A Week in May?

Yesterday was fun. We did nothing all that exciting but it was fun because I felt like I was back in 2012 by staying mostly off of social media and even getting a few blog comments (!! – I know it’s hard to comment on blogs from our phones and I’m largely a silent reader myself, so I totally get it; just makes it a sweet surprise when I do hear from you).

So, I snapped some more pictures and now have this crazy notion to record a week of life here for the simple sake of sharing life. I’ll admit I sometimes have a habit of getting excited about ideas then lacking follow through when the fun part of it wears off; I blame the enneagram 7 in me. But let’s give it a go!

I also wonder if this would get real old real fast because there’s a lot of routine in my days, but pushing that aside- let’s try!

Again, alarm went off at 6:30 and I thought again how I’d really like to make it 6:00 but I’ve just been extra tired lately and sleeping so hard. I think it’s a combination of the pollen and magnesium. Still, up at 6:30, hit go on the coffee machine (we have one that grinds the beans, too and it sounds like a rocket ship launching), and start writing my blog post.

David had to take off for Charlotte for work, so we moved our walk up in timing a bit and ended up meeting a neighbor and her dog on the way, so we chatted about travel and Scotland for our morning mile hike. Back home we finished up the rest of the breakfast casserole with my current usual supplements- cod fish liver oil and vitamin D.

David took off and the girls and I ate our breakfasts together watching World Watch. Afterwards we got dressed and started our school day. Math, a little grammar, then Shakespeare. We finished up As Your Like It; we read the scripts alongside listening to it being read at .9 speed. Co-op encouraged us to dive into Shakespeare this year between putting on the Julius Caesar play and reading As You Like It and it’s been a pleasant surprise to find that we all enjoy it quite a bit. We just go about it slowly and delight in finding the hidden humor and wit.

We finished up around noon and looking around the house, I knew I had to make it chore and errand day. The girls busied themselves with working on egg drop projects, playing the piano, sketching out a simple machine frame K needed to make, and picking up their rooms while I started some laundry (sheets for all to lessen the amount of pollen to bother us during the nights) and then headed out.

I stopped by ACE Hardware to get some tinted wall paper primer to start painting the powder room. I hit up Walmart for some tomato cages, egg drop supplies, and other odds and ends. Then I swung by Swamp Rabbit Grocery for some food that we desperately needed.

I got home to a hungry crew. Well, K had made herself a box of mac and cheese for lunch, but H was holding out for something better, so we tore into the sourdough loaf, hummus, pimento cheese, and microgreens. I had an inkling no protein would send my blood sugar flying up andddd I was right. It was worth it though. Delicious. Next time maybe I’ll start with some olives or add in a little chicken salad.

I rolled the dice and drank a canned coffee with lunch, needing a boost of energy to combat the cloudy weather. It worked! I tore through the house- laundry, dishes, a couple toilets, counters, sweeping. I set up the diffuser in the scullery with some blend- Valor maybe?- and the house felt so fresh. Happy mom!

David surprised me by getting home earlier than expected so we did a short conditioning workout before he helped K with building the wooden frame she had sketched out. H took Finley on a bike ride then ended up running around and playing with a friend so I took the time to piddle in the garden. I added a little fertilizer, set up the tomato cages, and gave it a good watering.

We have community chickens that I’ve been buying eggs from and I’ve compiled quite the collection of egg cartons, so I went to drop those back off. As soon as Finley heard the golf cart’s annoying reverse screeching sound, she came bounding out. There’s not much she enjoys more than a golf cart ride! She does well if she has shotgun, and will just lay down and look around. It’s pretty cute.

Back home, we facetimed my niece to wish her very happy 12th birthday! Then I showered well (pollen), the girls showered, and David had work calls. H just finished the series The Chronicles of Prydain and wanted to watch the coordinating movie, The Black Cauldron. Yes, that animated movie from 1980-something! She and K turned it on while I started on dinner. The feedback was that the characters were the same but they took a lot of liberties with the storyline.

I made Mongolian beef with ramen and sauteed baby bok choy. It was very good!

We ate while we finished up the movie, then after cleaning up the kitchen we ended the night with the second half of the first chapter of The Hobbit. I’ve been excited to read this one with the girls for a while and it’s finally happening! I had another magnesium mocktail (this time with the cherry juice) while I read.

Divided Plates and the Best Dinner Bowls

And that about wraps it up! Again, bed for the kids around 8:45 or so, then David and I talked through a few life things before washing up, watching 1/4 of a White Lotus episode (still haven’t made it through season 3, episode 1 yet) before our eyelids were heavy and we opted for sleep.

It would probably help if these day in the life posts had a theme or a point to them beyond “here’s what I did in a day,” but maybe that will return with time and practice. I get ideas in my head all the time I’d like to talk more about from tweens and teens (why do they get a bad reputation?), to meal planning in different phases of life, to ponderings on prioritizing values and the struggle and reward in living them out, etc. But for today, a simple here’s what I did will have to do. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely Thursday!