Yesterday was Ashlynn’s first day of Senior Year.

It seems like forever ago and yesterday that we walked her to her first day of kindergarten. How can we be here already? I have so many first days in my head… so many images that play. Where did the time go? How can my spunky, crazy girlie be a Senior?

As I pour and reminisce through the pictures in my head (and Google photos) I replay moments. Moments of her laughs, giggles and tears. Moments of achievements and failures. I remember how much she loved being at school. How much she loved learning and helping others learn. She had a passion for helping others. I thought she was a natural teacher and imagined her teaching elementary kids when she was an adult. I also remember when life started pulling her away from those passions.

She’s had a tempestuous last few years. A crap teacher that made her second guess everything she wanted, injuries and unexplained joint pain, a school administration not caring, a total lack of motivation, and then a pandemic year. Yeah. We’ve been tense as a family as we have tried to navigate the stormy waters together and apart and many variations of the above trying to help her through.

We’ve fought… a lot. It’s hard to see your kid struggle. It’s hard to watch as your kid had dreams of an ivy league school at the start of high school to then almost fail out of school by her Junior year. It’s hard to not see the little girl who loved learning as I look into those same eyes. I’ve learned (ok still learning) that I can’t compare that little girl to the almost adult she is now. Because they are not the same person… and that’s okay.

She is strong minded, stubborn and fiercely independent. She is tougher on herself than she needs to be which is infuriating to watch. When she puts her mind to it she will do it (good or bad). She is also caring and loving. She is learning in her own way how to navigate waters on her own. How to float, how to swim, how to sink and how to glide. Which as a mom is the goal.

She came home from her first day yesterday with a play by play and a little excitement telling us about her day and her classes and her new counselor. It gave me hope to see that sparkle in her eyes. My hope for her Senior year is that she finds joy in something again… a passion that keeps her going and motivated. I will continue to be her cheerleader and her coach this year. Cheering and guiding on the sidelines. Watching her become the woman she is destined to be.

Here’s to sentimental moments and first days…

As always, happy first (ok 4th) cup☕

Today’s cup… brewed by and cup picked by the teen. What? I know, right. She’s never up this early. Apparently the Amber Alert ? sound woke her. I’m grateful we don’t see those messages often. Too bad I can’t harness that sound for her normal alarm.

Today’s agenda… reading, maybe some baking, maybe a grocery run, maybe a coffee date with a friend, and definitely making tasty family dinner because all 3 of us will be home. Crazy.

Happy First Cups☕

Coffee is encompassing peace.

Coffee is tranquil.

My coffee today is listening to soft string music on the deck. Eyes closed, swaying my head with the melody.

I forget to take these moments.

Before my mind runs and becomes centered on other things. Before baking, before the teen wakes, before the light cleaning and before the girls night. Just me, the music, the cat, my book and my coffee… peaceful.

Peaceful, mindful first cups ☕

Last night around 11 we had a storm appear. I sat outside immersed in the beauty and sounds of nature. I watched as the lighting flooded the clouds with bursts of brightness. The sounds of the crickets, and my fairies (wind chimes) making beautiful music accompanied by the rumbles of thunder. I closed my eyes with my face raised to the sky as the first drops fell… relishing the feeling. My skin tingling with the sensations.

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I continued to sit wrapped in a blanket as soft drops accompanied the melody already playing… Nature’s own Symphony. I soon was joined by Ashlynn and Shadow and then a sleepy Scott woken by the commotion. It was then that the sky let loose and the rains came… washing away as much impurity as it could. The smell of rain hitting the earth is one of my favorite smells… it’s enticing to my soul.

The heavy rains didn’t last long, maybe 15 mintues and then back to soft drops as the storm moved to give it’s healing power to others.

Today, I still feel the tingles of rain on my skin. I still smell the rain in my hair. Today is also the first time we’ve had a blue sky in over a month. I know it will be short lived as the smoke clouds will cover the skies again. But for this moment, I will take deep breaths and hold on to this feeling.

Cherish today and Happy First Cups My Friends

It’s gonna be a good day when you have home-made coffee cake for breakfast. Especially when it’s Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake.

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I made the coffee cake yesterday to go along with dinner for last night… which then we didn’t eat. Waking this morning I was excited for coffee of course but sometimes coffee just tastes better with cake.

