Happy Tuesday,
y’all! We had a busy, but good week, and
today I’m recapping it all here on the blog!
Monday, April
21
Monday, the
kids were out of school for Easter Monday, so we slept in, and it was nice to
have the bonus day with nowhere to be.
Brian did have to work, but he worked from home, so he was able to sleep
in a bit, too.
We woke up to
the news that Pope Francis had passed away, and we were all so sad. He was such a great man… the epitome of the
hands and feet of Jesus – kind, compassionate, inclusive, and always reaching
out to the marginalized first. He will
be missed dearly, and I pray that our Catholic church ends up with another Pope
who is as beautiful a human as Pope Francis was.
For breakfast,
I made cinnamon rolls since we didn’t have them on Sunday, and then after
breakfast, I went to my office to continue organizing the pictures I’d
transferred from my phone to my computer over the weekend. I usually finish that task on Sunday, but
since Sunday was Easter, I didn’t spend much time working in my office, and
that was also the day that half of the pictures and videos transferred as
broken files, so I’d spent hours emailing them all to myself. Not fun.
Midway through
the morning, my friend Shaun (he DJs for me for school events) called me to
talk about an upcoming event at the school that he was trying to work into his
schedule, but couldn’t. We chatted for a
few minutes, and then it was time for me to get my booty in gear and get some
stuff done.
First up, the
kids and I cleaned out all of their old candy to make room for their new Easter
candy. They had a bunch since we’d done
an egg hunt, plus their grandparents had given them some as well.
Their candy
buckets are stored in cabinets in our kitchen island along with all of their
plastic cups, thermoses, plates, etc.
While we were cleaning out the candy buckets, I figured we might as well
clean out the entire cabinet, and we got rid of a ton of old cups that they’ve
outgrown. We also got all of Olivia’s
Stanley accessories organized (she has a ton – LOL), so it was nice to have
that all organized since it has been a hot mess. I totally forgot to take a “before” picture
(blogger fail), but here’s the glorious “after” picture and just trust me when I
say that it’s 1000 times better.
Once we were
done cleaning that out, I tackled some emails in my inboxes, and then I got a
notification that Brandon Lake had added a second Atlanta show in August
because his first one sold out so quickly.
I wanted to go to his show soooo bad, but we already have tickets to see
The Lumineers that night, so I was thrilled when he said that he’d added a
second show.
The only
problem is that it’s the night after The Lumineers, so we’ll either be driving
up Saturday and spending the night to stay for Brandon Lake the next night, or
we’re going to be driving up and back to Atlanta two nights in a row. YOLO. Lol.
The tickets had
just gone on sale for the second show, so I managed to snag floor seats
right by the stage catwalk (EEEEK!). I
reeeeally want to go and I hope we can make it work!!
After the
tickets were purchased, I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and then
the kids went outside for a bit. I
watered all of the plants inside and out, and then I got my planner ready for
the week ahead since I hadn’t had time to do that on Sunday either.
I also got some
Target returns ready, I finished organized my pictures, I worked on my blog
post for Tuesday, I started my blog post for Wednesday, I moved 50 alumni from
the old spreadsheet to the new database, and I did my Bible study.
Brian went to
Walmart for a few essentials once he was off of work, and then we made a frozen
pizza for dinner. We’ve officially
reached the point in the school year where things are bonkers, and cooking is
the last thing on my mind. Haha.
After dinner,
we all went outside and got Olivia’s sunflowers planted. Brian tilled the soil, and we planted all
seven of the seeds. This year, she
picked out the massive traditional sunflowers, so there were only seven seeds
in the package. I’m hoping at least a
few of them will bloom. Fingers crossed!
While we were
out there, we put away our winter doormat and put out our summer doormat since
we’d not had time to do that over the weekend, and then I got out for a walk
and a quick arms workout.
I finally
showered when I was done with my workout, and the kids had showered while I was
walking, so we watched a few more episodes of Man vs. Bee with the kids,
and then after they went to bed, Brian and I watched Saturday Night Live.
Tuesday, April
22
Tuesday morning,
none of us wanted to get up early after our four-day weekend, but sadly, it was
time to go back to school! After I
dropped the kids off, I headed straight to my ENT doctor’s office for a vertigo
checkup. He told me that everything
still looks good from an ENT standpoint, and he told me that he truly believes
that my braces/rubber bands/drastic jaw change is the primary cause of my
vertigo and dizziness as he believes it caused my cervical spine to get out of
whack, causing my vestibular system to also get out of whack since it rests on
the atlas at the top of the cervical spine.
