Stuff I Like: Odds and ends

So what's new in O'Grady world?

Molly ...

... is alllmost finished with 3rd grade, which is hard for me to believe. It's been a pretty good school year overall. She loves her teacher (total hero worship situation) and is happy to go to school every day, though I'm still waiting for her to discover A Great Love for books. The lack of interest in reading could be related to her general lack of time, however. We've somehow managed to let Molly get completely over-scheduled this Spring. I swear, this ridiculous schedule is all her fault as she has refused to drop anything from her list of activities (except for gymnastics, because something had to go!):

Monday: Girls on the Run from 3:30-5:00, Lacrosse from 6:00-7:30
Tuesday: NOTHING but homework (and YouTube)
Wednesday: Girls on the Run from 3:30-5:00
Thursday: Origami from 3:30-5:00 OR Brownies (once a month), Lacrosse from 6:00-7:30
Friday: Sticky Fingers (cooking) from 3:30-5:00, Swim team from 5:00-5:45
Saturday: Lacrosse game, usually 9:00-10:00am
Sunday: Swim lessons from 9:30-10am, Swim clinic from 12:00-1:00pm

Next up for Molly? She is running a 5k on May 15th with her Girls on the Run club, looking forward to her first week of sleep-away camp in August, and eventually starting oral immunotherapy (OIT) to get rid of her nut allergies (yes Mom, we're officially on the waiting list 😃)

Jason ...

... has added a couple of new art shows to the schedule this summer and has been using every spare moment in between work, travel, and family to draw, plan, and print. See what he's been up to here: repeaterprinting.com. And if you find yourself in Chicago or Evanston this summer, come see the booths at:

He's also working on a gig poster for one of his favorite bands, which is super exciting. I promise to post more about that closer to the date!

Riley ...

... has a really bad hair cut. But other than that, she's been loving the dog park, getting into plenty of trouble whenever Jason is out of town, and enjoying the (sometimes) warmer weather.

A girl and her scrawny dog

Maggie (ME!) ...

... has mostly been busy with everyone else's stuff. I decided to go All In at Molly's school this year. Partly because she asked me to, but also because I have a feeling that as she gets older, she might not ask again! Also, why else am I working a 4-day week if not to sign up for this stuff? This year I've been the class communications parent, the class celebrations parent (because no one else would sign up), in charge of bulk school supply orders for the PTA, treasurer for the Brownies, and unpaid chauffeur to the nonstop list of activities (see above). It has been keeping me busy on those Fridays "off," that's for sure.

I've also been sticking to my New Year's resolutions and going to the gym a good 4 days a week on average. In between the typical elliptical and treadmill work, I've been mixing in a few classes to keep it interesting -- a delightfully retro step aerobics class on Wednesdays at lunch, and a super intense group barbell class called Body Pump on Sundays.

No matter how busy I am, you know I still find time for my books and TV. I don't think I could survive without a couple hours a day to lose myself in someone else's story. I've been reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, listening to Calypso by David Sedaris, catching up on past seasons of Schitt's Creek on Netflix, and consuming all things Game of Thrones with whatever time I have left (try this podcast if you're a fan).

Speaking of Game of Thrones ... sigh ... I just can't decide how I feel about the final season. The acting is so good, and I'm so invested in these characters, that part of me is just eating up all of the crowd-pleasing moments that the HBO show runners are serving up to the fans. But at the same time, I know this isn't quite the way George R. R. Martin would have wrapped everything up. I guess it's his fault for not finishing the books, and I can only hope that one day I'll be able to read the real ending. Until then ... the show is what I've got and I hope that it ends up delivering in the in the final two episodes. I have a bet going with Jason and my neighbors for who ends up on the iron throne. My pick is Tyrion - I know, I know, so many people would have to die for this to happen, but it's the kind of unexpected ending that could totally happen in the world of Game of Thrones. There's a bottle of champagne on the line, so fingers crossed that the Imp gets his act together and finds a way to outsmart the rest of the would-be kings and queens!

Stuff I Like