April 2026 in Review
April was a mix of small routines, kid chaos, and a few standout moments that made the whole month feel fuller than it probably looks on paper. Some things moved forward, some didn’t quite land where I wanted, but there was enough in between to make it feel like a good stretch of real life.
Month by the Numbers
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Weight: ↓ 4 lbs Runs / Walks: 1 Migraines: 4 Books: 4 |
Blog Posts: 14 OMMs: 4 Savings: ↑ $350 Debt: ↑ $225.51 |
OMM = One Minute Memoir
Highlights
- Spring Break + April Fools: April kicked off with Spring Break. My mom took the kids to a hotel so they could swim, and I met them there after work. Since it was April 1st, I brought cookies designed to look like other foods as a joke. They were… not amused.
- Life with Holden: Holden had a busy month between a doctor’s appointment, weekly Lego Club at the community center, and a couple trips to Abbott’s for ice cream. He has also enjoyed "helping" me bake brownies all month for our extensive family brownie taste testing.
- Things we did together: The boys and I saw the new Mario movie on a discount Tuesday, went to our monthly Bingo night (Earth Day themed this time, complete with pudding dirt cups), and went to Get Air trampoline park on a random Sunday morning. Fun fact: Caleb has sprained or broken his ankle/foot twice at trampoline parks. No injuries this time. Holden, however, throws up after the trampoline park every single time… and did again. I think he just gets overheated.
- School + our first run: We had another school dance at Caleb’s school, and toward the end of the month, the weather finally cooperated enough for our first family run of 2026. Just a mile, mostly walking, but it felt like a start.
- A new musical: I saw A Beautiful Noise with my aunt, a musical about Neil Diamond. I liked it quite a bit and have found myself listening to his music more since.
What I Read
A pretty good reading month! A solid mix overall with one clear standout.
- Safe by Jessica Baum ★★☆☆☆
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans ★★★★★
- Conditioned by Amanda Russo ★★★★☆
- Death Row Games by Shade Owens ★★★☆☆
Favorite: The Correspondent
Yearly Progress: 13 / 100
What I Watched
A slower month for shows, but documentaries absolutely carried things.
Movies
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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ★☆☆☆☆
(Theater)
Took the kids. They loved it. I did not.
TV Shows
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Full House
(Hulu ◦ rewatch ◦ s:1 e:3)
The slowest rewatch in history. -
Grey’s Anatomy
(Netflix ◦ rewatch ◦ s:2 e:4–7)
Still a slow rewatch. -
His & Hers ★★★☆☆
(Netflix ◦ 2026 ◦ s:1 e:3–6)
A small-town murder pulls multiple perspectives into the same story, with shifting narratives and secrets underneath the surface. This started strong for me but kind of fizzled out, especially because I read the book and it was way better. I finally finished it.
Documentaries & Docuseries
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Captive Audience ★★☆☆☆
(Hulu ◦ 2022 ◦ 3 episodes)
A family grapples with the long-term fallout of a highly publicized kidnapping. This was interesting but, for some reason, didn’t fully capture me. It was ultimately a sad and twisted story, but it moved kind of slowly. -
The Way Down ★★☆☆☆
(HBO Max ◦ 2021 ◦ 5 episodes)
A deep dive into Gwen Shamblin and the rise of her religious weight-loss movement turned cult. I thought this would be fascinating, but it really dragged for me. -
They Called Him Mostly Harmless ★★★★☆
(HBO ◦ 2024 ◦ film)
A mysterious unidentified hiker sparks an online investigation to uncover his identity. This was intriguing. It was a baffling mystery, and I enjoyed watching armchair detectives unravel it. -
American Nightmare ★★★☆☆
(Netflix ◦ 2024 ◦ 3 episodes)
A bizarre kidnapping case that initially seems unbelievable before the truth slowly unfolds. I knew a tiny bit about this well-known case, but never the full story. It was strange and interesting to watch play out. A little slow at times, but good overall. -
Trust Me: The False Prophet ★★★★★
(Netflix ◦ 2026 ◦ 4 episodes)
An inside look at a modern cult, following the people who infiltrated it and documented what was happening. I was completely obsessed. I’ve always been fascinated by cults and the FLDS, and this was so well done. I absolutely loved the couple who infiltrated the cult and filmed it. Christine Marie had a heart of gold and Tolga was absolutely hilarious. Well done, fascinating, sad, and crazy. I wish there was more. -
The Dark Wizard ★★★★★
(HBO Max ◦ 2026 ◦ 4 episodes)
A documentary series about climber Dean Potter, told through interviews, archival footage, and access to his journals. Another instant obsession. Fascinating, well done, excellent interviews, archival footage, and access to his journals. This stayed with me, and I was sad to see it end. -
Free Solo ★★★★☆
(2018 ◦ film)
Follows climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to free solo climb El Capitan without ropes. I first learned of him during the live Tappei climb on Netflix earlier this year and immediately started this older documentary about him, but never got very far. After watching The Dark Wizard, where he was featured, I went back to it. All in all, I enjoyed it. He’s kind of an odd guy, but very interesting and fearless.
Best Thing This Month
Feeling genuinely appreciated and valued at work for Administrative Professionals Day. It wasn’t just the lunch or the cake or the card... it was the feeling behind it (and the fact that they got me a McDonalds gift card because they know me).
Worst Thing This Month
Dealing with an ongoing skin infection that’s been stubborn and slow to heal. It’s been frustrating. Weight loss also wasn’t where I wanted it to be this month. Still moving forward, just not quite at the pace I had in mind.
Coming Up in May
A family night at Caleb’s new middle school as he gets ready for 6th grade. Monthly Bingo. Hopefully another movie night with the kids (The Sheep Detectives is on the list). And hopefully some warmer weather so we can keep up with family run/walks. June is already looking busy, so I’m hoping May brings a little bit of calm before that.
See you next month.
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