This weekend, I told Steve that all week long, I look forward to weekends (not because my job is unpleasant – it isn’t – but because I crave that time of my own, to let my brain breathe and be with my family) and by Sunday night, all I want is the workweek.  The kids were just grinding. me. down. this weekend.  Nothing major, just lots of little things – not listening, refusing to cooperate, backtalk, bickering.  I’m ready for my quiet office and a to-do list that I can understand.  That’s not to say we had a bad weekend, because we didn’t, really.  Steve had to work again, so I ran interference for him.  On Saturday, I took Nugget for a haircut and then we walked out to the library – and straight into the staging area for the town St. Patrick’s Day parade.  I know what you’re thinking: isn’t St. Patrick’s Day like two weeks away?  Yes.  Yes, it is.  But that’s just how we roll in NoVA, and if you don’t know, now you know.  On Sunday, Steve was craving some fresh air, so we walked out to the playgrounds as a family.  My mini bookworm plunked herself down with her reading material and ignored the rest of the family – even during the family soccer game.  She was my co-goalie and she was beyond useless; didn’t make a single save, just sat inside the goal and read – I was so proud.  The rest of Sunday was low-key.  Peanut played in her room, Nugget kept me company while I folded laundry and organized the kids’ Christmas presents, and I don’t actually know what Steve did.  And now another week is upon us, and I’m sort of glad to get back into the swing of things.  My clients don’t always listen to me, either, but at least they don’t call me a “dummypants.”

Reading.  It was kind of a slow reading week, because it was a hectic work week.  I have a few weeks in a row of grinding from sunrise to sunset, and those are never good for page totals.  But when I did manage to read, I enjoyed myself immensely.  Early in the week, I finished The Shepherd’s Life, and it was wonderful.  I also squeezed in The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland – For a Little While, which is really a long-form short story, and it was also wonderful.  The latter half of the week, and all of the weekend, was given over to Last Hope Island: Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood that Turned the Tide of War.  It’s fascinating and I am learning a ton.

Watching.  I know you will all find this hard to believe, but I watched a movie this week!  Or most of a movie.  Steve downloaded Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and we had a little family movie night on Sunday.  I missed the very beginning, so was kind of lost for a lot of it, but… I really enjoyed it.  Spider-Man is not my superhero of choice (I’m more of a Ms. Marvel girl if we’re talking Marvel Universe, but my heart really belongs to Wonder Woman) but Spider-Verse was a lot of fun, and made me want to check out the Spider-Gwen comics.

Listening.  ALL the podcasts!  Lots and lots of ’em, because I had a drive out to a client site an hour away on Tuesday, and an epic laundry-folding session on Sunday, in addition to the usual dipping in and out during commutes.  The highlight belonged to Sorta Awesome this week, as it often does – read on.

Making.  I intended to bake bread and make beefless barley soup, but neither happened.  What I did make was progress in cleaning out the bedroom and the ongoing clutter purge, and a new set of return address labels (it’s the little things in life, right?).

Blogging.  It’s going to be another crazy week, so again no promises, but my hope is to have a post about screen time (for Mom) on Wednesday and something bookish on Friday – either a book review or some other readerly rambling.  Check in with me then, and don’t hold me to it – as soon as things settle down at work, I’m going to get my content calendar back under control.

Loving.  I have a podcast episode for you this week!  If you haven’t already listened to it, go check out the Sorta Awesome episode on “freeing yourself from screens,” in which Meg and Kelly discuss their personal screen habits, their goals, and striving toward “digital minimalism.”  I listened in the car on the way back from my client visit on Tuesday.  I LOVED it and shouted “PREACH!” at my blutooth player every two minutes.  I’ve been trying to cut way down on my own screen time, and I just felt like it was exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?