Hello new week, and happy birthday to my adorable sister-in-law Danielle!  (Insert heart emojis here.)  It was a busy weekend around here – the kind that leaves my heart very full.  On Saturday, Peanut and I were out the door early to visit with my friend Allison, who just welcomed a sweet baby girl.  We brought over three boxes and a bag filled with hand-me-downs – the best, right?  There’s something so comforting about the act of passing down outgrown clothes to a new baby.  It feels like – community, I guess.  Anyway, Allison was well taken care of when it came to tiny clothes, and I don’t have any of those left anyway, having passed them all to my friend Allegra two years ago.  But I had a truckload (literally) of 24 months, 2T and 3T clothes and was glad to see them off to a fabulous new home.  Almost as soon as we were back from Allison’s house, we headed out again, this time to the first birthday party of the school year.  And then we were exhausted, and spent the rest of the evening recovering at home.  I read It Can’t Happen Here on the front porch after the kids went to bed, while Steve played a video game with his friends while obsessively Irma-watching (his mom lives in Florida, and we have both been worried, but thank goodness – it looks like the absolute worst of the storm missed her).

Sunday was another busy and heart-full day.  Nugget and I ran out to Wegmans in the morning, where we loaded up on groceries for the week and food for a mini-party we were hosting – our dear friends Zan and Paul came over for the first Bills game of the season!  (New readers: Zan and I both moved to Buffalo from D.C. within a month of each other back in 2013, met and became close up there, and now they have moved back to D.C. – yay!  Zan is one of my framily – friends who are basically family – and she was the person I missed most when we moved away from Buffalo last year.  I’m so excited that we are living in the same city again!  Her friendship has been a huge blessing to me for the past few years.  Insert more heart emojis.)  Anyway, we had a fab afternoon.  The boys watched the game (the Bills won!) – the big boys for the entire duration; the small boy for about half an hour before going down for his nap.  And the girls hung out in the kitchen, baking a gluten-free vanilla coconut cake with a coconut glaze (that was supposed to be coconut whipped cream, but reality struck; everyone liked the glaze, though).  As usual, Peanut had so much fun baking and decorating the cake!  That kid loves to be in the kitchen (she also helped me make the veggie chili for the party).  Ended the weekend curled up on the couch with It Can’t Happen Here – so, yes, it was a good one.  Nothing earth-shattering or over-the-top; just a weekend spent pottering around northern Virginia, holding a baby, cooking with my girl, and spending time with beloved friends.  What adventure could ever beat that?

Reading.  I started the week still on London War Notes, reading slowly and savoring, but laid it aside temporarily while I beat back some library deadlines.  First up was Crazy Rich Asians, which has been on my list for ages, and which was so much fun.  I can’t wait for the movie!  Then a bunch of holds came in, and first up on that agenda had to be Sinclair Lewis’ classic It Can’t Happen Here, which is freaking me out, you guys.  Lewis predicted Trump back in 1935, and it’s completely terrifying.  But still a must-read for “thinking Americans,” as it was described 80+ years ago when first published.  Anyway, I’m still in the beginning pages (did you read the weekend recap up there? busy, busy) but once I finish It Can’t Happen Here, I think I’m going to pick up Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home – another one that has been on my list for ages.

Watching.  Nothing, actually.  Unless you count the “Octopus Wildkratticus” episode of Wild Kratts about half a dozen times.  We skipped our usual movie night this week.  Next week will be Steve’s turn to pick the movie.  Odds are he chooses Jurassic Park.

Listening.  Still catching up on my podcasts, but midway through the week I switched back to Audible for a change of pace.  I’m down to about twelve hours to go in The Great Courses’ Classics of British Literature, and still no Dear Aunt Jane, although I think her appearance is imminent.  I’m listening impatiently and will only truly begin to calm down once I have gotten my Austen fix.  Or maybe I won’t calm down, and will instead begin agitating for Trollope.

Moving.  A pretty good week.  Only two yoga classes – it was too busy of a weekend to get in my usual Saturday asanas – but I did squeeze in a before-sunrise run down to the marina and back on Thursday.  I need to be getting in one or two weekday runs and one weekend if I’m going to be up for the Marine Corps 10K at the end of October.  Ooo-rah!  The time is now.

Blogging.  I have a very cheerful post – filled with flowers! – coming to you on Wednesday: a recap of our pick-your-own sunflowers fun at Burnside Farms last weekend.  I can’t wait to show you the pictures!  It was such a great day.  And then on Friday, vacation recaps continue.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  This is old news by now, but I seriously can’t get enough of Prince George’s front door back-to-school picture on the steps of Kensington Palace.  I think I squealed out loud when I saw it pop up in my Instagram feed.  The pictures and video of Prince William walking him in to his new school were precious, too, but I am beyond gleeful about the Kensington Palace picture.  Royals, they’re just like us!  They take front door pictures on the first day of school, too!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?

