Graduations, Transitions, and Traditions!

You guys, this has been a HUGE week! Each highlight deserves its own post, but given that some of them didn't even get their own day, that's obviously not happening.

First up, I took my written yoga test on Tuesday night! We were allowed one 3x5 note card to bring into the test and the combined acts of studying and cramming tiny words onto a tiny note card were deeply enjoyable to me. A cheater note card! The last time I made one of those was for some of the formulas in my high school AP physics class. I made it over the weekend and then took it everywhere with me all week like a tiny little Sanskrit covered security blanket.

So on Tuesday I went to work, went to yoga, went to the restaurant next door to yoga to study, took my test- writing diligently until my hand turned into The Claw and I had to shake it out and give it mini massages and then writing some more, and then met some friends for drinks and french fries at a little neighborhood restaurant afterward. Tuesday was an excellent, if incredibly long, day.

On Wednesday we woke up to the sound of rain on our skylights! Rain!! It took a second to figure out what the sound was.

As we all know, Maggie does not like rain. She does not like its drops hitting her head and she does not like its wetness touching her delicate toes. Luckily, we have a solution.

Maggie in a rain jacket is brave and adventurous and full of zoomies!

She is prepared to protect and defect the house from the scary water drops.

Then she is going to take a VERY long nap to recover. Good job, Maggie.

Also on Wednesday, I had my practical exam for yoga teacher training! We were paired up with another trainee and then, under the watchful eyes of our instructors, taught a full hour-long sequence to our partner, in breath-posture-cue formula, correct cues, and assists and adjusts. Then you switched and were the student for your trainee-partner's teaching. It was more intense than I expected. I knew the sequence and had practiced with my friends multiple times, but knowing it was the end and you were being watched and graded had sweat rolling down my back the whole time I taught. But I did it! And I was done! And I got a little thumb's up from my instructor as I was heading out.

Heading out with my graded exam with a big 100 on the top! Obviously, it's hanging on the fridge now. And then I came home to a bottle of champagne (James) and the timely arrival of a new shirt that I'd ordered when I saw my instructor wearing it in class last week. I drank my champagne in the bathtub and felt giddy at the fact my training was essentially done. Wednesday was also a great day.

Thursday donned early as I got ready for work with bleary eyes and lots of helpers underfoot. I worked my lawyer work and then raced home to pick up Landon at 5:25 for Meet the Teacher Night at his new middle school 6th grade campus!

It was total chaos and SO hot, but he got a corrected schedule (now with computer science instead of theater; he is MUCH relieved, and middle-school-me completely understands) and was able to walk to each of his classrooms. He had little to no interest in meeting the teachers (I'll meet them all on Monday mom and then we can remember each other better), but spent MANY minutes perusing the bookshelves of his Accelerated English teacher and the library. Then he tried to check out books at the library and I was like Landon, school has not actually started, and he was very disappointed. He's going to do great.

We got home from that sweaty adventure at 6:30 and then I forcefully shimmied my way into leggings (leggings over sweat is a killer workout that no one seems to be monetizing) to drive to my very last yoga teacher training class while our nanny, who had stayed behind with the girls during MTTN, stayed on.

Meeting in the studio for YTT one last time was a little emotional. I've grown so close to my classmates- never mind that I'm a million years older than all of them, it's been so fun learning and growing with every one of them.

We posed for pictures and practiced our parts for the "Friends and Family Night" round robin sequence we'd be teaching. Then my Friends and Family arrived!

I was so excited to have them there!! My section was the "Sun B - Slow Flow" which is towards the beginning. I didn't forget anything even though the giant room crammed with people was WAY DIFFERENT from our little RR studio or the practice runs I've done with friends, but it was so much fun. I practiced my adjusts and assists, which are quickly becoming my very favorite part of teaching.

James made kissy faces at me whenever I walked by him, attempted to hit our friend Kim in the face with his extremely wide-reach tree pose, and then super inappropriate noises under his breath during his supine twist adjustment I gave towards the end. My lead teacher was cracking up sitting next to him in the back corner.

