Life Lately #25

Why, hello there. I thought I’d give this thing a spin around the block and see how it goes or if I fall off again. 

Reading: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. To be honest, I’ve had it on my Kindle as a library book for about a week now, and I’ve only read about a quarter of the first chapter. I’m in kind of a reading slump right now. I also have The Good People by Hannah Kent on deck, and I might just have to switch over to that. It will be my second reading of it, and I’m curious to see if I like it as much the second time as I did the first time. It’s one of those books that I *still* think about, and I read it way back in 2021.

Watching: The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Anyone else?? We blew through season 4 when we realized it was on Discovery+, and then signed up for a free trial of FrndlyTV to watch season 5, which is currently on tv. I’m about ready to cancel that and just pay for the last 5 episodes or so, though. FrndlyTV has commercials about every 10 minutes, lasting for 4-5 minutes, and they’re the same. dang. commercials. over. and. over. For every 35-40 minute episode, there’s literally about 15 minutes of commercials and it’s so obnoxious. But I digress. WHAT IS UNDER THE MESA!?

Listening to: A new-to-me podcast called Fitness Stuff [For Normal People]. It’s been downright intriguing, and my favorite episode so far is the one where they shred the latest notion that “cortisol” is to blame for all our weight, sleep and health issues. Episode #117, I believe.

Baking: Most recently, my own birthday cake. I didn’t make anything from scratch because I wasn’t about to spend even more time in the kitchen on my birthday, but thanks to Betty Crocker devil’s food cake mix and chocolate frosting, Smuckers hot fudge, Nabisco Oreos, and Private Selection Black Raspberry Cookies and Cream ice cream, I managed to come up with a decent ice cream cake for 1/3rd the price of a Coldstone cake. HBD to me! I’m 41 now, which is officially old enough that it isn’t fun to tell people my age anymore. 

Wishing: For this summer to be mild. Look, I grew up here in northwest Washington state, and we prayed for 75 degree days as kids. My mother wouldn’t even let us get out the kiddie pool unless it was at least 70 out, and we would wait and wait and wait and wait for that to happen. Now, it isn’t uncommon to see 85+ degrees in June, and I’m just not loving this hot cycle the Earth seems to be in the last couple decades or so. I don’t miss the trials and tribulations of constant rain and island life, but I do miss the fact that it rarely got above 65. 

Laughing at: Kilian, still. Imogen can be funny, too, but Kilian is 100% the unintentional comedian of the family. I realized that the last time I posted one of these, I was also laughing at funny things he said. He’s almost five now, and I know if he were headed to public school (he isn’t, we are still homeschooling) I’d be perpetually worried about phone calls to report that our little class clown is being disruptive again. 

Occupying our time with: As much outside time as we can, and as little screen time as we can. We had a very rainy/cool spring, which led to more television time than I prefer, and now that the weather is getting nicer, I’m kicking the kids outside and forbidding the tv remote from being touched. 

Planning: Next school year. I’ll have a kindergartener and a 2nd grader, which kinda blows my mind a little bit. I’m nervous about schooling two and giving both the time and attention they need and deserve, and wondering how moms of multiple children manage to actually educate all their children properly. I have a few ideas but prayers for all our sanity are welcome.