1. How do you feel about the transition from lazy summer days to a busier fall routine?

Ha! I have been blogging about this a lot lately, actually. I like the change. It usually feels a little rough and I stumble a little getting to the busier routine but once I am there, it’s great. I am pretty good at being go-go-go for a while and allowing an upcoming break to motivate me. (i.e. we have a half day on Sept. 4 and then the 7th is obviously off.) That week is actually only a 3 dayer for me, since Ash and I are headed to Pensacola on the 11th for a beer festival. I’m excited about that because I haven’t seen my parents since July 23rd, before their trip. They’re also probably coming over here on the 18th so they can see the kids, give them the stuff they brought back from the UK, and then head down to see my aunt.

2. Your favorite cookie?

OK yes, I am the weird one because I enjoy the lowly oatmeal raisin. Honestly, I think they get a bad rep because for years, the idea that raisins were “nature’s candy” was pushed on people. I will also gladly take a white chocolate macadamia nut.

3. What’s something you’ve learned from a culture different than your own?

Hmm, interesting question. From the Germans, I learned that having a great big party with a ton of people is awesome. From Southern African American culture, nothing brings family together like a picnic. And I suppose from the Asian cultures, hard work and being diversified is important.

4. Food critic, film critic, book critic, art critic…which hat would you most like to wear? Tell us why.

Hmm, tough because I feel like I could do them all and I frequently engage in criticizing all these. Maybe I’d prefer food or movies. Ash keeps a running spreadsheet of all the movies we watch and he rates and reviews every single one. I probably should!

5. What’s a small, random thing from your childhood that you still remember clearly?

I have frequently recounted this one cool fall day (weird because we lived in South Florida!) on this blog but I’m going to go with the walks my dad would take me on when I was really little. After dinner (and before my sister was born it was just me and him, since my mom worked nights) he and I took a walk around the block. Where I grew up, we had grid streets with alleys in between. For fun, I just went to mapmyrun and figured out the distance: .38. As a kid, this felt like a very long walk! Granted, we didn’t bust our butts. We wandered. I remembered picking up sticks and cool leaves and asking my dad a million questions. This is a small but impactful memory.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This week has been weird so far. The students had retreats so some days, entire classes were not here. Then yesterday, around lunch, I started feeling that heavy “gonna get sick” feeling. I left at 2:30 and immediately went home to sit in the sauna and take a 20 minute nap. I still made dinner but I mostly rested in the evening. I feel ok today; not sick but still a little heavy. While all the kids were in good moods yesterday, they are not today. Elliot is mad about shoes or some such nonsense and Isaac felt put out when I asked him to pick up something for me. I simply don’t have time! Later today I have to go straight from here to get gas, then Dakota from school (her bus is way too late for us to have time before her meet) then she and I go clear across town for her first cross country meet. Oh, but it doesn’t end there. Soon as I take her home, I am heading up to meet Ash for his other dynasty draft. I am not in that league but he asked me to be there.

I am stressing about the thing I talked about yesterday – a planned thing for a friend of mine. I already have two things going on Friday and I would feel really bad if I don’t go but depending on time, I just can’t. Previously engagements and all that. You can’t do it all!