High Five for Friday (10.21.22)

One

Will took the PSAT last week. I love that he doesn't stress about tests like this - he's always been a calm test taker (he actually really enjoys having the amount and quality of his knowledge evaluated) and it's so nice not to worry about him feeling stressed or anxious ahead of or after this kind of life event. 

Two

My parents came to visit us last weekend. My mom drove, stopping to visit my grandma in Arkansas on her way here, while my dad flew (he's a couple of months post-hip replacement and sitting in the car for such a long period of time isn't great for recovering hips) but they arrived at almost the same time on Saturday afternoon. The boys spent the afternoon disc golfing while my mom, Hallie, and I unwound from the drive (my mom) and a day of Nutcracker rehearsals (Hallie and me). 

We headed to Houston for two soccer games on Sunday, and on Monday we did a little shopping, ate lunch at my mom's beloved Chicken Salad Chick, and enjoyed Hallie's first choir concert of the year. It was a short trip - they hit the road back to my grandma's house on Tuesday morning - but a good trip!

A cool pic of Will levitating after taking a free kick
to commemorate the weekend. (Thanks, Kristen!)

Three

Speaking of choir concerts... Hallie and her 8th grade choir did a lovely job at their first performance. I should have videoed more of the songs, but I was so nervous waiting for Hallie's solo that I forgot until it was actually time for her solo. 

Four

I survived - just barely - my 10th Parent Participation Week at dance! This year I only attended hip hop and jazz (parents don't come to ballet classes, and I couldn't make it to contemporary or tap), but jazz definitely exacerbated a foot problem I've been dealing with for a few weeks. Getting old stinks, but going to dance class with Hallie sure doesn't.

Five

She loves to watch him practice. She'd love watching him even more if he'd let her out of prison the screened-in porch...

Happy weekend, friends!

Uplifted Wellness

This fall I took two classes - Stress Busters and Mindful Eating - from a friend of mine who also happens to be a Master Certified Health and Wellness Coach. I won't go into great detail here, but I will say that I desperately needed both classes, not just for the education, guidance, and toolkit of coping mechanisms offered, but also for the camaraderie I found in the other attendees. 

Julia received her certification through the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute, has a background in Psychology and Counseling, and is also a certified fitness educator. She focuses on whole health and functional, purposeful living, believing strongly that all of her clients can reach their health and wellness goals by making small, simple, and manageable changes.

Under the umbrella of Uplifted Wellness Coaching, Julia offers sessions of all kinds: individual/private, group, or organization-wide sessions; in-person or Zoom sessions; and either single sessions or sessions packaged together. She provides fitness classes (Pilates as well as SoulCore, which is a workout accompanied by the Rosary), integrated health classes, and mindset and behavior health coaching. Julia's goals for her clients, though they may vary depending on each client's individual goals, include the following:

• Build strength and flexibility with fitness guidance.
• Reduce inflammation in your body through nutrition guidance.
• Clarify your purpose and goals through mindset coaching.
• Gain more knowledge about your body with health science.
• Improve your quality of life and how you feel and function with your OWN motivation!

Perhaps most important to note, however, is that Julia is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever met. It came as no surprise to me that (as a class attendee) I could feel just how invested Julia was in making sure every one of us walked away from our sessions feeling stronger, more competent, and more prepared with regard to our own individual challenges. 

I share all of this today because right now it seems like almost everyone I know is struggling with something. Life (still) feels particularly heavy, and I truly believe that people like Julia - those who are helpers at their core - and the programs, classes, sessions, and coaching she offers can lift some of that weight. So I'm just throwing this information out there, in case you (or someone you love) were waiting for that "nudge" to reach out for help becoming your healthiest self physically, mentally, and/or emotionally...visit Julia's website, and send her a message. 

I am friends with Julia, but I have no affiliation with Uplifted Wellness Coaching other than as a satisfied coaching client and fitness class participant. I have not received compensation of any kind for writing this post. (I actually contacted Julia and asked her if I could write about Uplifted Wellness simply because I think it's important for people to know that resources like hers are available.)

High Five for Friday (10.14.22)

One

I love that our soccer club maintains a strong partnership with the Aggie Women's Soccer Program. Last Thursday night was Cavalry Night at Ellis Field (where the Aggies play), and while Will and his friends were a little too old to walk out with the Aggie players and high five the women when they ran back onto the field after halftime, they did have a great time showing their support. I couldn't attend the game, but a friend snapped a picture of Will and friends on the big screen.

Will is wearing a red jersey and
sitting down next to the kid in green.

Two

Tom had two work trips - Friday through Sunday and then Monday and Tuesday - this last week, and I couldn't have covered all of my responsibilities and gotten both kids everywhere they needed to go without the help of friends. Sometimes it truly takes a village. (Thanks for your help, Jenn and Joy!)

