Thursday - Week In The Life

Thursday was very low-key around here, which is not typical.  Rhys stayed home, but he's back to himself and will be back to school tomorrow.   Olivia and Rowan had school and Frank, of course, had work.

I did indulge in one kuh-razy episode of Dr. Phil this afternoon while folding laundry.  It happened to be about a nutty woman who digitally kidnapped (who knew that was even a "thing") some other woman's twins and pretended they were her own.  She even had their pictures hanging on her walls at home!  What the?  Yeah, she denied it up until old Dr. P busted out the screen shots of her listing of a lamp on Craig's List, with the picture of the little girls hanging on the wall behind it.  The gang from Scooby Doo solved some SERIOUS crimes, but they've got nothin' on Phil McGraw.

But I digress.

Laundry today meant finding a Lego Marge Simpson at the bottom of the washer.  I'll never claim that life around here is boring.  

Olivia making breakfast before school and Rhys feeling much better.  Woohoo!

If it's really pouring, we drive to the bus stop.  Hanging out for a few minutes together is fun and often involves laughing about stuff.  Rowan is one smart, sweet sixth grader.  

  

Cookies in the lunch boxes this week were E.L. Fudge.  Once in awhile I even go wild and get the double-stuffed Elves...but I fear that they also result in double-stuffed humans.  

When we were searching for a home to buy, this house spoke to us the minute we walked through the door.  The fact that there is an etched "C" on the back door just sealed the deal and confirmed that it was meant to be.  (Ignore the reflection of the creepy camera lady.) 

Quick run to the grocery store.  I adore these tiny carts that most stores have now.   Not sure why, since I generally end up filling them to the brim and almost tipping them over around corners anyway.  But they're cute!  

Filled up with gas.  Frank has successfully converted me into stopping once and filling up the tank.  My prior habit was to stop three times a week, getting $10 each time.  You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  

The sun actually made an appearance nearing evening time.  While I love how green and lush everything is, we're all feeling a little deficient in Vitamin D.   Come on, summer! 

And that's it for Thursday.   Really looking forward to the next three days and the new photography opportunities weekends seem to bring!  

Wednesday - Week In The Life

Well, hello Wednesday!  

Feeding the birds, squirrels, and whoever else shows up at the outdoor buffet is a morning chore I enjoy.  I barely get the sliding door closed before the stampede begins.  They don't even care that I have pasty white legs.  

A little more studying before my final exam.   

Wiper blades have been getting a workout lately.  It's been raining for like a month.   

One last final and Fundamentals will be FINISHED!  

A call from the school nurse means more Ginger Ale being served.  Today, it's Rhys with the stomach bug.  Luckily, they get rarely get sick and, when they do, it is short-lived.  

A little candlelight always makes a room feel special.  

Definitely not feeling well.  Going to bed early isn't his thing.   Poor baby.  

Hoping Thursday means everyone is feeling better!  Week In The Life, it's all about documenting LIFE.  

Tuesday - Week In The Life

Tuesdays around here, at least at this time of year, mean school, work, and the younger boys spending the evening with their dad.  It's usually date night for Frank and I, although because I had a final exam on Wednesday, my sweetheart cooked a delicious dinner while I studied.  So grateful for him.

Here we go...

A self-timer, early morning shot, complete with pjs, glasses, and bedhead.  While getting breakfast and lunches ready, I check texts, emails, etc.  I look like I'm just standing there, but I'm totally multi-tasking.  Haha.  

Breakfast for Rowan lately has meant a bowl of ramen with a poached egg.  Not everyone's thing, but he loves it and I love that it's so unique.  :-)  

Hugging your brother in the morning as he heads to the bus stop.   It's allegedly a loving goodbye, despite the expressions of the hugger and the hug-gee.    

Tuesday was Patriot Day at Rhys' school, so he wanted to go all out and spray his hair red.  I conceded, but only after reading the can six times and harassing the clerk at Party City (nearly to the point of asking her to sign an affidavit) to confirm that it was NON-PERMANENT.  

My favorite mug from one of my favorite people.  :-)  It's fun to drink my coconut milk in the morning and see the faces of people I love.   Thanks, Sharon, for such a thoughtful gift! 

Current mileage on my '06 Swagger Wagon.  Keeping our fingers crossed that it continues run well and that we drive this baby into the 200,000s!  

