Just for kicks, here's an old picture... this one was taken three months to the day after we started dating.




Friday Funnies

Listen up, kids!

But seriously, though


This would be funny if I wasn't scared we'll all end up watching Big Bang reruns...

Already did.

On the Blog This Week





Happy Friday, y’all! 

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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

One Affordable Amazon Dress Styled Five Different Ways

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I received a few Amazon gift cards for my birthday, and this dress was one of the first things I purchased.  It had been on my wish list for quite some time, and I have to say, it didn’t disappoint. 

The dress is well-made and soft, and the empire waist is stretchy which makes it soooo comfortable.  The fabric is a single layer so it’s breathable and cool for summertime, but it’s substantial enough that there’s no need to wear a tank or slip underneath. 

It’s incredibly versatile which is why I was so drawn to it in the first place, and today I’m sharing five looks that I created with it… it’s as easy as changing your shoes and accessories!

O N E  Casual Day Out

For the first look, I paired it with some flat-studded sandals and a bamboo purse for a casual spring or summer day out.






T W O  Date Night

For the second look, I paired it with some brown wedges and a straw pom-pom bag to dress it up a bit… this look would be perfect for a date night!






T H R E E  Busy Day of Running Errands

For the third look, I paired it with my Converse sneakers that I love so much and a cross-body bag… perfect for a busy day of errand-running or watching your kids play sports.





F O U R  Transitioning to Fall

For the fourth look, I paired it with a long cardigan and open-toe booties which is perfect for a crisp fall day!

Ruffle Purse sold out




And on those days that start out cold and end up hot, all you have to do is ditch the cardi and you’re good to go!






F I V E  Winter 

And finally, for my final (and favorite) look, I paired it with a long striped cardigan and boots... perfect for the colder winter days!





This dress comes in seven different colors including army green, black, navy, burgundy, gray, pink, and coral and it’s only $24.95.  There is also a long-sleeve version available in the same listing, and it comes in lots of different colors as well.

For reference, I’m 5’5” and I ordered a small.  The dress hit perfectly, 2-3 inches above my knee when I received it, but after accidentally throwing it in the dryer, it did shrink about an inch or so in length, which is why it now hits about 3-4 inches above my knee.  All of these pictures were taken after it shrunk, so it was longer than this when I first received it.  I just wanted to make everyone aware that it will shrink, so it’s probably best to air dry it.  Here's a close-up of the length!


It’s probably one of my favorite dresses that I’ve ever gotten from Amazon and I’d love to have it in one of the fall-ish colors as well… now I just need a place to wear it!


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Monday, August 24, 2020

Our Week - The One with Quarantine, Week 23 (Jacob’s Well Visit and Baseball)

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hello and happy Monday, y’all!  The kids had a great second week back at school, and this past week we added baseball to the mix.  Ready for the recap?  Let’s go!

Monday, August 17 (Day 157 of Quarantine)

Monday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I got in three miles around the neighborhood.  My gym has reopened, but I’m still not going because I don’t like the idea of being indoors with other people who are working out and breathing hard and stuff.  Yuck.  I think my gym is requiring masks at this time (which is great), but I still don’t feel comfortable being there just yet.  So for now, it’s long, hot, sweaty walks around our neighborhood.  Our neighborhood is huge so I can easily get in 3-4 miles without walking the same route twice, so it’s easy to change it up if I get bored.  Now if only the weather would cool down a bit…



After my walk, I got showered and then spent the rest of the day working until it was time to pick up the kids from school.

The kids’ school hosts parent nights for each of the grades at the beginning of each school year, and we typically attend in-person and the teacher tells us what to expect for the upcoming school year.  This year, however, they had to host the parent nights via Zoom to prevent the spread of germs, so I hopped on to Zoom at 5:30 for Olivia’s parent night.  Olivia’s teacher is new this year, and she seems great, so we’re feeling confident that it’s going to be a great first grade year!

We popped a freezer pizza in the oven for dinner after my meeting, and the rest of the evening was spent hanging out, getting the kiddos in bed, and watching TV.

Tuesday, August 18 (Day 158 of Quarantine)

Tuesday after I dropped the kids, I spent the whole day working and getting caught up on “life” stuff.  I paid a few bills, filed some paperwork, made a couple of phone calls, updated the school notes spreadsheet that I keep on our bulletin board in the mudroom, and updated my daily and weekly to-do lists with the new tasks that needed to be included for the new school year (like washing and packing masks every day for the kids – something I never thought I’d have to worry about). 

