May 2026 in Review
May was a busy, sweet, slightly chaotic month full of school events, music, candy, brownies, waterfalls, and the slow realization that Caleb is somehow old enough to be heading to middle school. It was one of those months that felt full in a good way, even with a few lingering annoyances finally working themselves out.
Month by the Numbers
| Weight: ↓ 4.6 lbs | | | Migraines: 2 |
| Runs / Walks: 0 | | | Books: 2 |
| Blog Posts: 13 | | | OMMs: 4 |
| Savings: ↑ $115 | | | Debt: ↓ $407.91 |
OMM = One Minute Memoir
Less reading and saving than I hoped for, but strong progress on debt, weight loss, and migraines.
May, As It Happened
A lingering problem solved: May started with another doctor appointment for my stubborn belly button issue, which had been dragging on for far too long. Thankfully, it finally resolved early in the month. Not exactly the most glamorous monthly highlight, but at that point, I was very ready to stop thinking about it.
A bridal shower: I went to my cousin’s bridal shower and got to spend time with my mom and aunt. There was delicious food, good company, and the nice reminder that her wedding is already coming up this month.
Middle school becomes real: Caleb and I went to new student night at his new middle school, where he’ll be going next year for 6th grade. It went well, and he seemed excited, which helped. I, however, am still slightly in shock. Middle school feels like one of those parenting milestones that sneaks up and then suddenly stands in your kitchen wearing grown-up shoes.
Discount Tuesday at the movies: The kids and I went to see The Sheep Detectives on our custom Tuesday bargain night. They loved it. I’m a big Hugh Jackman fan, and I thought it was cute. We had popcorn, candy, bacon ranch fries, and smuggled-in pop, so honestly, the whole thing was a success before the movie even started.
Candy Bingo: We made out like bandits at our monthly Bingo night at the community center. It was candy themed, and all of us won multiple candy prizes. I also got a trivia question right by correctly guessing that Big League Chew came out in 1980, which meant Holden was thrilled that we won a package of it. I hadn’t had it in years, so that was a very specific little blast from the past.
A month of music: Caleb had two concerts this month. First was his spring concert for both band and chorus, followed by a celebratory trip to Byrne Dairy for ice cream with my parents. They were, once again, out of hot fudge, because apparently that is just part of the Byrne Dairy experience now. The next week was a special concert where Caleb was selected for an Honors Band that got to play with a guest conductor/composer who traveled here for the occasion. I was so proud watching him up there. Afterward, we hit the McDonald’s drive-through for celebratory fries, ice cream, and a frozen Coke.
KISS Breakfast: I went to Holden’s school for the yearly KISS Breakfast ("Kids Invite Someone Special"). We sat with his friend and his friend’s dad, and the kids had fun. I always like getting little windows into their school worlds, even when it is loud, crowded, and fueled by breakfast foods.
Memorial Day at Letchworth: We had Memorial Day off and went to Letchworth for a little hiking and waterfall viewing. It started out rainy, which was not exactly promising, but it turned into a beautiful day. A very Western New York kind of plot twist.
The brownie project continues: We made and ate more brownies, continuing our very serious family brownie taste testing project. I think we’ve finally run out of mixes to try, which feels like the end of an era. A very chocolatey, slightly sticky era.
What I Read
A slower reading month, but one of the books was an easy standout.
- The Privilege by A.R. Hollowell ★★★★★
- Drowning in Paper Flowers by E.L. Westbury ★★★☆☆
Favorite: The Privilege
Yearly Progress: 15 / 100
What I Watched
May turned into another very documentary-heavy month, with a mix of crime, justice system stories, scams, and one absolutely wild chimpanzee saga.
Movies
The Sheep Detectives ★★★☆☆
Theater · 2026
TV Shows
Full House
Hulu · 1987 · Rewatch · s:1 e:4
Documentaries & Docuseries
Should I Marry a Murderer? ★★★★★
Netflix · 2026 · Docuseries · 4 episodes
The Alabama Solution ★★☆☆☆
HBO Max · 2025 · Documentary film
The Crash ★★★★☆
Netflix · 2026 · Documentary film
We Are Jeni ★★☆☆☆
HBO Max/ID · 2026 · Docuseries · 2 episodes
Chimp Crazy ★★★★★
HBO Max · 2024 · Docuseries · 4 episodes
Telemarketers ★★★☆☆
HBO · 2023 · Docuseries · 3 episodes
Coming Up in June
Looking at my June calendar has honestly been giving me anxiety. It is one of those months where every time I think I have reached the end of the schedule, I discover something else on it. I’ve already had to take quite a bit of time off work just to make everything fit.
June includes:
- Doctor’s appointments for both Holden and me
- Another birthday party on Holden’s social calendar
- Chaperoning Caleb’s band trip to a local amusement park
- Seeing Suffs with my aunt, which I’ve never seen before
- My cousin’s wedding
- Taking a civil service exam
- Moving Up ceremonies at both boys’ schools
- A summer-themed evening event at Caleb’s school, which will likely be his very last event there. Bittersweet.
- Monthly Bingo night, with a pizza theme again because the kids love pizza night
- Seeing Joe Gatto at the local comedy club with my aunt. He used to be on Impractical Jokers, and I’ve always wanted to see him live. I’ve already seen Murr once and Sal twice, so I’m excited to cross another Joker off the list.
- Hopefully squeezing in a few runs somewhere along the way
On top of all that, June is shaping up to be a busy month at work, too, so I’ll be busy from just about every direction. It should be a fun month, but I’m already looking ahead to July and hoping for a slightly slower pace.
♥
See you next month.
No comments