Morning, friends.  First of all, let me say, I hope you’re all okay.  It feels like we are living in a horror movie and every day a new terrifying ghoul pops up.  I never know quite what to say after awful events like what happened in Charlottesville over the weekend (of course, I’m not the President, who should know what to say).  To my friends who feel targeted by the kind of hate that was on parade this weekend, please know that you are safe and welcome in my space (both my internet space and my physical space).  To Nazis, white supremacists, bigots, and racists of all stripes – you are not welcome; get the hell out of our country.

Anyway.  It seems weird to talk about our weekend now.  There wasn’t much to tell, anyway.  Steve and I went out for an anniversary dinner on Friday night (our actual anniversary was Sunday).  We toasted twelve years of marriage, ate a ridiculously delicious multi-course tasting menu, debated Rey’s parentage in Star Wars, reminisced about past travels and fancy meals, and talked about the kids.  The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet.  Steve had to work on Saturday morning, so I took the kids into D.C. to pass along some hand-me-downs to a pregnant friend.  The rest of Saturday was pretty routine – yoga, then making the fire station – library – playground circuit.  We ended Saturday night watching Star Wars Episode IV with Peanut (who got to stay up late as a special treat).  On Sunday, we laid low at home.  I would have liked to go out for an anniversary hike or paddle, but there was so much to do around the house.  I had to do a little work, and the rest of the day was spent doing laundry, cleaning and getting organized for the rest of the summer.

Reading.  Bit of a quiet week on the reading front.  Mid-week, I finished A Room With a View, which I’d been meaning to read for years (literally, years) and carting from house to house.  I really, really enjoyed it, and now I can’t wait to watch the movie.  After A Room With a View I was still craving a classic, but something a touch more modern, so I picked up London War Notes, a collection of the weekly “Letters from London” that Mollie Panter-Downes wrote for The New Yorker for the duration of World War II.  The letters are beautifully written, and alternately funny, sarcastic, sad, and foreboding.  I absolutely love them and am battling between competing impulses to tear through the book and to read slowly and savor.

Listening.  More podcasts this week.  I’m alternating between parenting podcasts and book podcasts.  Best thing I listened to this week combined the two – it was Sarah McKenzie’s discussion with a children’s librarian on how to maximize your use of the library, for The Read-Aloud Revival.  I also listened to a back RAR episode all about G.K. Chesterton, which inspired me to make my two August book purchases be Volumes I and II of the Folio Society’s Father Brown Stories.

Watching.  Still loving my one night of TV per week.  This week, as mentioned above, it was A New Hope with Steve and Peanut on Saturday night.  We had movie snacks – Steve and I had zinfandel and popcorn; Peanut had pink lemonade and Pirate’s Booty – and Peanut stayed up for the entire movie and watched with big eyes.  Both of our kids love Star Wars (Nugget walks around humming “Darth Vader’s Theme”) and I could tell Peanut felt like an extra-special big kid getting to stay up late and watch the movie.

Moving.  Lots of yoga again this week.  I went to power hour on Tuesday and Friday (it’s hard to get up for a 5:30 a.m. class, but once I’m out the door I’m never sorry) and to vinyasa on Saturday afternoon.  I can already tell that it’s having an effect, because I’m looser and more comfortable in general, and I’m getting deeper into the poses in class.  Soon I will need to add some running back into my schedule – I’m doing the MCM 10K in October and I want to be trained for that one – but for now, I’m just really pleased to be back at the studio.

Loving.  We didn’t make a huge deal out of our anniversary this year – other than the very fancy dinner on Friday night – but that’s about right for our current stage of life.  We’re busy, life is busy, and the kids keep us running around.  Still, I think twelve years is darn impressive, and there is no one else I’d want to be in the parenting trenches with.

Blogging.  I have an outdoorsy week coming to you – my thoughts on peak-bagging on Wednesday, and a new favorite kayaking spot on Friday.  Check back!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?

Good Monday… evening to you, my friends!  Sorry for the belated post today.  I had a rough night of sleep and couldn’t get myself out of bed to blog this morning.  Anyway – how were your weekends?  We had a gorgeous one here, and we packed it full of activities.  Sunday morning found us huddled for warmth at the splash pad.  Steve remarked, “You know you’re southerners when 75 degrees is too cold for water play.”  Ha!  He’s right, though.  We moved over to the playground and the carousel, and everyone was happy.  We’d made plans to meet up with one of Peanut’s school friends – the same friend that joined us for blueberry picking a few weeks ago – and the girls had a great time, as always.  Saturday evening found me running a race – a beer mile, which was a first for me.  Let’s just say it was more intense than I was expecting, and leave it at that.  Also, I no longer drink beer.  On Sunday, we were all a little tired, so obviously we went kayaking.  It was a bit overcast, but the cooler weather made it very comfortable out on the river.  I’m hoping to make it out there a few more times this summer and into the fall – as long as the weather holds.  It’s been a lot of fun to mix up our outdoor activities this summer.  I love how many more things we can do, now that the kids are a bit older!

