Happy Friday, y’all! Did you have an amazing week? Mine was busy and included a surprise.

Brian was off on Monday and Tuesday. We took Josh and Megan to Chick-fil-A for lunch on Monday – their last good meal before a week of camp food. They had to be at the church around 12:30 to leave for camp around 1:00.

Usually, we wait until the buses pull out to leave, but the last couple of years the kids have been okay with us going ahead and leaving. This year, I said I had to leave before they called for the senior boys to board the bus. They always call them by the grade they’re going into. That means Josh is a senior boy.

I’ve already graduated one kid, so I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time with Josh being a senior. It may be because he and Megan are so close in age and I know how close I’m getting to the end of our homeschooling years.

Whatever it is, I’m having a really hard time.

We had a couple of errands to run after we dropped them off. Then, Brian asked if I wanted to go to the Ford place to see these two Mustangs he has been drooling over.

He’s been wanting a new one for a couple of years and has been holding out for the right car, the right deal, and the right time. I guess two out of three isn’t bad. We’d planned to wait until next spring, but he found a deal he couldn’t pass up.

He is now the super-proud owner of a 2015 Ford Mustang. This is the second time we’ve been fortunate enough to happen upon a fantastic deal where someone with exceptional taste in cars felt the need to replace their two-year-old model with a brand-new one. We’re happy to take a new-to-us car and let someone else eat the depreciation.

I’m hoping the kids don’t see this before they get home because they don’t know yet. I think we’re going to pick them up from camp in it today.

Josh will be psyched because now he’ll be able to drive the older Mustang more frequently. His plan is to start making payments on it and buy it from Brian.

The only thing about getting the car, though, was that it wound up taking up the better part of the week. We drove the two Brian was considering on Monday and talked to the sales guy at length about them.

He went back up there Tuesday while I stayed home and got some work done – and responded to approximately 3 million texts from him about the two cars. He finally decided on the red one, which was the better deal and had fewer miles and more options. However, they didn’t get everything finalized in time to get the loan before our credit union closed.

That meant another day off and another day of errands – well, errands and enjoying driving around in the new car.

Belle does love her person.

Wednesday was supposed to be my full day at home alone to get stuff done. It didn’t happen.

Thursday I had a hair appointment, lunch with a friend, and errands to run. I did manage to get some school stuff done, so there was that.

I’d say that I’d catch up next week, but Monday starts with a vet appointment and a doctor’s appointment, and Tuesday is wisdom teeth extraction day for Josh.

I’ve just about resigned myself to the idea that my life is just perpetually busy. Anyone else feel that way?

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Happy Friday, y’all! Did you have an amazing week? Mine has been fantastic – busy, but fantastic.

We started off Monday with an afternoon doctor’s appointment and some errands. I had a massive to-do list, but maybe because I knew how packed the afternoon was going to be, I was extremely productive and managed to knock out a huge chunk of it before we left. I managed to mark off the rest of it when we got back home. Yay, me!

It poured down rain off and on all day Monday. I snapped this picture of Brianna’s dog, Belle, who was staring out the front door with as forlorn an expression as I’ve ever seen on a dog’s face. It wasn’t just her face, but her entire body. She’s usually exploding with energy, so she just looked totally dejected sitting there as she was.

All I could think of was that old Carpenter’s song, Rainy Days and Mondays where it says, “Hangin’ around. Nothin’ to do but frown. Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.”

Tuesday, I had another early afternoon appointment, but somehow managed to mark off everything on my to-do list for the second day in a row.

One of those things was to try an idea that’s crossed my mind a few times for a doorstop for our deck. We were using a brick when we wanted to prop open the door for the dogs to come and go. (Penny and Peanut haven’t learned to open the door like Belle has, so sometimes they get stuck on the deck.)

They were managing to slide the brick out of the way, so I bought a rubber doorstop. Belle chewed it up the very first time we used it.

So, I used an inexpensive metal bookend that we had sitting around. I bent the part that slides under the books back the opposite way. That became the part that holds the door. The part that usually holds the books became the part that slides between the slats of wood on the deck.

It’s worked perfectly! The dogs haven’t managed to move it, and if they do ever figure it out, they won’t be able to chew it up.

We went out to dinner at Chili’s on Tuesday night for my birthday. My birthday was Wednesday, but Brianna wasn’t sure what her schedule was going to look like for work, and we were all home on Tuesday. That’s okay. I was all up for a birthday eve celebration.

Afterward, we went to a couple of stores to look around, then, to Dairy Queen for birthday Blizzards.

