This week, I’m writing press releases, how-to pieces and, of course, singles resources. Come visit the singles pages to learn about various cuisines, vacation ideas, gift ideas and much more in your neck of the woods! They might be for singles, but they’re useful to anyone looking for that kind of information. There’s also chats a few times a week you can join.
In addition to my work, this week I am loving…
Date nights. Love our new babysitter and absolutely love my three hours with my guy every week. This week we went to a Cajun barbecue place we’ve always wanted to try and it was so much fun–the music, food and atmosphere. I am so grateful to have found a sitter that Sprite loves and we love, too.
Girls’ night with my good friend M! We had a wonderful time painting, laughing and sampling tapas.
Watching Wood Sprite grow. She has such height and muscles on her now. She looks so fierce and confident and strong. She’s outside most of the day, like kids should be during the summer months, riding her scooter or hanging upside-down in her tree and making friends. It’s just incredible and humbling to witness. I have never seen so many skinned knees and palms, though! She’s definitely got her papa’s genes.
Visiting the 250 Birthday Cakes in St. Louis! It’s so much fun to spot new ones and we just started taking pictures with them when we see them. We are meeting new people as we visit them, too.
GISHWHES! I am so excited to be a part of the largest scavenger hunt in the world.
Working on the house. We have the resources to do some of the major work now and we are hitting the ground running on it. We feel very grateful to be able to do it, and cannot wait to make both structural repairs and cosmetic changes!
The dogs are a constant delight, as ever. We let them play together outside as much as possible when the weather’s nice. (I am loving the gorgeous weather, too! Best summer weather ever!) They are growing so fast! I found a puppy tooth and am keeping it. I’m such a dog mom now, and I wouldn’t have predicted it. Yesterday they played tug-of-war in my lap while I worked. I can’t believe they are 18 weeks old already. Has it already been 10 weeks since we brought them home? Where has the time gone?
Speaking of the pups–dog parks are so much fun! Who’da thought?
The amazing kindnesses of loved ones. My heart just swells with gratitude.
A bookmark one of my students sent me. She’s such a sweet and creative girl, and a good friend of Sprite’s, and it was a really nice surprise.
4-H projects and the county fair. Wood Sprite brought home 20 ribbons and has a project going to state fair! I entered a crayon drawing and got a first place ribbon, too, which was really cool. I’m including a picture of it above.
Our new secular homeschool support group is just amazing. We had a great mom’s night out last week and every day we chat a bit and share resources. We’ve had several playdates and it’s such a wonderful group of people. Thank you for starting it, again, M!
St. Louis parks. I wish the county had the cool water features, too! We do have creeks, though, which are pretty awesome. We love both.
Sprite’s growing independence. Whether she’s making her own breakfast or going off on an adventure with a neighbor kid, she’s just becoming more independent, auto-didactic and autonomous before my eyes. She is so angry about not being able to vote, though, let me tell you! She will go on and on about kids’ rights and lack thereof. Guess those are my genes! She’s becoming more interested in music, too. She did her own immersion study of Elton John last week and this week she’s into Billy Joel. She’s also taking guitar lessons with her sitter and learning to play one of her favorite songs, “Johnny B. Goode.”
“All of Me.” I’m not sure if I know of a more gorgeous song. Indy said, “If Robin Thicke sang this song instead, I bet his wife wouldn’t have left him! This is the song you sing for a woman.” Indeed. I’m not privy to other people’s marriages, but I can say that we’ve danced to this song together and it’s definitely one of the many “our songs” now.
Skin Game, the latest installment of the Dresden Files. I just love Jim Butcher! I just wish I’d read it slower and savored it, which I always wish when I finish one of his books. Now I’m reading the fifth Last Apprentice book. Those are really fun, too.
Green Goodness smoothies from Bolthouse. They are so good, and full of so much good. I have a little cup every morning.
Spending time with our friends B and H at library events, M, E and L at homeschool skate, and lots of other friends at park days. We’ve met a lot of new families this summer, and Sprite has made a really good friend in W, too.
Goofing off with Sprite. Whether we’re zombies or making voices for her pets or whatever, it’s so much fun. She’s even wanted to cuddle a bit lately, like she did when she was a toddler, and I’ve dropped everything to do it because I know it won’t be long before that’s gone.
Homemade lemon shake-ups! They only last five seconds after I shake them, though. Between the three of us, they are gone pretty quickly!
Swimming. Still loving it. Can’t believe I went that long not doing it!
Overtime. As much as I miss Indy when he’s gone, those checks are letting us fix up the house.
I could probably keep going for hours. It’s been a while! What are you loving this week?
Sara J. Schmidt 