Our Week - The One with the Downtown Concert and Easter

We had the best Easter weekend with family, and I’m recapping it all on the blog today!

Monday, April 11

Monday morning was the kids’ first day back at school after spring break and I had a million and one things to do, so I hit the ground running the second I dropped them off.  First up, was Publix for some groceries because we had absolutely nothing at the house after being gone for a week.

After that, I headed home to get to work on blog stuff, and to catch up on emails, bill-paying, etc. after being gone for a week.  Unfortunately, my Yahoo mail had been down for 24 hours and that’s where I get all of my important personal emails, so I ended up fighting with them for half of the morning and didn’t get much done.  I tried their online assistance as well as calling their toll-free number, and I got nowhere, so I finally tweeted them, and they responded within minutes.  If you ever have trouble getting in touch with any company, tweet them!  They always respond to tweets!

By the time that was up and going again, I headed out to my physical therapy appointment for my neck.  I carry all of my stress and anxiety there, and my neck has been locked up for years, so I’m finally getting some much-needed treatment for it, and it has worked wonders after just two visits.

The rest of the afternoon was spent working on blog stuff, and then I got the news in the early afternoon that one of my old coworkers had succumbed to her cancer.  She was one of the best people I’ve ever known – seriously, the kindest person ever… there wasn’t a single person at work who didn’t adore her – and I was crushed to hear the news.

I grabbed the kids from school at 3 and then we did the whole dance, home, back-to-dance, back home shuffle and then we made breakfast for dinner.  I managed to get a good bit of reading done while I waited for Olivia to get out of dance, too!

During our Disney trip on the Friday we were at Epcot, I noticed a weird rash in the middle of my back to the left of my spine, but I brushed it off thinking it was a bug bite or something.  All weekend, the rash got progressively worse, and by Monday, the whole entire left side of my torso was killing me… like weird skin sensitivity pain.  Every time my clothes would barely brush over my stomach or my back or my side it hurt soooo bad. 

The rash was still there looking angry as ever, but it hadn’t spread, so B took a picture of it and I texted it to my Aunt Becky who’s a nurse as well as my friend, Jessica, who’s also a nurse.  Both of them responded and said it looked like shingles and I was like WHAT?!?!  I’m too young to have shingles!  Haha.  But I did have chicken pox when I was seven, so there’s that.

By the time that was all discovered, it was way too late to go to an acute care place, and I wasn’t about to go to the ER, so I took some Ibuprofen for the pain before bed, and I slept just fine.

Tuesday, April 12

Tuesday morning, Jacob had live Stations of the Cross at school/church, so I dropped the kids at school, headed home to call my doctor (who couldn’t get me in until Thursday – grrrr), and then headed back to the church to watch Jacob’s class perform.  Jacob was one of Jesus’s friends, and his class did the best job acting out Jesus’s road to the cross. 

Once that was over, I flew to the acute care place by my house, and I was irritated to see that it was PACKED.  Ugggghhhh.  The trip there ended up taking two full hours and I walked away with, sure enough, a shingles diagnosis, and no medicine to take for it because I had missed the 48-hour window.  Sigh.  Apparently shingles medication works similarly to Tamiflu for the flu… you have to start taking it within 48 hours of the first symptoms or it won’t work at all.

The PA gave me a prescription for nerve pain medication to mask the pain, but the side effects from that sounded so awful, I thought it might just be better to have the shingles pain.  So far, I’m just rolling along without the medicine.

Once I was done there, I headed back home and had a quick lunch with B as he was working from home.  He had also brought home his own souvenir from Disney World – a cold – but thankfully it was nothing serious.  However, since everyone is extra careful when sick these days, he worked from home rather than sneezing all over the office at work.  Hahahaha.

After lunch, I flew up to my office to finish all the things on my to-do list for the day.  I still hadn’t finished my blog post that was supposed to go live the next day, so I worked hard on that all afternoon and got it done just in the nick of time. 

After the kids were picked up from school, we all came back home, and the kids did homework.  Olivia and I headed back out for dance, and she was excited to get back to her lyrical class.  Lyrical has been, by far, her favorite class this year, and she actually loves it more than ballet, tap, and jazz.  Her dance studio is putting on Sleeping Beauty for their end-of-the-year production, and they’d hung a fancy banner in the dance studio, so Olivia and I had to snap a couple of pictures with it.