Reading.  Bit of a slow reading week.  I finished Behold the Dreamers – which was riveting; Oprah has chosen well, as usual.  Then I started …And Ladies of the Club, which a work friend highly recommended.  I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but it’s over 1,000 pages long (!!!) and I had to admit to myself that now is not the time.  Back to the library it went – I’ll return to it in September – and I picked up A Room With a View, which I’ve moved from house to house since high school, always intending to read it.  I’ve just finished the first section and am finding it funny, charming and wise.

Watching.  Steve and I are still going strong on our weekly movie nights.  Look at us doing grown-up things!  But not too grown-up… this week, we watched Jurassic World.  (Steve loves dinosaurs, and I love Chris Pratt and disaster movies.)  I’ve also noticed that putting movie nights on the schedule has the effect that I only watch TV on those nights.  I’ve never been a big TV watcher anyway, but one night a week is – for now at least – really feeling like the right amount for me.

Listening.  Still lots of podcast time.  I’m gradually cleaning up the podcatcher – again.  Down to about 11 hours now, and I have about 12 hours in my current Audible selection.  The best thing I listened to this week was an old (from spring!) episode of Sorta Awesome, which had me literally LOLing on my way to work as Laura talked about her pet turtles.

Moving.  I’ve had the most active week since putting this category onto my weekly check-in list!  As you know, I bought a new student pass to my yoga studio.  Nothing motivates me as much as getting my money’s worth (apparently) and last week I went four times.  Tuesday and Friday power yoga at 5:30 a.m.; Wednesday night restorative yoga; and Saturday afternoon flow.  I also ran the aforementioned beer mile on Saturday evening and kayaked on Sunday.  I’m exhausted, in the best way.

Loving.  Is it just me, or does it seem like Bookstagram is having a major Miss Read lovefest at the moment?  My feed recently blew up with shots of vintage Miss Read novels, and I can’t get enough.  I only own one vintage Miss Read – Village Centenary, a sweet gift from my friend Katie – and it’s been such fun to drool over some really gorgeous collections.

Blogging.  Telling you about my “summer places” on Wednesday, and paying tribute to the Adirondacks – which turned the big 125 this year! – on Friday.  Check back in!

Asking.  What are you reading lately?

Well, this weekend didn’t exactly go according to plan.  The idea was that we’d make a family grocery run on Saturday morning, then all head out to a birthday party together, (finally) get pictures hung during naptime, and kayak on Sunday.  I even went so far as to post a picture on Instagram from our last kayaking excursion with the caption “Weekend plans.”  The parenting gods thought that it was hilarious that I was making actual plans, and obviously threw a gigantic wrench – in the form of a sick kiddo.  Poor Peanut had a tummy bug and fever all weekend, and ended up camped out on the couch for two solid days with Steve, while I ran around trying to keep Nugget away (both from the germs, and from his short-fused sister).  Saturday’s grocery run and birthday outing ended up being mommy-son time, and instead of kayaking we hit the splash pad and two playgrounds on Sunday.  No paddling was done, no pictures were hung and no blueberry fool (Peanut’s baking request for the weekend) was made.  Of course, I felt sorriest for Peanut, who would have much rather been feeling good and having fun (although her consolation prize – two straight days of Elena of Avalor – made her pretty happy).  Anyway, here’s hoping for a healthy week ahead and a better weekend next time.

Reading.  Another slow reading week – it seems that summer is a slow reading season for me lately.  What used to be my most productive reading months of the year are now my least productive – but that’s okay.  Life would be boring if it always stayed the same.  Anyway, I finished Queen Lucia this week (liked, but didn’t love it) and am now about halfway through Behold the Dreamers.  I placed a hold as soon as I learned that it was to be the new Oprah pick, and apparently I got in just ahead of the hordes, because while I was able to get the hardcover within days, there is now a queue a mile long for it at the library.  So I’m feverishly reading it against the deadline – it’s excellent, as expected.

Watching.  Nothing during the week, but Steve and I had another grown-up movie date on Saturday!  Don’t all fall off your chairs at once.  We watched Thirteen Days, a movie I was obsessed with one summer in college, but hadn’t watched since, and which Steve had never seen.  Aside from thinking Kevin Costner’s Boston “accent” was an embarrassment, he really enjoyed it.  I fell asleep during the climactic scene.  I just can’t hang like I used to.

Listening.  Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts.  The latest episode of Annotated – on the world’s most fascinating librarian – was absolutely enthralling and I now have An Illuminated Life on my to-read list.

Moving.  Again, don’t all fall off your chairs at once, but – I went to yoga this weekend!  I used to have a fairly regular practice when I lived in Arlington and Alexandria before (at Tranquil Space Arlington and Pure Prana, respectively) but never connected with a studio in Buffalo, and for the past year, have not been able to make it work.  I thought I’d go back to Pure Prana, but their class schedule has not gelled with mine.  Mid-week I was googling and realized that another studio I’d always wanted to try, Radiance Yoga, had a much better (for me) schedule.  I hit a vinyasa class (my favorite style of yoga) on Sunday and felt amazing afterwards.  I bought a “new student” pass and have a month’s unlimited yoga, so I think I will try to go a lot more over the next few weeks, while I have the pass.  It would feel great to get back into a regular yoga practice.

