A Peek Inside My Brain This Week

Happy Thursday! It’s our first full week of school and I’m still marveling in the glory of having a quiet house for hours and hours every day. I absolutely love the routine of back to school season and the anticipation that comes with the weeks leading up to fall, so I’m in my happy place right now.

I just spent approximately 45 minutes mulling over what I wanted to say to you this week. The problem is I have way too many thoughts swirling in my head (see number 1 below) but none of them are fully formed enough to actually write a few hundred words about them.

So, instead, we’re going the brain dump route. I used to write this style of post on my blog all the time way back in the early aughts and they were always my favorite to write. So, without further ado, a peek inside my brain this week.

1. My brain fog has been out of control the last few days, and I’m not sure if it’s perimenopause, too much social media, my brain being too full after a summer of nonstop “mom watch this!”, or something else entirely. All I know is I can’t seem to form a complete thought or stay focused on anything for more than 38 seconds, and it’s getting old, fast.

2. There is enough discourse and opinions out there about the Lindsay Clancy trial already, and I don’t need to add to it. But one thing I cannot stop thinking about is how we collectively seem to conflate real life with CSI or a Freida McFadden novel. Everyone seems to be waiting for some twist or big reveal and is overanalyzing every detail. It’s an interesting (and sad) side effect of the true crime obsession and I can’t stop thinking about how we got here and how the response might be different if she wasn’t a young, pretty white woman.

3. An inevitable result of reading 100+ books a year is that you’re going to read some clunkers, or even just books that are fine but not life-changing. I’ve found myself really craving something spectacular lately and have mostly ended up with books that are just good. I’m about a quarter of the way through this new release, though, and it’s showing serious promise!

4. We are about to enter the season of extracurriculars for our house (my oldest is trying out to be a stage manager for the school play and will have practice 3-4 times a week after school if he makes it!) and while I love supporting the things my kids want to do, it can make weekday evenings feel extra chaotic. I’m thinking of compiling a list of super simple go-to meals for nights when things are feeling extra hard. My regular rotation includes caesar salad smash tacos, breakfast for dinner, and Hawaiian roll sliders (in all forms). What should I add to the list?

5. We recently had dinner with friends where we all shared how we were feeling in four categories: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It was a fascinating exercise in really examining my own feelings and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. One thing that really stuck out to me was that on that particular day I identified my mental state as “anxious” - but since then when I’ve repeated the exercise on my own, I’ve noticed days where my anxiety was more physical, or days where it felt emotional rather than mental. I haven’t figured out what to do with this information yet, but I’ve found myself paying more attention to which type of anxiety I’m experiencing. It’s also been so valuable to parse out how I’m feeling emotionally versus mentally, and to ask the same of Corey!

6. I’ve put myself on a bit of a time-out from buying clothes because I spent the entire summer reaching for my favorite oversized tees and athletic shorts. But, in the last couple of weeks I haven’t been able to resist this striped tank and these adorable pants. I’ve already worn both multiple times so I’m not even sorry for breaking my own rules.

7. A few weird milestones we’ve hit lately as parents of an almost-teenager: My son is officially taller than me. I took him to buy jeans last week and we shopped in the adult section (he now wears the same inseam as my husband). He spends hours parked at our kitchen table listening to podcasts and drawing and part of me wants to force him to take the headphones off and join us, but I remember being a teenager and needing hours to listen to music, flip through magazines, and decompress so I can’t be annoyed. It’s strange being caught between “I miss you, come hang out with me” and “I remember doing exactly the same thing”.

8. The bathroom renovation is coming together - here’s a little preview at a few things I’ve ordered lately: this light fixture, this toilet handle (the details matter!), and I currently have both this and this in my cart and can’t decide between them. Which do you like?

9. My youngest has a birthday coming up next week and he went rogue with invitations for his party, which is being held at our house. I have no idea who all is coming at this point. It could be 7 kids or it could be 23. We’ll find out together! He’s requested the following: Costco pizza, taco bites, donuts instead of cake, a Mario Kart tournament, an art table, and space to dance. Sounds like a party to me.

10. I pushed myself a little too hard on a run earlier this week and I’m feeling it in my old lady foot (I have plantar fasciitis and it’s a whole thing). Feeling extra grateful for these house shoes and a good ice pack.

11. There is so much great television coming out in the next couple of months that I can barely stand it. I’m particularly looking forward to Carrie, The Lizzie Bordon Story, and American Horror Story. Oh, and Traitors and a new season of Survivor! And Crystal Lake! I love fall TV time.

12. It might not be fall yet but as my husband said the other day, if it’s fall in Disney World, it’s fall in my heart. Disney’s been in full on Halloween mode for a couple of weeks now and if Mickey says it’s spooky season, then it’s spooky season. I’ve been slowly embracing a few of my fall favorites like Witches’ Brew, baking, all the spooky movies, and busting out a puzzle or two. It feels good.

Whew. It feels good to get all of those thoughts out. Maybe now I’ll be able to focus a bit. Or maybe I’ll just give up on focusing and read my book instead. Only time will tell!

What is on your brain this week?