On my actual birthday, Josh and Megan were invited to a friend’s house to swim. I told them to go and my birthday present from them could be an afternoon at home alone. Win-win! They know I love them, but they also know how much their introverted mama likes to be alone from time to time.

I took myself out for a mani-pedi. Since last year, I get pedicures at least once a month during sandal weather, but I rarely get a manicure. I don’t wear nail polish because it’s so hard to keep looking nice, and it confuses the people at the nail place when you tell them you want the manicure but no polish.

I finally decided I’d just get the polish and take it off in a day or two because I really do love all the other parts of the manicure.

Y’all, I liked having my nails painted more than I thought I would!

I chipped one within the first six hours, of course, but other than that one, my nails looked nice longer than I expected.

I may have to start getting regular manicures, too.

Afterward, I did a little shopping for some things I needed for a nifty review I’ll be publishing in the next week or two. (You can take a sneak peek here.) Then, I came home, fixed myself lunch (after deciding that what I had at home sounded just as good as anything I’d order out), and took a nap.

It was heavenly.

After Brian got home, we went to dinner at Chick-fil-A, and I got my very own gallon of sweet tea to enjoy the rest of the week.

The mani-pedi and family dinner were my birthday gifts, but Brian did get me a little something – a PopSocket for my phone. (I linked to the exact one I got in case anyone wants to be all matchy-matchy with me. lol) My cousin has one, and I thought they were so silly and useless – until my hand started cramping at night when I’d lie in bed playing games on my phone.

Yeah, I know – first world problems.

I decided to try a PopSocket, and I love it! It makes it so much more comfortable to hold the phone in general (not just when playing games) and it helps you get a better grip and angle for selfies.

The lady next to me at the nail place had one, and I told her I thought they were so silly – until I got one. She immediately started telling me all the things she loves about hers. It’s the little things, y’all.

Yesterday was a relaxing, at-home day – my favorite kind.

Today is Brian’s company picnic at a local amusement park. I wish I could say I was looking forward to it, but ugh. It’s always so hot, and I’m not a huge fan of the rides. I’m hoping to do what I did last year – find a nice spot in the shade and play games on my phone while chatting with my husband all day. I should get adventurous and take my bathing suit for the water park. They have a lazy river I could float in all day.

I’m hoping to do what I did last year – find a nice spot in the shade where I can relax, play games on my phone, and chat with my husband all day. I should get adventurous and take my bathing suit for the water park. They have a lazy river I could float in all day.

The kids always love it, though. They each invite a friend and hit the park like crazy like I used to do when I was their age. We usually get pizza and doughnut holes (unless company picnic day falls on National Doughnut Day in which case every single doughnut hole is sold out even if it happens to also be your birthday – but I’m not bitter about that one year or anything) on the way home, and everyone spends the night. It’s a fun day except for the being so hot part.

I hope you’re all enjoying your summer!

If you’re looking for an amazing group of homeschool moms to hang out with, check out the Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Community on Facebook. It’s pure awesomeness!

And, if you’re looking for something fun for your tweens, check out this free Bible study on David & His 400 Men.

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Happy Friday, y’all! Our first week of summer break has passed, as it always does, in a blur. Though, I have to admit that after a busy May, our first week off didn’t seem as crazy busy as most years.

Monday was my father-in-law’s birthday, so we spent the day with them having typical Memorial Day fare – hamburgers and hot dogs.

I’ve been getting over the virus that I had last week. I feel much better. I’m still dealing with the cough and stuffy nose, but after feeling so horrible last week, I’ll take that.

I signed Megan up for a defensive driving course that takes place in July. She’s so excited. Not. It’s 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a week I’m hoping that it doesn’t get canceled due to low enrollment…keeping my fingers crossed because it’s four Saturdays in a row if we don’t complete it during the summer. The week in July is our only option since she’s at camp during the June class.

My birthday is next week (I see a new pedicure in my future!) and Brian’s annual company picnic at a local amusement park. The following week, Josh and Megan head to youth camp for a week. Do you see why the first few weeks of summer break fly by?

After the kids get back from camp, I’ll probably make myself start planning for next school year. At least I have a snazzy new homeschool teacher planner to make it more fun.

In cool happenings at my house, Josh got a midi keyboard and some music production software a few weeks ago, so he’s been working on composing with a friend. They are some very talented boys. I think they could both really do something with this and it’s exciting to see their original compositions coming together.

He’s also been practicing this week to play on the worship team at church Sunday. It’s so funny to hear him go from praise and worship songs to rock. He has such eclectic tastes in music.