Time flew by in a blink, and before I knew it, it was time to head to the school and get in the car line.  I don’t want to jinx myself, but so far, the car line this year is going much faster than any other year, and most days we’ve been getting home 10-20 minutes earlier than we used to!  It’s crazy!  There are several reasons why it’s likely faster – for one, dismissal times are staggered 10 minutes apart this year which means the car line starts moving 10 minutes earlier, second of all, teachers aren’t buckling students anymore (to prevent the spread of germs) which, I’m sure, saves a lot of time, and finally, some of the students chose the virtual learning option which means there are fewer students physically at school, and therefore, there are fewer cars in the pick-up line.  I have to say, it’s been really nice!  My round trip used to take at least an hour, and this year it’s been taking around 40-50 minutes.

Tuesday evening, we had a doctor’s appointment, baseball practice, and another parent meeting plus homework and dinner and showers, so the rest of the day was a whirlwind.  After picking up the kids, we ran straight home to get them snacked and changed, and then Jacob and I had to be at the doctor’s office by 4:20 for his nine-year well-visit with his pediatrician.  His appointment went well, and his doctor was able to put my mind at ease a little about the kids being back at school in-person and Jacob returning to baseball.



Jacob had his first baseball practice since March on Tuesday at 5:30, so B and Olivia were waiting for us in the doctor’s office parking lot so B could get Jacob to baseball on time.  His little league is not allowing spectators at practices, so Olivia and I went back home while B dropped Jacob and then hung out in his vehicle/at the park. 

Our little league decided to keep all of the spring teams together to play again this fall, since we weren’t able to finish our season, so Jacob has the same coach and the same kids on his team as he did in the spring, which is great.  That also means that he’ll finally get to use that baseball uniform that we paid for in the spring that he only got to wear once.  Lol.

The decision to let him return to baseball was another tough one as y’all can probably imagine, but our little league sent out their Covid protocol prior to the start of the season, and they have tons of rules in place to keep the kids as safe as they possibly can, so we ultimately decided to let him play again.  Since it’s outside and there’s hardly any contact in the sport, that made us feel a bit better about it, too. 

Their requirements are all very thorough, including sanitizing dugouts twice in between games, requiring all spectators at games to social distance (bleachers are off limits), requiring the kids to social distance in/by the dugout when their team is at bat, not letting the kids share equipment, not letting the kids use sunflower seeds or gum or anything else that requires “spitting” (haha), and requiring the kids to “tip their hats” at one another after games instead of the dreaded handshaking/high fives.  They’ve thought of pretty much everything!

The one thing they aren’t doing, though, is requiring masks.  I am a HUGE mask advocate, but I was actually okay with this decision because I would worry about the kids smothering in masks in the 95 degree temps and humidity.  I can’t even imagine how miserable it would be if they had to wear masks in this heat.  I talked to our pediatrician specifically about that, and he said since they play outside and since the kids will be spaced out, it shouldn’t be a problem.  Of course, the risk is always there, but he said in this case, the risk is lower than the benefits of letting him do what he loves.

While the boys were at baseball, Olivia and I played a game of Hoot, Owl, Hoot, and then I had Jacob’s parent night Zoom meeting at 6:30.  We love his teacher this year and she is soooo organized so it’s going to be another great year for him, too!  She is already fully prepared in case we have to pivot to distance learning again, and she’s already made sure each child is set up with a school Gmail account and an online account to access our school’s library, as well as several other accounts that may be helpful. 

She has also distributed several handouts to the kids with tips/tricks and other notes that they’ll need to have throughout the year for their different subjects.  She said that there are lots of different things that she has hanging around the classroom that are helpful to the kids this year, and she wanted them to be able to have access to those things at home in case there ever comes a point where they can’t return to the classroom.  As always, our school never ceases to amaze me… all of the teachers and administrators continuously go the extra mile to ensure our kids have everything they need to be successful.

Just as I was wrapping up my meeting, Brian and Jacob were walking in the door with Chick-Fil-A in hand.  Busy days like these call for takeout!!  Jacob was bubbling with excitement because he had ROCKED his baseball practice.  At the end of each practice, their coach plays a game called 3, 2, 1 with them.  Each kid gets three pitches in the first round, and as long as they hit at least one of them they stay in the game.  In the second round, each kid gets two pitches, and as long as they hit one of them, they stay in the game.  Then in the last round, each kid gets one pitch, and they keep going round and round with one pitch each until one kid is left standing… that kid is the winner.  Jacob won the game that evening!!!!  It was his first time winning it (even though he’s been close a couple of times), and we were just so proud of him.  Brian said his coach specifically talked about how well Jacob had done at practice during his talk at the end of practice.  I guess all of that wiffle ball we’ve been playing in quarantine has paid off.  Lol. 

Because of baseball practice, we had a late dinner, so the kids ended up getting in the bed a little later than usual.  By the time we got them in the bed, I was exhausted.  We haven’t had a day that busy since March, y’all!

