Its about time to say goodbye

Its time to say goodbye, to Summer Break. The boys will be back to school in a week and Im having mixed feelings about it. So much changed and yet we are back to square one. The crazy part is, Im totally ok with it.  Not sure how long things will stay this way. We are in a super fluid time. Plans are changing on the daily and as a person who prefers stability, I may be struggling a bit. But doing my best not to lose my cool. Full disclosure, Im a little bit of a mess. But embracing it.  

I have so many road photos from this summer.  It will be nice to stay put for more than a few weeks.

David has been on the fence about staying with the company hes working for. Y'all, life is to short to work at a job that makes you unhappy. So for now it looks like the boys and I are staying put until he decides what he wants to do. Who knows what will come of the whole situation, but I figured I might as well enjoy my house. We never did get around to selling, so if we are going to pay for it, Im going to live in it. Plus, I don't have to wear pants here! 

So heres to an August that will be spent trying to get my life back together. There is so much that just kind of fell apart this summer. Ok, maybe not fell apart. I may have just threw it all to the wind. I tend to do that in the summer. Just live wild. Bedtimes, carbs, routines, it all kinda struggles in June and July. So here I am, 2 days into August, and 3 days before I say goodbye to my 30s and Im trying to get my life right with the universe. How?  I don't really know. Im totally still winging it, but Im about to outline a plan here. So feel free to continue reading along and also feel free to throw in any suggestions or comments you have. Im gonna need some help on this for sure.

AUGUST TO DO LIST

Get back to a school routine. The older the boys get the harder this gets. Remember when we were teens and we thought we didn't need sleep?  As a teen I was raising my younger siblings, so I tried to enforce bed time for them, but then I would stay up to all hours of the night. Now I find myself doing the same with the boys.  I keep telling myself once we get home and into a routine it will be easier. It will be, right?

School lunches and dinners. My boys love to eat. Everyone knows this. Last year school lunches were free and I didn't pack one single lunch. The schools here have great lunch options. Multiple stations. A sushi day. Its a little over the top, but the boys enjoyed it. This year, its back to paid lunches and we have decided that they will be taking lunch a few days a week. Mostly because we all know that while its good, its not the healthiest. And partly because according to Alex, the best lunch stations have the longest lines, so he ate a whole lot of chicken sandwiches last year. It was the shortest line and he has zero patience. BUT, they hit me again with the "no sandwich" plea.  So, Im pulling together a list of ideas. And earlier dinners will be back.  Yay-ish. That means menu plans and grocery shopping on time will be happening.  And Im open to all the lunch and easy dinner suggestions.

Taking my health back. I didn't really go to far off the tracks here. I have been moving and making good food choices for the most part, but my overall health did get back burnered for a few months. Ive been awful about taking my lactulose daily. Ive been sleeping like the boys, minus the sleeping in. Pretty much running off of 4 -5 hrs of sleep. I havent been journaling and enjoying my coffee with the sunrise. The past couple of weeks Ive been horrible about working out. And my menu plans have been pretty sad. And I need to get caught up on doctors appointments! I really need to get back to it all.

Whats next? And in the middle of all the back to school/life stuff, I guess we just need to figure that out. I threw out the idea of just buying an RV and traveling. Anyone remember that show Promised Land. I want to do that but go around the US saving animals. Is there an application for that? Guess that would be hard to do with all the doctor appointments. Maybe we could open an Alpaca farm? Can you imagine?  What ever comes next, I hope its gets up all back under one roof for more than a day. 

Im excited and scared all in one.  Its going to be a hard month, but I have no doubt, ok maybe just a smidge, that we will get through it just fine.  

Who is ready for the back to school fun/madness?  Or are we needing a few more months of Summer?

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Menu Plan 7•25

Y'all its Monday and I am ready for a week of good food. Groceries have been ordered and delivered. Snacks have been hidden away. There might be some fresh bread being made at some point or maybe a cake for a certain someone who better come home this weekend. Fingers crossed. But my point is, its Menu Monday.  And I actually have somethings planned this week. After winging it for most of the Summer, damn, this feels good.

School starts in 2 weeks and I really need to get my life together.  We have been so all over the place.  Spending time mostly at Grandmas then here every other couple of weeks.  I have missed my kitchen and am excited to be here.  That being said, this weeks menu isn't much to fuss over.  I kept things quick and easy because, we are trying to enjoy the last days of summer OK!  

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas.  This one was Anthonys idea.  He got it from a friend.  He asked if I could get the stuff so dinner is all him tonight.  Although I will stick to just just cheese.

Tex Mex Chopped Salad.  The boys ask for this salad every week.  And while it really is good, I need to change things up.  Saw this one on pinterest and figured we would give it a try.  And I can take out the chicken and still have black beans!  