While Olivia was in dance, I rolled down the windows and read for 45 minutes.  I started Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand on the way home from Disney and I haven’t been able to put it down since.  Unfortunately, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had much time, but I’ve been using every spare second of downtime to read it. 

After dance, Olivia and I headed home, and when we got there, B already had dinner on the table because we only had 30 minutes before we had to head back out again to Jacob’s baseball game.

All of the grandparents came to the game to cheer him on, and he was so excited to be back at it after two full weeks off for spring break.  His team ended up smoking the other team 17-10 to put them at 8-0 for the season… these boys are unstoppable, y’all!  Jacob ended up getting on base all three times – he was walked twice and then he got hit in the helmet with a ball.  Thankfully, that pitch was more of a lob, so it didn’t hit him hard.  He scored twice as well, and would have scored a third time, but one of his teammates got the last out while Jacob was on third base.

It was a late night, as always with baseball, so afterwards, we headed straight home, the kids got showered, and then they were in the bed just before 10.  Brian and I spent a few minutes downstairs with Maui, who was waiting for her treat like she does every night, and then he and I called it a night, too.

Wednesday, April 13

Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids and then headed straight home to work on blog stuff and school stuff all morning.  This time of year is insane at the school with end-of-year events, our spring event and auction, Easter egg hunts, teacher appreciation week, and field day looming, so I shot off some emails to the parents because we’ll be needing all hands on deck for many of the events.

Meanwhile, B spent the morning at acute care getting tested for all the things to make sure 100% that he wasn’t carrying any serious germs since we were going to be around all of our family members for Easter.  He tested negative for Covid and flu, and the doc gave him a steroid with the hope to clear it all up before Easter.

We had a light lunch together when he got home, and then I headed to the kids’ school to assist with Olivia’s second grade Easter egg hunt.  The kids had a blast, and within 30 minutes, I was on my way again. 

Next up was Target to return something, and I ended up having so much extra time that I did some swimsuit shopping as well.  I ended up finding the cutest shimmery pink suit, and I lucked out because Target had all of the women’s swim apparel on sale for 20% off, too!  Y’all know I love a good deal!

By the time I had finished up there, it was time to pick the kids up from school, and then we all headed home where we were able to stay for the rest of the evening.  Yay!!  It was much-needed, after going going going every single day for so long.

I wrapped up the last item on my to-do list for the day while the kids played outside, and then we sat down to an early dinner.  I made a Mexican dish, so B asked if I wanted a marg, and I wasn’t going to turn that down!  It was a nice little mid-week treat.

After dinner, we contemplated going on a family walk around the neighborhood, but the kids had a game that they wanted to finish and B still wasn’t feeling up to par, so I laced up my tennis shoes and headed out by myself!  I had every intention of working out hard every day this week to get back in the swing of things after vacation, but since I had shingles, I had to take it easy… it’s so painful.

I ended up walking three miles and it was glorious to be out and about, just me and my music.  The weather was beautiful – it was the perfect temp, the sun was shining, and it was nice and breezy – perfect walking weather.

By the time I got home, the kids were ready for bed, so we all sat down on the couch and started catching up on American Idol.  We are so behind I feel like we may never get caught up, but it is what it is during this busy season in our lives.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched This is Us from Tuesday night, and then we went to bed, too.

Thursday, April 14

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed back to Target because… I had done self-checkout on Wednesday and hadn’t noticed that the swimsuit had ink tags.  Forehead SMACK.  I have no clue when Target started adding ink tags to anything, but they didn’t even beep when I left the building on Wednesday so I’m not sure they even did their full job.  Haha.  I went inside, explained the situation, showed them my receipt (even though the girl didn’t even glance at it), they popped the tags off for me, and I was on my way home.

When I got home, I had about 45 minutes to knock out some work, and then I was back on the road again, heading to our church to watch Jacob in the school’s live Stations of the Cross again.  On Tuesday, Jacob’s class did the acting portion and the other fifth grade class did the reading.  They performed for the middle school and high school.  On Thursday, Jacob’s class did the reading, and the other class did the acting, and they performed for the lower school.  I didn’t want to miss him acting or reading, so I just went to both!