We ended Savasana by giving little massages to each of our guests and then lining up with all our fellow trainees in the front to thank everyone for coming. I get choked up anytime I try to say it out loud, but I am so beyond thankful for this man. He not only made this training happen for me back when he surprised me with the payment at Christmas, but he has been on on his own with the kids and house, dinners and bedtimes and bulldogs, basically from 7 a.m. Tuesday morning until I woke up on Friday morning, for the last 8 weeks. And he has never complained, never made me feel bad or selfish, just mumbled a "how class went?" when I tip toed into our bedroom at 11 p.m. and let me crawl into bed for sleepy spoons and cuddles.

And now I'm graduated! My 200-hour RYT certificate and I are getting registered on Yoga Alliance, forming an LLC, printing liability waivers, opening a bank account, and securing insurance. Then we're hoping to offer some intro to yoga workshops and other community-type classes while I figure out how/where/when I want to work yoga into my regular teaching schedule. I'm hoping to continue practicing on friends and just continue deepening my own practice. My studio offers a 5-week long extensions program for its 200-RYT graduates, and as much as I would LOVE a deeper dive into some more advanced teacher topics like sequencing, more adjusts and assists, modifications, etc. I need to return to my family. This yoga journey will be a life-long and I know more trainings are waiting for me.

Speaking of family- Friday night was Meet the Teacher night for our sweet elementary school and we've got a brand new Kindergartner in the house!

Cora was BEAMING with joy for every single minute we spent at the school. She marched confidently down the halls, told her new teacher she loved school and hard work, and then worked VERY INTENTLY on the gently suggested "Welcome to Kindergarten" coloring sheet.

We are so excited for her and know she is absolutely going to rock it.

Claire is starting 4th grade and has Landon's old trio of teachers all of whom adored him and are excited to have Claire. She ran around with her friends the whole night, so I don't have a single picture of her, but that seems exactly right. Landon was also in attendance and ran around with his crew and I only caught occasional glimpses of his sweaty face as they came in from outside for a drink at the water fountain. It's hard to believe that six years ago we were starting at this school without knowing a single person. I was 6 months pregnant with Cora and had no idea what was going on or how Landon was going to handle Kindergarten. And now we're pros at the Elementary school game, our children having adored every minute they've spent here, and we are thankful every day we get to support this amazing, diverse Title I school that just earned itself an A rating from the state. A remarkable feat no matter what, but particularly with a 75% economically disadvantaged and "at-risk" student population; we are so proud to be part of this public school community.

We went out with a big group of friends and fellow PTA volunteers for dinner after Meet the Teacher Night and our Kindergartner was quite disappointed to learn that she would not be in school again in the morning. "You mean I have to wait TWO MORE DAYS?!!" she exclaimed with great dismay on our way out, way past her bedtime.

Also, past her bedtime, James opened a package he'd received from a swimsuit manufacturer he might partner with. Without warning, and with a gulp of water in my mouth, he struck a pose in the kitchen wearing this:

I died. It's important that you see the back.

I've obviously seen James in a Speedo a million times, but there's something about the faux-denim that absolutely looks like real denim, in EXTREME cut-off fashion, with about 1" of width along the hips.... it's just really something. Obviously I had to text all our friends and was then shaking with laughter reading the responses and gifs while laying next to him in bed later. He kept shhhh'ing me, like it was my fault he wore a tiny faux denim cutoff Speedo earlier in the evening.

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to volunteer at Landon's Middle School Field Day Mixer. I am not really a fan of large groups of children that aren't mine, but it was really fun, even if CRAZY SUPER HOT. Landon met many new 6th graders and I snuck a pic during the very serious Tug O War competition.

I was home at 12, drenched in sweat, and no longer at all interested in attending hot yoga. We cleaned up the house, prepared backpacks and cubbies, and made sure everything was ready for the first day. Landon spent the night at a friend's, I got an afternoon beverage with a friend after we both bonded over our messy children, and we watched Ferdinand with the girls after a super tasty dinner (below). Today I'm making poppyseed bread for the teachers and teaching barre, the kids are performing various tasks I wrote down for them yesterday while cleaning up their rooms, and James is feeling powerful while running a rented Rug Doctor over all our rugs. Really, the perfect back-to-school weekend, tiny patriotic Speedo included.

What's for Dinner: Back to School Edition

Saturday: Salmon Patties (these were amazing!!! I skipped the sauce because I was serving them with-), fried rice (TJ's frozen) with extra carrot and cabbage. We will make the salmon patties again for sure.

