Clouds, Sun and Wallets #SimpleLittleSunday

Simple Little Sunday! Let’s do this!

• Julia had change left and really wanted some mints and kept looking in her wallet and eventually found money
• Nico had to work a lot with his grandfather outside the other day and it was really sunny and hot, but then clouds came and it was actually really nice
• Leila and Julia caught a turtle
• Leila got to hang out with a friend
• Fred the salamander got fried – sadness. Sally is still alive though, so there’s that
• Wendy won 2 out of 4 of her All Star games (softball)
• Wendy got a principle roll in hairspray as the principal – this was the source of a lot of confusion with principle vs principal
• Julie saw little baby birds in a bird house in her back yard and the mom feeding them
• This story:
  
• Leila left her phone on top of the car but it never fell off! (this happened a while ago but with Tim’s story she had to share.)
• I didn’t have to do anything yesterday and had a great day sitting by the pool and hanging with friends.
• I ran my first 5k on Friday and felt GREAT! I actually jogged the whole time, which surprised me.

So that’s our list, what’s on yours?

Sidenote: if you’re confused about our picture, watch this:

J-2.0

It’s no surprise to anyone who’s close to me that I’m completely bored with life right now. Call it a waiting period, call it the bus stop, call it the edge of a cliff, call it whatever you want. My life feels stagnant and like I’m not moving forward.

Some days this feels like it’s killing me, and other days I’m ok with it. Knowing that other people are in the same place is helpful, but the fact that it doesn’t change anything isn’t.

So the other day I decided to make some changes in myself. I’m calling it Jess-2.0

Since then, I have joined GoodReads and already finished two books! Granted, I only had about 70 pages left in one and 60 left in the other, but still. I accomplished something! I moved the book from “reading” to “read” and that’s something. I also realized I’m reading about 4 books right now, and I’m about to start a 5th, but whatever. Each book serves it’s own purpose. Sometimes I feel like being encouraged, sometimes I feel like learning and sometimes I just feel like getting lost in some fictitious world for a while. So those books will stay where they’re at. Tonight I’ll be starting Single Living. It’s about a 32 year old single girl who lives in Boston – I think I’ll be able to relate.

I also started doodling/drawing thanks to Jessica Latshaw and her suggestion to create something – anything. It’s nothing extravagant, mainly putting pictures to lyrics or quotes that I like, but it’s fun. See?

Yes, that’s Sara Bareilles. Yes, I’m obsessed. Yes, we can move on.

I don’t know if the next thing I start will be zentangling, yoga classes, zumba classes, voice lessons or something else I haven’t figured out yet. Maybe there’s a beach volleyball league I can join. But one thing is for sure, I have to change SOMETHING up. And if it’s not location or job, maybe one of these will do the trick. Put a bandaid on the wound for a bit until the next chapter starts.

What are some of the things you’re doing or have done to entertain yourself when life just seems blah? I’m open to suggestions.

#SimpleLittleSunday a Couple Days Late

I was in Jersey visiting my gram this weekend so I wasn’t around for SLS. Tim took over again, and luckily for him Reed and Michael weren’t there so he didn’t have to harass them for information.

• Julia got straight A’s! And she found a four-toed salamander and looked it up – it will grow to be anywhere between 5-10.2cm
• Leila had her last day of school!
• Julie’s family thought it was going to rain for her brother’s graduation and they’d have to have it inside but it cleared up and they had it outside and it was beautiful
• Tim found out one of his favorite bands was playing a free show outside in Providence and had an incredible time
• Christi (she helped Tim out in my absence) went night swimming at her friend’s lake on Monday and got to spend the day at the beach on Tuesday.
• I had some great quality time with my gram and cousin and got to take home some pretty sweet heirlooms.
• I also got to take half of Friday off and hang out with my PIC (partner in crime) at her pool AND see My Julie, her Eric and their 3 kiddos
• I also got to hang out with a friend and her husband who moved to NC a few months ago

What’s that? You’re wondering where the group shot is? This is all I have to say for that…

 

So there are 2 more SLS’s for ya – cookie dough and cupcakes.