While I was
doing pretty well for a while, I have started having issues again recently with
dizziness and unsteadiness because I have been wearing my rubber bands for so
long after a very long hiatus. We
brainstormed together to come up with a few more things I can try to get some relief
– he recommended getting Botox in my jaw and neck (there is a medical doctor here
in town who does it for medical purposes), but that has always scared me a
little. He told me that I should
probably just wait until the braces come off before pursuing that anyway, so I’m
happy to hold off on that.
I also talked
to him about upper cervical chiropractic care (which is not the same as typical
chiropractic care). It’s extremely
specialized and we do not have a doctor who does it here in town, so he isn’t
very knowledgeable about it. He
researched it while we were together and we discussed it for a bit, and he said
that it sounded like another good route to pursue, especially since my issues
are stemming from the upper cervical area.
That could also possibly correct the root cause whereas Botox would just
be a temporary fix.
He also
confirmed that my issue sounds like it could be two-fold and that while most of
the issue appears to be stemming from my cervical spine, based on the symptoms I’ve
had throughout the years (prior to having vertigo) that it sounds like I could also
be experiencing mild vestibular migraines.
He said that the VNG test that they issued right after my vertigo
started typically reveals when vestibular migraines are the cause, but it’s not
always black and white.
Gosh, I love
being a medical enigma, SAID NO ONE EVER.
Haha.
While he can’t
do much for me at this point, I’m grateful that he hasn’t abandoned me like
most of my other doctors have. He said
that he will continue to monitor me (especially for hearing loss or any other
changes that could happen with the vestibular system), and we will continue to
brainstorm together until I get through this.
He is truly the best.
After my
appointment, I had to head straight back to the school and church because Jacob
had his Eighth Grade Pinning Ceremony.
At this ceremony, each of the high school seniors secure a school pin to
the lapels of each of the eighth graders who will be attending high school at
our school next year. Almost all of
Jacob’s entire class is coming back for high school next year, with only a few
transferring to other schools, and I’m so excited that he and all of his
friends will continue their journey together.
On the way to
the school, I swung by the library to return a book, and then I arrived at the
church early, so I was able to get a front seat right behind the eighth-grade
class. Brian and my father-in-law joined
me for Mass and the ceremony afterwards, and my parents attended the ceremony,
too.
It was such a
sweet thing to see, and it made me tear up… I just cannot believe that my first
baby is going to be in high school next year.
It just doesn’t seem possible.
We snapped some
pictures afterward, and then we stopped in the parking lot on the way out to
chat with my friend, Shaun, who just happened to be picking something up from
the school office as we were leaving.
After that, I
headed straight home, grabbed my lunch, and took it upstairs to eat while I
worked on my blog post for the next day.
I also tried to work on alumni relations stuff, but the internet was
running painfully slow.
In the car
line, I caught up on a few emails, and then I grabbed Olivia. We went to Chick-Fil-A after school because
Jacob had Velocity, and it’s pointless to drive all the way home since we have
to be back to get him at four, so Olivia got a milkshake, and we sat in the
restaurant together. While she enjoyed
her shake, I quizzed her for her social studies test the next day, and then we
went to pick up Jacob.
We all headed
home, Olivia got changed quickly, and then she and I headed right back out to
get her to dance.
When I got
home, I worked some more on my blog post, but I still couldn’t get it
done, so I punted and put up yet another “oopsie” post for Wednesday. By that time, it was so late that I did my
quiet time, and I had to skip my Bible study so I could go get dinner
ready. I made beef and parmesan pasta
with zucchini while listening to my Gracie Abrams record, and I even had a
glass of wine while I cooked. I do love
a good glass of wine and a good record (and my yummy oils diffusing) while I
cook. It makes a task that I do not love
(cooking) so much more enjoyable! :o)
When Brian and
Olivia got home from dance, we all sat down and had dinner, and then I skipped
my workout for the evening because I was still so behind on everything since
the picture sorting and blog post had taken up my entire day. Instead, I tied up some loose ends while the
kids showered, but I still felt so behind.
We got the kids
in bed after that, and then Brian and I started the second episode of the
second season of The Last of Us, but we didn’t finish it because I was
so tired.
Wednesday, April 23
Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I finally went
to Walmart and Publix to do our grocery shopping. It was long overdue.
When I got home, I put the groceries away, I watered the plants, and then
I worked on my blog post that I’d been working on for days.