Sunday, our big back to school dinner and all 3 kids picked: Gigi's Chili, served with Mac & Cheese "ON THE SIDE," and raw veggies. (James and I like to serve the chili over the mac & cheese; the kids like them in separate bowls; it's okay that they're wrong).

Monday, Cora's choice: Caprese Gnocchi (gnocchi tossed with pesto, small mozzarella balls, and cherry tomatoes), maybe grilled chicken if we're feeling fancy. Maybe just with a trip out for frozen yogurt to celebrate the first day.

Tuesday, Claire's choice: BBQ Quinoa Salad, because, as both her siblings said, OF COURSE (quinoa, bbq shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced tomato, diced avocado, cheddar cheese, swirl of bbq, optional swirl of ranch).

Wednesday, Landon's choice: Crockpot Meatballs (recipe in this post) in Hawaiian buns with optional thin slice of provolone cheese, orange bell pepper slices, oven tater tots.

Thursday, Dad's choice: Happy Hour at HG Sply, one of our favorite restaurants we never get to hit for happy hour because James is always coaching. Half-price apps and specialty drinks here we come!

Friday, Mom's choice: Pool party with 50-ish friends, all the snacks, and Frosé spinning in the margarita machine.

Gigi's Chili
(A little different, but so, so delicious)

2 lbs. ground beef, cooked with garlic and diced onion
2 cans Tomato Soup
1 lg can red enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans Ranch Style Beans
1-2 Tbl chili powder

1. Brown the beef with garlic and onions, drain fat as needed
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to a large pot, bring to boil, then simmer for as long as you have until you eat.

And of course, there will be the traditional loaves of Gigi's Poppyseed Bread with Orange Glaze for the teachers on the first day. I hope everyone has a fabulous week!

Musings Loosely Matched with Pictures

It's Monday night. James is scheduling Fall swim lessons, Maggie is snoring loudly, and all three kids are snoring softly. This is my final week of yoga teacher training- I take my written test tomorrow night, take my practical Wednesday night (teaching the full hour-long sequence for a grade!), and then teach our community class at graduation on Thursday. I can't believe it's nearly over. I will miss the physical intensity and brain-crushing mental intensity of the training so very much.

James will not

I haven't even passed the final exams yet but I spent an hour this evening on a deep dive of liability insurance, LLC formation, Yoga Alliance Registration (200-RYT, that's me!!), and fees for various spaces around Fort Worth to fulfill my dream of offering an inexpensive drop-in community yoga class to bring yoga to more people. I've also spoken with the owner of my barre studio about an Intro to Yoga Workshop and hope to talk to the head of group fitness at TCU Rec Center (where I also teach barre) about their beginner yoga offerings. Through my (200!) hours of training and practicing (HUGE thanks to my mama friends for letting me run hour-long practice classes in their precious free time), I've found that my passion is bringing yoga to people who haven't done it or don't think it's available to them whether because of the price, perceived intensity, fears of not knowing what to do or being overwhelmed, childcare, etc., I want to make it more accessible, to provide a gateway into this beautiful, powerful, peaceful, beneficial practice. Yoga is for every person and every body and I can't wait to offer it more officially to the bodies around me.

Mamas, post-Friday-night-yoga-practice class!

And so, the night before I even take my first test, I find myself searching the Texas Secretary of State website to make sure my yoga LLC name is available.

But, since I'm still quizzing myself on Sanskrit, modifications, and yoga philosophy, let's cut that off and go through some pictures to recap the last week. Also, Maggie doesn't remember eating her dinner and is not amused that you seem to have forgotten to feed her:

Okay, back we go to last Saturday! The kids had just returned from Papa Gigi Camp, Landon and James were at the climbing gym and the girls and I had a movie morning to watch Wish Upon a Star, a movie desperately beloved by my sister and I in our early years. Now available on Amazon Prime and watched by me for the first time since I was 13, I learned that gorgeous and enviable Alexia Wheaton was played by a very young Katherine Heigl, and also the movie isn't quite as amazing as I remembered it to be, though the girls LOVED it and have requested it the next three times they got to watch a movie, so I guess it holds up for the pre-tween set. Maggie was also super into it.

