Monday, August 28, 2023

Let's Look: Our Worst Habits

Another fun survey? Why yes, let's do this! I liked the topic for this month's 'Let's Look' - talking about our worst habits {as usual I'm too late to link up but like this topic}. I'm going to take the approach Mix & Match Mama used and just let my mind flow and share alllll my bad habits that I can come up with! This list is probably very different from what Brent would list, ha. But it's my blog, so I'm not going to ask him what he thinks my worst habits are!


1) I'm messy. I want to get on my soapbox for a second and share my definition of messy. I'm not dirty. You won't find half-eaten food lying around or unvacuumed floors, but I am absent-minded and put stuff down and walk away. You will find 3 pairs of my shoes in the living room. You will find a pile of folded clothes sitting on-top of my dresser for 4 days. You will find my hairbrush, 3 clips, and 2 rubberbands on my bathroom counter. I'm working on this to pickup as I go...but it isn't my natural inclination, so I'm also building in 10 minute windows throughout the day to go tackle some project - usually cleaning off the kitchen island ha - the clutter there grows exponentially throughout the day, I swear!

2) I start projects and don't finish them. Similar to the above, I'm absent-minded and will start a project and either get distracted or run out of steam. I know this is one that drives Brent up the wall! Again, same as the above, I'm really trying to be more conscientious about the fact that my actions {or lack thereof} impact the other people in this house and not start a project until I can finish it! 

3) I talk too much and dominate conversations. I wrote this 3rd, but it honestly might be my worst habit. I LOVE to talk and share stories, and I'm not a great listener - I just want to talk, talk, talk, talk, talk! Brent actually pointed this one out to me years ago - he said 'You don't really listen to other people, you just wait for them to finish their story so you can tell yours.' OUCH. But sitting on it...he was right! I still talk too much and listen too little but being aware of it has definitely helped me to be more present in conversations and a better listener and not tell EVERY story I think of {maybe 75% ha}.

4) I'm loud. Hi, I'm Allena, and I'm LOUD. So not only do I talk too much, but I do it very loudly and it's pretty shrill/high-pitched. Some of our friends still laugh about how loudly I was 'encouraging' Paige to kick in the pool when she learned to swim. They will shout 'kick, kick, kick' in a shrill voice haha. And this was 4 years ago. I also don't realize how loud I am. Brent says a lot 'I'm right here, you don't have to shout.' when I think I'm talking normally!

5) I'm a bad bed partner. I am a very light sleeper and need everything exactly my way or I can't sleep. So while Brent would prefer to sleep with no fan and in silence...we sleep with 2 fans - one for circulation and one for noise. I even travel with fans! It's my way or else. I also will poke him a lot if he is making noise while sleeping {breathing too loud or snoring} - if you wake me up, I'm waking you up! After almost 19 years of marriage, he's adjusted to my selfish ways...but I don't make life easy on him.

6) I'm a picky eater. I can go eat at any restaurant under the sun, but I am VERY picky about what I'm going to eat. It is a miracle if I can order something the way it comes on the menu. I am always taking things off {tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, guac are some of the biggest offenders} or substituting things. It is almost impossible to share a meal with me because I have so many issues with food. {When Trent did food therapy for the second time a few years ago, I told the therapist 'I don't know if you can inherit food aversions, but Trent 100% got all of his aversions from me.' Ha!}

6) I'm indecisive. It is SO hard for me to make a decision sometimes and I will sit on something and sit on something for forever. Like paint samples that are still on our walls for YEARS ago. Or it taking me over a year to buy a new quilt for our bed - although I did finally find one a few weeks ago, yay. Another thing that drives Brent crazy - he doesn't understand how I can't just pick something!!!!

7) I have a quick temper. This is probably what I dislike about myself the most. I can go from 0 to 100 very quickly, and it never ends well for me. I shout, say things that are hurtful, basically throw a temper tantrum like a toddler. Being a mother has helped me a little with this, but I have to apologize more often than I'd like to for losing my temper. Ugh.

8) I love to sing...loudly...and I have a terrible voice. I love to sing, just love it. But I have a terrible voice! You would think that would stop me, but it doesn't. Just sharing my 'gift' with the world!

Well, sheesh, this was a lot of fun to write but reading it all back to myself - I'm feeling kind of low ha! I know I have some redeeming qualities in there though. {grin}


Monday, August 21, 2023

Back to School: The Obligatory First Day Pictures 2023-24

We are a few days into our new school year and settling into the new routine. The first week is tough on everyone, but I think we are figuring it out! This year had some big changes for our family, which I stressed over big time, but they seem to be good moves for us, so I'm focusing on that!

First up, Trent started HIGH SCHOOL this year! I can't believe I have a kid in high school, time is wild y'all. He 'graduated' from our Montessori school {it goes PK3-8th grade}, so he definitely had to go to a new school this year. We had decided a while back that another local charter school, Gateway, was where we wanted him to go. {It is a K-12 school with each grade having about 100-125 kids in it.} We applied in January and found out we were waitlisted - they do a lottery selection when more kids apply than they have spots for. We had a long wait but found out 6 days before school started that he got in! He started on Monday and was excited that his best friend would be there and they had some overlapping classes.

Thanks for posing for a picture, Trent!

We also applied to move both girls over there as well, and they were also on the waitlist. I had mixed feelings about moving the girls, but Drew wanted to move {her 4th grade year wasn't her favorite}, and if I'm moving 2 kids, I might as well move all 3. Well, as I mentioned in our Port A post, we found out Friday morning that Drew also got in! I thought she would start Monday as well but found out Sunday night that her first day would be Tuesday, which was also Paige's first day. So on Monday, I took Paige to get her nails done {I promised her this all summer}. Drew was NOT interested. But we found the summer reading list for 5th grade, and she started the book her grade was supposed to have read - Number the Stars.

Miss Priss getting a different color on each hand and foot!


Tuesday, both girls started - Paige at Goodwater and Drew at Gateway. [Reminder that Brent was out of town from Sunday afternoon - Tuesday night so I did all this BY MYSELF. So glad book club was Friday night for some girlfriend and wine time.]

5th grade at Gateway is the beginning of middle school, so she needed a laptop {which came in Sunday night!} and would change classes for each class! I had to walk her into the building to get her schedule. She has her best friend in a few of her classes too, yay!

The big 5th grader!


And last...but certainly NOT least, Miss Paige! She moved up from the Primary class {PK3-Kinder} into lower elementary {1st-3rd}, so she was a little nervous about having a new guide, but her previous guide, her beloved Ms. Liliana, told me her new guide, Ms. Jackie, is an excellent teacher, yay!

In her Port Aransas shirt - tie dye on tie dye!


I sort of got Trent to take a picture for me...teenagers are so fun. Sigh.


Happy girl going into school!

This week we've been scrambling to get all the school supplies and things, but we are trying to embrace this new season. Brent is able to take the big 2 to school - it's on his way to work, but I'm having to get all 3 which is taking me about an hour and a half right now. SUPER fun. Very thankful for Teams, so I can work while sitting and not moving in 2 different car lines!

Here's hoping everyone a great 2023-24 school year!