Snapshot #21

Thinking: that we are most definitely in the dog days of summer. It is SO hot, the kids are tired of being together, and we have basically given up all pretense of parenting. It's probably wrong to encourage your 9 and 11 year old to binge watch a show on Netflix, right?

Thankful for: air conditioning! It's been a very warm summer (heat index over 100 degrees for the last while), and I see cars/trucks next to me on the interstate with all the windows down, drivers and passengers hot and sweaty and it reminds me that I should not take AC for granted.

Wondering: if I should admit out loud that I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird. Which means that all this hype about a long-lost sequel means nothing to me.

Remembering: back to the days when the kids liked to watch the same thing on TV. We do pretty limited screen time (ignore that first comment about binge watching on Netflix) and this summer, the kids are fairly divided on what they want to watch. The bargaining/arguing that happens prior to a TV decision is almost not worth the 22 minutes of quiet when they finally settle on an episode. In fact, Rory's been opting out of TV time recently. Which means she's camped out downstairs with us wanting to be entertained.

Working on: a Blurb Disney book. I have this sneaking suspicion that if I don't get those pictures and stories documented now, that it may not happen. I'm about halfway done, and it's not perfect, but I've decided that printing it is more important than perfect.

Trying: To be intentional about time with the kids. People, I went out and played basketball last weekend. I'm not really the "fun" mom, but I'm making an effort. Well, that one weekend anyway.

Eating: Lots of blue cheese recipes. Salads, wraps, toast, burgers, etc. I developed quite a taste for it at Disney - that's probably not something you hear everyday. :)

Drinking: Iced peach green tea lemonade and cold brewed iced coffee. Starbucks for the win. 

Buying: Well, not buying yet, but we're still hoping to purchase granite counter tops soon. That unexpected $400 chiropractic bill Brian brought home yesterday is not helping and fixing the deck has a higher priority, but I'm holding out hopes for granite this fall.

Hoping: For some photography/scrapping inspiration soon. My computer station is upstairs in the kid's play room, and I'm finding it very difficult to come up and create in the midst of the bickering/playing (it changes minute to minute) that is happening between Camden and Rory these days.

Enjoying: my women's Bible study on Thursday nights. I've been attending for about 2 years (with a break when I went back to work), but our leader has moved away and now I'm the leader. It's hard, but good.

Watching: So You Think You Can Dance (mostly for Jim Nowakowski who happens to be adopted from Korea), I Can Do That, Suits

Listening: All The Light You Cannot See (on my commute to work), Lauren Daigle How Can It Be, for King and Country Run Wild Life Free

Reading: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire out loud to the kids. I started reading the HP series out loud to them probably 3 years ago so it's been slow going. This summer I've made a renewed effort to read a chapter almost every day, and we're finally finishing up book 4.

Kid Notes:

The most exciting thing to happen during our weekend was when Camden got hit in the back of the neck with a baseball at the game Friday. It was a little scary when he went limp and fell flat on his back. Thankfully, he seems to be fine (despite the knot on the back of his neck). They put a substitute runner on base for him, but he was back out pitching 10 minutes later. Our baseball season has been a little strange (as in completely unorganized, the solitary coach who quit halfway through so a parent stepped up, half the players don't show up for practice or games, etc.), but it's been good to see Camden playing baseball again. He sure does love it!

Rory doesn't do quite as good of a job of entertaining herself these days, and I think she is bored out of her mind with summer. Brian has spent these past 8 weeks taking the kids along with him as he works at church, and Camden has helped him out with yard work and manual labor tasks. Rory, on the other hand, isn't really big enough to handle the jobs that Brian/Camden are doing so she's been left on her own pretty often. By the time I get home from work, she is tired of entertaining herself and wants to be social. Her latest ploy for a captive audience is offering to rub my feet. Not going to turn that down!