Saturday things, 4/18

 

I started the week at the dentist. This is the thing that had fallen out: a composite filling. I only have a handful of fillings and I have no idea when/where this was put in. Luckily it was not an actual broken tooth and it was a $30 fix as a co-pay. The entire bill was *only* $120, which actually doesn't seem that unreasonable. I like our dentist office here a lot, too, so that's a plus. 

 I had to go back to school like this, which was great. But I had the morning off so I ran some kid-free errands which was refreshing. 

My least favorite thing is painting my toenails. I did it this past weekend though because warm weather is here. The Bombas are still fantastic. 

I am forever baffled by how the name "Darhower" sends grown adults into a spiral of not being able to sound out letters, spell, or speak. I vent only because I've had this problem since 2010. It's not limited to this place and time. 

Dar-how-er

 (It's always teachers who can't grasp the pronunciation...sometimes parents, never students. Tells us a lot, right?)

I decompress by reading about other peoples' problems on Reddit. 

This lady has boys named Connor, Nicholas, and Dominic and needs a 4th name that "goes with them". 

The comments actually pointed out the fact that Connor, Nicholas, and Dominic do not go together at all and I think it just sounds like a group of boys on a soccer team and not a family of siblings. Could not agree more. Good luck finding a 4th. 

She wouldn't let me take her picture because she was sitting with the "older girls" (my own students) and was too cool for a picture. Lord help me. 

Not Type A.

It's so hot here already. Wednesday was military kid day (purple up, they call it) and we're lucky that Wells' soccer team is purple because otherwise...

I've been teaching math in the most old-fashioned way possible and they actually enjoy it. The classical model of education is so underrated and it makes me sad. They're there to learn. You're there to teach. Stop playing games and just teach them something. It's not flashy, but it's valuable and they *like* being taught. Holding kids accountable builds relationships too. This is the great thing about going to a private school (more on this later): I can say things like your parents want you to be here so you're here to learn. You can't say that in public school. 

I found these in a cupboard and they are FAR SUPERIOR to any wipe I've ever used. They smell good and don't leave a weird residue. 

I got gasoline on my arm, shoe, and leg at the gas pump on the way to school yesterday and was in need of something heavy duty.

I will be buying these when I need wipes from now on.  I think the container is prettier than those other brands too. 

If you're asking "Do I need $65 waterproof sandals that could also be worn to work, to school, for play?": Yes. As soon as I put these on my feet, I knew they would be perfect everyday sandals. I wanted something I wasn't afraid to get wet, but also had to look good. I got Vintage Oasis. The Cognac sold out and I already have similar black sandals (though not waterproof). 

I saw a meme once that said "respect the polygon" and I could literally spend hours (I did last night) watching storm coverage. 

"please do not drive through flooded roadways"

-the newscasters after they spent 4-5 minutes commenting on which vehicles were making it through and which weren't

I did not finish the finale yet. I was going to wait for Scott to get back from his recent trip but nope. I will finish it tonight. I am not Team Robby. I think he's actually the worst. 

Alright, off to a soccer game. 

Monday things, 4/13

1. For years, I've had lightweight shorts I've worn under dresses. Not all dresses, just the swing-style dresses that are above the knee. They're usually pj shorts and usually from The Gap. However, I threw one pair away years ago and then I LOST my pair that I had from last summer. I have no idea what happened to them and honest to goodness this is what happens when you're constantly packing and unpacking and sorting clothes. So anyway, I grabbed this set from Walmart for $12 and the shorts are perfect for wearing under loose shorter dresses. 

This set also doesn't look particularly pajama-y so I would 100% wear this tank over a swimsuit in the summer.

Follow me for more hacks. 

                                                            pajama set --I got a medium

2. If you know me, I try to keep most of my complaining to Instagram stories and not on this permanent space because the internet doesn't forget. However, in the last several weeks: Sutton was sick, I was sick, Sutton fell and had to get a staple in her head, Scott was out of the country, Scott was sick, Scott was in the hospital for what we think is/was West Nile virus and still doesn't feel great and then he's traveling a lot lately, and then this past week I broke a tooth. 

We also have to move out of this house by the end of June. Where are we going? We have some plans but we're still not sure how it's all going to shake out. We are staying in Kansas for the foreseeable future so it's not like we're moving to a new location but we do have to move houses. 

So if you're wondering why "Friday things" randomly turns into "Monday things", this is why. 

3. 

Ignore the fact that the paper is upside down (sigh). This is what Wells is doing for 2nd grade math right now. Writing out the problems, using real paper, lining things up, etc. Warms my heart. 

