We managed to avoid most of the winter weather that much of the country is dealing with, but it sure is freezing here this week!
Monday, January 19
Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so the kids were out of school and Brian was off work which meant we had a three-day weekend.
I got up at 8:45 and had breakfast, I unloaded the dishwasher, and then I finished my blog post for the next day. Meanwhile, Olivia Facetimed with one of her friends while Jacob and his friend slept in late.
The boys got up around ten and grabbed breakfast, and then they played video games for a bit. While they were doing that, Olivia and I worked on cleaning out her room. She has kept it very tidy since the last cleanout, so this was the easiest one we’ve ever had to do. She had been requesting to get all the children’s books off her bookshelf and moved somewhere else so she could utilize that space for other tchotchkes and room decor, so I helped her move them all out and we stacked them in the playroom temporarily until we had more time to clear out some space for them in there. She also wanted to clean out her bows and get rid of most of them (all the tears!), so I helped her do that, too. She did hang on to a few, though.
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WJ’s grandparents came to pick him up around three, so we said goodbye to him, and then I got the towels folded and put away before going out for a walk in the freezing cold. I made it my goal to walk 41 miles outside this month, and it has certainly been a challenge with the weather we’ve been having. It has been colder than usual this winter and we’ve had some rain, too, but it hasn’t stopped me, and I’m thisclose to my goal!
The rest of the afternoon was spent working on cleaning out the playroom with the kids. We got about halfway done and then it was time to start dinner. And just like Olivia’s room, there wasn’t nearly as much to go through as they have been keeping it much tidier than it used to be.
I had some leftover vodka sausage pasta sauce in the freezer from a previous meal, so I thawed that, made some fresh linguine, steamed some green beans, and made some buttery garlic bread from some hot dog buns that were about to expire, and it was a quick, easy, and delicious dinner.
I helped Brian clean the kitchen and then I got the meal plan and grocery list made for the next couple of weeks while the kids showered. The four of us finished the movie Independence Day that we’d started a few days prior, and both the kids loved it. It was always one of my favorites when I was a kid, so I was excited to show it to them. It has definitely stood the test of time, too. It looked like something that could have just been filmed and released!
We all headed outside after that because there was a chance that the Northern Lights would be visible here, but sadly, we didn’t see anything. Brian and I even went out again before bed, but we didn’t see anything at all... only a whole lot of stars!
Tuesday, January 20
Tuesday morning, I went in to check on Olivia, and she was still congested, but otherwise fine. We decided to keep her home to be considerate to others, but she ended up being fine all day aside from the congestion and feeling a little tired, probably because she’d had some trouble sleeping due to the congestion.
She went back to sleep, and Brian stayed home with her while I took Jacob to school and then went to the orthodontist to get my braces off!!!! Finallyyyy! After three long years, the braces finally came off Tuesday.
Unfortunately, I have to wear a retainer 24/7 for the next eight weeks other than when I’m eating, so while it’s nice to have the braces off, I’m still not 100% home-free because the retainers are causing their own problems. Sigh. After eight weeks is up, I won’t have to wear them during the day at all, but I’ll have to wear them at night forever I guess?? The orthodontist said we’d discuss all that at my next appointment in March.
Before I left my appointment, they told me to put the retainers in to make sure they fit, and it took me forever to get them in because they were soooo tight. My orthodontist uses the Invisalign retainers, so they cover my entire surface area of teeth, top and bottom. I honestly didn’t think I was ever going to get the retainers in, but they finally clicked in to place after I started looking in the mirror.
I went to Walmart and Publix to grab groceries after my appointment, and after I got home, I went to take the retainers out to have my morning snack and hot tea, and I couldn’t get them to budge. I tried everything I could think of for 15-20 minutes – I even cut my fingernails to get a better grip on them with my fingers – and they wouldn’t remotely come out. I low-key started freaking out a little bit, and I called the orthodontist’s office. They told me to come in right away, so poor Brian, who was just about to walk out the door to go to work, ended up having to stay at home longer. Whoops.
When I got to the orthodontist, the assistant tried to pull the retainers out and she couldn’t get them to budge either. She went to get a little hook that’s used specifically for pulling out Invisalign trays, and they still wouldn’t budge. Bless.
Finally, after much poking and prodding, she was able to get both out. I asked her if it was common for them to be that tight and hard to remove and she said no. Haha. Why oh why do all the weird/rare medical things always happen to me?! Haha.
