Happy Halloween!

We had a fabulous Halloween! Thankfully Issa got well just in time for us all to go see Dracula at the ballet:

It is still one of my favorite pieces they do.

Yesterday, Issa and Allison went to their history class as Hamilton and Eliza to get extra credit:

Issa said the professor really couldn't recover. Meanwhile, I was Tigger for the day:

I'm embedded at a school on Mondays, and our behavior team took a trip to the 100 Acre Wood:

Last night, our house went for the Nightmare Before Christmas theme:

Brad was very proud of Jack with the gingerbread:

We were all characters:

 Since the kids didn't trick or treat, Evan spent the night sneaking up on people as the shadow. I was his favorite target, which made for a very fun Halloween for all!

This Was New

I've presented at a lot of conferences in my career, and several years ago I stopped getting nervous...until this week.

I was invited to present at the North Carolina School Psychologist Association conference about family involvement this week. I've done a lot of research there, and I genuinely love presenting about it. It was a bonus that this is the first time I've ever actually gotten paid to present. It was not a familiar audience, though, and this is what was waiting for me when I got there:

They told me to expect about 30 people split between the room and zoom. I didn't realize that they had hired a firm to do the filming and zooming and running of my slide deck. I also ended up with 78 people in the room and 30 on zoom. I was nervous.

But...it went well. I genuinely enjoyed the session once we got going, and participants seemed appreciative at the end. I learned a lot from a different perspective at the conference, and I would definitely do again--just maybe with more lipstick next time.

 

We Finally Made It!

Brad and I have lived in NC for 20 years, and we have never made it to the State Fair. It just felt crowded and like something we didn't need. Once celiac entered our family, we thought that certainly the fair was not for us. However, Evan desperately wanted to go this year. We started doing some digging, and we realized we could probably make it work. 

Friday, as soon as the kids got home from school we headed to the fair. We parked in the park and ride lot, and were pleasantly surprised to board a charter bus that was waiting. We were at our gate in less than ten minutes from the time we parked. 

That bus also dropped us off at the back of the fair, which was ideal for our crew! Local artisans are set up there. We got to watch the blacksmith, and Issa bought a ring. We saw potters and carvers and all manner of handcrafts. 

From there, we fulfilled Evan's whole goal at the fair: 

Deep fried oreos. He was thrilled. And Issa found a smoothie in a pineapple:

We all found great dinner options and thoroughly enjoyed every bite:

We also got to see a lot of animals, and we all loved the produce hall. Just look at those pumpkins:

The shuttle was just as easy on the way home, and we truly had a blast! We already plan to spend a whole day next year!
 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy birthday, Brad! 

We had a very low-key celebration yesterday. The plan was always to make pizzas and have a night in, but it got even more cozy since Issa was home sick yesterday. Brad's big gift is a sauna we are installing in the garage. It's for the whole family, though, so we wanted to get him something small, too. Unfortunately, Amazon delivered his fountain for his meditation space without an extra box, so the surprise was a bit ruined--or so he thought:

He was making a big deal about wondering what it was when he was opening it:

We got him:

We actually took the fountain out from the bottom so the tape was still in tact and replaced it with the rat we hide for each other around Halloween:

He was terribly amused as he opened the second box that actually had the fountain.

He is so easy to celebrate. 
 

Back Home

I spent the past three days in a cute little town in upstate New York:

 I was onsite to do an accreditation visit for AAQEP. This is the first time since before Covid that I have travelled for work, and it was so lovely to spend time with colleagues in another state and see how they do things. The faculty there was wonderful, and I'm certain we will stay in touch. 

That said, it was awfully nice to be back in my own bed and see my people last night. 

It's Getting Real!

Issa got some very exciting mail this week:

That would be the junior recruitment packet from Meredith. She is starting to really dig into her college search, and she is loving getting all of the mail and email! It will be really fun to see where she ends up!
 

