What's Up Wednesday

I was jonesing to write tonight as I'm all caught up on editing photos. But I don't really have a topic in mind so I found this:

What we're eating this week:

I was out of town this past weekend so Pat made our menu and did the grocery shopping. This is what we're eating: tofu and artichoke casserole, homemade pizza, Thai peanut salad, slow cooker chicken, grilled cheese and tomato soup, artichoke chicken and potatoes, and taco salad.

What I'm reminiscing about:

I've spent some time recently flipping through all the old pictures in my phone. This is the first picture of Finn I have stored in my phone. I had to do a double take because this is Kellan's favorite thing to do. Something about shoes!

What I'm loving...

Roots Thai Coconut Curry Hummus. Heaven in a little container. Just add carrots.

What we've been up to...

These past few weeks have been a little crazy. Either Pat has been out of town or I have. He's been working late or I have. I think we just see each other 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes before bed if we're lucky. I always think about how nice it will be when things slow down a little, but that never seems to happen.

What I'm dreading...

I had a really hard time answering this, which is a good thing. I don't have anything in the immediate future that I'm dreading. Finn is in this stage where he talks 100% of the time he is awake. I can't talk on the phone without him taking over the conversation. I can't have a conversation with Pat without Finn interrupting. And although at times I feel frustrated, I remember that there might be a day where I can't get him to talk to me at all (age 14?). So I try to remind myself to cherish his conversations even when it's not the right time for me. I do dread him growing up. I love his innocence.

What I'm working on...

What am I NOT working on? I'm getting everything organized and ready for Christmas mini sessions, trying to gather necessary items to create the various stages. I should be working on my photography blog. Maybe tomorrow. I'm working on planning Finn's 4th and Kellan's 1st birthday parties. Working on what to get them as gifts. We do the 4 gift rule (1 thing to wear, 1 thing to read, 1 thing they want, and 1 thing they need).

What I'm excited about...

In December, Pat and I will celebrate 6 years of marriage. We're going to Sandals in Jamaica for 3 days and 4 nights. I'm excited about that...big time! My sister, mom and auntie are coming from CA and MI to visit us and keep the boys while we're away. I'm VERY excited to spend time with them over the holidays. Magena (sister) is even going to be here for Christmas. I feel very lucky to celebrate the holiday with her and...secretly...I'm excited to get a stocking and stuff it with fun gifts for her.

What I'm watching/reading...

Since it isn't Bachelor or Bachelorette season, I'm not watching TV. Those (aside from the news) are the only shows I watch. So, I'm reading some poetry books, Ruby Holler, and re-reading Cafe (Companion to Daily 5). All of these books are for school. We're trying to get our students to read from a variety of genres and their least favorite is poetry. So I'm trying to find a good poetry book I can do a book-talk on during morning broadcast. I'm reading Ruby Holler which is a children's novel because it's by an author (Sharon Creech) that I like. Her book Walk Two Moons is one of my favorite children's novels. I'm re-reading Cafe because it has been a long time since I read it. And a lot of my teachers read it this summer. I'm trying to know my stuff and keep up with them. I know Judy Blume came out with a new novel and she is one of my favorite authors, so I think I will get that next.

What I'm listening to...

97.3 is my radio station of choice. Is that the "oldies" now? I listen to Pandora a lot. When I run or exercise I prefer the Taylor Swift station. When I need background music if I'm editing pictures or working on a blog, I prefer the Ray LaMontagne station.

What I'm wearing...

Currently I'm in baggy jammies. But I'm very into dresses lately. So easy. Here's one I bought this summer that I love dressing up with heels and a big colorful necklace:

What I'm doing this weekend...

In the background on the news, they just said this weekend is supposed to be on of the wettest weekends on record. Great. Well, I have one photo session scheduled Sunday night. Other than that, no solid plans. Which is good I guess. I was hoping it'd be nice so we could go to Boger City UMC and pick out our pumpkins. Oh well.

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Finn's 4th birthday is October 26th, and although I'm not looking forward to him getting older, I'm excited about his party because HE is excited about his party. It is "Paw Patrol" themed. Also, we're going to our first App football game as a family of four on October 31. So we will probably trick-or-treat in Boone. And I'm sure it'll be SO COLD. But that's ok. Finn and Kellan are both "the blue ninja turtle" per Finn's request. Their costumes look different as one is for a baby and one is for a 4 year old. He is extremely excited to wear his costume and trick-or-treat.

What else is new...

I've started a running club at work with 7 or 8 other teachers. We have just over 40 fourth and fifth grade students who will run with us 2 days a week for just over 2 months to prepare for their 5K in Huntersville in December. I'm excited about it! Of course, it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Trying to come up with a back-up plan.