Wow – somehow, it’s August already.  Only a month left of summer!  It’s flying by, seriously.  We were looking for a low-key neighborhood weekend, and we mostly had that.  It started a little early – sort of – when Steve and I took an extended lunch break on Friday and snuck off to watch the kids perform in the annual camp talent show.  Peanut told jokes this year, and she was great!  Nugget and his “class” performed an adorable rendition of “Baby Shark” (doo doo doo doo doo doo) – sorry if I’ve now caused that song to be stuck in your head forever, but what can I say?  Misery loves company.  Even though we left the kids at camp for the afternoon and headed home to do some work to close out the week, it felt like an early start to the weekend.  Saturday was a quiet day – we just hung around the house in the morning and hit the pool in the afternoon.  I slipped out for a grocery run, but other than that, we spent the whole day within two blocks of the house, and it was wonderful.  Sunday was mostly more of the same, although Nugget and I did a little running around in the afternoon – a birthday party at Michael’s (the kids did unicorn crafts, and it was both adorable and extremely hard work for the parents) followed by a library run.  Ended the weekend as I always do – curled up on the couch with a book.  I could use one more day, but I’ll take what I had and be happy with it.

Reading.  Pretty good reading week, for once this summer!  It was almost all back-loaded toward the end of the week, but hey – I’ll take it.  I finished up On the Come Up on Wednesday, then read G. Willow Wilson’s memoir of her conversion to Islam and marriage to an Egyptian man, The Butterfly Mosque, from Thursday to Saturday.  Over the course of Saturday evening and Sunday morning, I tore through Pies and Prejudice – still having such a lovely time with my second time through the Mother-Daughter Book Club series.  Finally, I decided to knock another book off my Classics Club list, and picked up Silas Marner.  I’ve read Middlemarch, George Eliot’s door-stopping magnum opus, a few times – but never took on any of her other works.  I’m just a little ways into Silas Marner, but already enjoying it.  Eliot can really set a provincial English scene.

Watching.  Nothing, really – snippets of whatever the kids were watching on their screens, and of course, watching them like a hawk in the pool, as always.  When I’m between shows this tends to be a boring category.  Sorry about that…

Listening.  A little of this, a little of that.  I’m about halfway through Daisy Jones & The Six on audio, listening during my commutes.  Really good!  The full-cast audio production is outstanding and I am loving the story.  The best part is the relationships between the female characters – Daisy and Simone, Daisy and Karen, Karen and Camila…  So that’s in the car, and around the house I’ve been listening to Fireside Collective again – trying to decide if I should snag tickets to see them at Appaloosa Fest later this month.

Making.  Not much.  I’d intended to do a bunch of batch cooking this weekend, but all I ended up getting through was the red lentils that were supposed to be the basis for a taco “meat” experiment I was planning to try.  I had a long list of food prep to do, but didn’t end up getting through any of it.

Moving.  Another week with only one run – gotta do better.  It’s just hard to fit in around work, commuting, parenting – all of that.  I know I deserve the movement, but making it happen is another story.

Blogging.  July in books coming atcha on Wednesday, and the next PNW recap on Friday.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  I have spent several summers trying to find the perfect reef-safe, mineral-based, all natural sunscreen that actually works, and I think I may have finally hit on something I like – Goddess Garden mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin.  It’s a lotion – I’m trying to get away from sprays – but it smooths on easily and dries sheer, unlike many other mineral sunscreens.  And best of all, the whole family can use it.  The kids actually don’t mind being slathered with this stuff, where they’ll shout about Alba Botanica or (shudder, but Steve still uses it) Coppertone.  I still want to pick up some Blue Lizard to try with them before we hit the beach later this month, but I’m really glad to have finally found something that seems to work.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?