All caught up:
1. Blogs: In honor of Halfway Day this week, I commented on a bunch of blogs and then cleaned out Feedly. Going forward, I will read and post and comment and reply and just generally stay on top of the blog world. Hand to god. I also have a few posts in the can for later, so this helps, too.
2. Sheets: YOU GUYS. I had not changed sheets since BEFORE VACATION. I was moaning about how there was no way I was ever going to have time to fit changing them into my schedule and then I just did it before work over the course of 2 mornings. Bam! It helped that Coop had a day off from dive and then we had a rainy day because our laundry situation was calmer. It has also been delightful cool, so I was not weird about running the dryer all day.
3. Library holds: I have a bunch of holds in the works and have maxed my Libby account out again, so i am ready for the reads to come to me. But first! I gotta work through a huge stack.
4. Dresses and IG posts: I sometimes do a bad job with numbered things, but here’s dress 8/27, and also here’s a flat lay of 9.
Trying to make these white sandals from target work because I saw another dance mom wearing them and they were cute, but I am not convinced yet.
5. Grading for summer and TA hiring for fall. Woo-hoo!!!
On the struggle bus:
1. WRITING: I am going to manifest time to work on my writing, just like I did for the sheets. Except, you know, NOTHING LIKE THAT because writing is hard and you have to focus, and there’s no neat backup set of WRITING just waiting in the closet, etc etc etc.
2. MY FREAKING CLOSET: Ohhhhhh it’s it a meeeeess. Must fix!
3. BOTM stack: I have EIGHT books to read and another on the way. **yikes face**
4. Shopping: Specifically, clothes for the whole fam (except Minnie) to wear to my cousin’s wedding at the end of the summer. I am putting this on my list EARLY because I really want to avoid panic shopping right around college move in time.
5. Adjunct course prep: I am always teaching a section or two online sort of in the background of my normal life, but I am underprepared for the next round of classes to start.
Phew! What about you— anything you’ve crossed off this list/anything hanging over your head?
Pic: riding into the second half of the year feeling pretty accomplished:
Oooh I like that black dress.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm pretty caught up on things right now, the biggest thing is keeping the garden weeded, which, like the laundry and housecleaning, is never truly done. Sisyphean tasks. I'm just in full on summer mode and loving everything about it.
I also adore summer— and ours is kind of cool temp-wise, which has been a DELIGHT. Our garden is keeping the rabbits very fat and cute, but that’s about it besides a few peppers and more onions than we could ever eat.
DeleteI don't have QUITE as much going on as you do, so yes- I feel like I'm on top of most things right now. Although I just remembered my daughter is way overdue for the dentist- sigh, it's always something.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the previous two posts- huge congrats to Dorothy and Cooper! They both did amazing, and I know how much hard work it took them to get there. You've got some great kids (did you know that? Ha... just kidding. Of course you do.)
THE DENTIST! I used to be on an awesome schedule where everyone went around the same time, and now it's like every month someone has an appointment! Bah!
DeleteIt's not just your kids, Sarah--you're pretty ON too! You've gotten so much "work" work done already.
ReplyDeleteMy closet *is* a mess, but doesn't *look* terrible. I saw an Apartment Therapy hack for hanging up jeans... and I've just been hanging up a ton of stuff (blouses, skirts, dresses) this way. It takes less time that putting stuff on hangers, so at least things aren't sitting in a basket making me feel bad. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/s-hooks-closet-organization-37253627
ooooooh I like this method-- thanks!
DeleteYou have the nicest dresses (and I also love the black one).
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could just "shop your closets" for wedding outfits?
I actually washed sheets recently. It is shameful how long I put that job off and then it's not THAT big a deal. But I still dread it every single time. When will I learn?
Yes, I **think** we can shop our closets BUT ALSO it's so fun to have a reason to buy something new and fancy. The boys all have suits, so maybe new ties? Minnie has a dress-- but Dorothy and I love a chance to be fabulous...
DeleteI am teaching two classes in the fall (both 1-credit, so NBD, to be fair), but I have yet to create a syllabus for either of them. I need to at least get a shell of a syllabus for each course ready by the end of next week!! I need to do it!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I need to add at least two (hopefully three) more dresses to my summer office wardrobe. I just need more options!
I like to be prepped early so during the class, I can be fully present to respond to students in all the ways.
DeleteI think we just have different teaching philosophies on this. I actually don't like to have much of my classes planned so that I can pivot to talk about what the students want to cover. If possible, I like to do modules and let students vote on what topics they want to cover. So it's not unusual for me to go into class with only the first two or three weeks of class planned.
DeleteSo when I teach minority politics, I have six to eight modules in mind (health, environmental racism, sports, housing, immigration, education, criminal justice, whatever) and I let students vote on day 2. Then I create the syllabus. Most of those modules are easy to prepare based on materials I have already developed, but the syllabus is pretty bare bones.
I teach a lot of general education requirements that students don't necessarily love or want to be doing, so this is my way of getting them invested in the material. They voted (some lobby their classmates!) and then when we do the unit, they're more excited.
(This is Sarah) I bet your students LOVE your classes!
DeleteThat bloody laundry is my nemesis...
ReplyDeleteCrossed off the list:
"after death" binder +estate binder that has everything in it, minus the will- waiting for the attorney
signed up for yoga- finally-been meaning to do since at least two years ago *eyeroll*
Hanging over my head... Apart from the house not being picked up, and laundry not being folded... Not much.
(This is Sarah) Sounds pretty great to have so much done!!
DeleteThis is Lisa. I had a super quiet day at work on Wednesday so I ended up finishing our 2023 photobook! I usually finish those books in like Feb of the following year. I used to work on it throughout the year. Like in March I would work on Jan/Feb. Then my mentor/peer retired last April and the wheels just totally fell off.
ReplyDeleteYay! A huge thing to cross off the list (this is Sarah)
DeleteCrossed off the laundry this morning, 3 loads. Considering there are only 3 of us, we still make a lot of laundry (mostly my daughter, who likes to wear things 1x before washing. I only wear tops 1x before washing, but pants go awhile.) The heat dome has settled over us, and we're on day 5 or 6 of 100+ degree heat, so laundry must be done early in the day or not at all. Like you, I get weird about it. I was thinking, if we had our washer and dryer in the garage, perhaps it wouldn't bother me so much. But we don't have a garage, so that's not an option.
ReplyDeleteHanging over me, but not in a bad way...I'm mostly finished with my guest post for Engie, but I need to finish finish and send that to her. Also, I'm behind on reading/commenting on blogs. So here I am, doing that. Congratulations to Coop and Dorothy on their accomplishments! So much work, so much evidence of what a TEAM your family is. Nicely done.
UGH heat dome-- I do not want this!
DeleteI was reading this outside. Squinting. I read library holds as laundry holds, since you had just detailed laundry/bedding issues. I was like LAUNDRY HOLDS? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SIGN ME UP.
ReplyDeleteI feel.caught up on organizing SOME spaces, since i worked like a dog before the party on the study closet and right after on the garage.
But there are places I need to tackle. Looking at you, laundry room and my closet.
Care to make the closet issue into a friendly wager? I bet mine is worse. ;)
I plan to make some photo books for a few of my babysitting families that graduated from my daycare. They were with me for years and i have lots of photos to organize. Plus I usually make a cute rhyme to accompany it. Tough to find time to do this.
yes- we need to have a worst closet contest
DeleteYou're doing good, mama. Check it off one thing at a time.
ReplyDelete