Looking for her daddy. (Or is he her boyfriend?
We can't quite figure out Plié's passionate adoration
of Tom...) She missed him while he was gone.

Three

Oh, how I love long weekends. The kids didn't have school last Friday or Monday, and it was glorious. Our afternoons went as they usually do (the kids still had dance and soccer), but we were able to sleep in both mornings, on Friday the kids and I went to brunch, and on Monday Hallie and I went shopping while Will played disc golf with a friend. I know it won't happen during my kids' tenure as middle and high school students, but I desperately wish we could have four-day school weeks...

Four

Another Six Kittens Rescue kitten has found a home with friends of ours!

Meet Hazel! (With her big sister, Callie,
who has been a friend of Hallie's for years.)

Five

Will's first official orchestra concert of the year was held on Tuesday night, and it went beautifully. (No videos this time - some of the songs were the same as the Ice Cream Social performance a couple of weeks ago, so this time I just listened. No pictures this time either - Will is not a fan of having his picture taken on stage so I agreed not to share the photos I took.) We were also able to return to our tradition of dining at IHOP post-concert, though we cut it pretty close - arriving at 9:35pm after soccer practice (which was after the concert) ahead of IHOP closing at 10pm!

Happy weekend, friends!

Monthly Medley: September 2022

A little late this month, thanks to Will's birthday post last week...
 

Writing

SO.MUCH.WRITING. And I have a weirdly cramped finger to show for it.

I have two articles in the October issue of Insite Brazos Valley. The first features Aggie Replant, a TAMU environmental service volunteer organization. The second (which I think may have taken me more hours than any other article I've ever written) highlights 10 of the best outdoor patio spaces in the Brazos Valley. 

I also have two articles in the September/October issue of Texas Living Magazine. The first is about Marion Koogler McNay, whose legacy as a collector and cultivator of the arts includes the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. The second is about the increasingly popular Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Co. in Cedar Creek. Both were fun and interesting to write, and I hope they come across in the same way for readers.

I've been cranking out content like crazy since the middle of July, and while most of what I've signed on to write will be submitted by the end of this week, I still have a bit more to do before I take a step back for Thanksgiving, Nutcracker, Christmas, and New Years. 

This last month brought about a first - at least as a writer - for me: I turned down a job. Up until this point, I've never said "no" to an offer. I haven't felt accomplished or established enough, nor have I felt confident enough in the quality of my work, to not take every opportunity given to me. There were a lot of factors that contributed to my decision to walk away: the topic was too vague, the expectations were mildly uncomfortable, the compensation was too low, and the deadline was too close to - as in ON - Will's 16th birthday. I weighed all of these factors independently and could have handled one or two, but when they all piled on top of one another...at the end of the day I finally did what was best for me and my family, even if it made someone else upset with me. (I hate it when people are upset with me...) I'm so grateful for the opportunity to write professionally. I just have to figure out how to make this job "work" with, within, and for each stage of my life.

Reading

This month I picked up The Party, by Robyn Harding, on kind of a whim. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was interesting - and scary - to read this cautionary tale told, in large part, from the vantage point of a few high school students. A strangely suspenseful lesson in what not to do as the parent of teenagers..

Watching

Tom and I watched The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges, Amy Brenneman, and John Lithgow, on Hulu. We both really enjoyed this suspenseful drama and were excited to learn that the series has been renewed for a second season.

Hallie and I started an adorably sweet and clever comedy called Maggie, about a psychic woman who accidentally catches a glimpse of her own future in a vision about someone else. We're only about halfway through season one (so far there's only one season), and hoping the series is renewed because watching it makes us feel happy, as silly as that sounds. 

On my own, I finished season two of Sweet Magnolias and then started The Lincoln Lawyer (the series on Netflix, not the movie). So far I'm a fan I desperately want to sink my teeth into season two of Only Murders in the Building, but since I want to binge this series, I need to wait until I have a little bit of free time so I can really sink my teeth into this mystery. So...Christmas break?

Listening To

I started and then quickly cruised through (almost) two full seasons of the In the Dark podcast. Season one delved into the 1989 abduction of 11-year-old Minnesotan Jacob Wetterling, and season two investigated the accusations against Curtis Flowers, who has been tried six times - maintaining his innocence throughout - for a quadruple murder in a small-town Mississippi furniture store. I haven't quite finished season two, but I've seen on Facebook little snippets of what has unfolded for Flowers throughout the last three years and I can't wait to keep listening.

Following

If you're close to my age (early-but-nearing-mid-40s), you'll probably appreciate and enjoy Thirty AF (@iamthirtyaf) on Instagram. I'm writing this post from my McOffice, and as I swiped through the page looking for a few images to share, I started laughing at the different quotes, memes, and videos. Like actually laughing. And then laughing so hard I started crying. By myself, in McDonald's. I'm not sure they're going to let me come back to my McOffice...

We played Bop It ALL the time in the dorm
my freshman and sophomore years of college.