Laughing.  So, I shouldn’t laugh at this, but Nugget is a total liar.  Every morning, one of the first things we do after taking him out of the crib is to change his diaper (obviously).  And every morning without fail, and every weekend diaper change (no matter what time of day) he tries to convince us that “Kelly just changed me.”  It’s the worst lie ever, because clearly our beloved nanny does not sneak into the house and change his diaper just before dawn every day.  He knows we know he’s lying, but he is living in hope of the day that we will believe him and he’ll get a reprieve on the diaper change.

Loving.  So I have a couple of weddings to go to in the coming months – one next month and one at the end of September – and I’ve finally settled on what I’m going to wear.  I’d been agonizing over options and had almost settled on my trusty black strapless cocktail dress that I wear to every wedding, but on a whim I decided to order this dress from Modcloth.  It arrived yesterday, I tried it on, and I absolutely love it.  It needs shortened, and I have to get a navy blue slip to go under it, but once those two things are taken care of, it’s going to be PERFECT and I absolutely cannot wait to wear it.

Blogging.  July reading round-up coming to you on Wednesday, and musings on being back in the D.C. area for one full year (as of Saturday!) on Friday.  Check in with me then!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?

That pesky Monday again.  They just keep coming around.  I’m living for the weekends these days – we’ve been packing so much summer fun into every golden hour that I’m always counting down to the next one.  Last week was a doozy at work – several long days (including 13 hours in the office on Friday – I was at my desk and working by 6:30 a.m. and didn’t leave until after 8:00 – some way to start the weekend).  I really needed a low-key, relaxing weekend.  So, obviously, I did the opposite.  On Saturday morning we were out the door bright and early and headed up to Maryland to pick blueberries with friends.  I have a whole recap coming on Wednesday; it was a great day.  We spent a little less than an hour picking and filled about 40% of our (big) bucket.  Peanut asked if we could make a pie, and we had enough blueberries to make a pie with berries to spare, so I said of course.  The rest of Saturday was as busy.  While the kids napped I snuck out for a walking (and ice cream) date with my friend Allison.  She’s due any day now with a baby girl, so it was great to squeeze in some girl time before her little bundle arrives.  We also stopped by 116 King, a seasonal pop-up, because my sorority sister Katie, who is now a jewelry designer, was hosting a trunk show.  I bought two pairs of earrings from her, and she told me that my little little little, Elizabeth, would be stopping by the store with her husband and daughter later in the afternoon.  So after I walked Allison back to her car, I grabbed my crew and dragged them back out to the pop-up, where we had a fabulous time chatting and catching up, and kept the evening going over pizza with Elizabeth and her family at Pizzeria Paradiso.  After a busy – but wonderful – Saturday, we decided that Sunday would be all about baking.  A family trip out to Wegmans replenished the baking supplies, and then Peanut and I rolled our sleeves up (metaphorically – it’s scorching hot here, so we were not in long sleeves) and baked that blueberry pie that she had requested the day before.  We made pie crust from scratch (and it actually turned out pretty well!) and made the filling with some of our blueberry haul from Saturday.  The pie was delicious and I loved baking with my girl.  She’s getting to be so much fun and it makes me so happy that we can finally bake together – she listens and follows my directions and she clearly loves every minute of baking with Mommy.  I’ve been waiting for this for years!  Definitely going to be making Mommy-daughter baking a regular thing.

Reading.  What with the crazy work week, I didn’t have much energy for reading – and that carried over into the weekend.  Usually I have no trouble separating my fun reading from work, but this week I was so fried that I just couldn’t seem to bring myself to read for hours after putting the kids to bed – or on my commutes.  But I did manage to finish The Age of Orphans, which was beautifully written but didn’t quite touch my heart the way I expected it to.  Now I’m on to Queen Lucia – the first of E.F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia series, which I’ve been meaning to get to for ages now.  I’m not far in yet, but really enjoying it.

Listening.  Lots of listening, because podcasts have been my entertainment of choice on my commutes – I just haven’t had the energy to get out my book.  I listened to both of the episodes of Annotated that have aired so far and was really impressed.  And I’m still loving The Mom Hour – the “We Hate Fun” episode had me laughing out loud in the lunch line.

Watching.  I thought I was going to say “nothing” this week, because I’ve really not had the wherewithal for much more than staring at Facebook.  But it turns out I do have something to report, because on Saturday night, Steve and I had a movie night after the kids went to bed!  Look at us doing grown-up stuff!  Like real adults and everything!  We watched Rogue One (which neither of us had seen) and it was great.  Sad, but great.

