Happy Thursday yall! I’m currently sipping on my Earl Grey and attempting to organize all the post it note reminders I have scribbled things down on and stuck on various surfaces. Consider this post one giant post-it. On my instagram account I have a brief bio which includes the topics I write about: food, family, homeschool, lifestyle, and travel. Basically the major topics of my life right now, not necessarily in their order of importance.

FOOD

I’ve been reminded this week of how powerful food is in regards to how I feel. I’ve been eating kale salads with quinoa, rice cakes topped with avocado and tomato, breakfasts of roasted potatoes and eggs and I just feel good. Dinners have been pretty simple (mom’s spaghetti sauce over cauliflower rice, grilled chicken salads, etc). Even David commented that a big salad for dinner was nice the other night (say whaaa??).

As for the girls, Hailey is still a fantastic eater. Her favorite breakfast is the same as mine- toast, sriracha, avocado, fried egg. Kaitlyn is doing pretty well, though she’d certainly survive off of yogurt and cut fruit alone if I’d let her. She also just isn’t as interested in food as general (how is she my child?) so getting her to focus on a meal is challenge enough.

My CSA starts next week and I think I’m going to do a free 3 month trial at BJ’s too. I’m hoping to combine bulk shopping and CSA for the majority of my stuff and fill in the gaps at the grocery store. Working on a monthly budget completely has reshaped my grocery shopping strategy.

FAMILY

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday! I’m so glad we got to be together last week to celebrate. It’s tough to not be there on actual birthdays, but I have to remind myself I’m not 8 anymore and that’s life.

Speaking of birthdays, Kaitlyn’s is coming up. She will be three and though she is advanced for her age (already acting like a threenager at times!), I’m still in denial and keep telling people she is two (which though true, feels a bit deceptive). She and I are currently in deep talks about birthday cakes, which is bouncing between Ariel (what Hailey had), Frozen (still??), and Maui. Have I mentioned Kaitlyn loves Maui way more than Moana? You should hear her sing “the hair, the bod!” Girl cracks me up daily.

David and I also just celebrated our 8 year anniversary (May 2). We celebrated with flowers, cards, and a viewing of our wedding video. We haven’t watched it since we got it probably and WOW, it’s incredible. Probably the best thing we spent money on!

I’m not too proud to admit I cried. Dustin at Indy Productions knocked it out of the park.

PS- we are both trying not to laugh in that picture above. When put on the spot in front of a camera we are both quite awkward! Great memories though…

HOMESCHOOL

The summer is going to fly by, I just know it, so I need to kick this up into high gear. On the physical preparation front, we are having guys come out today to measure our playroom for new carpet. A big goal of mine this summer is to clear out all the baby stuff and turn it into a bigger kid play space/homeschool room. We’ll get new carpet, cover the walls with maps, animals, and space related decor, get a big table and chairs, and have a place to organize all our supplies/crafts. I know I’m biting off more than I can chew, but fingers crossed.

I bought Math-U-See Primer to start with for math. Flipping through, I think she has a handle on most of the concepts already, but I want to start with success. If we fly through it, then I’ll get Alpha and move on from there.

I think we’ll have an official start date in mid to late August to establish some structure. I’ve started to connect with several other local moms that are embarking on homeschool for the first time, as well as some seasoned veterans (finding my “tribe” if you will). I’m looking forward to this new adventure!

TRAVEL

We had such a great time at Dollywood! As for what’s next, we’ll spend some time in early summer at David’s parents’ house in South Carolina which we are really looking forward to. June brings a bachelorette party in Fort Lauderdale where I’ll be with some of my best college girl friends- can’t wait!

In July I’ll be a bridesmaid in a wedding in Saratoga Springs, NY, (never been to the area so I’m pumped!) then we will head down to Georgia in early August to celebrate my Grandma Betty’s 97th birthday. We’re hoping to squeeze in a family weekend at the beach too, but we’ll see.

LIFESTYLE

Honestly, I use this as a catch all for anything else I want to post about. So let’s talk about May. It’s CRAZY. Birthdays, Mother’s Day Teas at school, Kaitlyn’s birthday party, swim team assessments, recital prep, etc. Everything in our yard is blooming and we are months behind on yard maintenance. David and I have an ongoing joke when we see something else that needs fixing. We just laugh and say add it to the list… We have no clue how long that list actually is at the moment.

But we are happy. Very happy. My days with the girls are wide open, as naps are no longer a thing at our house. That means we can spend three hours at the playground with friends (like we did yesterday) enjoying the incredible weather, all stop off for a bathroom break (no diapers), and grab lunch (no special foods/preparation). After spending 5 years bound by schedules and such, it’s incredibly freeing and exhilarating.

Sometimes I can’t believe that I’m here. This place in life I mean. Married, with two kids. An adult. Like, a legit adult. I think just the past few months I’ve grown a lot in that understanding. I’m getting more comfortable taking charge of situations, making decisions without worrying as much what others will think. I’m understanding that I should never say never because things I’m doing now are things I never would have ever pictured doing (homeschooling?!), so I as far as where life takes me, I’m open to watching it unfold and doing my best to steer it in the direction we are aiming for.

from my instagram stories

Ok, I’ve talked quite enough. I’d love to hear what is going on with you!

Is May an insane month for you too?

What are the highlights of life right now for you in food, family, travel, etc?

What age (if any yet) did you feel like, holy smokes, I’m a legit adult?