Mushroom Chicken.  OK, this is our comfort meal for the week.  And its also the meal I will eat just as it is because its one of my favorites.  And if I take the chicken out all I will have is rice and mushrooms.  So, Im all in!

BLT's and fries.  This is my attempt to finish up a few things in the kitchen before we go down to SA for a week.  Bread from the pantry.  Lettuce from the fridge.  Tomatoes from the counter.  And that pack of bacon I bought weeks ago even though no one wakes up in time for breakfast in the summer!  

Nachos.  Saving this for the end of the week when David can be here.  He is always asking me for nachos and for some reason I refuse to call them dinner.  But hes been so busy with work and we are missing his birthday and I just miss him something big, so...Nachos it is.  And a strawberry cake to celebrate for dessert!

Am I the only one who is curious about what others eat?  I love talking to people about groceries.  Shopping and budgets and menu plans.  I love it all.  So, here is what I got for the week.  I spent $137. I got the meat and veggies needed for the five dinners.  The cereal and Eggos are for lunch.  I'd say breakfast but Im not going to pretend like they are up before noon during the summer.  Alex asked for spicy ramen too and turkey necks for lunch so I got those too.  I use the broth from that to make egg drop soup the next day. For snacks I got popcorn, chips/guac and chewy bars. Oh and potatoes, eggs and more bacon incase they do actually wake up and feel like breakfast! Oh and there is a bag of pizza rolls hiding in there somewhere. Thats it for the week. 13$ under budget because they didn't have the ice cream cups or apples I ordered. 

When I last shared my grocery haul on IG someone told me there was no way I fed my family of 4 on so little groceries.  I don't buy a lot of extra stuff for lunches and snacks usually because the boys tend to just eat whatever leftovers I have in the fridge. During the summer they are kinda like free range chickens.  They prefer a solid dinner but the rest of the day is just whatever.

What does a weeks worth of groceries look like for y'all?  No judgement.  Im just weird and curious like that.  

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Covid, Crying and a Complicated Decision

We all know how much I love wrapping up the week with some thankfulness.  But sitting down to collect little moments y'all, it might be a bit of a stretch.  The boys and I came up to Houston last week to get a few things done around the house.  David has been so busy with work that we havent' even gotten around to putting the house up for sale.  And the longer it takes the harder its been to let go.  Yeah, Im back to struggling with the idea of moving.  Don't judge me.  I am horrible about making big decisions, but this move has been one of the hardest I have ever made.  Walking in the house, even after getting blasted with hot stale air, it felt like coming home. David also has covid so, thats why we are still up here!  He was to sick to make the trip up here.

And so now I am back to square one.  Le sigh...

I don't know what we are going to do, but last night we talked until 3 am just trying out all the options and what ifs. Where are we happiest.  What schools work better. Where we would buy a house if we moved.  I don't think I have talked to David in such a serious manor in the whole 23 years we have been together.  No lie.  I also don't think we have ever been this unhappy.  Not with each other but just with life in general.  

But today is supposed to be about all the happy things,  so lets cut out the doom and gloom and skip to the good part!  How about we share some happiness. 

I said there was a lot of crying.  One afternoon I was just so overwhelmed I sat in my hammock and sobbed.  There was a buzzing all around and I looked up to see this striped dragonfly swooping down at me.  I said hello.  Yes I talk to bugs,  nerd alert.  Well my friend landed on tall stem of grass and sat with me for hours.  It started raining and the wind was blowing but this guy held on for dear life.  I grabbed my camera and went out in the drizzle to get a few photos of him. He felt like a sign.  A reminder that even when life is trying to blow me away, all I gotta do is hold the hell on.  Eventually the storm passed and when the sun came out again, he took off.  But not before flying right over my shoulder. 

I took Alex, to his Ortho appointment.  ON MY OWN.  Ok I had to uber, but I even did that myself.  So it might sound kinda silly to other parents who are like, "way to go Kim, you did your job". But being chronically ill has taken away these kinds of things.  I have never had the chance to drive my kid to an appointment.  I always have another adult driving me and "supervising" me whenever I leave home.  So maybe it is kinda silly, but I don't have a lot of independence and this felt like a big gulp of it.  It was nice.  Made me feel like a real mom!

Laying in bed listening to Anthony jamming out and singing bohemian rhapsody at the top of his lungs.  I was taught at a young age to be seen, not heard. Smile but don't talk. I never would have been able to blast music that loud and free in the middle of the night.  Hearing him sing and laugh made my heart so unbelievably happy!

Groceries were delivered the other day.  And the hobbits boys were happier than me.  I was only planning on staying the week so I didn't get much last week.  This time there were more snacks.  Even some pizza rolls.  Grocery delivery = lifesaver.  And I didn't have to ask anyone for a ride. So double win for me! 

