Wow SubC, that sounds almost like my schedule when I had little ones! What a workout! But also a joy. I am glad you can just sit and chill a bit. We all need peace.

Yesterday I did go back outside, in the wind, and planted some wildflower seed embedded in little paper strips in a big pot, and basil in another pot, and put miracle grown on it all, added nice soil to the raspberries and other flowers and got it all watered and looking nice. This is the first time I have really worked on an area to make it nice. I told TotsFam to please not mess with it and told the kids as well.

I went to work this morning, came home, and it was all dug up. I am irrationally upset about it. I don't understand why the parents can just allow the kids to go dig in those pots and ruin my work. I got my hands right back in the dirt before even going inside and re-planted everything the best I could, but it is not the way I wanted it, and I am upset. I re-watered it all and went inside and told both parents NOT to allow the kids to ruin my plans. They are intentionally planted in the FRONT yard where kids cannot be unsupervised (street) but they had them out there while they cleaned their car or something. I feel like I can't have anything nice, or my own. Most of my house has become theirs, garage and back yard included, and I am just feeling like nothing is mine anymore. Anyway, hopefully it won't happen again.

I was going to get the tomato plants in the ground but now it seems pointless to pour care into them...

Oh Lila, that is so unfair! Were the parents sorry? I can't imagine that happening here. Dd would make the boys help her fix everything.

Are they still moving soon?

The boys went home early afternoon today and I have been resting, puttering around straightening up, and trying to get some pots made, but my hand hurts so much! I took a break and ate, but I am going back out. I am stubborn.

Hi there. I'm still suffering through the end of this cold - better but not gone. So I'm still not getting much done. Did a compost drop-off.

Lila, I'm sorry about the garden. How frustrating. I hope some of it is showing a little recovery. (and that you decided to put the tomatoes in?)

SubC, I hope your hand is feeling better. Were you able to work on pots?

Going to walk dogs. Have good evenings...

Hi Messi, I hope your cold is better by now!

I have done a little work on the pots off and on, but I'm not keeping up with my class. I'm trying to throw a little each day - but most of what I'm is getting reclaimed, and the pieces that work are small - I don't have the strength to work with larger amounts of clay. I'm trying to quit before I have to so hopefully I won't make things worse.

My summer vacation really started this week and I've been pretty lazy the last few days. Today I hope to do better.

I am trying to work on the sculler6 counter a little each day, and it is getting better.

Good morning!!

Just checking in.

Off to visit Birdy for the weekend.

it is late. water is the best drink on the planet, and i am so lucky to have some! lots! i just had some and can have some more.

i am so very lucky in so many ways. i would like to be a better steward of my good fortune. i would like to feel not as bad so as to be a better steward. tomorrow i hope to get the lawn mowed, put more plants in the ground, get the compost to collection, meet a friend, do dishes and laundry. i hope to get beyond those things.

I hope you are having a good visit with Birdy, SubC.
Lila, i hope you are having good days!

Good morning!

How did your day go Messi?

We have had a great visit with Birdy! Today we have to head home, I am up early to make coffee for my Ds before he leaves for work. We will stay with Birdy while his mom has an appointment, and then off we go.

It is so hard, leaving and leaving and leaving. I haven't seen my other boys for two weeks.

I am ready to get my summer in order when I get home. I sleep really well here.

Good morning!

Apparently I eat really well at Birdy's house too. And by "really well" I don't mean healthy. I mean, a lot. I got on the scale today. Ug!

I am having a restful start with my coffee. Dh will want breakfast in about half an hour and leave for work. Then I will spring into action - lol!

I have yet another too long list for today. It includes evaluations because I got a note from the guidance counselor reminding me that they were due on the 4th, not last Friday as originally stated. So I put a bunch of them off to focus on pottery for my class and getting ready to go to Birdy's house. I did some in the car while Dh was driving, but I still have 1/4 to go.

There is more space in my basement because of things that went to Birdy's house, but they are not outs, because they were baby things that rotate through.