Moving.  Nothing to report here.  When you have a summary judgment brief and a big discovery production in the same week, morning jogs and evening yoga sessions do. not. happen.  Maybe next week…

Loving.  I already went on and on about all my friend time on Saturday, but I have to gush some more.  Missing our friends and our social life was a huge part of why we were discontented in New York and why we decided to move back to D.C., and we have loved being back in town and hanging out with the people who are such an important part of our lives.  But what I never expected was how many new friends we would make after moving home.  Our blueberry picking date was with one of Peanut’s school friends, and Peanut has a knack for befriending the kids with the best moms.  I never realized that having a kid in school would mean a new social circle for me too, and I’ve loved getting to know some of the other parents at Peanut’s school here.  My walking date was with a new friend from my neighborhood buy nothing group, Katie was in town from New York (and do check out her jewelry – it’s fabulous!), and Elizabeth returned to D.C. fairly recently.  As an introvert, it’s not easy for me to meet people or make new connections, and it’s been a pleasant surprise how busy and socially active we have been since moving back home.

Blogging.  Recapping our blueberry picking morning on Wednesday (’tis the season for photobomb recap posts!) and then it’s time for another garden update on Friday.  Check in with me then!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?

Hey, y’all – how were your weekends?  Ours was too short, especially after the first five-day workweek back after a couple of short ones in a row.  I did a lot of running around and not enough chilling (although there was some chilling).  On Saturday morning I got up at an ungodly hour and squeezed in about four hours of work between the pre-sunrise hours and a little time Steve bought me by taking the kids out for the week’s grocery run.  I got enough done that I was able to power down for the rest of the weekend, which was a relief.  Once they got back from the store, I was out again almost immediately – off to a friend’s baby shower.  I got home from the shower just as naps were ending and we walked over to the library for awhile.  I ended Saturday evening basically passed out – after getting up at 4:30 a.m. to work, 9:30 p.m. is basically my limit.  Since Saturday was full of work, errands and social events, I wanted Sunday to be earmarked for just fun.  In the morning, we checked out a new family activity – kayaking on the Potomac!  As my friends know, I love kayaking but have never been able to find a way to make it work with my little duffers.  But I think I finally hit on the solution – we found a boathouse that will let the kids duff (ride along without paddling) in single kayaks, and it happens to be on a particularly peaceful stretch of the Potomac.  We were out for about an hour, which is Nugget’s sweet spot – then we headed home for lunch and naps.  I finished two books (my home book and my commuting book) while the kids snoozed, and we ended the weekend with a chill Sunday evening – a walk to check out a new-to-us Mexican restaurant, then bubble baths for the kiddos and a couch night for Mom and Dad.  Sunday was a great day – wish every day could be that warm, sunny, and packed with fun.

Reading.  Kind of a slow reading week, because I can’t seem to stay awake at night.  (Not pregnant.)  But on Sunday I finally finished Three Men in a Boat, which was absolutely hilarious – although warning, there is one offensive word that is jarring to the modern reader; other than that, it’s a perfect book.  I also finished Jane of Lantern Hill, which I’d been reading on the Metro (not wanting to take my big, beautiful hardcover copy of Three Men in a Boat a-commuting).  I picked up The Age of Orphans, which I have out from the library, shortly before naps ended.  I’m not far into it yet, but I’m intrigued.

Watching.  Not much TV this week – just a couple of episodes of National Parks Exploration Series.  They’re fun to zone out to and look at pretty scenery.  (And good for getting excited for a few national park visits coming up in the next few months!)  The major viewing in our house wasn’t so much for the parents this week, as for the kids, who have discovered the joys of watching The Lion King songs on YouTube.  They haven’t seen the movie yet – we’re waiting for the digitally remastered version.

Listening.  More podcasts this week.  I’m working through my podcatcher a bit and have been enjoying catching up with The Book Riot Podcast and The Home Hour in particular.  And because I only had about 36 hours of downloaded audio in my podcatcher, and only a few hundred in Audible, I clearly needed another podcast, so I let myself be talked into subscribing to Annotated.  Haven’t listened yet, though.

Moving.  Since I took last week off from my Monday reading posts, I’ve been doing a lot of moving – a few hikes (including climbing a mountain), two kayaking excursions, and lots of kiddo-chasing.  All weekend warrior stuff, so I really need to make more time during the week.

Blogging.  I have a good week coming up for you here on the blog!  My top ten favorite reads of 2017 (the first half) on Wednesday, and a big hiking recap on Friday.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  I recently stumbled across KidFriendlyDC, and I am hooked.  I have them to thank for clueing me in to Fletcher’s Cove, and now we have a great family-friendly kayaking spot to frequent!  And they’re also to blame for the ballooning of my list of activities to do in the area.  So great to have another good source for fun ideas!

Asking. What are you reading this week?

So, this weekend sped by – as usual – and I’m staring down the barrel of my first full five-day workweek in about three weeks.  Yikes.  I’ll bet a lot of my friends are in the same position, so let’s all be strong for each other, right?  Somehow, even though last week was only two (work)days long, I really felt like I needed a weekend.  They’re always needed, aren’t they?  Anywho, I should have spent Saturday doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, knocking out some house projects and gearing up for the week ahead.  Instead, I went to the splash pad – ’tis the season!  It had been awhile since Peanut had a play date with her school BFF, S.  They’re both enrolled in different camps this summer and won’t be in the same class next year, so S’s mom and I have been trying to schedule some time for the girls to have a good catch-up session.  They had a fabulous time prancing around and splashing on the splash pad, then playing on the playground and carousel.  Sunday was also a no-go for house chores, for very good reason – last Christmas I gave Steve an “experience gift” of driving a Porsche supercar around a racetrack, and this weekend was the experience.  So on Sunday morning we packed a picnic lunch and all piled in the car to drive out to West Virginia (another state for the kids! I was the only one excited about this!) for Steve’s racing experience.  As you can see from the picture, he had a fantastic time.  I could tell he had fun, because he complained about how slow the BMW was all the way home.