My flowers kept me company as I ate and enjoyed my first cup. A reminder to stop and take in the beauty. This arrangement is one the better ones I’ve done. The purple roses give off a wonderful aroma. While I ate I scrolled through my phone and checked the Ikea website again… Ashlynn’s bedroom set is available. So it’s ordered and will be here before she starts her Senior year. Woot!

Now I’m gonna grab myself a refresh of coffee and then get ready to head out for errands.

Hope your day is a good day and enjoy your mid-morning cups.

This cup was the epitome of my day. Rest day accomplished… tomorrow… all the things.

Happy sleeping cups.

I love salads. And yet I can count how many times I’ve had them for lunch since leaving the workforce on one hand. I would have a salad for my lunch (or dinner depending on my work schedule) most of my last few years in retail. One thing you could count on in our house was a container of our base salad (greens, bell peppers and green onions) in our fridge. Then Scott and I could mix whatever else we wanted in a tuperware to bring with us to work. I even had dressing in the fridge at work. Don’t get me wrong… I still ate out, brought leftovers or soup some days too but most the time… salads.

Being home now I have fallen into a relaxed sort of life. No time tables means my meal times are scattered day to day and it’s much easier to eat whatever is lying around and not an actual meal especially lunch. We tried having a basic salad in the fridge a few times but neither of us really felt like eating it so it would go bad. So, we stopped doing them.

We now have salad makings in the fridge again as Scott is working on being a healthier weight and last week I went grocery shopping. I wound up getting all sorts of fun things to add into salads. It made me happy.

Today’s salad… mixed spring greens, sprouts, garbanzo beans, black olives, avocado, cherry tomatoes, mini bell peppers, chicken and feta. Yums!

I can’t guarantee that this will become norm for me again but oh, it felt and tasted good.

Happy mid-afternoon cups!

After a late night of Olympics watching and sleeping in, after Scott was awesome and still went to the gym and after writing a grocery list… my first coffee was at brunch. Where we discovered it’s hard to hold a conversation (First Watch is loud) if you feel like you’re yelling. But surprisingly we stayed quite some time talking.

After brunch we went minor grocery shopping before major shopping in the next few days. Some things can’t wait like getting contact solution and other personal care items, cake stuff for my nephews birthday cake for tomorrow’s celebration and a few other things.

Our afternoon had family conversations where tears were had and new plans formed (raising an almost adult is hard). But then all of us were productive. I did some furniture measuring and shopping online and some minor cleaning. Scott made a menu for next week and major grocery list. Ashlynn cleaned and rearranged her room. And we all rocked out to music. Always need the music… all the music. Scott also made me a Spotify station after a conversation we had about how a teen angst artist today sounded like another teen angst artist from our past.

Dinner tonight was one of my favorites and my main go to when dinner plans don’t fully fall into place. Make your own pizzas. Where it’s turned into Corrine’s Pizzeria since I tend to make them rather than each of us making one. Tonight Scott helped. I made 3 tiny ones cuz Ashlynn likes having a variety of pizzas (ok, she learned that from me) and one large one. The 3 tinys… A Reuben, a ham and pepperoni and a ham and pineapple. The big one… a Veggie. I love making veggie pizzas they are always different depending on what veggies we have in the fridge. This one was spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, mini bell peppers and black olives. Yummyness!

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Now it’s Olympic watching time… Yay! Where I’ve already shed a few tears watching the athletes. Seeing their emotions gets me in the feels. Anyone else watch and cry too?… Yeah.

So there you have it… a day in the life of us… Saturday edition.

Happy Evening ?

I’m hoping this cup is truth today… I stayed up too late finishing Vacation Musts last night and after waking up with Scott’s alarm decided to stay up.

So far I’ve filled the dishwasher and run it. Cleaned the kitchen counter, rearranged the coffee corner and pruned the flowers and herbs that are trying to spring back to life after a week of not much attention.

Unfortunately my blast of awake has subsided and a cozy blanket and snuggles are calling. I’m giving in for a bit but hope that my glorious cup gives me the warmth and energy needed to do some much needed cleaning before watching Opening Ceremony of the Olympics tonight.

Happy first cups my friends