Here is my thing. Ddil says I can talk about it now. Ddil is having twins. They are due in December, but Birdy was a month early and twins usually come early. They have asked me to be open to come for weeks, so I will need a long term sub and I will not get paid. Also I can't afford my farm sitter for weeks. I haven't figured out what to do about my animals. Also, it will be right before Christmas. Maybe including Christmas. I don't know what we are going to do about Christmas this year! And Dh can't stay for weeks. He will have to leave me and come back. He doesn't do animals.

I can't count on anything after October.

And my Tuesday/Thursday classes might get cancelled for low enrollment. And Dh is planning to go to part time (instead of retiring) in January.

The twins are a complete surprise and ddil cried. They don't own a car that will hold 3 car seats. The twins will arrive before Birdy turns 3. It's a lot.

We went to her areas annual yard sales on the weekend and bought a bookshelf, fall clothes, and a new dresser for Birdy. We also bought more sleep sacks for the twins and a small box of nice toys. Ddil had already found a cheap toddler bed and we cleared out their "office" and set up that room for Birdy to move into (he still wants to sleep in his crib though) Birdy's old room is larger and the changing table dresser will stay in there for the twins. They need a second crib.

We purged Birdy's toys and books a little bit. We also celebrated his 2.5 birthday (a month early) and I gave him his birthday presents. He is going to celebrate half birthdays because his bday is so close to Christmas. Maybe the twins will also.

Hello. I have a cold this evening. They have been passing it around at work. I think it's been a few years since I've had a cold. I'd just as soon it be a few more years. So, I'm a little foggy and froggy and not getting much done. I'll say hello and shuffle off.

SubC, thank you for sharing your news! It is Big news. It is Wonderful. Life-changing and anxiety provoking. Thank you for being there.

I am going to take some vitamins and crash.

Good morning!

Messi, I hope your cold is better.

Now that it is summer and my schedule is more relaxed, I am trying to leave each space I spend time in a little better. Since I got home I have succeeded in every space except the laundry room, so I need to put the clean laundry away and then that will be better too.

I have two more evaluations to finish and I hope to get the great room company ready by tonight (we are not having company, I would just like its default condition to be "comfortable inviting someone in and offering them a beverage")

I spent 45 minutes on the Great Wall of unsorted recycling/delayed decisions/not rinsed off after use on the scullery counter. I know it is better now, but not better enough that dh could notice.

My first two life changing habits of the summer are going to be:
If I leave the house, trash leaves with me.
A minimum of 20 minutes uninterrupted cleaning the scullery every day until I run out of things to do in there (probably never)

Alright, I'm going to put the laundry away, start a new load, and finish the last two evaluations.

I'll check back later.

Good evening!

The evaluations are done and turned in. I put away the laundry, but then I did more laundry, so the laundry room is still messy.

The great room is picked up enough for company (vacuuming wouldn't hurt.) I made pasta for dinner. I cleaned up the dishes after dinner and started the dishwasher.

I did not do any of the pottery or gardening I want to do because my hand hurts a lot - I wrenched it on a goat collar last night. Maybe tomorrow morning.

Also, I have to confess that I bought another doll for my collection. I watched her for a long time and the price kept dropping... she is set up on a shelf, but the shelf is crowded. And I suppose I need to claim the two baby blankets ddil sent back. My step grandmother made them for my kids and I think they are staying here. Ddil had too many blankets made by people she actually knows.

Tomorrow is a going places day, with a trash and recycling stop.

Good evening!

Lila, I am lucky to have the kids.

I also wonder about the people who don't come anymore. I worry about CM.

Good job on the screen. I'm glad your office is better. Eventually I have to clean out my room again. From now on, it will be "our" room because there will be another pottery teacher until I leave, and then it will be her room.

Plant the tomato plants a little deeper than the current soil level. Basil and dill like the soil raked - spread out the seeds, then barely cover. Water everything when you plant it. With the little seeds use a mist from the hose or a thin little stream of water from a cup so you don't wash them out.

I am so tired.

I got one class worth of evaluations done today. Seven to go. Gotta pick up the pace.

I am also aware that I have not been treating my body well.

There were a lot more things I wanted to do today, but what I did was -
Wake up at 4 with a horrible migraine
Take medicine, eventually fall asleep again and sleep until 8
Minimum chores.
clean out my school bag
Gather the evaluation materials
Write one class
Run one load of dishes.
Make an effort to drink water instead of soda and eat some protein and a serving of fruit and a tiny bit of vegetables instead of existing on simple carbs and fats.
Take my vitamin

I plan to go to bed early and hopefully sleep well and wake up rested tomorrow so I can have a more productive day.

