- Parenting is hard enough when it’s done in tandem with a partner; but worse when done solo and while it’s only M-Th this time, I am going to be slammed with things. In fact, it’s crazy to think that my quiet time is at work! Actually, I remember this when I worked in an office before: I never minded going to work because it was sometimes more restful than home life. This is definitely true right now.
- My boys have been in rare form lately: moody, quick to anger, sullen. It’s weird because we’d gotten to a place that felt really good. They were getting along, Elliot was more helpful and agreeable than normal (Isaac is always helpful), and things felt nice and calm. Then suddenly, just before the full moon back on the 8th, it got all wonky. In fact, I made the boys go out and pluck old acorns from the front yard as punishment on Sunday. I came home from a run and they were in the same room as me, just poking at each other until the other got insanely mad. Then as all hell breaks loose, they puzzle at the fact that the other is actually mad. I see red when my kids do this crap and pretend like they didn’t know exactly what they were doing! I guess all things go in phases but I’m ready to go back.
- I have a tendency to go off the reservation as far as eating goes when Ash is out of town. Monday, I brought with me some Publix chicken salad, pecans, and some meat sticks. I planned to actually eat lunch (shock!) but I knew I’d eat dinner too. I told the kids we’d do Fresh Market wing dinner that night. We used to always do Publix chicken tender dinner on special occasions but we’ve upgraded to FM because it’s simply better. Plus, not fried either. Do you all have a Fresh Market where you live? I do love that place but don’t do all my shopping there, as prices are already high enough!
- The holiday months are always so weird; I have Fall on the brain still but every now and then I get a little niggle of Christmas – the scents, the feeling of giving, and the time off to be with family. The entire aesthetic worms its way in, even though I’d love to keep the browns and yellows of Fall and Thanksgiving separate from the red and green and ho ho ho of Christmas. We tend to blame consumerism on that, since they start putting out Christmas the second Halloween is picked over and packed up. But really, it’s all in how you want to handle it in your heart and home.
- I think I mentioned it before but there’s a youtube channel that is keeping me sane these days, Celebrating Appalachia. It’s just so…nice. The lady shows how to make traditional meals, talks about folklore of the area, and she and her husband work in their garden and around the house. It’s like dropping in on a friend and seeing what they’re up to. When I get bogged down in work and all the kid stuff, etc, I pop in and just watch them in their slower way of life, which I can totally appreciate.
- She has a blog too and mentioned the switch from running A/C one day then heat the next. About a month ago, that happened here. We have our air set to 76 but the heat comes on at 70. One morning a few weeks ago I woke up and it was 67 inside but I held off, just sat under blankets. But since I hadn’t started this job yet and was home, I ended up switching on the heat. This morning, I woke up to it being 65 in the house! But we’re all out so I did not cut on the heat. Probably will need to this week though, as temps are going to stay cool, with rain today but dropping even further in the next few days. Guess Fall really and truly is here for us in North Florida.
- I have been really hungry the past few days; not sure why. I think often about how babies and little kids went through phases where they’d eat nothing then suddenly, could never be sated. I had weeks where it seemed I couldn’t ever get enough food in my kids! So I guess, adults can go through the same phases. I just want food!
- I had two dreams this past weekend, on two consecutive days, that I lost my new job. They were nonsensical reasons (one was for not doing my timesheet right and the other, for letting a 20 pound CO2 tank run out!) but this is so weird. I mean, sounds like I am really worried and I probably shouldn’t be. I also dreamt that our neighbors, with whom we had that falling out, ended up moving away. I feel like that can be interpreted to mean I wish they’d go away so I don’t have to live close to them and hate the fact we don’t actually speak anymore. That’s so awkward to me.
- Back to the Fresh Market bullet: I know they keep claiming that we have “supply chain issues” and other BS but honestly, I think Covid and the subsequent government failings have been an impetus for excuse-making in nearly all retail establishments. I got Ell from practice, got gas, then we went in to get the chicken dinner. Fresh Market had zero chickens and zero wings. I asked the guy if they were simply not done and he just said “Nope.” I asked if there would be any other hot meat items and he just said “Nope.” UGH. Elliot was so hungry and disappointed too. So we went to the Publix across the street – which was ridiculously busy – and they had few wings and no rotisserie chickens! I commiserated with three other people looking for chicken and we all agreed it was weirdly busy and the food simply wasn’t there. I ended up getting them popcorn chicken and Elliot got a Pub sub but it was a very odd experience.
- On a happy note though, an observation: since I began working here at the capitol complex, everyone has been really nice. From the security folks, to the random people I run into in the halls, to the guys picking up trash, people just make a point to greet everyone. I have to say, it really restores a bit of my faith in humanity!
- And for fun, here’s a pic of Ash and the kids at the fair Friday:
incognitusscriptor.com 
That ride looks like fun. Great family time.
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Have a fabulous Happy Tuesday. ♥
My brothers and I were always looking to get on each other’s nerves. Picking up acorns? That’ll tire them out.
Amazing how kids and cats can both go days without eating and suddenly they can’t stop.
Last year, we had a windfall of acorns but then we cut those trees so I ended up raking most to one side of the yard but we hadn’t gotten rid of them. But that day, they got rid of a whole lot! Now I get to say, when they start acting up, “You’re veering into acorn territory!”