Hitting up a last minute movie last weekend before David left.  Not only did I get to see Thor, hello!, but while I was waiting for Alex to get out of the restroom I noticed the new trash/recycle bins.  I totally geeked out but I cant tell you how many times I have had to toss my drink cup still half full and felt awful.  Yeah, I think about how heavy trash bags at the theaters must be.  Half of it wasted drinks.  And then they went and added a compost bin too!  Swoon! 

There were a few other small things that made me smile this week.

Shark Week started.  Its one of my most favorite weeks.

New growth on my plants.  I was sure they'd be dead after 2 weeks with no AC.

The neighbor being so excited to see Anthony.  Poor guy though we left without saying goodbye.

Waking up in my own bed.  Sucks that it was just me but its my bed!

The AC.  How did people ever survive Texas summers without air conditioning?

I finished another book. People we meet on Vacation.  Loved it too!

SO, maybe there was more happiness than I though there would be.  The big picture feels heavy and full of big decisions.  But when I cut the week up into all the little moments, the happiness just oozes out.  I really didn't think I would be able to come up with even a handful of things and then I couldn't stop.  A good reminder that life isn't as black and white as it seems sometimes.  Its full of so many colorful moments that we just need to take a second to see.  They are there, if you look for them. 

What made you happy this week?  

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Menu Plan 7•11

Anyone else find it a little awkward to cook in someone else kitchen.  Or maybe live in someone elses house for that matter.  Im not going to lie.  I struggling a little bit even though I know its not permanent.  It wont be for much longer hopefully but still, I feel like Im taking up space and getting in the way.  Not to mention, I miss my cleared off counters, own pots and pans, my gas stove and my ice maker.  First world problems y'all.

Menu planning has been a little weird too.  Mostly because our ways of eating are polar opposites.  We eat mostly chicken and fish and a wide variety of fresh vegetables.  Not very much processed foods, carbs or oils.  Davids parents are red meat, rice, beans and tortillas for most meals.  So when I come in like ok we are having veggies onto of veggies and a side of fish, I kind of feel bad.  Not that they would ever complain, but ahhh, why is this so hard for me.

So this week I picked a few things that would be quick, easy and would make minimal mess.  And then I made on of the meals yesterday, so I might have to go back for more.  Heres what we are having the next few days.

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Summer, snakes and something new!

 Its been a while since I have been this thankful for a Friday. Ive been working on living each day to the fullest instead of living for the weekend.  But hot damn!  TGIF y'all.  Im ready to count my blessings and move on to the next one already.  So lets do that

Theres something so refreshing about taking time to look back at the last couple of days and picking out a few things that made you happy.  It might be something big like a birthday or maybe something smaller like a new leaf on one of your houseplants.  But being grateful for all those moments and just taking some time to acknowledge them is such a great way to end the week.  Here are a few things that made me happy this week.

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Summer Bucket List 2022

Oh Summer!  It is my favorite season.  A little less so since living in Texas though because TEXAS is so extra.  They keep talking about seceding but the Im pretty sure the state will literally melt away from the rest of the US any day now!  I hope it doesn't, but you just never know.

Its felt like summer since New Years March, but it wasn't officially Summer until the this week.  And while I was sitting outside, baking in the shade, I was thinking about a few things I want to do this Summer.  Back in the day I would have compiled a list weeks before school was out but let's be real, trying to convince 2 teenage boys to get out and do things with their family is kinda asking for a lot.

Me "Hey boys!  What do you want to do this summer?"

Boys "Eat and have all nighters" "Be bored till school starts again"

Me "Yeah, Im gonna need more than that!"

So, I decided I would just come up with a few things and see what they though.  Now mind you, a large part of the summer is going to be packing and moving. Which is a bummer but also convenient because we can stay at Grandmas.  And Davids only been in his new position for a few months so a long getaway is not going to happen just yet. But I still wanted to do a few fun family things together. Here is what we came up with.

• Make ice cream
• S'mores night
• Bowling
• Volunteer
• Sunrise/Sunsets
• Explore a new park
• Stay in a hotel
• Family photos
  
• Go thrifting
• Bake for someone
• Summer hair
• Support a cause
• Screen Free Days
• Late night swims

Thankfully my boys are good sports about doing things.  My first idea was read a book and they asked for that one to be dropped.  They used to love to read, I miss those days.  Le sigh!  Its ok I swapped it out for some screen free days. Hopefully that will include David and he will be able to turn his phone off too.  A girl can dream.  Oh how the tables have turned!

They already know where they want to volunteer.  Ive always wanted an ice cream maker and David is a boss bowler.  We are keeping it predictable because I know its going to be pretty hectic to begin with. Mostly I just want to enjoy another summer and get some good memories in the bank!  

What do you have planned for summer?  What ever it is, I hope everyone has a safe and fun Summer!

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