Good afternoon.

The boys are not here because Buddy has a fever. 🙁

I have finished doing evaluations for half of my classes, but that is not half of my evaluations because I included the two smallest classes of the 8 and put off the two largest.

I have been working in my barn. I am accepting that some th8ngs are trash, and I have added a few to the scrap metal pile. I worked for an hour and came in because I was dripping sweat.

If I had a dumpster right now, I would be throwing things into it. (If you told my Dh that he would move heaven and earth to get a dumpster,). I don't think the energy would last long enough to fill the dumpster though.

The last couple of days it has been pouring rain and dark. The effect on my energy level was really bad. I've been resting a lot and puttering with my Legos because it makes me feel better and resets my brain. Dh has been cooking me healthy dinners. He is really good to me. I think he can see I am wiped out.

I can't really believe that school is over for the year. I can hear a clock ticking in the back of my head to get ready for the changes that are coming in the fall.

Hi!

just a quick note to say hello.
SubC - good work on plugging away at those evaluations! It's a lot of work to end the school year. Congrats for working on the barn. I'm sorry you are so wiped out. Take good care to honor yourself and honor getting rest.

Well, I got some news yesterday that is going to change my life a bit and my year a LOT. I don't mean to be cryptic, but I have been asked not to share it yet. It comes under "if you want to hear god laugh, tell him your plans." I am currently laughing along with god - it is not bad news, but mine may have an hysterical edge.

I added 12 things to the outgoing pile and took a whole bin to the thrift store. I also dropped a bag of trash and spent $5 on stuffed rabbits to prank one of my seniors. (The rabbits will end up with the senior, his baby nephew, or my grandsons if he doesn't want to take them)

I have been working on cleaning up the house.
I am not keeping up.
I am starting to consider getting a dumpster for fathers' day and putting half the stuff in the barn and some of the stuff in the house into it.

Hello, hello!

Sounds like good weekends were had.

Lila, welcome back! So glad to hear you had such a wonderful trip and even got some Rest. and now you are back at it. Impressive. Congratulations on getting the receipts done.

SubC - I am trusting you when you say "it is not bad news", and am wishing serenity your way. (-:
Good work on the outgoing pile and the gone bin.
I totally get the thought about the dumpster; I was thinking about that idea last week because my piles don't seem to be outgoing and I haven't emptied a bin recently. I did get some lawn mowed and the trash out on Monday after a half-day under anesthetic recovery from dental work. Being able to do some work was a surprise; I usually lose a whole day.

The project i was working on with the boys was a small fused-glass suncatcher kind of project. I have a friend who does large work, but this was small. I prepared some pieces of glass to choose from and the boys did the assemblage/ornamenting. One made a butterfly and the other made a rectangle.

hi messi!! So nice to "see" you! I love the sound of the suncatchers, how cool! SubC, I will be excited to hear your news when you are ready to share!

I have been working this week, but I also did a good thing today. After I was done working, I sorted some of my office. I went though a big rubbermaid tote full of stuff I was gifted by a retiring staff member over 2 years ago, and a box of other things as well. And I decided to donate almost every single thing! I sorted it all, threw away what was not very good, and put the rest of the stuff in 2 boxes to donate. I also looked through my work bookshelf and found a few books to donate, to make room for better books I want to keep that were stacked on a table. I took both boxes and dropped them off at the thrift store. I am keeping the tote. It is older so sturdier than the new ones, but it is dirty inside so after I wash it out, I will put some things in my office in it and put it in a closet. I have some things that only get used one season of the year, so it is good for those.

I have off tomorrow and hope to declutter!

Good morning!

Good to see you both here!

Messi, it's cool that you do fused glass! Do you have a glass kiln?

Lila, that was a very good thing! Yay for you! Yay for clearing a bin!