She was able to shave the retainers down a little to allow them to fit less snugly, but they were still SO tight. I was able to practice popping them in and out a few times with the hook just to ensure that I could get them in and out, and after doing it a few times I felt satisfied that I could leave.
When I got home, Brian surprised me with a card and some Almond Joys (one of my favorite candies that I haven’t been able to eat because of the almonds), and then he headed off to work, finally.
I had to send a few emails about the upcoming Daddy / Daughter Dance that I’m co-chairing at the school, and then Olivia and I went in the playroom to work some more on cleaning it out. We were able to clear a few shelves for the books that were in her room, and we got those in place. We almost finished the whole room, but I had to stop to make dinner.
Golf practice was cancelled, so Brian picked up Jacob from e-sports and brought him home, and then we all sat down to eat meatballs, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. And I had also made a batch of fresh cinnamon muffins for the week ahead.
After the kitchen was clean, I tidied the house a bit, and then I collapsed on the couch for the rest of the evening. I felt so exhausted, so I watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune with Brian and the kids, and then Olivia requested to go to bed at 8 PM because she was so tired. Haha. I just love how she knows her limits! Jacob will stay up as long as you let him, but Olivia? She will put herself to bed when she’s tired. It never fails to make me laugh, too, because that goes against both of their personalities. It seems it should be the other way around!
Jacob stayed up and watched college basketball with us for a while, and then after he went to bed, Brian and I watched another episode of The Beast in Me.
Wednesday, January 21
Wednesday morning, I dropped both kids at school, and then I headed to the hospital for my annual mammogram and ultrasound. I’m nervous every single year when I go ever since the doctor found a tumor back in 2023, so it’s not ever a pleasant visit.
All was well this year, thank goodness, but I did get a little bit of a scare when the ultrasound tech went over and over a new spot taking lots of pictures. Waiting for the doctor to come in felt like forever and I was convinced something bad was going on, but thankfully, he cleared me for another year, although, there does appear to be a new spot that they’re keeping an eye on.
Olivia was still congested and she was tired after the long day at school, so we kept her home from dance just to let her body rest and heal. Both kids studied and I did my quiet time, and then all of us finished cleaning out the playroom after that.
I got dinner in the over after that (one pan chicken, potatoes, and broccoli), and then I went out for a two-mile walk while it baked. I had just enough time to do that, stretch, and take a quick shower, and I was back in the kitchen just in time to set the table and sit down to eat.
These lights are SO cool, y’all. It’s 130 feet of lights on two long plastic ribbons, and they plug into the wall (a win because we don’t have to deal with batteries!). You control them with the remote control or the app on your phone (or iPad) and you can completely customize them – the colors, the movement (blinking, chasing, breathing, etc.), the speed of the movement, the brightness, and you can even make them dance to music or move to the sound of your voice. They do ALL OF THIS and they were only $9.99. Olivia is in love and I am, too, because I had very low expectations for them and they blew my expectations completely out of the water.
I helped her wrap them through her footboard and route them behind her bed to string them through the headboard, and she still has 65 feet left that she can do something with if she ever wants to.
Olivia had one more thing she needed to do for school, so I tested out my new dusting gloves and dusted off one of our sets of blinds in our bedroom while she did that, and I was SO impressed with those, too.
We all started the newest episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians after that, and then Brian and I wrapped up the night with an episode of The Beast in Me.
Thursday, January 22
Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school, I grabbed some gas, and then I headed home. I got a couple of loads of bedding washed, I finished my blog post for Friday, and then I had to go back to the orthodontist AGAIN because my retainers had been gagging me all day Tuesday and Wednesday and they were cutting the back of my tongue. Since they cover every single tooth including back molars, they hang over slightly behind my back molars and I could tell that part was the culprit.
Thankfully, the assistant said that it is SUPER common and that she could adjust them to fix this, and sure enough, her adjustment helped tremendously. It did take a few days for the back of my tongue to heal, but I’m happy to report that it’s no longer cutting me, it’s no longer gagging me, and I can pop them in and out a little easier now. Who knew a retainer could be so complicated?
