What's Up Wednesday: May 2025

It's the last Wednesday in May. I don't know about you but our May has been unseasonably cold and rainy. I think we're all feeling the lack of sun and warmth and, oh my goodness, does everyone's mood ever improve any day that the sun is shining. How's your weather been lately? Is it as dreary as ours has been?

Answering these questions monthly helps me reflect on the past month and I really appreciate having a record of what we've been up to. The questions come from Shay at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer at Sheaffer Told Me Too.

image from here

 

What we're eating this week... Whenever I think about May 2025, I will think of Grapefruit Orange Blossom ice cream. Our favourite ice cream shop has monthly flavours and this has been one of May's. I think I've had about six ice cream cones already this month! This ice cream is sooooo good!!!

Also, Rachel was in charge of picking out sweet potatoes at the grocery store last weekend and thought a whole bag would be a good choice. I had asked for "one or two." So we'll be eating a lot of sweet potatoes for the next few weeks. If you have really yummy sweet potato recipes, let me know, because we have a lot to eat!

What I'm reminiscing about... As June approaches, we are preparing for Rachel's Grade 8 graduation. So I'm reminiscing about Sam's grad. How was it two years ago already?!?!?!

And since the Edmonton Oilers are the only Canadian team left in the NHL playoffs, I'm reminiscing about how much fun it was watching them in the Stanley Cup finals last year. Here's hoping they can win it all this year!

Watching Stanley Cup Game 7 in our town square!

What I'm loving... When we've had nice weather, we've been working on yard work. I'm loving how much we've gotten done already! I also love that on Saturday, when I was feeling grumpy (due to a rainy, grey morning), Rachel dragged me out to do some weeding. It totally turned my mood around and she was exactly the inspiration I needed :)

 

What we've been up to... May was a full month. We kicked it off with my birthday and Rachel's big spring dance performance (which also included hours of volunteering for me).

For our May long weekend, we headed into Toronto to catch a Blue Jays game. And I got to meet up with Sarah at Toronto SAM. Sarah blogs here.

My birthday experience was checking out Immersive VanGogh on our Toronto getaway and I really loved it! 

And since then, we've been doing a lot of yard work.

Sam has taken over potato salad making duties which thrills me to no end. I love potato salad but dislike all the work that goes into making it!

And we visited the ice cream shop again last week when Rachel's name was called for "free scoop Friday!"  

 

What I'm dreading... I'm really dreading this last month of school/work. We are all on the struggle bus, in various ways, and just plain ready for this school year to be done. After today we have four weeks left and we are counting down.

What I'm working on... I joined in with Mix and Match Mama's Walk Every Day in May challenge and I've been so proud of how much walking I've gotten in. I almost always walk to work and back but I've been getting extra walks in too. And they're not all to get ice cream!!!

a walk in the woods * a walk to get ice cream *  a walk where the kid chose to bike instead

What I'm excited about... It took two trips with the Chariot but I finally got all our annuals. I think I might actually plant them this weekend as it looks like our last night with frost was a couple of days ago. Yes, we've still had a risk of frost a few nights.

What I'm watching/reading... Rachel and I are still going strong on our Gilmore Girls watching. In fact, on Friday night, we accidentally watched seven episodes in a row. Oooops. It was a rainy night and we had no plans the next day so we just kept watching. Other than Gilmore Girls, I've watched some playoff hockey.

Sam started his summer soccer league this week so I'll also be watching him on the soccer fields these next few months.

 

As for reading, I've read quite a few books this month. I'm working on some book review posts (*maybe* coming next week) but on Sunday I flew through The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. It was so good!

What I'm listening to... Unfortunately, mostly I've been listening to the kids bicker a lot. Grrrrr. I realize they are mired in the stage where they annoy each other, and it's pretty normal, but it feels pretty constant these days and I'm over it. I miss the days when they really enjoyed being with each other :)

What I'm wearing... Well, as I'm typing this post I'm literally wearing pajamas! Hahaha! It's been a hard month to dress for. I've been wearing more sweaters than I'd like to be wearing at this time of year and I haven't even pulled out my shorts or summer skirts yet :(

What I'm doing this weekend... It actually looks like it's going to be a gorgeous weekend, weather wise, so I'll probably spend a lot of time in the yard -- hanging out laundry, maybe planting all those annuals, and listening to a Jays game! Add in a drink and I'll be pretty happy!!!

What I'm looking forward to next month... A 50th Anniversary Golden Gala for Rachel's dance studio! Rachel's 14th birthday! Rachel's Grade 8 grad! The last day of school!!! There's so much to be excited about in June!!!