Also sometime this weekend, Cora took up fort building. Long a favored activity by her older siblings, Cora took it to a new level by eliminating the roof (who needs the hassle and how then can we keep track of everything else going on around us?) and adding detailed decor and food options. It's all so extremely Cora and her well-stocked forts have popped up around the house since Sunday.

Speaking of Cora, I was hanging up clothes in my closet last Sunday afternoon, listening to music on my phone, when I guess she picked it up and opened the camera and took 85 selfies. She left the room before I was done so I didn't discover the pictures until the next day while sitting at work. I very much laughed out loud. At least 50 looked just like this:

As James said in bed the other night, after laughing over some other Cora moment, "can you believe we ever almost didn't have her?" I really truly absolutely cannot. She's the joyful glue that pulls us all together and remains, easily, both her sibling's favorite human in the house.

And speaking of favorites, here's my favorite furry child (and sometimes just favorite child generally), helping me cook dinner tonight:

A quick Maggie story: it's been breaking her heart that the temperatures have been far too hot for her to spend any time outside. She sits hopefully by the door and dashes out whenever we crack it open, flopping down on the scalding hot cement or grass, only to be dragged off before she gets heat stroke. She does not appreciate our life-guarding and seeks out car rides and slivers of sunlight wherever she can find them.

This Saturday, during a front-yard potty break, she flat-out refused to be denied her moment(s) in the sun any longer. She plopped down on the exact sunny-side edge of the shade provided by our giant oak tree and would NOT be budged.

Her eyes begged for more time. Her tongue made clear it didn't care if it had permission or not.

And so, because I know she spent years in a cage indoors, I set a timer and sat down on the front porch, already sweating in the shade, keeping watch over my stubborn, sun-worshipping bulldog who just wanted a Saturday snoozle in the sun.

I woke her up after 10 minutes and she was in jolly spirits. She came to give me a hug, and though I had now sweated all the way through my shirt (while sitting! in the shade!), who can resist her joy?

(I cannot.)

Also on Saturday, because it was too hot to be outside, we went to see Dora the Explorer. The kids LOVED it. I thought it was cute and worth the price of the popcorn and beer I watched it with. James, probably because he declined the popcorn and the beer, declared it the worst movie ever created.

Clearly someone needed some popcorn.

On Sunday morning we headed out to a cement-covered water park, because where else would you spend a day that promised to "feel like" 115?

It was Cora's former preschool's summer party and they very graciously reached out to see if she'd like to join one last time and OH DID SHE.

So I donned my sun protective swim gear (leggings and a long-sleeved rashguard! because nothing says fun in the sun like being covered from ankle to wrist) and off we went. James arriving late because he had swim practice and me leaving early to go teach my barre class. I had a great time, I really do love water slides and Cora's joy on any ride of any kind is infectious, but peeling off wet leggings in a yoga studio bathroom to wiggle into dry leggings is a cardiovascular CHALLENGE I was not properly warmed up for.

The kids had a BLAST. I attempted to get a picture of them in the wave pool, but the namesake waves made it very challenging.

We were all cracking up when we finally landed on this one of everyone facing forward.

James and the kids got home at the same time I pulled up from teaching my barre class and we all lazed around the house for a few hours. James fell fast asleep on the couch, I worked on PTA emails and to-do's (somehow I'm on the executive boards for both the girls' elementary school and Landon's middle school; this was not intended, though I do like being involved and believe in supporting our public schools, but whoah, my PTA email folder was bursting at the seams), the big kids read, Cora made an elaborate fort, and Maggie slept, possibly without even realizing we were home.

It's late afternoons like Sunday that are why our life doesn't actually feel that hectic or busy to me. We had adventures, James and I did our workouts/training/teaching, the kids had a great time and played and swam like chlorinated maniacs, and then we had hours- multiple hours- to just be at home. Chill, do our thing, be utterly unbothered or interrupted by one another unless the interruption is wanted. We don't plan these things, but they always find their way into a weekend and it's like the yin to the fun and busy yang. We love and need both.

Maggie inserted herself in this picture Cora took of her stuffed animals dressed for dinner and it *cracks me up*

We finally roused ourselves about 6 to make dinner. It was make-your-own pizza night and I went with fig and prosciutto with Manchego cheese, arugula, and balsamic glaze on top. It was DELICIOUS and, as Landon adorably exclaimed, "Mom! It's like something you'd see on Top Chef!"

