Ash Thoreau

This Weekend Was… A Lot.

Thursday started with a follow-up Doctor’s appointment for my Zepbound prescription. My doctor seemed genuinely shocked when she found that I’m down 20 pounds in just seven weeks. She acted concerned while I was thrilled. It left me thinking, what’s “normal” here? Did I lose too much or is this amount normal? That said, I’ve hit a plateau, and it’s frustrating. My usual walks are nott cutting it anymore, so I need to regroup and figure out my next steps.

Friday was a parenting rollercoaster. My daughter had a tough day—quick to tantrum, hitting both me and my husband. It’s hard because she doesn’t quite grasp “why” yet. When I try to explain or ask her reasons, she only catches half of what I’m saying.

Bedtime is another battle. She just wants to be with me, always. We’ve never co-slept at home, but she clings to me like I’m her anchor. Interestingly, when I’m not home, my husband doesn’t have the same issues. So, it’s clearly a “me” thing, which leaves me dreading bedtime and simultaneously feeling tremendous guilt. I know I’ll miss these moments someday, but right now, I’m just tired.

The first half of Saturday was spent outdoors. I tackled the backyard leaves to get ahead of the snow. The backyard is shaded, so once it snows, the leaves get buried for weeks. The front yard will have to wait but since it is South-facing, the sun will help there.

I managed to fill one trash bag… only to realize it was my only trash bag. My husband kindly ran out to grab more but accidentally returned with regular kitchen bags instead of the large ones used for yard refuse. They didn’t even fit over the garbage can I use in the yard, so bagging the leaves became a frustrating two-step process. It was exhausting.

In total, I bagged 10 garbage sacks of leaves. Along the way, I unearthed three dustpans, two random shoes from an unknown source, and a handful of toys my daughter had apparently tossed over the porch railing. To top it off, my rake snapped in half on the last bag, so I had to finish the job using a three-foot stub of a rake. I was happy to be done!

Once back inside, my husband and I took a breather with some laundry and a movie—we rewatched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I also spent some time setting up my new camera for Blue Jay Corner.

Speaking of which, I’ve decided to officially transition my Instagram into a backyard wildlife-focused account. Since so many of my recent posts have revolved around my feeding stations, it felt natural to kind of… rebrand. I renamed the account and plan to start a separate space for personal posts—photography, life updates, and other randomness.

Now, as I sit here half-asleep, I’m reminded that tomorrow (or technically later today) is a workday. I’m not looking forward to it, but that’s life, right?

With that, I’m off to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open. Goodnight!