Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up, link back, think happy thoughts for my sanity.

1. We officially started school on Monday and have had three non-student days, until the kids come back tomorrow. I'm trying to remind myself that scheduling snafus, copy machine lines, and people who almost make you cry by taking your bathroom keys away from you against your will are all par for the course. This shall pass. The kids will be here tomorrow and will be an excellent distraction from all the other non-teaching things that come with the teaching job.

2. I just finished Anthony Doer's book All the Light We Cannot See and found it to be an excellent example of a really good book that I didn't really care for. I'm not a WWII buff and have a hard time enjoying most historical fiction. I did like the characters and structure, though, and thought Doer is a great writer. So I didn't love the book but I really, really appreciated it.

3. LA County dumped million of plastic, reflective balls into a reservoir to help reduce water-loss to evaporation, discourage animals from doing their thing in the water, and algae from growing. While it's not an answer to the drought, I love the problem-solving that's happening and being supported.

4. We had an all-district meeting yesterday that I was dreading, but it actually turned out okay. They hired an awesome pianist named Alpin Hong to play, work with kids that performed, and give an inspirational (yet not corny) address. For like twenty solid seconds I considered downloading his music, but then I remembered there aren't words and I might fall asleep while driving. But still, even though I'm not blasting it on iTunes, he was fabulous and it was nice to see our district mix it up.

5. Sawyer has started walking with just holding on to one of our hands, standing up without us holding on to him, and has taken two unassisted steps. I think we're getting close to walking. FINALLY.

6. When someone tells me not to worry I immediately hate them for at least one second.

7. This Target thing is driving me bonkers. They're decision to take the words "boys" and "girls" and stop labeling things pink and blue is not because people are transgendered. It's because these sort of ridiculous gender stereotypes are archaic and damaging to kids. Sorry, Billy, you are a BOY and BOYS like BLUE things that you can BUILD with, not PINK things that wear DRESSES. Give me a goddamn break. This is about raising kids that aren't reliant on stupid gender stereotypes. I'm glad they're doing it. Over the weekend I wanted to buy Sawyer a play broom. I looked and looked and looked and finally found a pink one covered in flowers in the little girl's section. I was so pissed with the fact that they were indicating that only little girls can play house so I just bought a generic household brush from the cleaning section. 

8. One indication of how busy I am this week? I'm in a FitBit challenge competition with nine other people and I'm only in third. 

9. I absolutely loathe popcorn, but I can't get enough of Trader Joe's Kettle Corn right now.  Every time I'm there buying some I consider getting an extra couple bags, just in case they discontinue it.  

10. Later tonight my summer review post will go up. I'm excited! I read a lot of great things over the past two and a half months. 

Summer Break 2015

I had pretty big intentions when I started summer break. My to-do lists had to-do lists, I kid you not. Spoiler alert: all the shit? It did not get done. This happened for a variety of reasons:

1. My child is crazy. He's a little over one, so that's allowed.
2. When my crazy child was sleeping or at daycare (I took him two mornings a week) I lost all motivation to be productive and wanted to float around on my raft in the pool, reading books.
3. After a few weeks of getting into the whole stay-at-home mom thing I started making fun plans for us and never looked back.

That being said, I did get some things done:

1. I read fourteen books. Reviews to come. My goal was twelve, so I'm very pleased with how I did. 

2. I spent some really great quality time with my little guy and got a better system down for naptime, which was life-saving. We played A LOT, went to parks, walked miles around the neighborhood, and spent some afternoons in the pool. We also went to the fair, the beach, an indoor playground, and lots of PT appointments. I also successfully got him sleeping in his crib (finally) and not in his pack-n-play. As corny as it sounds, I feel like we sort of got to know each other better, a result of him just growing up and developing a personality and also because we were around each other more. 