Thursday, we went out shopping for new swimsuits for everyone. Camp and vacation are coming up, plus, my mom and some friends have their pools open. Josh, Megan, and Brian all needed new suits. Thankfully, we found suits for all three of them and only had to go to two stores. Win!

I still need a suit, but I rarely swim, so I’ve got some time. We had to pass up a swimming invitation on Wednesday because no one had bathing suits that fit or were still in decent shape from last year. It doesn’t seem like it should be time for swimming and summer break already. The last month or so passed by blindingly fast.

If you haven’t joined our homeschooling community on Facebook yet, you need to. I am loving that place! There is so much support and encouragement and a wealth of knowledge. Hop on over and join us!

Now, I’m off to enjoy my weekend. Have a great one!

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Happy Friday, y’all! We are finished with the school year! It’s hard to believe that I am now mom to another high school senior and a sophomore. Not only that, but my first-born turns 22 today. The years fly by, y’all.

I wish I could say we’ve had an amazing week, but I came down with some sort of virus on Tuesday and have basically spent the last three days feeling like I was run over by a truck.

I went to the doctor on Wednesday because I was certain I must have strep throat based on the fact that I didn’t remember my throat hurting so bad in my entire life. The test came back negative, though, and the doctor basically said, “Suck it up buttercup. Get some rest, drink lots of fluids, and take ibuprofen.”

(Okay, she was actually very nice and didn’t say anything at all like that, but that’s the way it sounded to me at the time. I wanted a shot or some drugs or anything that was going to make me feel better.)

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt as rotten as I have this week. Not exactly what I had in mind for our last week of the school year. Thankfully, I have teens who don’t really need much help from me.

On Monday, before I was hit with the plague, I did set up a Facebook group for homeschoolers. A group allows a bit more discussion and community feel than a page. My page is still there and active, but if you’d like a bit more discussion among homeschooling parents, check out the Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Community on Facebook.

I am so excited by how quickly it’s taken off and how supportive and encouraging everyone is!

My youngest two are enjoying Homeschool Day at a local amusement park today. It’s usually earlier in the month. How fun for it to be on our last day of school for the year!

You know what’s even more fun? That they’re old enough to drive themselves there and go alone. I’m not a fan of hot, crowded amusement parks, especially when I have the plague.

Oh, for those who are curious, Megan named her cat Sassy. It suits her, without a doubt. Brianna’s giant puppy tries to intimidate the cat and the cat just hunkers down, bristles up her tail, and growls as if to say, “Bring it, Dog!”

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Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you’ve all had a good week. We’ve had another one that just seemed to zip by. I can’t believe it’s Friday already. I also can’t believe we’ve almost made it through another school year.

And, don’t even get me started on the fact that Josh will be a senior next school year. {sigh}

The highlight of the week was this:

Yes, we thought we needed another creature in the house. Well, to be fair, two of us did not think we needed another creature in the house. The boys thought we were just fine, thankyouverymuch.

But the girls are suckers for a pretty face and Megan has been wanting her own cat – or dog. Whatever she could talk us into.

Jake, our outside dog that died last summer, was the dog she claimed for her own. Jack, our younger orange tabby was her cat…until we got Belle. Jack wasn’t impressed and he’s taken up with the neighbors down the street. Now, he only comes to visit and is pretty grouchy when he does.

So, we got Megan an as-yet-unnamed snuggle buddy. She is such an affectionate cat. We got her Tuesday afternoon, so far she’s doing pretty good with the dogs and other cats. There’s been a little hissing and growling on both sides, but they’ve also all slept in one another’s presence, so I think we’re off to a good start.

And, as long as there are treats involved for everyone, they can peacefully exist in close proximity.

We are open to name suggestions, but I think we’ve rejected about 1,000 of them. Megan likes Echo, so that may be what we wind up with. I’m leaning toward Sassy, even though I was originally in favor of Oreo or Domino.

For your reference, we currently have the three dogs: Penny, Peanut, and Belle. We also have five cats: Gus, Lily, Luna, Chloe, and Jack (except he really doesn’t live here anymore). She’s a female cat.

I had a fabulous Mother’s Day. We went to lunch with some friends after church. Then, we came home and everyone except Brian took a nap. We were all exhausted and everyone slept great because the house was so quiet.

Brian grilled some steaks for dinner then we all went to see Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. It was the perfect, relaxing day spent with my favorite people. Then, I had breakfast with my mom and sister on Wednesday as our belated Mother’s Day brunch.

Yep, that’s pretty much it for the highlights. It’s my kind of week when there’s not much to recap on Friday. Have a great weekend, y’all!

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