They did a fantastic job yet again, and this time Olivia was able to sit with us!  Jacob doesn’t do well with public speaking or being in the spotlight… it makes him very anxious, but he totally nailed it.  He told us afterward that he was nervous, but I couldn’t tell!  I was so proud of him for conquering one of his biggest fears.  He and I have been meditating together every single night for about eight months now, and I think that’s helped him tremendously.

After that was over, I headed back home to work on blog stuff for the rest of the day.  At 3, I picked up the kids from school, and Olivia was bursting with the news that she’d had her first session in the gifted program.  They had played an intricate version of Tic Tac Toe as well as some other brain-teasing game for their first session and she loved every single second of it. 

We were all excited because the kids were out of school Friday and we had nowhere to be for the second day in a row, so we spent the evening at home.  The kids played outside forever because it was gorgeous, and I cooked dinner.  Then my father-in-law dropped by before dinner to bring some Easter goodies for the kids, and he also dropped off my birthday presents since we were out of town for my actual birthday.

Dinner was ready by the time he left, so we all sat down to a home-cooked meal, and then we all headed out to walk around the neighborhood together.  After a mile, the rest of the fam headed home, and I walked a bit more at a brisk pace to get some exercise in.  By the time I got home, the kiddos were in their PJs and then we spent the next hour and a half on the couch watching American Idol.

After they went to bed, B and I watched A Million Little Things and some of a Saturday Night Live, and then we called it a night, too.  I had also polled y'all on Instagram about chicken pox and shingles, and these were the results.  There were hundreds and hundreds of votes, and pretty much everyone had chicken pox, but not shingles.

Friday, April 15

Friday morning, we all slept in a bit.  B had to be up to work from home and I got up as he headed downstairs to log in.  I made some homemade waffles for breakfast, and then B retreated to his office to continue working while the kids and I snuggled up on the couch to watch another episode of Is It Cake?  Why oh why do I find that show so intriguing, y’all?  Haha.

Once that was over, I headed up to my office for a few minutes to get a couple of things done, and then I laced up my tennis shoes and headed for my first run since February.  My pace was terrible, but I did it, and that’s all that really matters, right?  Haha.

After my run, I grabbed my book, and the kids and I headed outside to enjoy all of the sunshine.  I lay on my lounge chair and read for an hour, and they built a fort on the back porch.  At lunchtime, they wanted to have a picnic in the grass, so they set out a bunch of beach towels, and I brought their food out to them while B and I ate inside. 

After lunch, I headed upstairs to shower, and the kids played outside for a while longer, only to be shooed in by the pest control people.  I had forgotten they were coming.

Once inside, they did their laundry and got all of their things tidied, and then they played video games while I spent some time in my office working on our Disney World recaps.  I absolutely LOVE recapping vacations!  They are my favorite posts to do.  It’s so much fun looking at all of the photos and writing the copy and reliving it all over again.

At 5, we met my parents, my brother, SIL, their kids, and my SIL’s parents at one of our favorite local restaurants downtown for dinner.  The kiddos sat at their own table, and I think they liked that a lot!  We hadn’t seen them since Thanksgiving, so we were excited that they had come home for Easter.

After dinner, we all (minus my SIL’s parents) drove several blocks away and went to the outdoor concert.  Our city does a free concert series for several weeks in the spring and fall, and we’ve been attending them since the kiddos were tiny.  They had to stop doing them for the last couple of years because of Covid, but they are finally BACK, and we are so excited!

The weather was perfection Friday evening and we enjoyed showing my brother and his fam around the candy shop and letting the kiddos each pick out a treat and then listening to the music for a bit.  The band was a Zac Brown tribute band, but they also played a Dave Matthews Band song which y’all know made me happy.  :o)

We got home just before 9 and got the kiddos in the bed and then B and I started that show Inventing Anna (which I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep watching because the acting is terrible) and then we watched an episode of The Other Two before calling it a night.

