I'm feeling particularly grateful for...

...springing the clocks ahead an hour. Like magic, Wells woke up one hour later yesterday. MAGIC. Of course, he was back to his regular time today. But when you're used to sleep being manipulated by a baby or toddler and having no rhythm to the torture of it, moving clocks around on a whim is no big deal. I welcome the change for everyone else to feel just as out of sorts.

...Daniel Tiger.

...Walmart grocery pick-up.

...my parents coming to visit and bringing Wells some springtime clothes. My mom is much better at picking out his clothes than I am. She was like that when I was a kid too. I always preferred her to pick out my clothes.

...coffee with unreasonable amounts of creamer.

...that I'm not terrified of coronavirus because I refuse to watch the news. I saw this on Twitter and sent it straight to my friend and we had a good laugh.

5 Grateful things.

1. Sheet pan dinners. So easy. Asparagus, gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, and Italian chicken sausage. Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and any seasonings you prefer. 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. 

2. Amazon. Good Lord. What did we do before Amazon? I told myself I was going to go to the craft store the other day but the overwhelming thought of packing up-driving-browsing-etc was too much. I ordered what I wanted on Amazon. 

It was laughable to think that I thought I needed to go out. 

3. Netflix. WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE STREAMING? I don't know and/or remember. We watched The Edge of Seventeen the other night. Very funny. We're also making our way through a bunch of Disney movies. And when Wells and I play on the floor, we watch The Office. He loves the theme music. 

4.  Half of this is a grateful thing: Wells had to get his booster flu shot this week. Scott was able to come with us, which I'm grateful for, because I never would've been able to maneuver a crowd while wrangling a toddler I don't trust to walk. The part that was annoying was the pediatrician's office doesn't just give flu shots; they run a "flu shot clinic" in the evenings and give dozens and dozens of people the same appointment time and you have to sign in on a list when you get there and wait in a standing-room-only (and you can't even find a spot to stand) waiting room for 30 minutes and ....well, maybe this is normal? I don't know. Scott said the army wouldn't even do something like that. And the army will do anything. 

5. Things that make me laugh. 

My favorite:

I still follow a few Alaska pages on Facebook and they do have some funny memes.

5 Grateful Things

I thought about just posting some funny things today because I've found some good ones lately, but it's November so...#grateful.

1. It's been a tough week but blogging has actually been helpful. As in, blogging every day is less work than blogging a few days a week. I used to blog every day. When you blog each day, you don't have to think as much about content. There's no hemming and hawing. You just post. And, as I found this week, in real time.
Monday was Christmas pajamas. Tuesday was books (I still have to go read all the book posts!), Wednesday was cookies, and Thursday was annoyances.

Also, does anyone remember when we just used to blog? As in, no formula for the week? It was just...topics we thought about?


2.   We attempted a Santa visit at the mall the other day and it did not work. At all. But I'm glad we tried.

3. Watching Wells actually play with toys. For some reason, he had systematically relocated all of these things to 6 feet away the other night while he was playing. 

4. Costco. We got a membership there in 2011 because it was the best deal in Alaska if you wanted to buy produce of any sort (at any time). Since then, I've always found clothes, products, and foods I like there. I even got my Hunter boots there last week (ordered from the website, no shipping, no tax, and $90 vs. Nordstrom's $140).

But these little wontons are a staple I've been buying since 2011. They are my go-to dinner when I don't want to cook and Wells loves them. He ate 5 last night. 

5. This candle. My biggest complaint about this house (okay, one of my complaints...I'm constantly complaining about it) is that it tends to smell musty if we leave it closed up and go away for a day or two. We've lived in, like, 7 houses. It isn't us because this isn't something that's ever been a problem. 

Scott went to the store the other day to get a few things and came back with the Woodwick Candle, and just opening it up was such a strong fall scent; I haven't even lit it yet. But the wood wick is the most comforting sound, if if remember correctly. This one came from Walmart and they have them everywhere...it's just the type of thing I never buy because I can't be sure I'll use it. 

Maybe this weekend I'll go nuts and light a candle. 

Linking up!

5 Grateful Things.

I should've done this last Friday but I think I was feeling particularly annoyed for some reason. I can't even remember why now, to be honest.