Reading.  This is definitely the slowest reading season for me – while summer means beach reads and long light evenings with a book for many, for me it is the season for doing and not for sitting.  (Not to mention, with two little ones running around, my time at the pool and beach is spent chasing them and not lazing about with a book – someday those days will be back, but they’re gone for now, and I’m actually totally okay with that.)  So even though I was away for a long weekend, I didn’t finish a single book over the Fourth.  It wasn’t until a couple of days after I got home that I polished off The Brandons, the seventh volume in Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire series.  (They’re getting better and better – it’s true what the rest of the bookish internet says!)  Then I went back to my library stack and read the latest Maisie Dobbs, In This Grave Hour, which was excellent.  I returned it to the library yesterday – it was due back this coming Wednesday, so I’m patting myself on the back for getting it back before fines started racking up – and picked up my new, and gorgeous, Folio Society edition of Three Men in a Boat.  (The picture above is not the edition I have, and does it no justice.)  It’s hilarious, and I’m cracking up at every other sentence; it’s also a perfect summer read.

Watching.  Not much on the watching front, because I’m not much of a one for turning on the TV on summer nights either.  We did start watching a new documentary series about the national parks (not the Ken Burns – I’ve already watched that) but so far, we’ve only watched the first episode, on Glacier National Park.  More to come soon, I hope.

Listening.  I’ve been trying to catch up with my overloaded podcatcher and have been working my way through a few episodes of The Book Riot Podcast that had accrued.  I also finally listened to the “Politics of Being Southern” episode of From The Front Porch, and it was as good as I’d heard it would be.  (Is NoVA the South?  True Southerners would say that it’s not, but I was raised to consider everything below the Mason-Dixon Line to be The South – capitols required – plus Southern Living does feature D.C. and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs, and certain parts of NoVA have a very Southern feeling, which is good enough for me.)

Moving.  Lots to report here!  As you know from last week, I was away for the Fourth of July weekend and I packed plenty of activity in.  In addition to sailing, kayaking and chasing the kids around, I hit up two hikes, and one was a major hike up an Adirondack high peak!  The weekend was a lot of fun, but it also inspired me to make more time for formal exercise; it’s something I enjoy, and I think it’s really time I started making an effort to do things for myself again.  Recaps of my hiking adventures coming on Friday and next Friday, respectively, so stay tuned.

Loving.  This is such a simple thing, but I bought the kids cheap Cat & Jack sunhats from Target this summer and I seriously adore them.  Peanut has a floppy-brimmed white hat, and Nugget has a little navy blue bucket hat.  They’re inexpensive, so I don’t care if they get wrecked (and as a matter of fact, Peanut is already on hat #2, having lost the first one at camp) and they’re the stinking cutest things ever.  Plus they actually – willingly! – wear them, which is a huge perk.  Bless your heart, Target.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?

Good morning, friends.  I’d like to stick my head in the sand and pretend that it’s not Monday.  And while we’re on the topic of sand – confession time.  I snuck away for the weekend!  If we’re friends on Instagram, you already know that we packed up the kiddos and headed down to Virginia Beach for the weekend.  (New friends: my best friend, Rebecca, lives there.)  It was a perfect way to kick off the high summer season – three days on the beach, and lots of time spent with our “framily” – a.k.a. friends who are as close as family to us.  Nugget got to drive the golf cart, we ate fresh tuna caught by Uncle Eric during the Virginia Beach Tuna Tournament, and we even made it for an all-too-brief visit with Elissa at little Hudson’s second birthday party.  It was a lovely weekend with people we don’t see nearly often enough, and with the summer trifecta – sun, sand, and saltwater.  And a lavender latte at the end of it all.

Reading.  So, I did absolutely no reading at all this weekend – unless you count some documents for work that I read in the car on the way down to the beach.  I don’t even bother to pack a book in my beach bag these days, because it would just be taunting me from the bag while I chased Nugget around.  And the rest of the weekend, I was hanging out and chatting with Rebecca – or chasing Nugget around.  But I made up for a light (read: nonexistent) reading weekend with some good reading over the week.  I finished Northbridge Rectory on Tuesday (and it turned out that I jumped the gun on that one and went out of series order – oops; still good, though) and wrapped up The Chilbury Ladies Choir two days later, on Thursday.  I started Lincoln in the Bardo on Thursday night and brought it with me in my tote bag, but never ended up taking it out until I was back home on Sunday evening.  So I’m still getting into it now.  It’s a two-week library book, though, so I’ll be putting some time in over the next few days.  After that, the new Maisie Dobbs is waiting for me on library holds, so – onward.