Saturday, April 16

Saturday, we were supposed to go to Athens for the G-Day game, but the weather was awful, so we made the last-minute decision not to go.  We were all a little bummed, but I was happy to be able to spend some time getting things done at home.  After having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, we watched one episode of Is It Cake? and then we got to work.

Our back porch hadn’t been cleaned off well since October, and it was loaded with pollen, so B and I sat all of the furniture and pillows out in the rain to let all of the pollen wash off.  Then we swept and hosed down the porch, finished hosing down the furniture, and then we got everything back on the porch. 

By the time we were done, it was time for lunch, and we also watched the G-Day game.  I did a quick cardio workout and got all of the sheets washed as well as another load of laundry.  The kids played basketball outside during the non-rainy part of the day, and then they played video games while I did some blog work.  It was dreary on Saturday.

B picked up dinner from Five Guys and brought it home later in the evening, and then we all watched more of American Idol afterward.  B and I watched another episode of Inventing Anna and another episode of The Other Two before heading up to bed.

Sunday, April 17

Sunday was Easter, so we were up a bit earlier than usual to ensure we made it to Mass on time.  The kiddos bounded down the stairs to find their Easter baskets, and then after they had looked through everything, we had a quick breakfast before heading upstairs to get ready for Mass. 

Mass was at 10:30, but it fills up early and eventually overflows on Easter Sunday, so we arrived at 9:50 to ensure we could get seats.  My whole extended family was able to sit together in our usual spot (yes, we always sit in the same place!  Haha), and it was a beautiful Mass with a beautiful homily by our friar.  After not being able to go to Easter Mass in 2020 and then having to have it on the football field in 2021, I was so grateful to be there inside in person!  (Although, we did enjoy Mass outside in 2021, too… we had actually voted to do it again this year just for fun, but there was rain in the forecast, so it was too risky.)

Fortunately, the rain held off until mid-afternoon, so we were able to snap family pictures outside after Mass, and then we flew home to change quickly before heading to my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law’s house.  We were supposed to be there at 12:30, but we ended up being late because Mass had run so late. 

My MIL and step-FIL had cooked a delicious spread of ham, mashed potatoes, pineapple casserole, scalloped corn, squash casserole, and so many other yummy things, and we all stuffed our faces.  After lunch was done, we indulged in Hershey pie, key lime pie, and cookies and cream chicks that my MIL had decorated for dessert.  I wish I’d gotten a picture of them because they were so cute.

After dessert was done, the adults headed outside to hide eggs, and then our kiddos and their two older cousins had their annual Easter egg hunt.  They racked up on soooo many eggs, and once they were done hunting, it was time for the fun part – seeing what was inside each one!

By the time we had finished up, it was crazy dark outside, and we’d been inside no longer than five or ten minutes when the bottom fell out.  It stormed SO hard – pouring rain, thunder and lightning… the whole nine yards – and it didn’t let up for over an hour.  Perfect timing as we’d done everything outside that we’d needed to do! 

We were supposed to go to my uncle’s house around 3 to see my extended family briefly, but we didn’t want to travel in the storms, so we just waited it out at my MIL and step-FIL’s house and skipped out on meeting them.

The rain finally lightened up enough for us to run to the car just before 4, and then we headed home for a few minutes to relax.  I sorted through some pictures on my computer while the kids played video games, and then we headed to my parents’ house at 5:30.  My mom doesn’t ever cook Sunday dinner on Easter because we’re all still stuffed from lunch, but we wanted to go over there and visit with my brother and sister-in-law and the kids some more before they headed back home on Monday.

It was LOUD at my parents’ house – LOL – but the kids had a blast opening their Easter baskets from Pop and Cokie and playing together.  Midway through the evening, my bro and SIL headed out to find food for the kids, and the only thing that was open was Burger King, so they grabbed some burgers.

While they were gone, I opened a bottle of wine, and my Momma made a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup for herself and me to split because were just a little bit hungry.  Then we wrapped up our visit around 8 and we headed home to get the kids in the bed... but not before getting a few dysfunctional pictures of Pop and Cokie with all of their grandbabies!  Haha.

After they were asleep, B and I watched another episode of Inventing Anna and The Other Two, and then we went to bed, too.  Our kiddos were off Monday for Easter Monday, but I’ll be recapping that next week since this post is so long!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!