Here's a short list of 5 things I'm grateful for this week:

1. New boots.

I ordered these and expected to just wrap them up for Christmas but...I was reminded that the reason I bought them is because it rains like 207 days a year here or something. So here we are. I ordered online and guessed at the size and they fit perfect with a thick sock, which is what I would wear with rain boots anyway. Do you all recommend the Hunter socks to go with them? I was thinking that might not be a bad investment. I have a pair of cheaper ($40) rain boots for muddy, mucky outdoor tasks, and they're higher, which is why I got these in the shorter style.

2. Wells had a playdate. Goodness, it's nice to have a friend. Also, it's so good for Wells to interact one on one with another kid or two, instead of a whole room of toddlers.


3. Having a healthy kid. Just on top of the general fact that Wells was born healthy and well, he also rarely (KNOCK ON WOOD) is sick or sick-ish. He's had a fever once (that was not related to vaccines) and he's had the occasional runny nose but it always goes away in a couple of days.
I bought into the elderberry syrup trend this year though, so he's been getting a dose each day and we've been taking the gummies each day.
I got those ones from Amazon but if you have a brand you recommend, let me know!


4. This house is drafty and old (and stupid) but I'm grateful I invested in flannel sheets and a down comforter and a flannel duvet cover about 3 years ago. It was never as particularly useful in Colorado, but man. I'm glad I have it now. That is all going on our bed today. Especially because Scott fell asleep on the couch last night and, let's face it, the dogs sleep where Scott sleeps (they sleep by the front door if he's not home at night...sigh), so I was particularly cold last night.


5. I'm oddly grateful for Pinterest. It's not the novelty it once was back in 2011 or so, but it's still my go-to for recipes, crafty ideas, and funny memes.

And, since you all are listening to Christmas music already...

And, finally, if you want something funny to watch on this Friday, we came across this video again, after years, and laughed a lot the other night.


Linking up for Friday Favorites!

Friday Gratefulness #4 (Post-Thanksgiving edition)

This is a mix and match version of some random things for this last Friday in November. I've really attempted to focus on the little things and what goes right instead of what goes wrong. It's a healthy practice, though it feels COMPLETELY unnatural, so I recommend giving it a try.

1. This cinnamon roll recipe. I made these last Christmas and decided that, instead of pie or cookies or something, I would make them yesterday. They are amazing. And SO easy. I put them together while I was waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven and watching Elf.

2. I liked that the weather in Wyoming this week was a bit like November is supposed to be. We returned to the tinderbox that is Colorado on Wednesday and that was a big fat disappointment because I had to pull out shorts again. There is nothing cozy about decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving day while having the windows open and the fans running.

3. I'm more than grateful that I've had the whole week off. I got all my work done in one day sitting at the kitchen counter in Laramie and now I can clean and decorate for Christmas without school hanging over my head.

4.  I'm grateful that Scott is able to go hunting this weekend, because he needs time to hunt the way I need time to just sit and not talk to anyone. Also, the dogs desperately need to hunt so hopefully he gets them out after some ducks tomorrow.

5. We've made hard and fast decisions about how we're spending the month of December, what next year will look like, and how this will affect us both with school/career/etc. and it feels very good to just have a plan that will result in some sort of "settled". We'll never really be settled, as he still wistfully talks about Alaska and Missouri (mostly the hunting in Missouri) and we both miss the east coast and we have no idea where the army will send us after next year...but it feels "better" to know that we've whittled our options and made some decisions.

And since it's Thanksgiving week, I should end with this:

I don't actually know that I've meant this more than I mean it this particular year.

Tomorrow, I'll go Christmas shopping but there's no way I'm heading out there today. Plus, it's 70 degrees. Best to just stay home so I don't sweat to death. 

Are you shopping today?

What was the best thing you ate yesterday?

Friday Gratefulness and Favorites #3

1. I'm heading up to Wyoming tomorrow to spend a few days. Scott still has class for most of next week and I would rather be with him than here alone, but also, he's busy and, as I well know, the dogs are a timesuck. Anyway, we'll be back in Colorado for Thanksgiving. I suppose I'm just grateful, in this case, of my full week off and the fact that I can reflect on what I've done this year and what I'll do in 2018. Also, I plan on painting the hideously yellow living room, as long as I can dig the painting supplies out of the shed.

2. I'm having dinner with some former coworkers tonight. I can't believe that I lucked into such great coworkers in Colorado. I always had friendly and caring coworkers, but the ones in Colorado are legitimate friends that I really miss when I don't see them every day. In the past, my friends at each base were army wives, not people I met through work. Here, it's the exact opposite.