Watching.  Last week we only watched one thing, but it was a GOOD one.  Still trying to scrub the first episode of Anne With An E from my eyes, I decided that Steve needed to be acquainted with the glory that is the Megan Followes/Jonathan Crombie 1985 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.  Of course he loved it and acknowledged its greatness.  The sequel is on deck for our next television evening.

Listening.  My podcatcher is out of control because I’ve been making a real push to get through The Great Courses: Classics of British Literature on Audible.  I’m up to Mary Wollstonecraft.  Still wondering WHEN, exactly, Dear Aunt Jane will make her first appearance.  Less than 13 hours to go now…

Moving.  I had a great hike over the weekend, but don’t want to tell you anything about it now because I’m going to recap the whole thing on Wednesday.  I got that June hike in just under the wire…

Blogging.  I hope you’ll indulge a non-bookish week around here, because I am really committed to not getting behind on recapping adventures like I did last year.  I want to stay current if at all possible, and I know that’s just going to get harder as the summer goes on.  So on Wednesday I’m going to tell you all about my June hike (with a couple of different hiking buddies!) and on Friday, I’ll share the rest of the weekend with you – just in time to go into the Fourth of July weekend.

Loving.  On a Monday morning after a trip to Virginia Beach, what could I be loving more than time with friends?  One of the (many) reasons we moved back here was the network of friends we have – friends who are more like family.  That network extends all the way down the coast to Virginia Beach, and it felt like coming home to be back in Rebecca and Eric’s house again.  I’m also loving the fact that just a few days before we left to visit them, we got THEIR WEDDING INVITATION in the mail!  So much joy ahead in the next few months…

Asking.  What are you reading?

Good morning, friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating the dads in your life.  We did our best to show Steve how much we love and appreciate him.  On Saturday evening, I cooked him a special dinner – lobster thermidor.  We had it on our honeymoon and ever since, every time I ask him what he wants for dinner, he says “Lobster thermidor!”  (It’s partly a joke, but he’d never turn it down.)  Just to keep him on his toes, I actually cook lobster thermidor every so often – rarely, because lobster is expensive around here (Virginia is kind of far away from Maine…) but, yes, every so often.  (It’s not actually that hard to make, believe it or not.)  On Sunday, we gave him his Father’s Day presents – some local craft beer, a new REI t-shirt, and a few pairs of Smartwool socks (replacing some threadbare ones).  Then we headed out the door for his Father’s Day activity request – the splash park.  He could spend the morning any way he wanted, and he chose to do something fun for the kids.  What a guy, right?!  We all had a good time playing in the water and on the playground, and then each of the kids got to ride the brand-new carousel.  They were pretty much over the moon (although the ride attendant had to hold up the carousel for a few minutes while Nugget hemmed and hawed over which animal to choose – ha!).  Our fun continued with a walk to the pool after naps – and the parents’ fun continued with a dinner of smoked salmon and multigrain bread after the kids went to bed.  (Sorry, kids.)  I think he had a great weekend and felt very loved and celebrated.

Reading.  So, actually a pretty light reading week.  I was a little stressed out all week – a heavy workload and adulting-type things had my attention a little scattered.  I did manage to finish Greenery Street over the weekend and just loved it.  (It’s in my work bag, headed out to be loaned to a co-worker, this morning.)  Still reading Northbridge Rectory on my kindle, but hopefully I will have more time and energy for it this week.  On deck, I think, is The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, which I picked up from the library holds shelf this week.  (I also got Lincoln in the Bardo, but I need to kick this little mini-slump before attempting that one.)

Listening.  I’ve been jumping back and forth between the podcatcher and Audible this week, and actually listened quite a lot.  (There were a few commutes during which I just didn’t feel up to reading, so I kept the earbuds in instead.)  Several of my favorite podcasts – including Sorta Awesome and The Home Hour – have summer-themed episodes up, and I’ve been loving those.  And I’m up to mid-eighteenth century fiction in The Great Courses: Classics of British Literature, which means Jane Austen isn’t far away!  This week I got up to “Professional” listening level on Audible and am weirdly proud of that.  (150-ish hours to go until I make the “Scholar” level.)

Watching.  Last night, Steve and I finished the last Netflix season of The Great British Bake-Off.  (I’m refusing to use the American title, because I don’t know why it is different.)  I was actually in tears as they announced the winner of the most recent season.  (I’m a major loose cannon at the moment, apparently.)  Fortunately, new episodes will be airing on PBS soon, so we won’t have to go too long without Paul and Mary.  And in the meantime, maybe I’ll actually be able to read more in the evenings for a little while…

Moving.  Nothing good to report.  After last week’s awesome run around Chicago, I was feeling inspired and itching to get back in my running shoes as soon as possible, and of course life and work got in the way.  I do think I’m coming to a point where I have to find a way to do something for myself – I miss running and working out and I’m pretty much at the limit of putting myself last.  I have some ideas about how to fix it, but nothing concrete right now.  Of course, I did move last week – lots of chasing kids around the splash pad, swimming them around in the pool (quite an arm workout, actually) and I also squeezed in a walk to the library while they napped over the weekend.  (It was too hot to run at that time of day…)

Blogging.  I think I’ve got some fun stuff coming up for you this week – a garden update on Wednesday (I’ve got good news and bad news) and a fun kids’ summer reading post on Friday.  Check back!