Wednesday, August 19 (Day 159 of Quarantine)

Wednesday morning, I walked another three miles after I dropped the kids, and then I spent the day shopping the Nordstrom sale and working.  I was able to get a couple of things that I wanted from the sale, but pretty much everything I had my eye on was sold out.  Oh well.  If you’re in the same boat, feel free to check out this post that I wrote last week… I found so many lookalikes on Amazon for NSale items, and all of them are way less expensive, too!



Wednesday evening, Jacob had practice again from 5:30-7 and B whisked him over to the park while Olivia and I stayed home and cooked dinner.  One thing I am loving about this quarantine is that B is working from home which means that he can take Jacob to all of his practices now and I don’t even have to leave the house. 

When he was working in the office, I’d have to drive Jacob to practice, B would leave work and meet us there, and then Olivia and I would drive back home.  The league we have him in is on the complete opposite side of town from where we live, so it can be quite a long drive during rush hour due to all of the traffic.  It’s nice to not have to drive back-and-forth as much now, and it’s definitely saving us lots of money on gas, too!

I had dinner on the table when the boys walked back in the door at 7:15 and then we had a quick dinner followed by showers and bedtime for the kiddos.

Wednesday evening, the kids' school posted some shots of artwork made by the fourth graders, and I spied this one by Jacob.  So stinking cute, y'all!  Just look how sweet his self portrait is!



B and I watched another episode of West World, and after that episode (three I think?) I think I might bow out.  It is so weird and hard to follow… and kind of boring, too.  The wild, wild west does nothing for me, y’all.  I may keep trying, but goodness, I don’t see it lasting.

Thursday, August 20 (Day 160 of Quarantine)

Thursday, I worked again all day.  I’m still getting caught up on behind-the-scenes stuff for the blog and it’s going to take forever.  This year I had wanted to start looking into redesigning the whole thing, but that’s not going to happen!  That’ll be a lengthy process, I’m sure, and with school in constant limbo for the kids, I just never know what tomorrow is going to bring.  I could be required to turn back into a homeschool teacher at any moment.  Please, do not let that be the case, though.



Thursday evening, we had nothing going on for the first time all week, so we made breakfast for dinner, spent a few minutes outside, and then all vegged out on the couch to watch some of America’s Got Talent from earlier in the week.  It rained some of the evening and it was nice and cozy and gave me all the fall vibes for which I’m so eager.

B and I decided to try Schitt’s Creek again that evening because we’re desperate for something to watch.  Everyone I know raves about it, but the first time we tried to watch it, neither of us thought it was all that great.  We ended up watching four episodes Thursday evening (they’re short) and I laughed way more than I remember laughing the first time we tried it, so I guess we’ll probably stick with it this time and see what we think.  I do love that it’s six seasons, so we’ll have something that we can watch for a while if we decide to continue with it.  I hate starting a new show, only to find out it’s one season with 10 episodes.  Just as soon as you start it, it’s over, and then you’re back to square one with nothing to watch.  Lol.

Friday, August 21 (Day 161 of Quarantine)

Friday morning, I got out for another walk and then I spent the rest of the day working and relaxing a bit.  I had some reflux issues throughout the day, so I wasn’t feeling my best, but by the evening I was back to feeling much better.



Our mayor finally issued a city-wide mask mandate on Friday, which I found to be interesting, now that the Covid cases are supposedly going down.  Seems like it would have been smart to do that months ago.  <eyeroll>  But anyway, I’m glad it’s finally done even though now we have to put up with everyone’s whining on Facebook.  If my kids can wear one for eight hours a day at school without a complaint, then y’all can wear one to Walmart for 30 minutes.  #WearAMask

I grabbed the kids from school at 3, and we stopped by the library to pick up two library books (one for me and one for Jacob), and I spent the rest of the afternoon reading. 



B picked up pizza from Old Chicago for dinner, and then we all sat down to watch the new movie on Disney +, The One and Only Ivan.  Jacob had read the book in third grade, so he was really excited about it.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched the new Jamie Foxx movie, Project Power, and it was pretty good.  Not fantastic or anything, but definitely watchable.

Saturday, August 22 (Day 162 of Quarantine)

Saturday morning, the kids randomly asked for donuts, and since we hadn’t had them in so long, we decided, hey, let’s get some donuts!!  B made a Krispy Kreme run and I unloaded the dishwasher and started on some laundry while he was gone.



After breakfast, the kids watched some cartoons, and then Olivia and I worked on her Star Student poster that’s due on Monday.  I keep tons of stickers and embellishments on hand, and she always gets so excited when she gets to go in my office and look through them.  She decorated hers with pink and purple marker, heart and flower stickers, and some blingy stickers that I had on hand, too. 

While she was working, she looked over at me and said, "I don't want a weekend... I just want to go to school."  Haha.  Needless to say, girlfriend is loving being back at school.



