Friday Favorites || nine to five

No, not really. 

More like 6:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

It's all takin' & no givin'...

If you add in progress reports that are consuming my every waking moment this week...

 you'd sing: Working tweeeenty four hours, what a way to make a livin.'
Dolly don't know what she talkin' bout.
I get silly sometimes.

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When a child subtly reminds you that you are in survival mode...

Favorite words from the week:

Student: weird stare at me when I get him for speech.

Your hair is down.

Me: Laugh.  Do I look weird with my hair down?

Student:  You never wear it down...

Me:  Oh, yea.  And I never wash it either.

 I'm not hiding any secrets around here.

...just trying to keep it all together.

I'm just a tired girl looking forward to a lazy weekend.

And a haircut.

A haircut will be nice.

And the fact that someone will wash my hair FOR me.

 

What are you all looking forward to about the weekend?

Here are a few sweet moments from our past couple of weeks.

I don't know how I'm going to keep up here... but I'm determined to do so.

 

We enjoyed a trip to NC to see all our dear loves!

Cam has been so great at school lately that he saved up enough "coupons" to do one of his favorite things... go to Build a Bear!  Meet "Speed."

These little kinders are working so hard on their reading skills.
I know Cam is, & I'm so proud of how much he takes initiative & cares!
 

I'm going to do my Cassidy duty to remind you: We're so beyond ready for fall + Halloween.  The boys have tried on their costumes from last year almost every evening in anticipation for the season to come.

Getting geared up for the season of soups + baking with my great grandpa's sugar cookies & JoJo's Tortilla soup.  We ain't playing, yall.

Speaking the cozy weekend & all that talk...

I'd like to decorate my porch, too.  But let's not get too overly ambitious.

HAPPY FRIYAY.

XO

 

Five on Friday

As expected, September is flying by at warp speed.

My big boy a d o r e s kindergarten, Conley is currently exhibiting the behaviors of a child who will LIVE in the principles office once he goes to school, & I live on unhealthy amounts of chewing gum & iced coffee.  I'm sweating in my sweaters trying to wish it fall & am currently obsessed with early intervention/Candace Cameron podcasts on the way to & from work.

☕️☕️☕️

I’m on the struggle bus 🚌  with an intro...

one. short work days

When you work in a tourist town & school dismisses an hour early for two weeks in a row due to "Rod Run." 

It helped that I felt "green" all day after Cam threw up all morning. 

This may be the start to an interesting weekend.

Cup || Riddle Me This Designs
 

two.  Cam + Kinder

A little obsessed with packing this stinkers lunch everymorning.

I love coming up with new ideas & hearing how he likes it.  It's kinda like a little love letter I get to send with him everyday, because every girl knows food is the way to a guys heart😉

That philosophy flows into supper for the Mr...ha!  I love this little bento box we found! 

 Can you tell he loves it, too?

I'm also super proud of him for getting on "green" behavior the entire school year so far. 

He works so hard to earn the good behavior rewards.  A little heartbreaking when I overheard him Thursday night saying, "Gotta go to sleep so I'll feel like eating popsicles in my pajamas tomorrow!".

(The good behavior reward). He even laid his pj's on his bedstand.  Then, we woke up to a sour stomach & throw up.

He was devastated 😢

He also dumps all of his hard work out on the table every evening to showcase all his hard days work.
I love it so much.  P R E C I O U S.

 

Three.  Long weekending love continued...

It was pretty hard to go back.  

Let's just put it that way.

Branchin with Con.  Dropping off + picking up Cam at school.  Family.  Thanksgiving din in September.  Birthday parties.  A best friends church.  Football + Fall creeping.  Premature leaf lookin.  Cade's breakfast. And a first pumpkin spice latté.

Can we do it again?

Trying to take the perfect picture like:

d

The boys & I have been talking about Halloween City since, oh, March?

four.  McDonald's Diet Coke

Totally boring headliner, but really.

If you like diet coke, go get a large one from McD's, put it in the freezer for a couple minutes. 

Just do it.

 

five.  To Mule or Not to Mule?

Is that even a question?  TO MULE!

Starry eyes for these shoes for a YEAR.  Can't ever find them in stock, ever in my size or color, not on eBay, not on Postmark, Amazon... not anywhere!  I got an email this weekend that by some miracle, they are BACK!

 

Happy Friday, friends!

 

How Starting A Morning Routine Changed My Life

As a tiny little blogger in the massive world of blogging, it's hard to think of things to write about that resonate with others.  I'll never stop sharing my family & my passions, but I know that is not what people want to see every time they come.  What does that do for them?

I get it.

Our worlds are so fast paced & crazy, & when you come here to read, I want to try to make sure I occasionally bring something that may be of importance to YOUR life.

Share something that has helped me along the way that may speak to you!

  We all have something to say that has value to it & we can all learn from one another.

  I think it's wonderful.  With that being said, it takes time to develop a thought into an entire post!

I have never been a morning person.

My God-given tendency would be that of a night owl, where you stay up late & get up early, as I've never been a napper nor one to sleep in.  One problem with that:

You never get any sleep.

Since becoming a mom, I've had to make changes.

I turned my "cant's" into "can's" & I'd like to think my family & myself are better for it!

How has getting up in the morning changed my life?
I'm a better mom, wife, & every other mental, physical, & emotional aspect of myself because of my early morning routine I've been tweaking since the beginning of the year.
They say it takes 21 days to  start. habit, 90 days to make a life change.
I think I'm about to hit the life change mark ;)
  Granted it has taken me almost six years to get there...😬

My Morning Routine 

4 am.  Alarm goes off, roll out of bed, put on my sneakers 

& workout before my body knows what's going on.

This really works, friends.

4:30 am.  Coffee is brewed & I sit down for Prayer & reading my bible.

I've been reading a chapter a day since January 1.

It has changed my life.

5:20 Pack mine & Cam's lunch.  And do any other odd + ends type of task that I don't want to do while the boys are awake.  Like blogging!  I've vowed to do my best & avoid any techno task around them now that I'm at work.  I even park my car to do my documentation for work before coming home.

6 am.  Shower + begin getting ready for the day.

6:50.  And I'm off!  Listening to my pediatric SLP podcasts to pump me up for another day teaching kids to talk.  The most ironic job a shy, quiet person could ever have.

Most end up looking like this...
With Conley Scout in tow:)

In my most recent experience, it is true what they say.  How you begin your day, is what sets the tone for the day.  Just like the whole making up your bed thing, except it's kind of like making up your body.  Does that make sense? 
.

My days since starting work have been absolutely crazy, hectic, & overwhelming.  I love my job but there is definitely some baggage & challenges attached that I'm going to have to grow through.

I truly believe that had I not spend that time in prayer, study, & focused on getting my nervous energy out in a positive way through exercise, I would have not been able to handle all of the outside pressures.  I'm thankful that with a little prayer & self discipline (most days), God has helped me to make this positive change in my life.  If didn't get up early, none of those things would happen.

I now am thankful for early mornings!  It is something I look forward to.

Not to say I don't want to push snooze or set the alarm for 6 every single day!
And I did just that one morning last week.

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I love reading your thoughts & comments & know that I always take away something that is shared & see how it applies to my own life!

Have a Happy Labor Day weekend❤️