Loving.  Two things this week: first and foremost, of course, I was loving Father’s Day and telling Steve how much we appreciate everything he does for our family.  He’s an amazing dad and we are so lucky to have him!  Second, and if you’ll forgive me for sharing more cutesy Nugget stories so recently after this post, I’m loving Nugget’s new tendency to make certain words plural that aren’t actually plural.  For instance, he is very into “playing some soccers” (throwing a soccer ball at my favorite green glass lamp).  And when he feels more sedate, he climbs up into his rocking chair with his little baby piano (which he used to call his “pinano” – I wish that one was still around) and tells me, “I make musics for you, Mommy!”  I adore these little baby-isms and miss them so much when they are gone.  “Soccers” is particularly cute (as long as nothing gets broken).

Asking.  What’s up with you this week?  How was your Father’s Day?

Mornin’, friends.  How was everyone’s weekend?  We pretty much lived in bathing suits, which is exactly how I like to spend summer weekends.  On Saturday morning, we hit the farmers’ market and walked around town, then Steve took Nugget to the playground while I took Peanut shopping for a couple of things she needed for camp and to the garden center for pots to transplant the bean plants the kids planted at Exploration Days.  On Sunday, we hit the splash pad in the morning, and it was a wonderland of water tables, waterfalls, and streams of water shooting in every direction.  We all loved it and I can see it becoming a regular activity – especially since our local pool doesn’t open until noon.  Speaking of the pool, we swam on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons; I love that we have a swimming spot so close to our house.  Both kids love the water – but Nugget particularly.  I joke that it’s the Pisces coming out in him, but he really is a fish.  Peanut takes longer to warm up, but she can throw a truly epic tantrum when it’s time to leave the pool.

Reading.  Last week was a bit of a slow reading week (the four book covers lined up notwithstanding).  On Monday, I finished Commonwealth, which was good but not my favorite Ann Patchett.  Then I picked up Greenery Street and read it slowly over the course of the week, interspersed with Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? on Audible.  Towards the end of the week, I also started Northbridge Rectory on my kindle, because I had business travel to Chicago and didn’t want to bring Greenery Street on the plane.  (Too much taking it in and out of bags wears away at the corners of a book, I find, and I want to keep my Persephones nice.)  I’m enjoying everything I’m reading at the moment, but it’s also been hard to find time – between traveling to Chicago and then spending most of the weekend playing with the kids in the pool, I haven’t been able to read as much as I usually do.  I realized, as I was spotting Nugget in the baby pool yesterday, that it doesn’t even enter my mind to pack a book to read at the pool these days, when I used to spend more time considering my reading material than I did my swim suit.  My new summer reality, folks.

Listening.  After finishing Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? on Audible, I went back to the Great Courses for a little while, and listened to a few more lectures from Classics of British Literature – so fascinating!  Over the weekend, I got on a podcast kick and – between driving and cooking – listened to several episodes of The Home Hour, The Mom Hour, Sorta Awesome and The Book Riot Podcast.  My podcatcher is looking scary after so much time spent on Audible recently.

Watching.  Steve and I are still working our way through the three seasons of The Great British Baking Show that are available on Netflix here in the U.S.  I’m definitely feeling inspired to bake!  I planned to make a savory quickbread with some tomatoes that I stewed with thyme and rosemary (from the garden!!) this weekend, but I felt guilty about the idea of baking while my sous chef was napping, so it didn’t happen.

Moving.  Finally, I have something good to report!  I had a fabulous run on Friday morning in Chicago – went out intending to run about two miles and ended up doing closer to four.  It was pretty much my only opportunity to see the sights of Chicago while I was there (on business) so I made it my mission to visit as many tourist destinations as possible, and damn I succeeded.  I took so many pictures that I decided a recap post was in order – coming Wednesday!

Blogging.  As I mentioned above, I have a recap of my awesome Chicago run coming to you on Wednesday, and on Friday – I don’t know.  Usually I have my posts for the week drafted – or at least planned – by the time I sit down to write this one, but I don’t have anything for Friday.  There will definitely be a post – I just don’t know what it is yet!  We’ll all be surprised.

Loving.  Don’t laugh, but I’m sort of obsessed with Airstream trailers.  I’ve always found them intriguing (it’s like living in a baked potato!) but recently I’ve found some Instagram accounts – like Currently Wandering, and Airstream Dreams – that celebrate the iconic trailers for both what they can be and what they can allow you to do, and I just love their posts.  I’ve decided that I want to retire to an Airstream and drive it all over the country.  Steve says that I’m crazy, but I’m determined to bring him around to my point of view.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?