After lunch, Jacob had baseball practice, and the coach had set up a scrimmage game with a b-ball team.  Jacob is still playing c-ball (coach pitch) this fall, so most (if not all) of the kids on the team they scrimmaged are older, and they also pitch to themselves.  Jacob ended up getting a single on his first pitch of his first at-bat, and scored a run when someone batted him in, but at his second at-bat he got a little overheated and forfeited his turn to take a little break to cool off.

He recovered quickly and got back out there… he’s playing second base again this season, so his team needed him! 

It was a trip being at the ballpark and being around so many other people, though.  Instead of using the bleachers, everyone brought their own chairs and set up all around the grounds around the field, most keeping a 12-15 foot distance (at least).  That was the most people we’ve been around in months and it felt SO GOOD to just be out and about and see other human beings even though we weren’t able to get close to one another.  It was a little surreal at first and it made me remember everything we’ve been missing all these months.






The rest of the day was spent working while the kids played video games, and then B picked up dinner from our favorite local pub.  We frequent that place on Saturday evenings after church, and also after baseball games, so we’re trying our best to keep them afloat during this weird time where business is slower for them.

We spent the evening watching America’s Got Talent from earlier in the week and then B and I watched Set It Up, a newish Taye Diggs Netflix movie.  It was a romantic comedy, and it was pretty cute.  Not fantastic, but definitely watchable. 

Sunday, August 23 (Day 163 of Quarantine)

Sunday morning, we had leftover donuts for breakfast while we watched church, and then I got in a dance workout while the kids watched cartoons.  I spent the rest of the morning and a little bit of the afternoon doing laundry, tidying the house with the kids, quizzing Jacob for his religion and social studies test, listening to Olivia read her AR book, and prepping for the upcoming week of school.  Now that school and baseball are back in full-swing, we’ve been busy during the week again. 

B picked up Panera for lunch, and then he and the kids baked homemade s’mores bars from scratch (a recipe that he randomly found online and wanted to try), and then they played video games while I squeezed in a couple of hours of work.



We had a cheeseboard and wine for dinner and then enjoyed the s’mores bars (which were soooo yummy) before taking a family walk around the neighborhood. 



Once the kids were in bed, B and I watched a couple of shows and then got into bed nice and early to start the new week off on the right foot.

Now for a few current things...

Currently Reading

I’ve read four books this month so far – Come Back to Me, Since We Last Spoke, In Five Years, and Feels Like Falling – and I’m also working on White Fragility and 28 Summers. 

Come Back to Me was a YA book, but I really enjoyed it.  It kept me guessing until the end and I couldn’t put it down.  I finished it in 2-3 days.



Since We Last Spoke was not great.  It was another YA book, but this one felt too juvenile and honestly didn’t hold my attention very much.  It was a little slow, and I found myself not really caring very much about the characters.  Most of the time, when I read a book, I get attached to the characters and find myself rooting for them, but I really just didn’t care what happened to the characters in this book… I just wanted it to be over.  Lol.



In Five Years was absolutely fantastic.  FANTASTIC.  Probably the best book I’ve read all year.  I loved it, I was riveted the entire time, I was shocked and didn’t see some things coming, and even though I thought at one point I had the end figured out, I surely did not.  I highly recommend this book.  I’ll probably buy this one to add to my library because I’d love to read it again.



Feels Like Falling was a sweet book and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  The first couple of chapters were a little slow, but it ended up being a great read.  The characters were so endearing and it was a solid, light summer read.




Currently Watching

B finished Sneaky Pete this month, and he and I started and finished the entire first season of Love Life on HBOMax.  It stars Anna Kendrick and I loved it.  There’s only one season, and it’s short, so we watched the whole thing in just under one week.  I got really attached and now I’m sad because it’s over. 

We also started West World, and while the first episode held my attention, I feel like it’s gone steadily downhill ever since.  I think B is enjoying it, but I’ll probably go back to phone scrolling or reading while he watches it.

We also started Schitt’s Creek again to give it another try.  The first time we tried watching it neither of us loved it, but so many people rave about it that we decided to give it another go.  I really want to love it so we can have something to get into long term (it’s six seasons), but we’ll just have to see what happens…

We're also still watching America's Got Talent, Supermarket Sweep, and lots of movies with the kiddos.

Currently Listening To

I just cannot quit Taylor Swift’s new album, Folklore.  It’s officially my favorite album she’s ever done, and I can only hope that this virus goes away soon so I can see her perform some of these songs live one day.  The whole album tells a story and most of the songs are just heart-wrenching.  My three favorites are Cardigan, Exile, and Illicit Affairs.  Those songs will just rip your heart right out, though.  She is truly a brilliant writer. 

Happy Monday, y’all!

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