Yesterday was senior prank day. The kids did a really good job. I went in early to see. The school was decorated with amazing artwork (fake spills of food items and paints that looked real, fabric loaves of bread and fried eggs, hand painted cardboard "milk cartons"), infested with 3D printed tanks, Easter Jesuses, and balloons, and - courtesy of a student whose dad had access to unwrapped factory discards - thoroughly tp'd throughout. Also several important doors (guidance office and restrooms) were behind walls of solo cups, the door to the art room was coated with peel and stick google eyes (which were found stuck to students all day) and the staff bathroom - which is tiny, was filled with almost 6" of Easter eggs. My furniture was upside down and all of the pottery shelves and white boards were curtained in tp. One senior left a tiny photo calling card on my desk.

The seniors cleaned up the toilet paper and the younger kids stripped the building of tanks, Jesus, balloons and most of the google eyes. Much of the art has been left in place and my roommate chose to hold class elsewhere yesterday, so my 1st period seniors will be restoring my room today. I have a little shelf at home where I keep school mementos, so for now there are two google eyes on my planner and my shelf holds the calling card and an Easter egg containing Jesus and a tank. I'm not changing the tally for that, I consider the shelf an item. It evolves.

We were also given our teacher appreciation gifts for the year, so I must add a really nice tote bag to my tally. I also brought home some bins that were being discarded, but those will be used for stuff already here or to contain things that are leaving when they go, so I won't count them.

I had my pottery class last night. Everything I fired was rework again. One came out gorgeous, one is nice, two will be fired again, and one exploded, so I am down one pot. Next week will include new work.

Today I have school and I need to finish writing my speech for graduation tomorrow!

Good morning!

It's looking beautiful here and will get to summer temperature today. I have to walk dogs early and late when temperatures are cooler.

It's busy end-of-school year stuff for kids I know, and summer holiday. It's birding season here, warbler migration. They are so beautiful. i can't really ID them, but they are beautiful and sound wonderful.

I have a full day - dogs, meeting friends, then the boys have a piano recital and then a housewarming potluck. I was hoping to sneak in laundry, bills, lawns, dishes and other piles of stuff but I think these things will not happen til tomorrow and I have to not be overwhelmed by that. I just appreciate how wonderful today will be.

SubC - how did your graduation speech go? Congratulations to you! These ends-of-schoolyears are such a mixture of feelings.

Lila - great work with the sorting and getting rid of things. I hope I can do a little of that tomorrow. I will keep you in mind, thanks.

Have good days!

Good evening.

My speech went well. Dh asked me to go to a work friends event with him last night. I spent most of today recovering my energy and my house (neither fully). It was hot here.

Messi, are "the boys" your friend's boys? Are they chosen family? I don't know what your family looks like.

Grandsons tomorrow. Last week of school, then the dreaded evaluations, and then I go see Birdy.

Today is my last day with my Wednesday kids. Several of my favorites will be scattering to other schools next year. A lot of them for financial reasons, which makes me sad. We're a tuition based nonprofit, and between the economy and our state's private school tuition vouchers - which we don't qualify to accept - it's a struggle.

Yesterday I planted out four tomato plants, cleaned the house up a little bit and played with my Legos. My brain needed more of a rest.

I've been waiting for the rain to stop this morn8ng to do chores. Now I need to get going so I'm not late for my last Wednesday!

good morning.

SubC, I hope you had a good day yesterday at school. It's a little bittersweet to say goodbye to students. I took my friend's 11 yr old son (one of "the boys") to see the "Project Hail Mary" movie Tuesday evening and thought of you and your students because of the touching teaching scenes in the movie.
Congratulations on getting the tomatoes in. I was hoping to put a few plants in the ground last night and do a few other things, but crashed before that happened. darn. Prolly won't happen til tomorrow now.

H, Lila. How are things going?

Good morning!

Messi, I don't know that movie.

Wednesday went fine at school. My D&D boys all hugged me goodbye, which was a little hard on me. Two of them are leaving school completely. The rest are going to be in a group I handed off to another teacher. I will get two back in pottery next year.

Yesterday was our ice cream social and I picked my grandsons up and took them. The seniors made a spot at the table they had claimed for us to join them. I learned that another kid I really like is changing schools.

My Dh says "you will get new kids". I told him "I don't want new kids. I want these kids."