I had to stop mid-morning to go to the doctor. I had to see my GYN for an emergency visit
because I’d been having some pain for several weeks, and after an ultrasound,
they were able to see that I had a cyst on my ovary that had ruptured. While very common, I’d never had a cyst
before that I knew of (it had been hurting for nearly two months), so it was a
relief to hear that everything looked normal and everything was okay. And while this is probably oversharing a bit
here, I figured I would just put that out there for any of you ladies who may
experience something like this in the future.
When I got home, I made my lunch and brought it upstairs with me, and I
finished my blog post for Thursday and started my blog post for Friday. I also transferred 40 of the alumni to the
new database.
After school, we all went home.
Olivia did her homework and Jacob read for a bit while I got my Bible
study done. I also started editing some
pictures for a blog post for the next week because I’m trying to get ahead even
though it’s been impossible!
I dropped Olivia at dance, and on the way there it started POURING down
rain unexpectedly. It poured all the way
there and all the way back and, naturally, when I arrived at home, it stopped. Haha.
I made sheet pan sausage, potatoes, peppers, onions, and broccoli for
dinner along with cinnamon muffins since they’re Jacob’s favorite, and then
Brian and Jacob and I all sat down to eat while Olivia was still at dance. (She eats in the car on the way to dance
every Wednesday.)
After the kitchen was all cleaned up, I watered my ferns, and then
watched another storm roll in. I’d hoped
to get in a walk, but since it was pouring down rain again, I had to stick to
an indoor strength workout instead.
After my workout, I got ready for bed, and then I took some time to get
organized because I was feeling so scattered.
I caught up on a few emails, and I made a very long to do list for
Thursday, and that in itself made me feel so much more organized just to have
my list ready to go.
When Olivia got home, she showered and we got both kiddos in the bed, and
then Brian and I ended our evening with the rest of season two, episode two of The
Last of Us, and Y’ALL, I AM SHOOK.
SHOOOOOK. I am so shaken that I
am still shook as I type this, and it’s been three days.
Thursday, April 24
Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I ran to a big
Walmart (not the neighborhood market that I usually go to) to grab some things
that we needed that they don’t have at the smaller stores – an extension cord,
some indoor plants, sunscreen, etc. And
then I went to Target to return a few things that had arrived too late to put
in the kids’ Easter baskets. While I was
there, I picked up a couple of essentials that we needed + a couple of pairs of
play shorts and tops for Olivia for summertime, and then I was on my way to get
gas and go home.
I had so much dang stuff to do at home, but I didn’t get nearly as much
done as I’d hoped. I ended up having
enough time to unpack the shopping stuff, I did my entire blog post for Monday
(which was a huge win), I paid three bills, I caught up on some life stuff, I
got 40 people moved to the alumni database, and I caught up on some life stuff
before it was time to pick up the kids.
While that seems like a pretty successful day, it was not considering
there were still a million things left on my to do list.
After school, we went to music lessons.
Jacob worked some more on his Minecraft song and Olivia worked some more
on I Knew It, I Know You by Gracie Abrams, and both of them did great.
When we got home, it was the usual – homework for Olivia, reading for
Jacob, a Bible study for me, and then Brian and I made breakfast for dinner
when he got home.
After dinner, we got Jacob all prepped and ready for his class trip to
Six Flags over Georgia the next day. It
was the first time for him to go, and it was his first outing like this without
us, so we had to make sure he was equipped with sunscreen, a phone charger,
money, sunglasses, and everything else he’d need.
After that, I got out for a super fast walk and my knees were KILLING me
when I got home. My current shoes are
crap, so I’m in the market for some new ones.
I have always loved Nike Air Pegasus and have worn them for years, but
for some reason, my most recent pair has been horrible, and they’ve been giving
me knee pain, shin splints, SI joint pain, and toe pain. I finally took the time to research the best
walking shoes for bad knees and every single article I came across said to buy
HOKAs. Those were never even on my radar,
but they are now. And they’re even more
expensive than my Nikes. If you are a
runner or avid walker, I would love to get your shoe recommendations,
especially if you have knee pain when you have bad shoes.
After my walk, I showered and the kids also got showered, and then we
finished the show Man vs. Bee.
The kids loved it. It had some
funny parts, but it’s not really my cup of tea.
After we got the kids in the bed, Brian and I watched some more SNL and
then we headed to bed a little early. I
was exhausted.
Friday, April 25
Friday morning, I dropped the kids off at school and Jacob was thrilled
because it was class trip day to Six Flags!!!!
