I didn’t think the past couple of weeks could be topped for busyness—but this week proved me wrong! Between work every day and something scheduled after work each night, I barely had a moment to catch my breath (and hardly any time for photos). Thankfully, next week looks lighter with just one after-work commitment, and a blessedly quiet weekend ahead.
In the meantime, let’s dive into some of my favorite things from this week—most of them photo-free, but still worth sharing!
Furbabies will always be in my favorites, but this kitten and her sister have definitely got us wrapped around their little toes! This is Alice and she fell asleep with her tongue out.
Back on the paddleboard!
I have already spent more time on my paddleboard in two months than I did on my kayak after a whole year! It is so much fun and so easy to load up and take with me. This past Sunday, we did a full moon paddle with friends. We watched the sun set on one side of the forebay and the moon rise on the other side. Such a great experience. I didn’t do much paddling since it was a relatively confined body of water, but that made it more relaxing! I did get some photos of this one:
Sunset was beautiful. The sky was brighter than my camera gives credit.
These goofballs were trying to play Uno on their kayaks! Silly girls!
The moonrise looked like a sunrise! It was so big and so bright. My friend brought light up stuff for us to wear on our boards and kayaks and we also had a light up frisbee we were throwing back and forth to each other. It was a great time and I’m so glad I was able to do it.
Girl Scouts
We had a Girl Scout meeting, and I found out that one of our most active girls is quitting. I’m pretty sure her good friend will leave too. It’s a bummer, but I understand. Staying in Girl Scouts through high school is tough. It takes time and effort, and not everyone sees the value.
To fund the fun things, we need to sell Fall Product and cookies every year. That’s easy when you’re little—people love buying cookies from young girls. But as a teen, it gets harder: less time, more activities, and the risk of school friends thinking it’s “weird” to still be a Girl Scout. I try to be flexible and not require public sales, and thankfully we still have funds from last year. Our troop isn’t planning an international trip—just a fun 3–4 day adventure to San Francisco or Lake Tahoe, which will be a blast. If you’re reading this, I’d encourage you to support older Girl Scouts in your area—they need it the most!
On Wednesday, I headed back to the Girl Scout center for a Council event. A few staff members from our Council offices (three hours away in the Bay Area) came up to share updates with our volunteers about leading events, higher awards, money-earning activities, and more. It was a fun evening—the weather was cooler than it’s been lately—and I enjoyed meeting some of our brand-new troop leaders and Girl Scouts.
My daughter came by toward the end and had a great conversation with the council rep about her Gold Award plans. She’s hoping to create a Summer Day Camp for Girl Scouts in our area, and it was encouraging for her to get that feedback and support. Overall, it was a really valuable evening!
Community Debate
We had our Community Debate meeting, and our first tournament is just a week away! Many of our students also run cross country and have a meet the same day, so we’ll be sending a small but mighty squad of four. They’ll learn so much.
This week we talked about competing values, 9/11, and other big topics. Later in the week, after hearing about the tragic events in Utah and the school shooting in a neighboring state, I found myself valuing this debate space even more. Learning how to disagree respectfully is crucial. I feel deeply sad that my daughter and these kids are growing up in a world where these kinds of things happen, but I hope debate gives them a place to process complex feelings and ideas.
Back to School Night!
Yes, I’m still going to Back-to-School Nights for my high school junior! I think it’s important to meet her teachers and show her that I care about what she’s doing every day. High school events can feel a little awkward—teachers don’t always have much to share beyond a quick hello and an invitation for questions—but I still enjoy it. I especially love getting to see the classrooms where she spends her days.
They also held a fundraiser for the culinary program, so we picked up a few delicious desserts—some of them even made by her friends!
Instagram Autumn Bingo
I challenged some family and friends to a little Instagram Autumn Bingo, and I think it’s going to be so much fun! I’ve already starred three things I’ve completed, and now I’m on the lookout for more opportunities to cross items off the board.
If you want to join in, check out @leahsguides and scroll back to the August 9 post. We’re just getting started, but I feel like there’s plenty of time to finish before November. My goal? A full Blackout! 🍂✨
Teaching Afterschool Program (TAP)
I wrapped up the week by taking an hour out of the office so I could pick up my daughter for her very first day in the Teaching AfterSchool Program (TAP). She’ll be assisting with a local elementary school’s after-school program—at her old elementary school, which makes it extra special!
The timing was a little hectic: I picked her up while on a Teams meeting (no video, I promise), drove her to the school while still chatting about an upcoming personnel change, dropped her off, and then parked back at work to finish the meeting in my car. I was able to head home an hour later. After a short break at home, it was time to head back out to pick her up from TAP and return her to her high school for the first home football game of the year.
It’s been a long day, and it’s not even over yet. Right now, I’m home with the fur babies, watching the Giants (currently leading the Dodgers—go Giants!) and waiting to see if I’ll need to head back out to pick her up after the game. My husband is away in Dallas for work, so it’s just me holding down the fort. After such a packed week, a quiet night at home is exactly what I needed.
I wish I had more photos to share with you. I will try to remember to take more photos this week! How about you? How has your week shaped up?
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