Today is the actual last day. In about ten hours I will be driving home exhausted and possibly crying and they will be scattered to the winds. I'll spend about twenty minutes reflecting on each of them as I write evaluations over the next week.

Next year is going to be shaped by my game changing news.

My pottery class also went well lest night. I brought home 5 pots - 4 new and one rework.

So far all my teacher gifts from kids have been letters, gift cards, or food.

You are cool, SubC. Those kids are lucky to have you! I wish a teacher had loved my kids that way!

Hi messi also. I wish more people would come back! I wonder about our old friends.

I have been working and working. The stuff I got rid of from my office was my work office, if that was not clear, not at my home, so nothing that went out got counted in the Tally, but it still feels so much better to have all that stuff gone. I still have work to do in there. I would like to get a nice set of heavy bookends to put on my desk hutch and place a line of books there. I would need to go to some yard sales or a thrift store to find what I want for cheap.

I had a kitchen window over the sink that is large with a screen and /I always had that window open in spring/summer/fall. My doggie who passed last year would get excited and jump up and put his paws on it. It was a bit shredded, with several screen repairs. I finally took it in to have a new screen made. I think this is progress. I picked up the new screen and will put it in today. I need to first clean out the window frame which is full of outside dirt, dust, teeny dead bugs, and dog hair. I have feelings about this for some reason, but I need to get it done today and start enjoying the new clean window and fresh air.

I also am trying to regulate my food problem, of continuing to bring in new food and not using up what I have. I decided to start a partial inventory in a notebook. I already started it for the freezer, but need to note down what I have to use up. For example I bought some jarred harissa and forgot all about it before the veggies were used. So... pantry things (specialty stuff), fresh produce, things I bought that need to be used. It will help me with meal planning.

SubC, I bought 3 heirloom tomato plants, they are maybe 6" tall, plus one sad looking cucumber plant much smaller. I have dill seeds and basil seeds. I don't know what I am doing so if you have tips let me know. I am going to get them in the ground or a pot or something this weekend. (I have large 36" plastic pots but I read those might "cook" the roots since it is hot here in summer and they are dark colored.)

Catch you later.

Good job not buying a load of stuff, SubC. I know how hard that can be! You are making progress.

Sometimes I think - if each of us could recall how our spaces looked 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ago, how would it compare to today? I know my space is much better and I cannot compare my home to other people's homes. Progress is progress and in another year it will be better still.

Today I have to go through all the receipts from my trip, translate them from pounds to dollars, check my credit card for accuracy, and decide which ones will go for reimbursement. I do not enjoy this type of task, so I am going to do it right now. I don't want to dread it all day.

Good morning!

Lila, did you get your finances done? I hope you had a lovely mothers' day!

Dd is still sleeping. She flies back late this morning our time and then goes to work and works half a day her time. I will miss her! Yesterday flew by so fast! But I do have the boys coming today, so I can't be too sad. I will be sad tomorrow.

She has been a lot of help. I do not have final numbers on the help, because we have left piles all around the house for me to deal with later. (Tomorrow will be the start of later) She mostly did decisions I needed support for and decisions I needed her to make and, "next step I need help with" things. We also planted some things in the garden.

And she took all of the disintegrating garden plastic to her friend's house in two big black bags to set out with her friend's trash, so that was a big help as well.

Off to do chores and make Dh some breakfast..

hi SubC!

Sounds like you did get a lot done with the extra help. That is great! TotsDad is like that too, helpful with getting stuff done.

I did get my receipts and statements all squared away. Now I just need to submit for reimbursement. My boss said I could do a per diem or actual receipts but I think I am going to be maxing out my work account, so today when I do in, I need to figure out how much is in there and submit receipts up to that level. Can't submit more than is there.

I have to be at work in 3 hours but decided I need an hour or two to be in there getting things set up and printed for an event I have tonight. So I plan to go in, in about an hour. I am REALLY struggling to find motivation to even start to get ready to go. I am in SUCH a lazy mood. I even had 2 cups of coffee, a multi vitamin, and some chocolate to try and get some energy but it is not working. So, I set a mental limit for leaving in one hour. I am just going to force myself to go in then.