3. I saw lots of my friends, mostly for lunches, although some for night outs. I actually saw every single close friend I have in the area at least once, minus two I had to bail on for lunch when Sawyer hurt his arm. I made it my goal to plan something social at least once a week and I totally surpassed that. It feels good to reconnect with people and catch up on everyone's lives. I am so, so thankful that I have these people in my life; I went from zero local friends when I first moved our here to a dozen or so that I consider close. 

4. I did all the refi paper for our house and started the process for solar panels. I finished up my life insurance paperwork and the account for Sawyer's college fund. These things make me feel very adult. 

5. I did some small things around the house. I cleaned out a huge closet, our desk area, Sawyer's room, and worked on the garage. I also did a huge cleaning of the laundry room, which had slowly become a dumping ground. I worked on my silly little shelf full of weird prints and fantasized about remodeling.

6. I visited with family- my mom came down for almost a week and I also saw my brother a few times. I popped in on my grandparents and saw a few aunts as well, briefly.

7. I maintained my blog and tried to comment more on other peoples' posts. I so greatly appreciate those of you who read and I wish I was a better contributor to the blogging community in this regards. I do give you page views, for what it's worth! 

8. I watched several TED Talks (review to come...?), although not nearly as many as I would have liked. Every time I watch one I think "Damn! This is so easy! And interesting! Watch more, Christine, more!" And then I don't. I probably watched one or two a week, though. I learned some things, so that's a win in my book. 

9. I wrote 56 letters of recommendation for the seniors that anticipated needing them this fall. That will be a huge load off my back come this fall.

10. I was able to somehow take more time out of myself than I expected; Sawyer went to daycare two mornings a week, I spent a lot of naptimes out by the pool, and I continued my habit of leaving him with my husband every Sunday morning so I can grocery shop. 

11. I averaged almost 12,000 steps a day, between our walks outside, my treadmill, and keeping up with Sawyer. 

12. I made some great new recipes from the different food blogs I read. 

Shoulder pat, shoulder pat, shoulder pat. But, let's be fair. Here are some things I failed at:

1. I barely wrote anything on the project I'm still excited about. I'm not sure how I'm going to be become a famous, or at least published, author if I don't make the time to write.

2. I wanted to do more around the house; my work-out room is still a mess, there are some cabinets that need some help, and just some basic chores that get done a few times a year that didn't happen. I have this constant urge to hire a housekeeper, but am too cheap. 

3. I wanted to take a class or lesson, but I didn't. I barely made it to yoga a few times.

4. I also wanted to sew something. Let's just say my sewing machine didn't get uncovered once. 

5. I thought I would have spent more time planning and prepping for the upcoming school year. Why I thought I'd do that, I'm not sure, since over the years I've mastered "teacher vacation mode." I did try to keep up on emails, though.

6. I wish I would have done more PiYo, but I failed miserably. I also wanted to be able to hold a two-minute plank, but I'm plateauing at a minute and twenty seconds.

7. I wanted to use my cookbooks more to try new recipe. I feel bad for them, as if I'm neglecting them by using Pinterest. I also thought I'd become, like, this Ice Cream Making Maven, which sadly did not happen. 

8. I have like three or four LEGO video games that are unbeat/unplayed. I know it's silly, but I like those games and good money was spent buying them.

9. I wish I would have exercised the dogs more. I did better than the school year, but I still feel guilty. I'm going to try to bring out the ergo and get Sawyer on my back so I can walk both at once one of these days. I can only imagine the neighbors laughing at our parade of craziness.

Summer 2015, you were different than what my summers in the past have been like. In the past I've traveled to Europe, I've hiked up mountains, I've taught summer school, I've floated around the Caribbean, and I've suffered from cabin fever with a tiny baby. This year that tiny baby turned into an opinionated, wild, hilarious little person that helped me work on my patience, empathy, and ability to find fun in the little things. Fingers crossed we have a good school year and developing a new routine isn't too painful! 

