Birthdays and Ending Summer Vacation

 Summer vacation has blown through like a vapor in the wind.  This week has been back to school meetings for my job in the cafeteria.   I'm looking forward to seeing all the kiddos and getting those paychecks again.  My kids start school next week.  

As summer vacation winds down we are hit with a few birthdays.  One is my daughter's.   Last Monday she turned 11.  We made no plans for a birthday party with friends and she was bummed about that but we spent the day together as a family getting coffee, hot chocolate and a smoothie at a local coffee shop and when seeing they didn't have any good pastries available went to Dunkin for breakfast.   Spent some time hanging out opening gifts and playing games at home and then heading to the park before dinner at a hibachi grill.  That evening my daughter had a dance class and my son had his high school orientation and then we met back at home again for a chilled evening.   My husband made her a pig cake, her favorite animal, at her request.  

Yesterday we visited my dad for his 75th birthday.   3/4 of a century.  He's been having tough luck lately but I think we brightened his day. 

I've been thinking a lot about what this school year is going to look like and I have no idea what to expect.  The last few years were hard.  Now it seems everything is shifting back to normalcy, which is good, but I'm also preparing myself for whatever unexpectedness may be thrown at us again.  I'm looking forward to getting back to work but with limited staff and extra kids coming into the building it's going to be crazy, at least in the beginning until things get figured out.  My son is going into high school and my daughter is starting middle school and that is going to be an adjustment for them both.  

I've had so much time at home with my kids, which is good, but I think we are all in need of going our separate ways during the day and getting back into a daily routine.  My mood lately has been down and my mind has been discombobulated so I need to get out of the house and back to business.  I'm ready.  I'm also not ready.  Hello, my name is Dawn and I'm the most indecisive person you will ever meet.  

Rest in Peace Uncle Joey

 My uncle. My godfather. The one who bought me that really huge stuffed bear that lived in my room for a good part of my childhood. Remembering visits to his apartment with all the Hess trucks, baseball cards, and all his collections. Always listening to music. Waiting at the hospital with my grandma for his daughter to be born. The good times. I long to remember the good times.

The last thing I wrote to him, on Father's Day, was how thankful I was to have him as an uncle and godfather, not realizing that it would be the last thing I'd ever get to say to him.  That brings me peace.

Rest in peace my cool Uncle Joey!  

Blueberry and Blackberry Picking

Good morning, almost afternoon, and happy Monday!  

In exactly two weeks my kids will be starting school and I will be back to serving elementary kids in the cafeteria.  I can quite honestly say I'm not ready for summer vacation to end but I am ready to start making that money again.  I'm trying to add a mix of relaxation and busyness in these next few weeks.  

On Saturday I was in quite a funk for a multitude of reasons, but I won't focus on that now.  Who wants to read the negativity, right?  I'll just talk about our family time spent at a local orchard picking blueberries and blackberries.  We often venture out in the fall to pick apples and pumpkins so this was different.  It's amazing how nature has a way of providing us with all of these beautiful fruits.  

I searched Pinterest to find different blueberry recipes but I didn't make anything I pinned yet.  My husband and son made a peach and blueberry cobbler and on Sunday morning we made blueberry pancakes.  I'm going to make some muffins later.  Yummy!  Blueberries are filled with antioxidants and are great nutrition for the brain.  I used to not like anything blueberry flavored but I'm coming around.  

Today I have to get fingerprinted for work.  Still waiting on my FBI clearances to come through.  Since I finished my fifth year they are due again.  It's a hot day today so we'll be indoors as much as possible.  My kids are currently playing video games while I get things done around the house, and a quick little break to write this up.  I don't know what else is planned for the week aside from boy scouts, guitar lessons for the boy and violin lessons for the girl and a pool party with the baseball league.  

Have a good week my beautiful friends!!!

ps: For my daughter's August birthday I changed the background to her favorite color PINK! 

August Has Started With Free Blessings!

 Today we ventured to the Utz Summer Bash, which is our second time attending.  It's filled with vendors who provide games and free prizes.  Oh, and bags of potato chips.  Lots and lots of potato chips.  More than we'll be able to eat before it's expiration date.  But it was fun and it gave us something to do for FREE.  

Wednesday night we scored four free tickets to the local minor league baseball game.  It was us against the county next to us, and we lost.  

Tuesday was National Night Out, which is always held the first Tuesday in August.  We got to eat a free dinner while the kids played games and each took turns dunking a police officer in the dunk tank.  My girl always goes for the face painting.  

During the week my kids were hit with the biggest and most unexpected surprise of all.  My husband's work sent each of them a Visa gift card for back to school shopping.  We were all surprised by it.  This new job has been a blessing for my husband and an answered prayer.  These gift cards were also an answered prayer because I've been feeling the stress, and I know my husband is too, with some recent financial stuff that is hitting us.  

I have also been using our grocery store gift cards that had been gifted to us.  

We only have a few weeks left until the new school year begins and I had kept these weeks open so my dad could have fun with the kids before life gets busy again but once my daughter got Covid he's been very leery of being around us.  With a rise in Covid cases he wants to do everything he can to protect my mom and I understand and appreciate that.  I'm just not one to live in fear and I don't want us to hide in our house just because there's something evil out there, something that's not going away.  My daughter got over it after a few days and the rest of us did not get it, thankfully.  Anyway, I'm trying to make the best of the rest of the summer we have left.  As the season is winding down I'm wishing for more days.  I went into summer with a lot of expectations and plans and have failed to get most of it done.  I'm either too busy or too tired.  Eh, maybe next summer.  

I'm just so incredibly grateful that we've had a good week of FREE and fun things to do.