News:
Hello! I know I haven't been around much this past week, but that's because we're looking for a house! I had no idea how time-consuming it would be. 😅 Every morning we check to see what new houses are available, and oftentimes the ones we like are under contract before the end of the day. It's insane! We were finally able to make an offer on one this weekend, but someone else offered them more. People are really competitive when it comes to houses, but I'm sure we'll find something perfect if we're patient.
My anniversary was also last week! 7 years. 💗
My son's experiment with social distancing while at soccer practice has been mostly successful. They work on a lot of passing and drills that improve their skills while also keeping them at least 6 feet away from the other players. They're able to be around other kids, but safely. Unfortunately, the last several practices have been cancelled because of the heat, and now they're trying to figure out how to make up those days before the fall sessions start.
I've been reading (mostly audiobooks), but nothing has really grabbed me since Deal with the Devil. I have a lot of review books coming up, so fingers crossed they're mind-blowing reads! How has your summer reading been going? Is it unbearably hot where you live too?
Previous week on the blog:
- Sunday: NA
- Monday: NA
- Tuesday: The Unready Queen (The Oddmire, #2) by William Ritter (★★★★☆)
- Wednesday: My Weekly Pull [126] & Can't-Wait Wednesday [101]
- Thursday: NA
- Friday: DNF&Y [31]
- Saturday: NA
What I'm currently reading:
The Switch by Beth O'Leary 🎧
Read the Alphabet Challenge 15
Audiobook Challenge 18 / 50+
Beat the Backlist Challenge 29 / 110
Discussion Challenge 2 / 1-10
Goodreads Challenge 214 / 365
The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman 🎧
- Quintessence has been an interesting read so far! I'm reading it with my girls, and they seem to be enjoying it. They fall asleep after one or two chapters, so it's going to take us longer than I would like to read through it. I'm impatient when it comes to reading, haha.
- The Switch is an audiobook that's not really doing it for me. I'm about 20% into the story and nothing has really happened yet. The characters are also unremarkable.
- The Silver Arrow is one I'm reading and the kids are listening to in the car. This has worked out really well since they like to ask questions while the audiobook is playing, and it causes me to miss certain parts of the story. Having a physical copy allows me to read at my own pace and not miss anything important, and they get to ask questions in the car without me feeling frustrated. They've really been enjoying the audio! Sometimes we'll just go for a drive and listen to it.
What I plan on reading next:
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Lobizona (Wolves of No World, #1) by Romina Garber
What I'm watching:
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy is out! Jacob and I have been watching it all weekend and should finish the last three episodes tonight (there are 10 total). It's SO GOOD. We love it!
Challenge updates:
Read the Alphabet Challenge 15
Audiobook Challenge 18 / 50+
Beat the Backlist Challenge 29 / 110
Discussion Challenge 2 / 1-10
Goodreads Challenge 214 / 365
Happy Anniversary! I hope you had a nice one. Good luck with the house hunting. I remember how grueling that was when we were looking for a house several years ago. I'm glad the social distanced soccer practices are working out. It's great that the kids are able to take part--just being able to be around other kids has to be nice for them. I hope you are enjoying your current reads. That's too bad The Switch isn't going better for you. It sounds so good. I haven't yet watched the second season of The Umbrella Academy, but I do want to. I am glad you've been enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great week. Take care.
Thank you! We had a lovely day together. :) House hunting is melting my brain, haha. Every morning we pop on to see what's been added to the list of available houses, and then we research anything we like. It takes up a lot of time and energy, despite having a good Realtor helping us. Fingers crossed we find something soon.
DeleteOur girls will start soccer in the fall with our son, so we'll see if they can also maintain their distance from other kids. I know it's hard for them to play without accidently touching/bumping into each other. I really hate that this is what they're having to deal with as children. They should be able to go to school, play at playgrounds, be involved in sports, and not worry about catching a potentially lethal virus.
I am enjoying my current reads, although I DNFd The Switch. It just wasn't working for me. I hope you have a chance to watch Season 2 of the Umbrella Academy soon! It's amazing!
Good luck with the house search. It's a great time to buy with the interest rates so low. I hope you find the most perfect house ever. I am impressed they are running soccer practices. Are they going to play? Everything these days has a learning curve to work with modifications. It's not easy.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed we find something before our current lease is up! ;) The soccer practices are VERY strict. They have circles they have to stand inside, and a coach wearing a mask stays on the field to help with stray balls/instructions. I don't think they're going to play games, because there's no way to do that without them coming into contact with each other. Right now I'll take what we can get! Those two practices are the highlight of his week.
DeleteHappy Anniversary! And I hope you find the perfect house for your family soon. That's great that your son is able to do socially distanced soccer. I'm sure it's been good to move around and see other kids. It was pretty dang hot for awhile there but it's started to cool down by me now - with a lot of rain, etc.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Thank you! We're still looking, but hopefully we'll find something soon. :) Yes! He has really enjoyed being around other kids, even if he has to keep his distance. He really needed those interactions and conversations. We've been getting a lot of rain this week too, especially after the hurricane.