His pizza had sauce and pepperonis and no cheese; not quite Top Chef, but he declared it perfect for him.

We played games after dinner. Cora picked her story and the big kids played another round of Uno.

All in all, it was a pretty great, full, fun, but also somehow relaxed weekend. And now on to the week ahead! James is leading a week-long swim camp, I have work and yoga teacher testing, and we all have TWO Meet-the-Teacher Nights for our kids who are back in school a week from today!

(And Maggie does not have a thing, but does hope a car ride will be involved somehow.)

Yoga Club and Other Under Things

It is 150 million degrees outside (or possibly just an actual 105, but it feels like the surface of the sun) and I miss fresh air and being outside but you can only survive in air conditioned environments right now and it's making me crabby. We were supposed to be in Colorado this week, but Landon's middle school orientation (ah!) ended up scheduled for yesterday and we couldn't make him miss that, so we squeezed in the 4th of July trip instead. And that was super fun, but we are definitely meant to be in the mountains right now. I'm escaping by doing an absurd amount of yoga, re-reading one of my favorite series (Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh), and spending money. These three things combine into a potent form of therapy for me. (Maybe not as potent as actual therapy, but a nice complement anyway.)

Maggie CANNOT EVEN with this nonsense

So on that note, because you do not want me to continue whining about the heat (and I could! I could whine for SO MANY paragraphs), we'll kick it off with some yoga news! As of today, I have completed all sixty required yoga classes for my training! 60 classes!! 60 classes that I took in 7 weeks, all of which I journaled, and that I took in addition to my 9+ hours a week of late-night teacher training (70 hours total). It has been a crazy and intense journey since mid-June, but I have LOVED teacher training and will miss it so much when it's over next week.

Surprise very late night drinks with my TT crew

In celebration of completing my classes and getting a new action approved by the Commission (my 2nd this summer!), I bought myself a new yoga mat on Thursday.

It is the exact same as my old one (but in a beautiful steel new blue color!) which I bought three years ago, used several hundred times (500? give or take a few?), and didn't clean or otherwise take care of at all. It stewed in my car when it wasn't in a class and yet was always dry and nonsticky, non-smelly, sweat-absorbing and MAGICAL. I have used and borrowed many mats and this Lululemon one is BY FAR my favorite. But after 3 years of heavy use and non-maintenance, it was finally started to degrade the tiniest bit where my feet always hang out in down dog, and so now I have this new one to take 500 more classes on and I can't wait to start.

I also got my second Yoga Club box last week! Box 1 was blogged about here and I've continued to love and frequently wear every piece I received. Just as happened with Stitch Fix, I get slightly disappointed when I receive relatively simple items, and then I wear the heck out of them because I never buy simple items. That peach top? I've worn it at least twice a week, including one day at the state meet, and it goes with EVERYTHING- from workout clothes to regular street wear. Yoga Club knew I needed it.

So this round I was super excited to see what the bright pink box had in store for me.

And, crazy enough, it was a pair of Onzie leggings I already owned and LOVED, but that I'd purchased a size too small and therefore almost never wore. I could get them on, but they're high-waisted and just not comfortable when they're too tight and I hated passing them over and over again in my drawer. Yoga Club, which as far as I know has not seen the contents of my leggings drawer, somehow knew this and replaced them for me in the next size up with a whole outfit that cost less than the single pair of leggings had when I bought them. It's Yoga Club magic.

I also got a cute crop top and black layering tank.

I'm still not totally convinced I can wear a crop top, even in a one-hour hot yoga class where everyone is wearing leggings + bra, without being so self-conscious that I'm completely negating the purpose of yoga, though it is super cute with a pocket built into the Y part of the racerback that can fit my giant phone. If nothing else, I'll wear it frequently with the tank, particularly hiking and on long walks where I want my phone but need my hands.

I unabashedly love the blank tank and have worn it as many times as I've done wash since receiving it. I usually pair it with the navy blue bra from yoga club box #1 and my new better-fitting constellation leggings and I could not be happier.

The box was $74 including tax and shipping for all three items which add up to $185 before tax.