This one made me spit out my soda.

And here's where I started laughing out loud.

Trying/Using

I've returned more things to Amazon this month than I have in the past six months combined: dance shoes that didn't fit, three different cat toys that broke within less than an hour of use, notebooks that weren't perforated correctly, and readers (yes, I'm close to needing reading glasses) that I didn't need after splitting a pack with a friend. I did, however, find a couple of cute cat toys that I'd recommend, so I've included those links below. Hoping for a little more shopping success in October!

• Tunnel
• "Yarn" balls
• Roller track

I've become a HUGE fan of Fubo. We've been able to watch all of our sporting events, the morning news, and the nightly news live, and last week I discovered (just in time for season premieres) that IT RECORDS! Fubo offers everything we needed (and more, probably - we've yet to investigate all of its features), for considerably less money than we were paying the cable company. 

Wearing

I didn't bring home anything new this month, but my babies got new "outfits" ahead of the holiday season!

Popeye loved his bandana and wore it willingly all day. Plié hated her bandana and aggressively fought it until it was removed. Plié even tried to take Popeye's bandana off of him - clearly she thought he shouldn't be wearing one either.

Eating/Drinking

These Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps were delicious, and SO easy. I made a smaller batch because I wasn't sure how well it would go over, but we ate every last bite. 

Feeling Good About

(This month this category should instead be titled "Laughing About".)

• This elephant showing her baby how to climb down a hill, and the baby paying no attention and doing it his own way, is every mother and child in the whole wide world.  
• And this owl...I don't even know what to say about this sweet buddy. He's had a day.

Signing off for September, friends! 

High Five for Friday (10.7.22)

One

Thank you for all of the birthday love for Will. In many ways it was just a regular Tuesday (school, chess club, homework, soccer practice, more homework), but we managed to fit a few fun treats and surprises into the day. He'll be celebrating again, with friends, at some point when they're all available...so maybe during Christmas break. 😂

Birthday balloons - since Will stays up later than
everyone else, Tom, Hallie, and I woke up really
early on Tuesday morning to put the balloons
in his room before he woke up.

Birthday breakfast - our birthday breakfast tradition
is little powdered sugar donuts topped with a candle.

Dutch Bros after soccer practice #1.

A little disc golf in the yard.

Happy SWT6TEEN!

We opened presents at 10pm, enjoyed his favorite
dinner (Grandma Hazel's meatballs and egg noodles)
at 10:15pm, and blew out the candles at 10:30pm...all
after soccer practice #2.   

Two

I submitted a really stressful project this week. It was about a topic near and dear to my heart, and while it was fun to write, for a number of reasons - including just how near and dear the topic is to my heart - the process caused me a significant amount of anxiety. I have a few more deadlines ahead of me before I take a break for the holidays, but I felt a little lighter when I clicked "send" on this one! (More to come when it hits newsstands... 😉)

Three

Last Wednesday evening I attended a fun meet-and-greet with CSISD School Board Member Kimberly McAdams, who is on the ballet again this November. I was proud to support Kimberly when she ran three years ago, and I'm proud to once again support her as she embarks on this re-election campaign. 

I've known Kimberly for quite a few years, and I've worked with her on CSISD committees and PTO boards. She is a tremendous advocate for teachers, and supports policies that positively impact ALL students. She's experienced (she's hired the districts last two superintendents; served on more than two dozen district, regional, and statewide committees; and held leadership roles with five campus PTOs throughout the last 15 years), and she cares deeply about spending tax dollars wisely, involving parents in education, keeping our schools safe, and promoting mental health awareness and assistance. If you live in College Station and would like more information about Kimberly, her past contributions to CSISD, and her goals for the district going forward, please don't hesitate to visit her website or reach out at erinlferris(at)yahoo(dot)com. 

Four

Popeye attended his first Zoom meeting last week. He was exceptionally well-behaved...after he took a nap, of course.

He's hugging his one back leg with his two front legs.

See the leg up by his face and under Will's chin?
That's his BACK leg. He's shockingly flexible.

Yep, that's his back leg again. (And yes, he's
lounging in the hood of Will's sweatshirt.)

Paying close attention to the Zoom meeting. Me, not
so much - I was too focused on taking pictures of him.

He's just the best buddy in the whole wide world. 

Five

Happiness Highlights

Lily's gorgeous dance picture. Notice how well they hid her
broken wrist and cast that goes all the way up to her shoulder!

Carter's soccer team won their (something
about pumpkins) soccer tournament! 

Popeye's new favorite activity is watching the
water drip slowly down and off the shower door.

Just another pic of Popeye loving
on and being loved on by his people.

Nutcracker billboard! The show will be
here before we know it, and we can't wait!

Plie's favorite activity is "helping" with homework...

This girl of mine has never been "dancer of the
month" in 10 years at her studio. I'm so ridiculously
proud of the work she put in to earn this.

Happy weekend, friends!