DeleteI love looking at houses! I hope you find one. Does that mean you will be in that location for a bit? I also enjoyed Deal with the Devil.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
I thought I liked looking at houses, but now it's starting to feel like work. ;) My husband and I both have family in Virginia, so we wouldn't mind owning a house here, but we will also be stationed here for several years. Normally, we rent the entire time, but we've been having issues with the landlords and the "handyman" they use. Deal with the Devil was AMAZING! <3
DeleteHappy anniversary! And good luck with the house search! That can be SOOO time consuming but it'll be awesome when you guys find the right place. :)
ReplyDeleteWoah Umbrella academy looks awesome! I've heard the name of course but never watched it or seen the trailer. I need to check that sh@t out lol!
Thank you! YES. At first it was really time consuming, but now we've exhausted all of the available options that meet our criteria. Now it's a waiting game! We check in the morning, and our Realtor will email us during the day if something comes up. With the market what it is right now, and with us living next to military installations, things get snatched up pretty quickly.
DeleteI can't believe you've never seen The Umbrella Academy! I think you'd really like it! :)
Happy anniversary! Fingers crossed for the house hunt! It's crazy that the market is so hot right now, but you'll find something!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The market is on fire! 🔥 Houses don't stay available for long, so you have to make an offer fast if you really want something.
DeleteHappy Anniversary 🥂
ReplyDeleteIt’s winter here , so the weather is cool
Wishing you a great reading week, and good luck with the house hunt
Thanks! I'm super jealous of your winter weather and cannot wait for the intensity of summer to ebb. I'm ready for blankets, boots, hoodies, books by the fire! :)
DeleteHouse hunting is tough. When we were looking 2 years ago we would schedule a viewing and then have it cancelled because an offer was made before we could even see the house. The house we bought we actually managed to view it on the day it listed, we made an offer that night and it was accepted the next morning. It's crazy how fast you have to make such a big decision!
ReplyDeleteYes! We've scheduled a few viewings only to be told at the last minute that someone else has made an offer. You have to act FAST if you want something. I'm happy it worked out for you! <3
DeleteSounds like house hunting out here. We often got outbidded or the asking price was wildly overpriced for the area or house we were looking at.
ReplyDeleteI highly suggest you get an inspection done if you make an offer. They;ll point out any work that needs to be done (big or small) so you won't be surprised after you buy the house or get the seller to fix them.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
We made an offer on a house that was ridiculously overpriced (the island wasn't connected or structurally sound, some water damage, etc.) and were told later that day that someone else had actually offered the asking price. It's insane. We also know that VA loans require strict inspections (which I'm sure you're familiar with), so we can't go into something thinking, "we can make this better."
DeleteHappy anniversary! I feel your stress with the house search, we are in the process of doing our house up for sale as quickly as possible in case the house we have our eye on sells. Fingers crossed you get something soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you get the house! I'm just waiting and hoping something perfect falls out of the sky and into our laps. ;)
DeleteHappy anniversary! Good luck with the house hunting. I’ve heard that’s stressful. It’s cool that your son was able to play social distance soccer. I drove past a lacrosse practice in the park today, and it definitely wasn’t socially distanced.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Thank you! House hunting has been somewhat stressful, but mainly just at the start. There were so many houses to look at initially, and we had to figure out what our parameters were. Now that we've seen a few in person and made one offer, we feel more comfortable with the process. :)
DeleteI hate that there are still so many people out there ignoring the social distancing guidelines. People's lives should be worth more than your need to "go back to normal."
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Social distancing kids sports is soo interesting. I was at the park when they were having a bunch of little league games and boy...it was something.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU! I'm trying to picture baseball and social distancing, and I'm having a hard time with it! They can throw the ball to each other from a distance, but what about running around the bases? Sitting in the dugout? A batter next to a catcher? Umpires? Coaches? Our son is just doing practices that improve their skills and coordination, without putting the kids next to each other.
DeleteHappy anniversary young loves! It's ours coming up in a few days as well, sixteen years! Good luck with the house hunting, I can imagine how difficult it is to find something at the moment. We're currently enduring our second lockdown, mandatory facemasks and our entire state is shutting down. No retail and you can only leave your house if you're an essential worker or need food or medical and it's only once per day. It's been a devastating few weeks after we lost our little Jessie to a cardiac arrest. I'm struggling in lockdown with the silence.
ReplyDeleteThank you, darling! Happy (early?) anniversary to you as well! 16 years is an amazing accomplishment! Congratulations! I'm so sorry it comes after the loss of your sweet pupper. I'm sure their presence will be missed. House hunting is insane right now! Gloves, face masks, booties, etc. They are taking every precaution when showing homes. I'd heard you guys were going into another lockdown, but at least the people in charge are taking the threat seriously. We drove by the beach the other day, and there were soooo many people. Crowded, hot, unmasked... a breeding ground for Covid.
DeleteI'm always househunting online-trouble is without a lottery win, I've no chance of actually moving anywhere! Good luck with finding something!
ReplyDeleteHah! A lottery win would be lovely! ;)
DeleteSo...I gather you get to stay in Virginia, since you're buying a house? Anyway, best of luck! It sounds like you need plenty 😲 😉. Also, happy belated anniversary!
ReplyDeleteIs just like any other duty station! We're just tired of renting. :) Thank you! <3
Delete