I did manage to unload and load the dishwasher and wipe down the stove etc this morning. There is a lot to do. My house is super dusty and needs to be vacuumed. One of my sons who can over yesterday noticed and was actually dusting my living room with dust cloths while we were chatting. That is so sweet of him. I need to finish what he started. It is not healthy to live in a dusty space!

ok, I'm off to sit around for another hour, lol.

Good morning! Hope everyone is doing well. It's getting close the end of the school year. How is that going, SubC?
I woke up feeling inept and overwhelmed, but just have to keep going. The sun is brilliant, that is encouraging. I put a load of laundry in and will walk dogs. Yay! then off to work. I did get more lawn mowed the other day.

Good morning.

I have a migraine. It is slowly getting better (I took medicine) but it's a very slow start today.

Messi, the end of school is going well. Bittersweet. I have grown tired of herding some of the younger classes, but losing the seniors is once again breaking my heart. Last night was senior night - it's basically an open mike praise/roast with a slide show. We have 13 kids graduating and I taught 8 of them. I managed to talk without actually crying, but there were tears in my voice and one long pause. I don't know how I'm going to get through my graduation speech.

The girls are easier, but every year it stuns me that my rowdy little boys have become such amazing young men. (Also, the girls are more likely to come back to visit)

Yesterday was also my end of year review. Summary - they still like me, the kids like me, I did a good job, but I can't have any of the unreasonable classroom things I want next year. We'll work on the needs. (Pretty much as always.)

Laundry and dog walking are good. My goal is pretty much to make it to Tuesday without falling much farther behind.

I have bought things. There was a fantastic Mother's Day/teacher appreciation sale at my favorite online used book source and I bought almost every book I had on my list there. Including one out of print I've been searching for for years that just came in! They ship from all over, so I will be getting little packages of books in the mail for weeks. I also bought another doll (not here yet) and more Legos.

The Legos were a much bigger bin than I thought (I couldn't tell from the picture, which I guess no one else could either and that's why I got such a good deal) and I am going to have to count them as half a bin in. Bean and I are having a great time with them though, and I will let him take things home as we build them. (It was a "bulk pieces" bin, but so far we have built a lion and an entire space shuttle with only 9 pieces subbed out.)

I still have not counted my pile of free books, but I moved them to the dining porch.

I restart classes for pottery tonight and I pick up my baby at the airport tomorrow night (she always comes for Mother's Day weekend!) and I have a concert with Dh Saturday night (dd2 will be hanging out with her best friend) so it is going to be a lot of late nights in a row.

Dd2 usually helps me in the garden, but it is going to rain a lot, so maybe we will work on the basement. Otherwise, I am just hoping to get to Tuesday without falling too far behind!

Good morning!

I managed to mostly keep up with things yesterday.

My doll arrived and I put her right in the spot I had planned and took the packaging to school for reuse on my way to class. Also two of my books. They are on the kitchen table right now, but I did put their packaging in the recycling.

I am starting to think about reducing the doll collection, but I need to find a reasonable way to sell the dolls that I downsize. I don't have a place to donate them where their value will be recognized. They are nice dolls that still have a reasonable resale value on the secondary market. I don't mind someone else getting a great deal, but I would like to get back part of the money I spent on them and I do not want a thrift store to write on them with permanent marker or throw them in a plastic bag with a bunch of stuffed animals where someone who would actually want them would have a hard time finding them before they are tossed.

All the pots I took for class last night were rework pots. Four of them came out well, one is ok, and one broke, so I am down one pot and have made progress on my backlog. I'm going to update the tally.

Tonight I pick up my Dd2 from the airport. The airport is 30 minutes to an hour from school depending on traffic and is in a direction away from my house (I will drive basically south and west in many pieces to school, then south and west to a beltway and northwest to the airport, then south, east, and north to home - with the trip home being much shorter than the combined other trips because it is mostly non-peak highway around the city instead of highway and local through the city at commuter times.). we will still get home late though.

I have four hours between school and the time her plane is supposed to land, so I am going to load the kiln and stop at my favorite biennial rummage sale which is sort of on the way and happens to be taking place this weekend. I will try to be responsible. I also need to get gas. Which ironically is cheaper in the city neighborhood where I teach than in my rural area. More competition I guess.

How is everyone?

Is anybody making progress?