oh my goodness! I need to get back to my blog

I am in the limbo state with this blog. I have been unfaithful and have not made this blog a priority in my postings on social media platforms.
I apologize for the neglect.
It has been a fun August.
Ellie turned 2 on 8/25. So thankful for this girl!!! I don't even mind that she prefers Grandpa Jack to me. (it's true. When she facetimes with us, Ellie always asks for Jack!)
I started school with my sweet phono friends. What a gift to have the job I have!!! My Friday job is starting off well, too.
I just need to post more often on here. It helps me process life.

Florida Fun

Jack and I had a great visit with his dad this past weekend. Bucky is in Florida and we all miss him terribly. Jack's brother Paul lives in Florida too and we miss him, but we are used to not seeing Paul on a regular basis. Paul lives pretty close to Bucky and we were able to spend time with both of them.
Jack and I stayed at a beautiful hotel, The Alfond, which is only a few blocks away from Bucky's. That close proximity made things so convenient and gave use lots more flexibility with our schedule of events!

the view from our hotel room

the view from Bucky's front door

One of my favorite things to do at Bucky's is to sit at the round table by the window which overlooks a small lake. It is a beautiful view and we always have great conversations sitting around that table.

a panoramic shot of the view from the round table

Jack and I walked over to see Mike's bricks at the college.

There is nothing like family time. It's the best.

Bucky, Paul and Jack

Stormy Monday, Sunny Thursday

I was not feeling my usual chipper self on Monday. It started with feeling some sort of vague anxiety on Sunday then developed into a full-blown crabbiness, what's-it-all-about funk by Monday morning. It was storming when I woke up and that did not help my mood. I did not know why I was feeling so out of sorts and anxious and I still don't know for sure (no more worries than the usual ones). I don't experience those out-of-the-blue mood shifts anymore (a great thing about getting older!), so it surprised me to feel that way.

Jack was out of town from early Tuesday morning til late Thursday night. That was good timing as it spared him from having to deal with me. I did some private therapy and did 5 evals for work (one on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday, one on Thursday), so I was busy. As I walked into work Tuesday at noon, it struck me how much better my mood was. I was looking forward to doing the group play-based assessments with awesome coworkers (most of them much younger than I am). I have come to the realization that I am much more of a social being than I thought I was!
I was back in my groove by Tuesday night, feeling more like myself. It helped that Sally and Ellie stopped by on Tuesday morning for a quick visit on their way to music class.

these two always make me smile!

 And by Thursday afternoon, I was back to my normal optimistic self. After I finished working, I went to the city to babysit Vivi while Wayne and Julie played in their co-ed recreational volleyball league. I left my house at 4:10 and didn't get to their place til 5:50! It's only 25 miles away, but it is that crazy traffic, especially at that time of day. My biggest concern about driving to their place was parking. I cannot parallel park and it's embarrassing. I said a few prayers, and thanks be to God (and I am not taking the Lord's name in vain, I really mean it), there was a spot directly in front of their place that I just slid right into. I had a lovely evening with my granddaughter. Vivi had changed so much in the 3 weeks since I last saw her!! I brought my selfie stick so I could document our evening.  

3 months old and totes adorbs

Vivi is really high strung! not

Vivi watching Vivi videos taken by youknowwho

I left Wayne and Julie's  around 9:30 to pick up Jack from the airport. We got home around 10:30 and had a glass of wine together and talked about our weeks.
The older I get, the more I realize that it's important to feel my feelings and reach out to people and stay in the game and know that the clouds will pass. The homily at mass last Sunday ended with the priest saying that "no matter what your week holds, there isn't anything that you and God can't handle together".
It's true, even if it's just a bad mood. 

Celebrating Lauren!

My niece Lauren just completed her MBA. 

No big deal.

Just kidding! It's huge! First of all, getting an MBA while working full time is quite an accomplishment, but then to get it from a top tier school like University of Chicago takes it to a whole new level. 

Her mom had a family dinner party at The Reel Club last Sunday to celebrate the occasion. It was the first time we had gotten together as family since Christmas and it was good to see everyone. It was also great to meet Lauren's future mother-in-law, Andrea. 

I am so proud of Lauren. She is the perfect blend of smart, high-achieving, loving and caring. This is a big year for her in all areas and our family couldn't be happier for her. 

Way to go, Laur! 

Your dad is smiling down on you, no doubt. 

Another video!

I have been  tinkering with the iPhone iMovie app. It's kinda fun. I took some little snippets of Ellie visiting Kramer's. She loves our neighborhood grocery store! There's a couple goldfish hanging from the ceiling and a train above the frozen food section (the same exact train that Jack's folks gave Wayne for his first Christmas!). I put a few of these video clips together in the iMovie app. Check out our enthusiastic Ellie! 

Lots of Light!

I think one of the best things about this time of year is the  light. 

There is the light as in daylight. I love that I can see where I am walking in the morning (plus I don't have to wear four layers of clothes!). I love that it's light til well after 8pm. I know that will change because yesterday was the summer solstice and now the days will start getting shorter again. I am not going to focus on that, though!

 

I love the light that comes in our living room around sunset. It's beautiful and comforting.

 

I love the lightness of summer schedules! I love my summer work and the structure it provides and how productive I feel. I need that structure. I also love the flexibility of my summer schedule. It allows for moments like this. 

 

Summertime and the living is easy!

I am soooo loving my summer break so far.
So far. I love that expression. I learned it from my Friday friends (e.g., "Student name is having a great day!" next thing you know that student is having a HORRIBLE day. So we always say "Student name is having a great day SO FAR"). It's a jinx thing. Not that I believe in jinxes but still....
So far my summer break has been a nice blend of work and getting caught up on my personal life.
On my first day of summer break, 6/6/17, I went on a little outing with Sally, Ellie, Beth, Abbie, Nina, Jenny, Charlie and Jake. We went to a fun park near Sally's and played, then went out for lunch afterwards at Houlihan's. As we left, our waitress commented on how well behaved all of the kids were. And they were.
 
On Wednesday, I had breakfast with my goddaughter Grace and her mom. Grace was home for a few days from her job as a sous chef in a high profile restaurant in Napa. She is extremely talented and passionate about what she does. It was pure joy to spend time with Grace and Teri.
 
We had a busy rest of the week, part of which we spent in the city. Jack and I went to Millenium Park, our first time there.
 
This week, I started my summer private therapy and also am facilitating another continuing education class. This class is on my favorite topic, Conscious Discipline. Google it and look at their website. It's such practical information and sooo helpful!