Sunday Things, v2

What’s on my mind this week.

1. Valentine’s Day – I love a good creative outlet, especially when it’s practical. I zoomed straight to Target Monday after school dropoff and picked up my usuals – candy and a gift card for my kids’ baskets, stuffies* for my nieces and nephew, and … new this year … small gifts and candy for my daughter (16) to share with friends. I’ll prepare a basket of things she can choose from, similar to what I did for the holidays. (See the Instagram post here.)

2. Thinking (Way) Ahead – Our son (18) is a senior this year. I’ll admit, I’ve been having a tough time with this. I love having my kids home SO MUCH. Right now I can’t imagine them out in the world, but I know that’s the goal. I’m doing my best to raise a kind, responsible, capable human, with lots of love and support (and baked goods) at home.

The whole senior process has been a lot. Did you know you can submit senior pictures for the school yearbook? I didn’t. Order your cap and gown? Speak you name into an app so it’s pronounced correctly at graduation? Check your Course History to make sure your classes are scheduled appropriately and you’re on time for graduation? Let’s not even talk about his grad party. WHEW.

But mostly, I’m all in my feelings about him growing up and graduating.

To get ahead of the busy that is sure to be spring, I’m tackling a few tasks:

• Ordering a pennant from Eventide Pennant. My son is doing a gap year, and I want something to decorate with at his grad party. A gap year is the exact right choice for him, and I’m excited to see what it brings.

• Figuring out curtains for our kitchen windows and back door. We’ve had Redi Blinds up the entire time we’ve lived here. I know I’ll want something nicer before his open house.

• Ordering graduation announcements and open house invites. And probably a bunch of other printed stuff I’m supposed to know about.

3. Money – 2025 was a DOOZY. We were hit with SO MANY large bills – braces x 2, foundation repairs, a second car for our new teen driver, a bat in the house and subsequent rabies vaccinations for our family, a new washer and later a new dryer. I’m so grateful we squeaked through it all okay. That wouldn’t have been the case a decade ago, and I know it wouldn’t be the case for lots of families now.

2026 isn’t looking to be less expensive, but it might be a bit more fun. Our expenses right now include finishing half our basement (yay – teen hangout space), Spring Break, a grad party, and a wedding. I’m thinking ahead, budgeting and saving so when these expenses are due, I’m ready.

(By the way, thinking ahead and saving for expenses was a game changer for us when we were working hard to pay off debt.)

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