10 Good Things About the School Year Starting (According to a Teacher)

It's time to set those alarm clocks, chug even more coffee, and trade in the yoga pants for business-casual work attire! I actually really do like my job as a high school English teacher, but damn! do I love me some summer break. So, in order to put some pep in my step, here are some reasons why returning to work might actually be okay:

1. Free air conditioning- Summer arrived a little late to Southern California this year and all the sudden it's really, really hot. My classroom is always freezing. Win. 

2. Colleagues- I know some people don't like the people they work with, but I'm lucky to work at a large high school with a friendly, down-to-earth staff. Our English department is full of genuinely nice people and I don't duck around corners when I see administrators. Sure, there are certain people that may get on my nerves once in awhile, but as a whole I really like my colleagues. Some of my best friends are teachers!

3. More money in my wallet- I spend way, way too much money during the summer. Some years it's on trips, but sine I didn't go away this year I went out to lunch and coffee way too often. Target is also currently my second home (there's one less than five minutes away from my house I probably go three or four times a week, and that's conservative). I also get this sort of lax, "oh it's summer, I deserve it" attitude, like when I bought a pair of Frye boots I've realized I'm too scared to wear (luckily it's too hot).

4. New goals- Screw January 1st- the start of the new school year is the time I really take stock and evaluate where I'm at. I get organized, reflect on changes that need to be made, and get excited for new things I plan to implement personally and professionally.

5. A healthier life- Strangely, I find working out so much easier when I'm at work. I get a ton of steps during the day and do a lot more PiYo, and even running, during the school year. I also find it so much easier to eat better while working, since I don't have time to leave for lunch and have to eat whatever I packed (I have such good, healthy intentions when I pack my food).

6. The students- I love my students and am lucky to have 3 of my 5 periods full of the same IB juniors I had last year, now as seniors. The other two periods will be full of new sophomores to get to know. While a lot of work, I love the courses I teach, despite the fact that there is so much more grading than other classes I've taught (please note that "grading 150 essays from one Friday of timed writes" is not on this list). 

7. Routine- I thrive on routine and I always struggle to really get into one during breaks. I've been better this summer with Sawyer, but I still feel like there are days that I miss having a clearly defined plan (like get up, go to work, teach theme in Macbeth, teach argument essays, go home, etc...). I feel that I have to be super efficient while working to get everything in, while being off there's always "time later." 

8. Excuses!- The house isn't clean because I work all day, person that probably doesn't even notice but I think is judging me! I can't _________ this weekend, person I don't want to really see right now because I have to grade papers! 

9. Getting it over with- I hate the slow build up to break; Target puts out their school supplies, people start complaining, and you start feeling like you need to adjust your sleeping habits. Rip off the band aid! 

10. Just that much closer... to the next break. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up, link back, say hello!

1. I just spent way, way too long trying to formulate a concise Facebook status pledging my allegiance to Planned Parenthood. Very few things enrage me, but the idea of taking help away from the 2.7 million people who used them last year is beyond me. 

2. Last Thursday I took Sawyer to the Orange County Fair and we had a ton of fun. He went on his first ride (the carousel), saw tons of animals, and ate ice cream. He shrieked from happiness for almost two hours straight and "meowed" at the goats and rabbits. It wasn't too crowded, but it was hot and a little expensive (as to be expected). I know some people are a little surprised that I just take him alone, but Scott works a ton and the weekends at a lot of places in Southern California are crazy. Plus, I like to just go with him sometimes, as opposed to friends or family! We can do our own thing, at our own pace, and I can focus my attention on explaining things to him and having fun.

3. When we got home from the fair I, stupidly, almost chopped the tip of my thumb off while cutting parsley. I didn't want to deal with stitches, so I bandaged it up with gauze and surgical tape and hoped for the best (I was alone with the baby, so it was just super inconvenient). The verdict? It hurts really bad still but it closed up, so I think I'll survive. Maybe I should have glued it shut. 

4. I just started reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr for book club. I don't really have an opinion yet, but I can say that I'm liking the short chapters. 