4. I've tried to stay out of a lot of these Landfill Core stores but I really needed a new rug because our front door rug is falling apart. I also wanted to see those (hideous) viral beaded bags in person. There were multiple people there taking pictures of them! 

But the kids had some Easter money to spend so they got to look around TJ Maxx...

They got eggs filled with slime. Also...heart-warming, I guess. 

5. Mix sweetened lime syrup into your diet coke. 

6. 

Sutton has been saying 'oh biscuits' for over a year now.

Currently in {April}

Planting... I mentioned before that I went to the "water" method of trying to keep my orchid alive after I learned that Big Orchid is just trying to get us to buy new ones every 4 months. I figure I have nothing to lose because it hasn't bloomed since early last fall. Meaning, we brought it home from the store in bloom and then it died and hasn't re-bloomed.

It's probably been a month and it's not dead yet so we'll see. (No pics because it's dark and I'm writing this at 6am.)

Cleaning... My trick is to do the kitchen reset in the morning. So yeah, I often go to bed with a messy kitchen but then I get up at 5:00am every day anyway, so I listen to the Bible reading for the day or a podcast while I spend 20 minutes loading/unloading, wiping counters, washing pots, and packing up lunchboxes. It's not worth doing at night if you're already tired. Don't let social media make you think you need to stay up til 11pm cleaning your kitchen. 

Eating and drinking....I ate more candy this past weekend than I've eaten in months. I could not stop. I actually had to detox yesterday. And then I ate some M&M's and had a diet coke before bed and, I'm not kidding, I slept better than I have in weeks (don't come to me for advice on anything). 

But really, Scott has been sick and not eating, the kids prefer pb&j for 2-3 meals a day, and so I've been grazing. 

Seriously, don't ask me for advice.

Reading and watching... I finished two books over spring break and I'm currently reading this:

I'm woefully behind on my yearly reading goal at this point but it is what it is. I'll catch up this summer maybe. My library card did not renew in Missouri (I haven't been physically there to renew), so that set me back a little and my Kansas library is acting weird ...my holds don't come in anymore?...Excuses, excuses, I guess. 

I've been rewatching Homeland. We are finishing out The Pitt season 2 and we finished season 2 of Paradise. I tried Marshals and I don't like it. I will wait for The Dutton Ranch and then 1944. I like Luke Grimes a lot but the premise of Marshals is dumb. 

We watched The Housemaid over the weekend and I tried to start The Madison but it just seems like a bunch of old rich people. 

I don't read as much because I love to rewatch shows. Since it's spring, it might be time to do my annual rewatch of Better Call Saul. 

Loving.... We really have had some delightful spring weather over the last two days. Windows open and a light breeze. 

But I meant to share this awhile back:

similar, but it's called the Electra 

I got this backpack in 2017 because I just "really wanted one". No idea why, just did. I didn't use it for much for years but now it's my "walking backpack" and I use it every single day while we walk the dogs. My friend found it on Poshmark because she really liked it too, but I got it on Amazon. It's just crazy how I never used it until, like, this year. It's just a testament to how we never know what we'll need in the future. 

Linking up VERY late for Currently!

Friday things, 4/3

Not gonna lie. It's been a week. March has kind of done us in at this point but now it's April and it's still going...the metaphor for the week is this:

Mav grabbed my book and ate it during the day on Wednesday.

BUT.

Here are some randoms and recommendations I wanted to share before I forget:

1. Saddleback Kids Easter Story. This is adorable. We watched it at school this week and I really like their content for quick videos when the kids need a reset. I turned it on again this morning for my kids.

2. See Kai Run shoes. I've consumed a lot of content about kids' shoes over the years and SKR is consistently at the top of the list. Sutton needs a pair of sneakers and I glanced around at Target two weeks ago...They are $30 for preschooler-aged shoes and they look so cheap in person. SKR was having a sale and everything was $25 so I let Sutton pick the pattern she wanted <3

It's cute the way the styles all have names and this one has my name. 

But $25 for podiatrist recommended shoes is a definite "yes". I've been buying this brand since Wells was a year old. Sometimes Target does collabs with them and I've bought those too but they price is high so it's usually better to buy them direct when there's a sale. 

3. 

We love this tent so much. She sleeps in it at night. Easily the best $25 we've spent on a birthday gift and I think my niece is getting one for her birthday in May. 

4. I placed a Walmart order last weekend because I needed a bunch of random things and didn't have the energy to wander for an hour with two kids. This is the number of emails they sent me about ONE order over a period of 24 hours. Like, that's enough, Walmart and reason enough not to use them...they didn't used to do this and I've been utilizing this service for almost 9 years. 

5. Whatever I just found screenshotted on my devices: 

iykyk

Linking up