During morning driving hither and yon, I listen to the BBC World News podcast.   It's my favorite.  They do a great job on providing balanced, comprehensive reporting.  And seriously, who doesn't love a British accent.  (Seems like a superficial, 'Murican comment, but I'm going with it.) 

Off to school to practice my assessment skills in the lab.  We are SO lucky to have this beautiful new building with state-of-the-art nursing simulation labs.  Mannequins that have vital signs, can speak, blink their eyes, have strokes, heart attacks.  It's amazing and such a fabulous learning opportunity in a safe environment.  I love HCC!  

Unloading the dishwasher (there could seriously be like 27 pictures of this during Week In The Life.)  Rhys is feeling more camera-friendly.  

Heading over to dad's for the evening.  Rowan's wearing his favorite Maryland shorts and hoodie.  WITL wouldn't be complete without this outfit appearance.  

This picture looks kinda shady, doesn't it?  Like it's from what older folks would call a "dope den."  It's really the table top of a nursing student, studying needles, gauges, syringes, and dosage calculations.  

So that's Tuesday.   Two days in and I'm still finding material.  That's a good sign, right?  Haha.  

See ya on Wednesday!  

Monday - Week In The Life

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

- John Lennon -

That quote kind of sums up Monday.  Rowan woke up with the creeping crud (a.k.a. a stomach virus), so he pretty much spent the day on the couch.   Got a few things done on my to-do list, but the day mostly consisted of providing ginger ale and back scratching to the boy who was illin'.  Luckily, it was short-lived and he was feeling better in a day.  

Here's a peek into our day - 

It makes not an ounce of sense, but this is how I program my morning alarms.  I also have my car clock set at 16 minutes fast.  Don't ask.  

Time to get Rowan up for school.  

Because it's Monday, the freshly-laundered gym uniform is going back to school.  (Unfortunately, this doesn't happen EVERY Monday...mostly because it doesn't always come home every Friday.  Again, don't ask.) 

Not feeling well means a hoodie and a blanket.  When it's an afghan handmade by your Oma, it's extra cozy.  

Ran to Target for some ginger ale and popsicles.  As evidenced by the bag count, it was the typical "quick run" to Target.  

These flowers on the porch are almost a month old, but still look beautiful and make me smile.  Especially when we've had rain for the last 197 days.  

Having one sick kid and tons of studying seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick up Chinese for dinner.  Won-Ton soup for the boys, sushi for Olivia, and Szechuan veggies for Frank and me.  

While most of my reading lately has consisted of textbooks and lab manuals, I'm enjoying Brene Brown's, "Daring Greatly."  Hopefully it will make it off of the bedside table and on to a shelf before 2017.  Haha.  

A little TV for the boys before sleeping.  There is always some sort of collection lined up on their dresser.  It's a sign of whatever they're into at the moment, but almost always includes Legos.  

More studying for me and then getting to bed shortly after midnight.  I actually STARTED heading for bed around 11:45, but then the "let-me-just" syndrome kicked in.  You know how it goes, "Let me just fold these clothes real quick.  Let me just put in a load of laundry.  Let me just make sure I have stuff for lunches.  Let me just paint the living room."  (BTW, I do love my screensaver pic...the kids in Mexico last summer.  What good memories from that trip.)

I'm happy with what I was able to capture on the first day of WITL.  Rowan being sick is just the reality and illustrates exactly why this project is so perfect at capturing the good, the bad, and the contagious.  

Bring on Tuesday!  

It's The Little Things

Well, hello there!  As usual, it's been awhile since I've visited ol' blogland.  When I decided to participate in Ali Edward's photo project, "Week In The Life," I thought it would be a really good reason to jump start this thing.

Week In The Life isn't just about taking pictures.  It's about telling our story.   All the details, the routines, the emotions, the relationships, the props. How often have you looked at an old photo and savored each and every little detail?  It may have been a picture of you and your friends eating cake for your birthday, but it's the wallpaper in your mom's kitchen, the monogrammed sweater your friend was wearing, or the 110 film "look" of the photo with its rounded corners that evoke more memories and tell the best story.

This week is a pretty typical one for this season of our lives.  It involves school for the younger kids, as well as for me, work for Frank and the older kids, household stuff, and some entertaining of friends.  Beyond documenting the events and daily stuff, I've found that Week In The Life also forces you to examine all the bits of life that often become a blur.  Becoming more intentional is a wonderful byproduct of this project!

So without further ado, I give you Week In The Life.

P.S. - Anyone want to place bets at how many times Target is mentioned this week?