This continues to feel reasonable to me, particularly because I've paid the full $79 for Onzie leggings before (the exactly same ones even! and others, I like Onzie) and the joy of opening a box with items that are a genuine surprise is worth a few extra dollars even if I felt I were paying them (and I don't; the bra and tank are both also high quality and I've worn them multiple times in intense heated yoga classes). Knowing a box with a new fitness outfit will be coming in another month also keeps me from perusing my other favorite athletic-wear websites, so really I'm pretty sure it's saving me money. (And honestly I just love surprises and at my age/family position, gifts are so rarely a true surprise that opening that little box is a moment of pure Cora-level excitement.)

(As I explained in the last Yoga Club post, this link is a referral code that gets you $20 off your first box, and me $10 off my next. You take a style quiz with your sizes and preferences. I liked that you selected both your preferred types of items (capris v. full length leggings, loose v. fitted, short sleeve v. long sleeve, etc.) along with your preferred styles and patterns (you rank a bunch of different sample outfit collections). You choose whether you want a 2-piece or 3-piece outfit (I went three piece: bottoms, sports bra, and top) and how often you want to get a box delivered (you can cancel/pause/skip a shipment later). I'm a big fan of the two boxes I've received so far and have already signed up for my third in September.)

Maggie can't wait

In other shopping news, I was home early on Monday afternoon after taking Landon to the dentist (to fill two cavities! his first ever; not a fan of dental work, we're now very into flossing) and then staying with the girls while James took Landon to his 12-year check-up (super healthy! HPV-protected! finally moved up to the 70th percentile in height after growing 2.5 inches while gaining 0 lbs. in the last year; his doctor told him he needed to gain 5 lbs, and unlike when we try to talk to him about nutrition and the importance fueling your body, he actually listened, and is eating cashew butter from a spoon in the afternoons before swim practice), and saw an email from Soma.

I had unsubscribed from nearly all shopping emails a few months ago, but I had been complaining about the fact I have only one bra right now (that isn't comfortable and probably doesn't fit) and a friend told me I needed to go to Soma. It seemed pricey, so I signed up for the sale emails and forgot about it. Then Monday morning I got an email alerting me that it was National Underwear Day! And their underwear was 10 for $40 for one day only! Since individually they ran $11-13, I decided this was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. And their best selling bras were buy one get one half off! So off I drove to replace an entire drawer of my dresser.

I got measured for a new bra with some sort of digital magic (the bra I was currently wearing was off on both the band size and cup size, which was completely unsurprising) and the nice sales person brought me all their best sellers. I ended up with 12 new pairs of underwear (literally replacing the entirety of my drawer; not one old pair remain and it is SO GREAT) and four new bras: 2 every day (Embraceble Full Coverage Bra; in light nude and deep brown), 1 strapless (Embraceable Strapless Bra), and 1 super comfy wear-around-the-house under your old threadbare favorite shirt but still be able to open the door and/or hang out with your boy tween and it is the most comfortable thing I've ever put on (Enbliss Wireless Bralette). I got 10% off for being a new customer and so all of my bounty came home with me for $160. For replacing an entire drawer and gaining the certainty of knowing that anything I reach for will fit and be comfortable and supportive and exactly what I need, it seemed well worth it.

James happened to call while I was in the changing room and I had to warn him before he got too excited that these are NOT cute. These FIT and SUPPORT and omg I love them with my whole heart. They feel like a hug. An ugly hug that is meant just for me. (I still have a totally separate drawer full of the fun ones whose only purpose is to be removed. I like those too :).

(As always, I implore you not to forget your Ebates, now Rakuten, or other cashback shopping site. Soma had 10% cashback last week - 10%!! Just for doing your regular shopping. I can't stress enough how annoyed I am I didn't sign up for this sooner because I didn't understand it and thought it involved a credit card. It's literally just a link or browser plug-in that totals your cashback from all your online shopping and mails you a check each month. My lifetime total is just under $3,000 of extra cash, for my regular shopping.

