We're back to the grind....

... back to school, early wake-ups, open houses & PTA meetings, homework many nights, etc. 

(The extra curricular activities continued through the summer, so the after-school hours are not that different except for the choir class that Isabella is doing before gymnastics on Wednesdays).  She doesn't seem that into it - although she wanted "formal" voice lessons... this is formal (but not one-on-one like she wanted).  We'll see how it goes!  

Hopefully her classmate / friend who she rides over on the church bus with... will help keep her motivated to stay in it.  It's really nice that I don't have to cart her to the activity -- I only have to worry about picking her up!

Mercer is still working at the Sprayground.  September is the last month of his seasonal job.  There is also informal hitting lessons that started a couple of weeks ago at school for the baseball team.  (thankfully his travel baseball hasn't started yet - that starts next week - eek).  But - there have been a couple of times where the hitting lessons have conflicted with work & he's had to leave early. 

He's also missed some church things due to work too, but he was able to get to an end-of-summer event.  The lady who is over the youth program sent me this picture!

His work schedule will move to just weekends after Labor Day, so the conflicts should go away.  There has been a little bit of stress with scheduling, but overall - he's been pretty good about work / it's been a positive experience.  (It has kept him busy / off of devices -- although he still gets plenty of device time -- AND he's built up a nice little bit of savings!) 

I was asked to teach an extra class again this year; I reluctantly agreed to do so.  I already have WAY MORE students this year than last even before adding the adding the extra class.  (My level 3 class was 12 students last year.  This year, it's 26!  My level 1 classes are bigger than last year as well. And - the counselors have absolutely FILLED UP the Intro classes to capacity.)  I had 180 students on my roster last year.  This year, I have over 200 already.  Unfortunately, we needed the extra income, so I've got one more class (and one less planning period) that is filling up.  Pray that it doesn't reach capacity!!  (Last year, I taught an extra class, but it capped out at 9 students (but 2 ended up not staying, so it was 7 most of the year last year... which was really really nice.)  My new class is already double that and it's growing each day we meet.  :/

I'm definitely re-using many lessons from last year - which helps  (and I'm NOT taking a college-level course this year like I did last year ... so... fingers crossed it will be OK!)  I am re-using an architectural folly / literal advertising project this past week... but I did have to add 1 thing to this year's fun little Intro project:  the inspiration for the "building as advertisement" (the Big Chicken) turned 60 a few weeks ago!   It was all over the local news.  The architect / designer (who was really a structural engineer working at Atlantic Steel who graduated from Ga Tech)... he turned 90 around the same time.  They honored him as well at the same celebration. 

There has been some other things all over the news - bad press about our neighboring school system (where I used to work).  A teacher got fired for reading a book about feeling OK about who you are on the inside even if you look different on the outside + the next week press for a book ban / cancelling of the reading bowl.  My teacher friends from that county who I am in book club with are all sick over both! 

This teacher book-club group - we finally all got together (so - yay - another get-together with friends!)  Several of them are huge activists / advocates for self-expression... and they said they will probably lose their jobs this year over all of this.  :(  wow!

Meanwhile, my school system got good press on TV for hiring an emotional support dog that walks around with the police officer that goes between the elementary schools.  (Isabella was excited that she got to meet Barney this week!)

Oh - BIGGER NEWS... NATIONAL NEWS: former President Trump was in Atlanta this past week at the Fulton County Jail - where he was finger-printed and his mug-shot was taken.  He's on bail (his attorney filed the bail bond!)  19 people total were brought to the Fulton County Jail where the will be tried (probably next year) for trying to tamper with the previous presidential election.  Sorry - I don't want to put his mug shot in the blog! 

As a family, we've tried to get some things in on the weekends in too.  Todd, Isabella, Hip-Hop and I went for a hike.  (Mercer was working) - we got to see a mama and baby deer which was exciting + other dogs on the trail.

The next weekend, our "hike" was up to the square - to the farmer's market.  (Well, Isabella didn't walk... she rode her bike.)  She wanted tamales & we knew there was a vendor at the farmer's market, so off we went on our (hot) adventure. 

Mercer - again - was working.  He wasn't interested in tamales anyways!

One thing that is cool that happens in Marietta every year - there are art exhibits along the trail that goes from Kennesaw Mountain to the square (and beyond). There's an exhibit that is so fun (when the sun is shining)... light passes through these colorful acrylic panels.  Also, I LOVE when driving under the bridge and my car fills up with color!

Here it's reflecting on the railroad bridge nearby.

This was the next day - different time of day / different pattern. 

It was really really hot.  We had tamales that evening.  Eh.  

The day before we went to the square - Isabella had her horse lesson.  But - it was really hot that day too... and they weren't taking the horses out for riding lessons. 

(According to NASA, July 2023 was the hottest month on record since records have been kept starting in 1880!  But - that's not just local to us... that was global.  Here in Georgia, the heat index was over 100 degrees for a couple of weeks -- it definitely felt hotter here in August than it did in July!) 

So instead of riding the horse, she got to give the horse ("Waffles") a bath!

Isabella colored her hair (with hair "crayons) and it looked pretty cool wrapped up in a bun on top. 

The BIG thing we did last weekend:  

we went to our first Atlanta United soccer game!  Todd said he didn't want to go see the Mets / Braves because the Mets have not been playing well.  

So, this was a part of his Father's Day gift.

  

It was actually a lot of fun (except for the walk to / from the car).  We've heard that there's a lot of energy at soccer games.  

There is!  Isabella took a book, of course, but there was enough action for her to look up and ask questions every now and then.

(There was fire when Atlanta scored a goal.)  It was a good game for us to go to - there was plenty of action and Atlanta won!

Labor Day weekend - Mercer worked 2 double-shifts!  (someone called out for the weekend).  He missed a LOT of yard work that Todd and I were doing.  He was not upset he missed it!  It is stuff that Todd and I have been meaning to get to much of the summer, but.... 1- baseball and 2- it was always too hot.  This was a nice weekend.  Isabella got out and helped a little.  We also took her to the pool for one last hoorah before they close for the season.... but we were SOOOO TIRED and she wanted to play with her 50 year old parents instead of the other 8 - 12 year old kids that were there.  oof!

Todd & I also headed to the square to catch up with one of my former teacher-friends who was an art teacher at one of the private schools I worked at.  She was exhibiting up on the square + we checked out the rest of the art exhibits.  We were grateful that she reached out and got us out of our yard-work-fest!  

Overall, it was not a very exciting weekend -- I guess they can't all be as exciting!  

One thing that's VERY EXCITING, though:  we celebrated Mercer's 15th adoption day today (September 5th)!  15 years ago, we "officially" became parents according to the courts.  

He wanted Szechuan (Chinese) food for dinner + we had a little cake + a little gift for him afterwards.  

We just wanted to let him know how happy we were that he's a part of our family!  

Here's a couple of random photos that we took b/c Isabella needed to take it to school.  We're not a great at taking family selfies (we don't have one of those extender arms / selfie-sticks!), but this is what we've got!

This is our goofy, little family unit!  XOXO