My only issue now is my bite. The retainer is making me hold my mouth a certain way, so my bite is way different when I take the retainers out. The orthodontist and the assistant both told me that’s super common, too, so I’m hoping everything will end up okay in the end. Unfortunately, over the weekend, they started making my jaw and neck feel strained like the braces rubber bands did, so I’m keeping a close eye on that because y’all all know I DO NOT want vertigo again. I’m already counting down the days until March 26 when I can stop wearing them during the day.
I ran by Target to return something after that, and then I ran by Michael’s to drop off my frame for my remaining Taylor Swift autographs… I had them put UV protective glass in it, so the autographs won’t fade over the years. The guy was able to cut the glass and install it right there while I waited (the last time I had to drop it off and pick it up another day, so it was nice that he was able to just knock it out right then!), and then I headed home.
The afternoon was spent cleaning off my computer desktop, shopping for Valentine’s Day (just little things… we don’t do anything major), tidying my office, and getting my autographs in the frame.
After school, we went to music lessons, and I sat in with Olivia. She is still working on The Fate of Ophelia, and she was able to get even further in the song. It’s coming along well!
When we got home, I did my quiet time with a cup of tea to accompany me, and then I got out for the shortest walk before the rain rolled in. I ended up walking in the rain for the last five minutes, but I got home just in time for it to start coming down harder. On another note, I loved my devotional from this day…
However, all the pieces were mixed together in a GIANT pile of all her other Lego sets (thousands of pieces) so I wasn’t even sure we’d be able to find all the pieces to complete the set. After dinner, Olivia and I sorted through them, and we managed to find several of the pieces before we gave up for the night.
She got showered and then we downloaded the app for her new bedroom lights, and we had wayyyy too much fun playing with them. They are seriously so cool!
Friday, January 23
Friday, I dropped the kids at school and then spent the day crossing things off the list:
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Catching up on emails
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Catching up on some planning
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Starting and finishing my blog post for Monday
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Tidying my office
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Calling the eye doctor about our new insurance
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Sending several emails and texts to plan for
upcoming events
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Tidying our bedroom
And several other menial tasks.
When we got home, I did my quiet time with my cup of tea, and then I put away a few things, folded and put away the bedding I’d washed, hung my TS autograph downstairs, did some blog housekeeping tasks, cleaned out the organizer next to my desk, cleaned out the reading nook in my office, and I wiped down a few things on the kitchen counters.
The kids all hung out together, and it was just the best evening, as poker nights always are.
Saturday, January 24
Saturday morning, we slept in and I made waffles for breakfast. After breakfast, I spent some time at my computer while I enjoyed my cup of tea, and then it was time to get moving and get some stuff done around the house. I ended up cleaning out my whole office and dusting it really well. It didn’t take a ton of time because I cleaned my office out well years ago and I’ve been great about maintaining it. Plus I don’t have to worry about things getting cluttered or out of order since nobody else uses this space (except for Olivia when she sneaks in to borrow my craft supplies), so most of my cleaning out just consisted of opening drawers, peeking inside to make sure everything was still the way it should be, and then closing them. I did take some time to clean out the baskets at my desk as I wanted to rearrange a few things and get rid of some things, but other than that, it was quick and easy!
When I was done, I helped the kids finish finding the last of the Lego pieces for the Beauty and the Beast set, and then once it was done (I still can’t believe they were able to find every single piece!) we bagged up the Lego pieces that Olivia wanted to get rid of, we centered the couch back on the wall now that the Barbie Dreamhouse is gone, and I cleared out the donation, trash, and recycling piles. Olivia vacuumed, and the room was officially completely done.
After the playroom was done, it was time for lunch, and then after that, the kids and I cleaned out the games cabinet downstairs. We got rid of all the puzzles and games that they no longer play with, and they’ll all go to our church’s thrift store so they can go to good homes.
The kids finished up with their laundry after that was done, and then they settled in for some screen time while I worked on a couple of things in my office. I made the mistake of going on social media and the first thing I saw was that another person was executed in the street in Minnesota by ICE. Just like last time, our government released statements that contradicted what literally everybody else was saying – making it sound like the shooting was warranted – but all news outlets were reporting that he’d done nothing wrong. These days the truth is more important than anything, so unfortunately, I had to watch the video for myself so I could see with my own eyes and hear with my own ears what had actually transpired, and yet again, I found that the government was gaslighting (AKA lying to) us.