 

Dumb question, but, have you anything to add?

Shady Pines of Lakewood

Where to even begin.
I’m visiting my gram this weekend with my mom, which is always a trip and a half, but today we took her to visit a friend (Little Betty) at a nursing home. You guys. We were dying.

We couldn’t find her anywhere, the lady is a pip. So we sat down while the staff looked for her and people watched.

G – I don’t see her. Do you? At this age they all start changing.
J – They all start to look the same?
G – They all start to shrivel up!
Side note: gram is 87

Little Betty is 94 years old and sadly is starting to lose it. She remembered my mom and gram, but not me exactly.

LB – Jessica?
J- HI BETTY! Because you have to shout. Because everyone is deaf.
LB – You got so big!
J – YES I DID
LB – Not saying you’re fat. Because you’re not. That’s not what I mean. But you used to be this tall.
J – I KNOW
LB – And you’re beautiful too! Not saying you weren’t. Because you were. That’s not what I mean. But you’re still beautiful.
J – THANK YOU

She also thinks she’s going home…which is apparently Newark, not Lakewood. And every song that was “played” was her favorite. And she told us about how her mother and father came to see her, to which my gram leans over to me and says “if she’s 94 then her mother is, what, 200?” Oh Rose.

At one point an old man sat down at an organ and started “playing”. And I say “playing” because I’m convinced it’s one of those organs that plays by itself. My first hint was the fact that a 5 piece band was coming out of it…my second was that the man wasn’t moving all that much. But people enjoyed it and clapped when “he was done”. One man even started dancing! With his walker! I took some crappy video but I can’t figure out how to upload it here from my phone.
JULIE!!!! HELP!!!!
Just trust me on this one for now, it was hilariously adorable! I loved it! I tried to get my mom to go dance with him (her idea, not mine) but she wouldn’t do it.

We only stayed for about 20 minutes and when we left LB followed us out explaining that she used to be able to walk around but now if she goes past the curb they come after her. Considering they couldn’t find her when we got there, I don’t think they watch the door as closely as she thinks they do. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Auditions, Food, Friends & School #SimpleLittleSunday

It’s Sunday!

You know what that means!

 

 

 

• Julia auditioned for 7th grade swing choir and got in!
• Wendy tried out for Summerstock (a theatrical camp) and is hoping she’ll get a lead role, more on that to come. Welcome to our suspense!
• Leila got to see her cousins who she hasn’t seen in a long time
• Max had his semi-formal and got to hang out with his friends he never gets to hang out with
• Nico has been working hard at brining his grades up and he brought World Languages up to a B
• Julie is done with full days of school
• Tim woke up on Monday and decided it was going to be an awesome day. And it was.
• Also, the World Cup
• Tim is thankful for his Dad *cough* suck-up *cough* Just kidding 🙂
• Yesterday, Max went to his sister’s friend’s aunt’s (lol) pool and got to go swimming, they ate taco pizza and his crappy goggles were replaced for the day by awesome ones
• Today Max is going to Olive Garden with his dad and family
• It rained on Julia’s field day so it turned into gym day and she got to play super cool “[two] minute[s] to win it” games and her class designed the shirt that won
• Friday was Julie’s last ever day of gym
• Julie was nervous about going to NYC for a week in the summer but is excited now
• Leila made a play on tiramisu (not a theatrical thing)
• Last friday Wendy went to Lake Compounce and she’s terribly afraid of roller coasters. One of her friends made her go on Boulder Dash. She’s still scared but she thinks she likes them
• Wendy went to see Million Dollar Arm and it was the best movie…well, behind Divergent…but it was a really good movie
• I chased a dollar bill down the street and won
• I got to spend time with a friend I haven’t had QT with in a long time
• I got to have dinner with these girls who mean the world to me

 

What about you?