3. The Steelers won last night. Did I watch? The first half and then I went to bed. But they won and I'm grateful it's been a good season (though they barely pulled it off last weekend). I need this (uh, we need this) after the downward spiral that's happened to Penn State. They went from 6 to 4 to 2 to FOURTEEN to 10 in the rankings, so far this season. I don't understand it. And they're still 8-2, so I really don't get it. But the Steelers won and are also 8-2.

New Steelers gear is on my Christmas list. 

4. Sometimes a motivational quote hits you at the right time. I really liked Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection when I listened to it sometime last year or the year before. I saw this the other day and it brought back all the valuable lessons I learned from that book.

5. And, finally, I'm genuinely grateful that all of those things Scott worked so hard to fix over the last few weeks (the furnace...the RAV4...etc) are still working. It's been a season here.

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Finally. Friday.

Linking up with Rebecca!

Friday Gratefulness and Favorites

1. Even though we didn't get a brand new car last weekend, our RAV4 runs better than it did when it was brand-new and it's just as clean...we cleaned it in anticipation of a trade-in and, since that didn't happen, I get to enjoy it now. And now that it's super clean, Scott agreed that the dogs should stay out of it. I love them more than anything but you know how dog hair goes.  I honestly feel like my life is back together, after feeling very unorganized since August, with all our random vehicle hiccups and swapping back and forth.

2. Can I say how grateful I am that Scott fixed everything on my car himself? He's always fixed everything on every car by himself. This RAV4 actually required a new wiring harness and he sat and rewired pieces and matched up connectors and stripped down the entire engine (literally everything under the hood was on the ground) to get this thing fixed. Even ordering and installing a new computer for the RAV4...he did all of that. We now have two extra wiring harnesses and one extra computer lying around...was this a cheap fix? No. But the dealership wanted close to $4,000 when they quoted us 3 years ago. He did it for a quarter of that. It didn't even take him that long, once he knew he had the right parts. The dealership needed two days just to diagnose it (and they did that part incorrectly). Scott replaced everything in a few hours.

Wiring harness

He's also fixed the Nissan (I don't even know what was wrong with it, but it's a 1999 so there's always something that could be improved upon...he rebuilt the exhaust a few years ago), and he's getting ready to pull the transmission out of the diesel truck, so as to replace it.

It's been a long season for us these last six months or so.

But I would be remiss if I didn't offer him the biggest compliments for being so self-sufficient. I only wish people understood WHY we are so busy every weekend. We're busy with stuff like this. No one else does stuff like this with their days off (and sometimes days on). If you do know of someone, please send me their number. Scott could use a like-minded friend. (I'm only kind of kidding.)

3. Winter is here and I like it.

4. My new planner showed up this week. It took me forever to decide on a pattern. They don't have plaid anymore, so I went with houndstooth. This was a splurge. But, as I realized this past year, I'll use it.

5. No students today, as we are doing "professional development". Honestly, we rarely have full 5-day weeks in my district and I get too used to that and then when we do have a 5-day week, it throws me off and the kids are miserable too. But it's always oddly relaxing to go to work and not have students. Like, this is what most of the working population must feel like, right? Getting to go to the bathroom whenever you want and all.

Happy weekend!

Friday Gratefulness and Favorites #1

Uh, because it's November and that means I have to start documenting this stuff that I'm thankful for.

I mentioned that Scott and I were really honing in on what goes right and not what goes "wrong". The " " are because sometimes the seemingly wrong things are wrong for a reason.

1. This kid. She drew me in my Halloween costume and threw in the fact that we play a continuous game of Students vs. Teacher.

2. This kid. Gave me an apple. I haven't gotten an apple in 5 years. I used to have to bake a pie or crisp every other week because the kids in Alaska would give me so many apples.

3. Another kid was dressed up as "El" from Stranger Things, in the pink dress. BRILLIANT.

4. I had dinner with a friend last night. I talk to her every day, but haven't seen her in months, which is kind of ridiculous because we live fairly close to each other. But life, right? We get bogged down with busyness.

5. The Pumpkin Swap link-up will be on Tuesday! You can link a blog post here in Tuesday's post...you can link an IG post...you can search #GreatPumpkinSwap. So many ways to join in!