What's Up Wednesday: September 2019

Welcome to the September edition of What's Up Wednesday. I wasn't sure I'd have all that much to say this time around, and considered skipping it completely, but as I sat with the questions longer, I realized I had some things to share. I really do like doing this monthly reflection.

image from here

What we're eating this week... I often answer these questions by the month, rather than by the week so this month we've been into...

...overnight yogurt-oatmeal-fruit in a jar breakfasts from Rachel's Chickadee magazine. They are delicious!

And to me, for some reason, the start of school always means muffins. In the past few weeks I've baked lemon blueberry and orange chocolate chip muffins.

Last week, Rachel baked banana chocolate chip muffins all by herself. I was very impressed.

Sam, meanwhile, has decided that life isn't worth living if we don't constantly have dill pickles on hand. We ran out last week, and there were no pickles in the house for a whole five days. I bought three jars when I grocery shopped this week to make up for the shortage!

What I'm reminiscing about... I'm reminiscing about October 2015 and 2016 when the Blue Jays played October baseball. We're not currently the worst team in baseball but we're not far off. I'm really hopeful the young players will come into their own in the next few years and we'll get back on top.

Cheering the Jays on (left) in September 2016 (when they won the AL Wild Card game to advance) and (right) in September 2015, the day they won the AL East!!!

What I'm loving... We dropped the hammer and told the kids they had to start making their own lunches this school year. We've tried to institute this in the past, to varying degrees of success, but we are starting the fourth week of the school year and I think Dave has made the kids' lunches once (when we had a super-busy after school/evening so they didn't have time). We try to get them to do it at night but they are also good at getting it done in the mornings too. I am so happy about this, I couldn't decide if I wanted to put it under "What I'm loving" or "What I'm excited about!"

What we've been up to... We've been having some serious conversations about climate change around here and trying to figure out how to make our life more earth friendly. Back in June, I talked about the LRT in our city finally opening so we bought passes (last week) and are trying to take the ION when we can. (ION is the LRT's official name.) Last week we took it to dance and to the mall on Friday night to buy a birthday gift. This Sunday we're going to take it to church.

Honestly, it's less convenient, and takes longer, than driving our car but I'm willing to put up with some inconvenience if it helps our planet. I've just been feeling more and more convinced that we need to make some serious changes, and this is one small thing our family can do.

We also decided to add Hebrew lessons to our schedule this fall. Normally the kids would get this on Saturday mornings at the synagogue but this year Rachel is doing Saturday morning dance and we'd have to get to synagogue an hour earlier just for Sam. Dave's dad is going to teach us -- Sam, Rachel, and I are all learning.

First up was learning the alphabet and above is an example how you can be trying to write your name but accidentally write a swear word instead. Oooops :)

What I'm dreading... I'm so spoiled but Dave has an overnight work commitment next week and I am dreading it. The last time he wasn't home for the night was about five years ago so this will be fun... Yuck. And it will be a dance night so I'm trying to decide if I force Sam to come on the ION with Rachel and I, drive all of us to dance, or leave Sam home alone (and then do I drive so his time alone is shortened or do we take the ION still???). See how it's easier when Dave is just at home. Ha!

Also, on Sunday is the Blue Jays last baseball game until February 22. That's 145 days without Blue Jays baseball. Boo :( 

What I'm working on... This morning Dave and I are speaking to the seniors' group in our church about our inter-faith relationship and how we've navigated that, especially with our kids. So I've been working on that.

Also, what with our big summer road trip, I haven't done a Daily Photo 2019 post since July 23 so I'm trying to get back on track with that. Hopefully, I'll have one for you next week. Hopefully...

The last Daily Photo 2019 picture I posted -- from July 22, 2019.

 
What I'm excited about... I promise this is (probably) the last time I'll mention our big summer road trip but last week, in one ten hour marathon, I got our Shutterfly photo book done. I wasn't intending to do it in one day but it was a lazy Sunday, Rachel was sick, and Sam had a play date and I just sat down and did it. Janice is going to the States this weekend so we'll have it on Tuesday! Whoooo hoooo!!!

This picture of us with our friends in the Yukon is the cover photo. Yay!!!

What I'm watching/reading... I haven't been watching much of anything this month. However, with the movie coming out, I was reminded that Dave and I never did watch the last season (series?) of Downton Abbey so I have it on hold at the library. Once we've watched it, I'll try to see the movie while it's still in theatres...

I wrote a post earlier this week about the books I've read lately. You can read it here. I think my favourite book of that batch was one of the two below. You should check them both out.

As for what I'm reading next, well, I have some rather large piles of library books to get through. Yikes. Somebody suspend my library card (but not really or I'll start hyperventilating!).

PS. Dave had to cull his TBR the other day because he "was starting to get twitchy about how big it was." He got rid of three books so now it's down to... three books. (You can pretend I inserted an eye roll emoji here!) As he pointed out, "Hey! At least I read." 

What I'm listening to... Ugh, the factory at the end of our street is being demolished and they're building townhouses and apartments. I can hear the sounds of crashing and banging all day long. I'm just glad we don't live any closer.

What I'm wearing... I bought a pair of pajama pants when we were doing back to school shopping for the kids at the end of August. I have been a committed vegetarian for nineteen years but they are covered in bacon and are my new favourite item of clothing. Also, I am absolutely not a breakfast person so can you please explain to me why I love these pants so much?!?!

What I'm doing this weekend... It's going to be a busy weekend -- besides the regular dance/synagogue/church routine, we also have a birthday party, I'm a sponsor for the Sr Youth at church and the first event is this weekend, and it's the beginning of Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year. And Rachel wants to play a family game at some point -- ha!

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is on October 26!!! I can't wait!!!

What else is new... I think that's enough for one post. If you made it to the end, congratulations :)