Favorite Fall Tradition

This weekend we went back to Springhaven to carve pumpkins with goats:

I absolutely love this tradition! We all know I love goats, and I love that all of the pumpkin mess gets gobbled up by their cuteness. I think we all had a good time:

And the goats were very excited to nibble:

And snuggle:

This little guy used Brad's sleeve as a napkin, much to all of our delight:

We all had carving success:

Brad said his pumpkin spoke this design to him:

Evan did something more abstract, and we didn't get a final photo:

I kept it simple so I could snuggle more:

Nana went traditional:

Issa is spreading love this Halloween:

Once we finished carving we explored the rest of the farm, including these little babies:

They were too little to snuggle, but we got good quality time with the highland cow:

I just love the whole experience, and I can't wait to do it again next year!
 

A Fun Night

Traditional Viking music stresses Issa out, but the rest of us love it! So Wednesday night, we went to DPAC to see Wardruna:

It was a great show. Wardruna really focuses on the music. No set. No props. They use the light and shadow to highlight the instruments. 

After the show, we got to the car and Evan spotted a mouse IN THE CAR. Y'all. I don't do rodents. Brad and Evan spent 15 minutes trying to find the little guy, and we really thought he got out. However, Brad saw him again yesterday. Poor Brad deep cleaned the car, and we are hoping he has moved on to a new happy home. Until we are sure, though, Issa and I will only be found in the Subaru. 
 

Catching Up: Settling Into Fall

The past week has been a bit or a blur and a lot of routine. We are settling into fall and just generally enjoying. A few update...

Squirrely Shirley did in my pumpkin:

I hope she is very happy and full!

Saturday evening we had our first family fire. We laughed and made s'mores. I also got this crazy photo of Evan:

Issa also went to an Autumn Equinox party with some of her dance friends:

It was her time pressing cider, and she is in love.

I've been working longer days lately. I'm in the throws of my case study data collection, spending a full day a week in a school support BTs and behavior, and being department chair. It's a lot, but I love it!

 

Hygge

This weekend was declared Hygge Weekend. Hygge is a Swedish concept embracing all things cozy, and a rainy weekend seemed like a perfect time to get a little extra cozy--especially since we were some of the lucky few who never lost power!

I finally perfected a whole grain gluten free bread loaf:

Which paired perfectly with chicken noodle soup:

I simmered the stock all day and made some extra:

Even the animals embraced the cozy:

We watched movies and played board games. Tora is super good at board games:

We also decorated the front porch. Please meet Squirrely Shirley:

She has made my pumpkins her own buffet. Even when we are on the porch she doesn't move!

It was just what we needed, and I love that fall invites us to create more of these moments.
 

Waiting...

 I'm sitting at my desk at home watching the wind and rain. We are waiting for Ian to pass through. He will likely just be a tropical storm by the time he gets here, but campus is closed, the kids have remote learning, and all of our plans for this evening are cancelled.

Last night, Issa and I brought in the porch décor. I did all the laundry. We are stocked with just in case food and ingredients for cozy warm meals. That level of preparation will likely mean we see nothing.

While my heart breaks to see the destruction in Florida and we are holding our breath for South Carolina, I'm not minding a cozy day at home with my people. 

That View

I don't love teaching evening classes. I do my best thinking in the morning, and by 8pm I'm pretty much toast. However:

 It's not a bad view from the office.

A Different Kind of Tired

 Yesterday I got to spend a whole day in a school coaching. I spent the vast majority of my day in kindergarten. I got to work with teachers and kids all day. It was lovely.

And I'm a whole different kind of tired. I doubled my daily steps. It's a whole different kind of thinking and decision making. I crashed hard last night.

I'm also reenergized more than I have been in a long time. I love being in schools, and it gives me energy and perspective. And I get to go back on Friday!

I Made It

Last week will go down as one of the most insane in my recent work life. We had our accreditation Monday through Wednesday and then I co-chaired a state conference Wednesday through Friday. I was leaving the house by 7am and getting home between 8 and 9--not having eaten dinner yet. I was back on campus Saturday for a recruitment event. 

It all went well, but it was a lot. I'm exhausted, and I needed yesterday. Mom, Issa and I went to the first ballet of the season:

 It was such a fun afternoon of dance, and we met the boys for dinner afterwards. We ended the evening and Mom's hanging some paintings for her, and then I came home and collapsed.

Thankfully, this is an easier week. I get to be in schools for two whole days, which always fills my tank, and I don't have any more major events for the foreseeable future!