5. I just finished Judy Blume's adult novel, In the Unlikely Event, and while it wasn't my favorite, I was shocked to know that the three plane crashes in the story happened in real life in New Jersey in the fifties. Augh! 

6. I have raved about Piyo in the past, but I totally fell off the wagon this summer. I decided that for every time I do it from now on I'll pay myself $1 towards a massage or pedicure or something unnecessary and self-indulgent. I think the lack routine during the summer has actually hindered my working out, actually. I walk outside and on an incline on the treadmill every day, but that's not enough. 

[I need to do this]

7. Speaking of exercise, I got back on my bike (it's set up on a trainer in the house) and it felt good! I haven't done it for a long time; I think I rushed back after pregnancy and the extra weight just felt strange. Sawyer thought it was great to watch, too, so hopefully that lasts for awhile.

8. Does anyone have solar? I have so many questions. Buy? Lease? What does it do to your roof long-term? What if something breaks? Do you have to clean them (hello, I just read The Martian!)? What if you lease and the company goes out of business? 

9. Our re-fi was approved! I know this is not a big deal and people do it all the time, but I did the whole thing on my own so I'm proud of myself for getting it done before rates went up.

10. Last Friday night I went out with two of my friends that I haven't seen for awhile and it was so fun. I see a lot of my friends during the day, for lunches and such, but it's been awhile since I actually go to go out, without my kid, when the sun is down. 

The Decorating/Remodeling Itch

One of the side effects to being home this summer is that I've been looking around our home, which we've lived in for almost four years, and have been wanting to make some changes, big and small. We did a lot of painting when we first moved in, but other than that we were very lucky that the previous owners had taken excellent care of their carpet, had upgraded the kitchen (although the cabinets could use some TLC), and had done a beautiful job on the yard and pool. 

There are a lot of minor things that I'd like to do, and are mostly of the decorating sort. Maybe I'll do a post on those, just to help me prioritize. Basically, though, it's artwork, mantle ideas, laundry room decor, etc.. 

But then there's the Big One. We want to replace the carpet in our living room, great room, and dining room areas (who puts carpet in a dining room?!?!?!) with a hard wood that will stand up to the dogs. I don't want laminate and we're not sold on the tile that looks like wood (although I think it would be awesome in a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room), so I think we might consider bamboo. I know there aren't a ton of options, but there are some if you're willing to pay. While we're doing the floors, we're also going to redo the bannister and stairs, with the same flooring (with a carpet runner). We aren't a fan of light wood, which is what the bannister is right now. Since our house will be a mess we will repaint the great room and upstairs hall it leads into, possibly have a custom made bookshelf put in, and buy new light fixtures for the entry way and dining room. 

Did I mention that we don't finance things like this? Right now we're saving, and depending on what the next year brings, it may be possible next summer, or the one after. I'm hoping when the time comes it can be coordinated to happen within a few weeks. Pipe dreams, I know. If only I could book a month-long vacation and come back to perfection. 

Anyway, it's fun to look at ideas on Pinterest. Here's what we have and the direction we want to go in:

[currently]

[want; source]

[currently; the berber is nice and in good shape, but it's light and not what we want]

[something like this; the staircase is great too!]

[our current IKEA bookshelves; they do the job but are very basic]

[a little more sturdy; source]

[in dark wood, but love the design!; source]

[current outdated fixture]

[option; a larger version of this]

[or something like this]

[Good God, I LOATHE this monstrosity. I may convince my husband to replace it sooner]

[I love this but it might be too high? Or maybe I'm just used to the hanging light we have?]

[a bit shorter than these are, but I like the idea of three small lights]

[I like pendant lighting but will it go out of style?]

[we'll stick with a neutral for paint; our current one has a too-yellowish base]

I wish we were DIYers, but the honest truth is that we are not. I'm very jealous of people that decide they're going to put in a new light fixture and hop on down to Home Depot. We're more of the "wait an extra month and save to hire an electrician" sort. But man, if you want something edited or written for you, we're the couple to go to. 

Any plans to change things up at home?