So, comfortable, supportive underthings- who would have thought they'd be one of the highlights in a week full of them! Next week is yoga testing and our final week with the kids at home before school starts! Landon had middle school orientation Wednesday and schedule pick-up today (squee! I might be in the minority, but I adored middle school- such an exciting, precious time between being a kid and a teen/grown-up (or a teen who thinks they're a grown-up)) and everyone has Meet the Teacher night next week. Summer has been great, but school is also my favorite (and it's too freaking hot to be outside anyway; "feels like 110" today according to my weather app), so bring on the return to routine! My undercrackers and I are ready.

A Little Rant Before Our Regularly Scheduled Blogging of Papa Gigi Camp

I tried to type up a blog post while I was home yesterday, but it just felt too inexcusably superficial to jabber on my intended topics of the kids' week at Papa Gigi Camp, James and my week at home, and some recent shopping successes. Twenty people were killed (now the count is up to 22) and 26 wounded from a mass shooting in my state (and then another soon after in Dayton, Ohio). Forty-six people shot by a domestic terrorist who, hyped up on the white nationalist rhetoric so often gleefully parroted by our current president, drove 9 hours to a Wal-Mart in El Paso to personally combat the "invasion" of Mexicans in America. I spent Saturday night simply drowning in the rage of knowing too many people who have and will continue to support our morally, spiritually, and intellectually bankrupt president and the hopelessness of knowing that because the shooter is just another white male homegrown terrorist, we will do absolutely nothing. Sensible gun reform bills that have already passed the House will continue to not even be brought up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. I don't understand how a party that so loudly pretends to be pro-life can just collectively shrug its shoulders in the face of gun death after gun death. But then I remember that tiny body bags full of shot-riddled Kindergartners didn't move the needle on gun control in a Republican-controlled Congress after Sandy Hook, so after deciding that slaughtered school children were acceptable, what's another few dozen bodies. In a few days there be another Trump rally. Someone will suggest shooting immigrants like they did at his one in Florida a few months ago and our president and his supporters will laugh. Anger and rage and hopelessness don't even come close. But we try to move beyond them. On Sunday we doubled our recurring monthly donation to Moms Demand Action, stepped away from all news and social media, and re-committed to only supporting politicians who actually care about keeping us safe and have ideas and plans on how to do so. And then our day moved on, because it does and it can and it has to. I taught a practice yoga class to my friends who volunteered their time and bodies to my yoga teacher training and then taught a barre class to my sweet Sunday regulars. James took the big kids climbing, Cora worked diligently on her workbook, and I had Greek lamb meatballs simmering on the stove while a bulldog snored regally in the box she recently adopted as her most favorite bed, and while I still couldn't write anything without feeling absurd, I at least didn't feel like I was drowning anymore.

~ ~ ~

And so we turn to the intended topics, because this is my journal and life happened last week that I would like to record. The kids spent five fun-filled days at Papa Gigi Camp and I'm so thankful to my parents for the opportunity it afforded the kids to bond with them away from us, and for the opportunity it afforded to James and I to bond away from them.

Not that we could do too much bonding with pesky things like jobs and yoga teacher training occupying much of the schedule, but we went out Sunday night, I made a delicious dinner for a cozy night in on Monday, and on Thursday I skipped my one and only yoga teacher training class (oh the guilt for that one) to soak up one more night that my husband and I had our house all alone to ourselves for the first time in 12 years. It was a very good week.

The kids, not capable of grasping the glory of being alone with your spouse in the house you pay for, are pretty sure they had a better one. And given the adventures they had, who am I to argue?

There was lots of lake time, a trip to Splashtown Water Park, a trip to the movies, a visit to a nearby Wolf Sanctuary (would you like to know anything about wolves? my children can now tell you. did you know your dog is at least 10% wolf? it's true. even Maggie.), the building of a bird house, the feeding of birds and fish, a visit to my brother's house across the lake for swimming and other shenanigans, and a trip to Incredible Pizza with its go-karts and bumper cars and mini golf and bowling and, presumably, incredible pizza.

I'm so glad they all get to enjoy this time together. This was Cora's first year to attend after 3 summers of watching her siblings go. Before the state meet I asked Cora if she was excited about swimming in her first-ever state meet. “No mom," she responded, "I’m really just all the way excited for PapaGigi Camp.” I tried to explain she could be excited about both, but she shook her head regretfully and said, "No mom, I don’t have enough left.”

I have no doubt it lived up to every one of her high expectations.