I finally had nowhere to be Friday, so I spent the whole day getting
organized and doing a ton of things on my to do list – I finally went over the
notes for Olivia’s recital and made a list of all of the stuff she needs (5
different kinds/colors of tights and a second pair of ballet shoes in a
different color in addition to all of her costumes and accessories… bless), I
made a couple of purchases that we needed for upcoming events, I got Jacob’s
baby picture and current picture sent over to one of the teachers for their
eighth grade slide show, I got signed up for the school auction that ended
Sunday evening, I got 50 alumni moved to the new database, I worked on this
blog post, aaaand funniest of all, I stalked Jacob on Life360 all day. Hahahaha.
I wanted to make sure they made it to Atlanta okay, and then every now and then I would pop in just to see what he was riding. At one point, when I checked, he was riding the Dahlonega Mine Train and his little icon was zigzagging all over the screen. Haha. Technology is wild.
At dismissal time, I grabbed Olivia (Jacob wasn’t due to get back until
5:30) and then she and I went to Walmart to return something before stopping at
my friend, Jeannine’s, library so Olivia could change out of her uniform and into
regular clothes since she had a birthday party to attend at 4 PM.
We drove down to the ice-skating rink after that for the party, and I was
so nervous about it. Olivia has only ice
skated once, two years ago, and I was out there with her on the ice. She is accident-prone, and I just kept
praying for her to not get injured right before her recital that’s coming up
next month. Since I’m still having a lot
of dizziness, I couldn’t go out there on the ice with her, so I had to watch
from afar, and thankfully, she did just fine.
The first hour was private skate time just for the party, so the only
kids on the ice were from Olivia’s class.
Most of them didn’t really know how to skate either, so they all used
the little things that you hold onto for stability. About halfway through, Olivia stopped using
that, though, and I was a nervous wreck, but she ended up doing well.
She and I had to leave the party early to pick up Jacob from school, so
we left a little after five and got to the school about five minutes before the
bus pulled in… another perk of Life360… we knew exactly when he’d be back!
Jacob was sweaty and exhausted and happy and full of stories when we
picked him up. He’d had a great day, and
it was his first real taste of freedom as the kids were allowed to split up and
walk around in groups without adults.
The park was closed to the public, and only open for schools that day,
so that made me feel more comfortable about the whole situation.
On the way home, we swung by our favorite local barbecue place to pick up
dinner, and when we walked in the door, Brian had the table set and a Moscow
Mule ready for me. Yes. All I wanted to do was eat, have a cocktail,
get in my PJs, and REST all evening.
After dinner, the kids got showered, and I had intended to try to get a
few things done, but I was just so tired that I opted to lay in the bed in my
PJs and scroll my phone for a bit.
Sometimes you just need to mindlessly scroll. Haha.
Once the kids were ready for bed, we all went downstairs to watch Inside
the Mind of a Dog on Netflix, and I fell straight to sleep. It looked like such a cute documentary, but I
just cannot stay awake on Friday nights, especially this time of year when
things are so crazy. The mental load is
even more exhausting than the physical, in my opinion.
They got a little more than halfway through the documentary, got in the bed, and then Brian and I watched the most recent episode of The Handmaid’s Tale
followed by a few minutes of SNL before bed.
Saturday, April 26
Saturday, we slept in, I made homemade waffles, and then I headed to my
office to get a few things done – I knocked out some emails, moved 50 people to
our alumni database, and did my Bible study.
The kids did their laundry and watched some TV, and then Olivia tried on
all of her old recital tights from last year.
As expected, she had outgrown all but one pair, so I sat down and
ordered the four new pairs she needed + her trophy and show USBs (they always
have a company record the shows professionally)… I can’t believe her recital is
almost here already!! My gosh, time
flies!
After that, I got showered and ready for the day, and then we all ate a
quick, light lunch before heading to the golf course for Jacob’s city golf
tournament. He’s playing on a much
bigger course this season since he moved from the B team to the A team, so it’s
been a learning experience, but he’s done well considering!
He’d only played on that course a couple of times because a tornado
ripped through there earlier in the season and shut it down for several weeks
due to the hundreds (thousands, I think it was reported?) of trees that fell
when the tornado hit. There was damage
everywhere, but the courses were cleared (enough) just in time for the
tournament. I took a picture of one of
the areas with heavy damage and it’s just crazy how many trees were down.