 

Thanks for reading today. We've got a busy couple of days ahead of us what with an open house at work for me, Dave needing to commute to Toronto two days this week, and the kids activities, so I'm just holding on for this weekend! Like I said above, it's supposed to be gorgeous and some major relaxing is on the schedule.

 

Happy Wednesday, and if you have sun and warmth, enjoy a little extra for me today.

Friday Favourite Moments 2025 #21 On A Monday

Last week was a week of focusing on outside tasks and getting both kids through orthodontist appointments and making some more summer vacation plans and folding laundry and blogging just fell by the wayside. So here is my belated Favourite Moments post which I usually try to post on Friday mornings. All my favourite moments are from last weekend, which was our long weekend here in Canada.

 1) Blue Jays game

Even though the Jays lost, last Friday's game was so fun! We drove into Toronto, and stayed overnight at a hotel. So we parked at the hotel and walked to the game. I just love attending ball games and the Skydome always feels like home. And the weather was gorgeous (which has been rare this spring) so the dome was open which always makes a game better.

 

 

2) Seeing Sarah

 

Sarah and I connected on Instagram earlier that day when we realized we'd both be at the game that night! We met up with Sarah, her kids, and her mom, and said, "Hi!" I so loved getting to hang out with her for a couple of innings! Sarah blogs at Toronto SAM and you can find her here.

3) Leafs win

 

After the baseball game, we had to walk by Scotiabank Arena. And so we joined the huge crowd watching the end of the Leafs game. It was so much fun to celebrate the win with a ton of people and the atmosphere was crazy! Sadly, the Leafs got knocked out of the playoffs a few days later.

4) Robot delivery

 

This was the same hotel we stayed at over March Break but unfortunately, their delivery robot was out of order then. When we discovered it was working, the kids had to order something to our room. It was so cool to see the robot come out of the elevator and make our delivery!

 

5) Immersive VanGogh

 

I found this for my birthday experience this year. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but I did really end up loving it. It was so cool to see his paintings projected onto huge walls, the floor, and ourselves! 

6) Glass blowing

 

We met up with friends and walked around the Harbourfront area. Rachel had to pee so we ducked into a building and it turned out to be an artist's space. We got to watch this artist do glassblowing and it was so engaging.

7) Buying annuals

 

On Monday we finally had good yard work weather and we walked to my favourite local greenhouse to buy annuals. I always love this day in Spring!!! This was just round one!!!

 

8) Sam made potato salad

 

We had a BBQ on Monday and Sam made the potato salad from beginning to end. I gave him some advice on the dressing and cut the chives but he boiled the potatoes and eggs and cut everything up. I love potato salad but it's a lot of work so I'm thrilled that Sam has taken this over!!!

 

9) Yard work

 

I'm always so excited about the first yard work day of the spring. Because it's been so cold and rainy we hadn't done much in the yard yet so I loved getting to spend a whole day outside tackling it. It looks so much better now!!!

In retrospect, I realize that all my favourite moments of last week happened last weekend! It was the perfect long weekend and I just wish every weekend could have three days!

Halfway Through April And What I'd Read

Okay, I'm very behind on sharing my books so you're going to get a couple of book posts this week. I hope. First up is what I read in the first half of April.

 

I've been reading more Elin Hilderbrand, and once I finished the Winter Street series, I started this one. I still have book 3 sitting on my shelf to read. These are light and interesting. I need a sunny day where I can sit and read the third book in my back yard, or on a beach visit -- these books are good for that!

I didn't know this was a novella so it ended more abruptly than I was anticipating. It was a fun little re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. I especially liked the author's interpretation of why Beauty had to sleep for so long!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved the story. Now, because it's been over a month since I read it, I don't actually remember the names of the characters, or many details, but I remember how much I enjoyed this romance.

Speaking of romance, normally graphic novels are not my thing but this series was too good to quit. I really wish I could get Rachel to read it because I think she'd enjoy it. Sam would too but he is less into graphic novels.

This was a cute book which I read in one night. I immediately put the second book in the series on hold. I really enjoyed "touring" Seattle with Rowan and Neil.

 

This was a Heartstoppers novella, and once again, I got over my dislike of graphic novels and got into the story.

 

It was very fun to re-read The Hunger Games series. I flew through these books and they were just as engaging the second time around.

 I like to have a book to read at night on my Kobo and Elin Hilderbrand books have been good for that. Without giving too much away, I feel like some of Hilderbrand's novels tug at my heartstrings in ways they may not have ten years ago.

So that was the eclectic mix of books I read in the first half of April. Sorry some of my descriptions are a little lacking -- my new blog goal is to write book reviews as I read the book so I actually remember what happened and have something of substance to say :)