The profound sadness and fear that swept over me was immediate – sadness for Alex Pretti, the victim who was brutally murdered for doing absolutely nothing wrong (recording events on your phone in the streets is NOT illegal), for his family and other loved ones, for the other people who had to witness the events in person, and for people all over the world who have had to witness what happened on social media because we felt we had to see it for ourselves since the United States government refuses to tell the truth and take responsibility for their actions.
No matter who you voted for, no matter which “side” you’re on, I pray that we all agree that it’s abominable for any human being to be shot down in the streets for all to see, especially when they haven’t done anything wrong. Our administration is blatantly ignoring the very rights on which our country was founded, and that, my friends, isn’t good for anyone, no matter where you stand politically. I hope and pray that everyone will use their voice to speak up and speak out against these atrocities that are occurring.
So many people have been sharing this quote from George Orwell’s book, 1984, on social media and it’s terrifying how accurate it is for this point in time.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
What a stain these events will be in our nation’s history. It’s truly devastating.
After seeing some of the coverage from Minneapolis, I went out for a walk to clear my mind. It was cold and yucky outside, but I went out anyway and I walked until my lungs felt like they were going to burst from the cold and I prayed and prayed and prayed.
After Mass, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with our usual group, and then we headed home. We finished season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians with the kids and Olivia was so sad to have to wait for season three. She loves that show!
After that, we watched a few Disney shorts for fun, and then the kids went to bed. Brian and I started His & Hers and I was excited because I’ve heard so many people talking about it.
Sunday, January 25
Sunday morning, we slept in, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I did my usual Sunday morning tasks – got my planner ready for the week ahead, transferred photos from my phone to my computer, organized the photos, and listened to the sermon that I listen to every Sunday.
We managed to avoid all the bad winter weather, but we did have a cold and rainy day Sunday, so we all bundled up before heading to my mother-in-law's and step-father-in-law's house for lunch. Olivia and I were twinning in our Taylor Swift hoodies. ;o)
Sunday evening, we had dinner at my parents’ house, and my mom made Santa Fe Soup with all the toppings. It was the perfect, hearty meal for the weather we were having, and it warmed me up all the way to my toes!
My parents filled us in on the situation in Nashville with the weather… my aunt lives there, and she said that Nashville was really having a tough go of it. They got a bunch of snow and ice, and the power was out at her house with no end in sight, likely for days. The temps there are going to be brutal all week, too. She has trees down all over her property including one on her roof over her bedroom and a bunch across her driveway, so she has no way to get out even if she wanted to. Thankfully, she had loaded up on firewood before the storm, so hopefully she will be able to stay warm until they can restore her power. I spoke to her Monday night and she said that it’s freezing in her house and she’s spending all of her time huddled in the bed to try to stay warm. I’m hoping they’ll be able to restore her power ASAP.
When we got home, we started watching Ready Player One with the kids, and then after they went to bed, Brian and I watched an episode of His & Hers before going to bed. We also found out that the kids were going to have a two-hour delay in the morning due to the weather as we’d had so much rain they were worried about the streets icing over during the night.
And that was our week!
Sending lots of love and warmth to those of you who were affected by the winter storm. I hope you are all faring well!
And now for some current things…
Currently
Reading
In January, I read 5 books – Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea (5 stars), Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (5 stars – I loved this one so much), The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden (4 stars), Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter (4 stars), and Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (I’m wrapping this one up in the next couple of days, so I haven’t rated it yet).
I also started my new devotional for the year – Called by Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women by Kelly M. Wahlquist.
And I’m still reading my Bible along with The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz.
Currently
Watching
With B: In January, Brian and I started and finished Pluribus, we started and finished season two of Platonic, we started and finished The Beast in Me, and we started (and will probably finish) His & Hers. We also watched the movie The People We Meet on Vacation, and of course, all the college football playoffs and the National Championship Game.
With the Kids: In January, we finally finished The Eras Tour Documentary, we finished season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, we started and finished Man Vs. Baby, and we watched a few movies – Oceans 11, In Your Dreams, and Independence Day. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are also often on in the background in the evening as we’re all prepping for the next day.
Alone: I watched Serendipity one last time and then I switched back over to The Wedding Planner on Sunday afternoons while I work.
Currently
Listening To
I’ve been all over the place and listening to a little bit of everything, but most recently, I’ve probably been listening to Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions by Taylor Swift. Folklore is my favorite album by her and one of my favorite albums of all-time, and that acoustic Long Pond Studio Sessions version is just incredible.
Happy Wednesday, y’all!
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