Jacob played with another kid from another local school, and Brian,
Olivia, and I rode in the golf carts and watched. He ended up getting a bogey on one hole and a
double bogey on another, so it wasn’t too bad considering the course is so
huge.
We’d hoped to be able to make it to 5:30 Mass, but Jacob ended up
finishing about five minutes before Mass started. We knew we’d be at least 10-12 minutes late,
and we were also sweaty and wearing athletic clothes, so we figured it was
probably for the best to just skip and cool off at home.
My extended family had already planned to meet for dinner after church,
so we got a few things done at home while we waited for them to get out. The kids both played video games for a bit,
and I worked on this blog post.
We met everyone for Mex at 6:45, and then afterward, we went home so all
of us could get showered since we were covered in sunscreen.
We got the kids in the bed after that, and then Brian and I watched an
episode of The Chosen before heading to bed.
Sunday, April 27
Sunday morning, we did our usual routine – cinnamon rolls for breakfast,
yoga, an online sermon, and planning the week ahead for me – and then I also
transferred about 50 more alumni to the new database.
After that, I got ready for the day, we all had a light lunch at home,
and then we headed to Arts in the Park that my friend, Jessica, had worked so
hard on planning for our community.
There were lots of local artists, musicians, and creators with booths, so
we were able to browse and shop small businesses. There were also various crafts for the kids
to do, lots of food trucks, and live music from a local band + a live string
trio. The highlight of the event,
though, was a van owned by a local artist that was right in the middle of the
park that everyone could paint. The
windows, headlights, and various other important parts of the van were covered
and taped up, but the body was wide open for painting, and the artist will
drive it as his primary vehicle when it’s done.
So neat!
Olivia painted a heart and her name, I painted a heart, and then the
kids, of course, had to paint some Minecraft things – namely CHICKEN JOCKEY (painted
by Olivia) and I am Steve (painted by Jacob).
Lol.
My friends Jeannine, Jessica, Jen, Heather, and Khristina were all there,
a few of them with their kids, so we hung out with them on and off throughout
the day, and we also saw a few other people we know.
Jacob got shaved ice (Tiger’s Blood always and forever for him) and
Olivia got a cookie ice cream sandwich.
We also took some time to hide the painted rock that we’d found in
Nashville at The Ryman Auditorium. I
couldn’t think of a better place to do it than at an Arts in the Park event!
We were all sweaty and tired mid-afternoon, so we headed home to relax
for the rest of the day. The kids played
video games for a while, I worked on a blog post and transferred the pictures
from my phone to my computer for the week, and then we got everything ready for
Monday.
My Momma made spaghetti for Sunday dinner, so we hung out with them at
their house for the evening, and then we ended the evening with the newest
episode of The Last of Us.
And now for some current things…
Currently
Reading
In April, I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I
thought it was just okay. I know that is
a beloved book and movie, so I had expected to love it, but it was honestly a
little slow for me. I’m now about
halfway through Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauen and I am loving it
SO much. It is so cute, the main
character is so loveable, and I love the concept of the story as it’s about a
girl who has been sheltered from the outside world her whole life, and while
extremely intelligent, she knows little about pop culture, interacting with
others, and technology. She heads off to
college as a 22 year old and the book goes from there. It’s a play on Rapunzel, and it’s been a really
fun read.
I’m also still reading my devotional for 2025 – Everyday Gospel by
Paul David Tripp. I’ll be working on
this one all year long.
And, of course, I’m still working my way through the Bible for the second
time around, along with my new study… The Bible in a Year with Father
Mike Schmitz.
Currently
Watching
With B: In April, B and I finished the third season of The White
Lotus, and it was so good. We also
started the new seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Last of Us,
and we’re still making our way through season three of The Chosen as
well as the current season of American Idol. And as always, we whittle away at our backlog
of Saturday Night Live and Shark Tank when we need something mindless
that we don’t have to give our full attention.
With the Kids: This month, we started and finished Man vs. Bee on
Netflix… it was only nine episodes, and each episode is only 10-12 minutes, so
it was a quick watch. We also watched Inside
the Mind of a Dog on Netflix, and I think that’s about it. This time of year, things are crazy, so we
haven’t been watching much with them.
Alone: I’m still listening to music 99% of the time but still watching The
Wedding Planner every Sunday afternoon that I work in my office.
Currently
Listening To
Gracie Abrams (still), Judah & the Lion (still), Abe Parker (still), Taylor Swift
(always), Dave Matthews Band (always), and various other random new songs that I’ve
downloaded recently.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
