Back-to-School began early this year, on August 13, because we moved Gabe up to App State. It was a cloudy, drizzly day and we got stuck in an hour of traffic in the last quarter of the drive, as everyone was trying to get to the dorms. Isla, Gabe's girlfriend, met us there. After Chad and I moved his belongings in, there wasn't much else for us to do but say goodbye and head home. We were both feeling emotional, so we stopped at Texas Roadhouse on the way home to split a giant steak.
We spent the next week in North Myrtle Beach, at our rental property, trying to vacation and trying to get stuff done. We tried to tackle too much stuff. We filled a dumpster full, and that was without the sectional, the four dining tables with chairs (that someone claimed from the curb - thank you, stranger), mattresses that our drywall guy took home, and piles of cardboard my dad took to the dump. It was a lot. I emphasize here again - TOO MUCH. But we did learn that Simone is super strong and enjoys putting furniture together with Chad. Oliver also helped a lot, and Elysee helped a medium amount, and Carina chilled out. We all have our roles, right?
I came home that Friday, the 23rd, with Oliver, Simone, and our dogs, so that I could go to a Heritage Learning Center meeting the next morning. After that meeting, I spent the rest of the day doing schoolwork, braiding Simone's hair, and cutting Oliver's. Chad and the other girls came home that day. On Sunday, I got up at 6 to braid Elysee's hair, took a break for ward council at 8, and then resumed until it was time to go to church. She and I were late. Mom-of-the-year.
After church, I started cooking. It was Oliver's bday! I cooked steaks, tasteless couscous and asparagus. Carina made bruschetta. Bobby, Sabina, Liam, (and Sam Sheppard and Ari Willoughby - surprise!) came over at 3:30 because they had to get to a meeting at 5. I wasn't done cooking yet, so we had sundaes first. After they left, Colin came over and hung out until 8 am. WHEW. I was exhausted and I'm exhausted even writing about it, and we haven't even gotten to the first day yet!
The previous week, when Chad was stressing about getting things done, I pointed out that I didn't have Heritage classes yet, and offered to go back on Monday, the 26th, to finish things up.
Elysee and Simone got themselves up and ready and got on the bus like the mature teenagers they are. Then I vegged a little, because...again, EXHAUSTED. Carina packed to go with me. As I sat there, thinking about boring it would be for her there, and about how Chad would be home by 2:30 every day I was gone, because he had to pick up Oliver, I realized it would probably be better for all involved if she stayed behind. She whole-heartedly agreed and so did Chad.
So I spent Monday to Thursday driving to the beach house, putting beds together, rearranging furniture, meeting with the drywall guys and floor guys, sweeping up outside, putting new shower curtains on...and so on. I listened to a couple of audiobooks, did some schoolwork, barely rested at all, watched a Netflix doc, and felt very satisfied with how much work I could get done through the power of hyperfocus and few distractions. No cooking! No one to think about but myself!