The Kindness of Strangers

 To say this is a crazy week is an understatement. We have our on-campus national accreditation visit for our education program yesterday through Wednesday and I am co-chairing a state conference Wednesday-Friday. Everything is going very well, but it's a lot!

Yesterday, I had to pick my accreditation team up from the airport. As we were leaving, my driver's side window wouldn't go down, so I had to open the door to insert the paid parking ticket so we could leave. What I didn't realize at the time is that my wallet fell out of the door pocket when I did that.

When we got to their hotel, I realized what had happened. I called airport security and left a message, and then called Brad. He was incredibly kind considering he has told me a million times not to put my wallet there. We made a plan to start calling and cancelling everything.

No sooner had we hung up than Issa called me. The car behind me had seen what happened, picked up my wallet, and DROVE IT TO MY HOUSE! I like to think I am very kind; I would have returned the wallet to security. I can't imagine taking the time to drive it to the owner. I am so incredibly grateful, and it was a wonderful reminder of all the good that is still in the world.

Good Snuggles

We had a lovely weekend. Issa had a lot of dance. Brad went on a hike. I went to see Frozen with my mom and sister. Evan played a new game I will never understand. We pulled out the fall decorations and caught up on yardwork. The highlight, though, was the snuggles:

I love when the temperatures start to cool down and we make more time for movie snuggles as a family--all piled on the couch. Even the cats got the message this weekend:

Now if the temperatures would just drop a few more degrees....
 

Back to Normal!

 We have finally kicked covid to the curb!

Issa can unmask again, and she made it through a full night of dance for the first time last night. Although she was asymptomatic, she realized her body was still fighting the virus. She was getting tired pretty easily, so she is glad to be over that hurdle!

I deep cleaned the last bathroom this morning! Issa and I had been sharing ours to contain any germs, and now that she is through her window we are all moving back to our normal bathrooms and routines.

I'm still trying to get my voice fully back, but I am very, very happy to be closing this chapter!

The Mask in the Room

 You may have noticed Issa was wearing a mask in some of her birthday pictures. After avoiding it for over two years, Issa and I managed to get Covid last week. The Saturday we went to AR Workshop for her birthday, I woke up with a bit of a scratchy throat, which I blamed on allergies. By the time we got home, I was tired and took a nap. Brad woke me up for dinner, but I went back to sleep. When I woke up on Sunday, I felt like I had been hit by a truck and tested positive. I isolated in our room and bathroom, and Brad brought trays of food to the door. I had a really sore throat (which led to a bit of a cough) and was exhausted, but thankfully that was the extent of it.

Tuesday morning, I got an isolation buddy:

Issa had zero symptoms, but she tested positive. It was much more fun to have a buddy. She was able to keep up with her school work, and we did a lot of binge watching. She also cleaned out my drawers, closet, and jewelry box! 

I could go into the out Friday, so I took over some of the meal running. Issa could come out Sunday. Today is the first day I don't have to mask at home, and Issa will be all the way clear on Friday! Thankfully, both boys avoided it.

Issa and I are still recovering. My throat and voice are still not 100%, and we both get tired pretty easily. 

Covid is a funny thing. We have no idea where we picked it up. Everyone I talked to has had a slightly different experience, and we are feeling very lucky that our cases were as mild as they were. We are so ready to get back to normal!

A Very Happy Birthday!

 We had a great time celebrating Issa last night! She made this mama's heart very happy when she asked for books from Brad and I:

She gave us a whole list, and then we picked from there:

She used a gift card to add a few more to her collection last night, too! She is just like me: she loves the smell and feel of real books.

Nana and Aunt Shannon came over for dinner, and Issa was very thrilled with Aunt Shannon's gift of Doc Martins:

The rest of the outfit was part of her birthday from Nana! 

We ended the night by filling out all of her tax forms and direct deposit for her first job! I can't think of anything more grown up!

Happy Sweet Sixteen!

Our girl is officially sixteen today! We actually started celebrating last Saturday with a trip to AR Workshop--just Issa, her best friend, and I. We had a blast making larger projects:

These two are so fun:

And we were thrilled with the final result:

Yesterday, Mom, Shannon, and I took her shopping, and this morning she woke up to decorations:

She will open gifts tonight, and we will keep celebrating all week!

Happy sweet sixteen, baby girl! We love you!