It’s 7:20 AM and I’m just sitting down to the computer. We successfully completed day 3 of our 5:30 AM-get-up-and-workout routine and I definitely don’t have it all figured out yet.

I have been working out then going right to the computer (my preferred), but David had to leave early for work today, so it was workout, make breakfast for us, remember the trash had to be taken out, feed the starter and prep the roast because both of those are time dependent, realize Finley was whining and needs to potty so feed and quick walk with her, then come sit down to write while she’s giving me the stink eye for giving her the shaft on her morning walk. I will give her a longer walk at some point today, but it’s hard to communicate that to a canine.

Side note: these Cambro containers are the MVP in my kitchen. I use them for sourdough, to thaw meat, to store veggie scraps for the chickens, for strained bone broth that needs to cool in the fridge, and more. If you’re in the kitchen a lot or need a gift for someone who is, I highly recommend them.

Yesterday morning was drive-heavy. First, an orthodontist appointment for K and a game plan: expander, Herbst appliance (if you are familiar with this intimidating appliance, please share with me your experience), then braces. K had a great attitude about it all and I hope that extends to when she actually begins the treatment. 

Then I took Finley to a meet and greet for a care giver I connected with through Rover to watch her when we travel. It went so well! I wish she lived a bit closer but she seemed wonderful, she has a great set up, and her rate is reasonable, which is saying a lot. Dog care is where the $$$ is at, y’all!

The perk of all that driving was podcast time. I got hooked into A Short History Of’s podcast (which I always enjoy) and listened to part 1 and part 2 about The Tudors. Fascinating! And slightly confusing trying to follow all the connections when everyone feels related somehow and there are too many Henrys and Katherines to keep track of. Still, very entertaining.

I got back home to some fun mail. A surprise delivery from Solely, which is our favorite dried fruit company. Seriously, K asks for their mango for things like her birthday. We love them because their ingredients are just organic fruit- no preservatives or additives of any kind. Nature’s candy!

I also got the delivery of the girls’ new math books. Currently they know our school year ends when they finish their math books, which should take another week or two. Then they will get a couple weeks off while we travel, then hop into the new ones! Saxon is spiral method and starts with review, which should make summer math fairly light.

I also got a couple more plug in flying insect traps. Between fruit, sourdough, flowers, and potato science experiments, I sometimes get these tiny bugs flying around in the house and they drive me crazy. These traps are elite! Super simple with just a light and sticky fly paper, yet super effective.

With our workout already done for the day, the mid afternoon felt again like a playground. I piddled in the garden, thrilled to see that my climbers (beans, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes) were starting to reach up onto the trellises. The kids played with the neighborhood crew, drawing with chalk and hitching a ride with me to pick up produce at the farm stand. David worked on the chicken coop roof between work calls and rain storms. I made chili which sat in the slow cooker until we were ready to eat, AKA when the kids all had to go home. I love when I can let them play for as long as they’d like. Just another hashmark in the “sign up for less activities in fall” column.

When the kids finally did come in, I was pulling laundry out to fold and had just turned on Lunatic Farmer. I’d been wanting to watch it for a while and only recently realized that Angel Studios has an app on the TV, so I subscribed us for a year. Well as the family trickled in and helped themselves to chili, everyone got captivated by the story of Joel Salatin’s farm to the point where K stated we needed a few more acres so we could get cows and pigs, that we shouldn’t use technology at all anymore, and that we should all do more chores. Okie dokie, sounds good to me!

There was still some daylight left so while H went to shower, the rest of us wandered around, checking on the baby blueberry bushes and the apple trees, trying to find where our resident turtle lives, and picking wildflowers. It felt quite idyllic, which will certainly be quickly balanced out by the full schedule and demands of the next few days! Ha. Ebb and flow, right? 

We have a full day today, our last day of co-op tomorrow, and a birthday to celebrate on Friday! K will be 11 and I can’t hardly believe it. Savoring these days and feeling really grateful that the uncertainty and chaos of the past year and a half landed us here. Ok, enough sap… I’m going to go walk this dog that is trying to bore through me with her glare. Here’s to figuring out new routines as we go! Hope you have a fabulous Wednesday 🙂