Our Week - The One with Jacob’s Piano Recital and Easter, Round 1

Last week was a busy one, and I’m coming in hot with the recap… I barely got it finished for today!

Monday, March 18

Monday morning, Jacob woke up saying that his throat was hurting even worse than it had been hurting on Sunday, which was so odd, since he had been doing better, so we kept him home just to be safe.

I got Olivia to school and then I headed to do my bi-weekly grocery shopping at Walmart and Publix.  B was working from home Monday, so he was able to stay home with Jacob.  He’s technically old enough to stay home by himself now, but since we don’t have a house phone and he doesn’t have a cell phone, I just don’t feel comfortable with leaving him since he has no way of contacting us if something goes wrong.

When I got home, I got the groceries put away and I checked on Jacob.  He was still feeling about the same, but thankfully, he didn’t have a fever.

After that, I headed to my office to try to get some work done, but as I mentioned last week, I started taking a morning dose of my vertigo medication to hopefully control the dizziness and boat-rocking sensation a little better during the day, but the medicine makes me soooo sleepy.

After about 30 minutes, I got to the point where I just couldn’t stay awake anymore, so I gave in and curled up on the bed to take a 20-minute nap.  I set an alarm because otherwise, I probably would have slept for hours. 

After my nap, I didn’t feel quite so sleepy, but I didn’t feel very motivated to do anything pretty much for the rest of the day.  Sigh.  Monday was a rough one.

I ended up pushing through as best I could, and I got most stuff done on my to-do list, but there were a couple of things that I just didn’t feel like doing, so I didn’t. 

At 3, I grabbed Olivia from school, and she and I headed home where we all stayed for the remainder of the evening.  It was a gorgeous day – sunny and blue skies – but it was cold, and the wind was whipping crazily all day because it was blowing in a cold front.  Therefore, we all stayed indoors.  I really wanted to get out for a run or a walk, but I just couldn’t deal with the cold.  The cold weather has been unbearable this winter for me.

Instead, I got my Bible study done while the kids worked on homework, and then I headed downstairs to get dinner ready.  Another symptom of this medicine I just started taking is that it makes me feel super slugglish, so I’ve been doing everything at a snail’s pace, and that isn’t fun either.  My productivity has basically been in the toilet since I started the morning dose.

After that, I headed downstairs to cook dinner, and we all sat down together for sheet pan sausage and veggies + blueberry muffins. 

We got the kitchen cleaned up after dinner, and then I headed upstairs to do a stair stepper workout.  It took a lot to muster the energy, but I got it done.  I’m telling you, this medicine makes me feel like I want to lay around all the time.  I was told by the doctor to give it two weeks, though, because she said it’ll take some time for my body to adjust to it, so that’s what I’m doing!

After my workout, I got into my PJs and then I tried to help Olivia with a bracelet she was making.  She has that Rainbow Loom where she makes bracelets out of rubber bands, and she had decided to try a really challenging pattern.  Placing the rubber bands was easy for her, but tying it off was rough, and even I couldn’t figure out what to do even with the YouTube video she was watching.  Haha.

We gave up on that for the evening, and then headed downstairs to watch some more of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  I read my book while they watched because that show is just not something I’m interested in.

Then, after the kids went to bed, B and I watched the rest of American Idol, and we called it a night… another early one.

Tuesday, March 19

Tuesday morning, I decided to back down my morning dose for my vertigo medicine.  My doctor had told me if the full dose was too much that I could cut the pill in half and try that, and that did the trick!!  I felt soooo much better all day with the smaller dose.  I did get the slightest bit groggy about two hours after I took it, but it was nothing like when I’d been taking the full dose.

Jacob was well enough to go back to school on Tuesday, so I dropped him and Olivia, and then I headed to Fresh Market to grab chicken.  After that, it was straight home to work all morning.  Since we’ll be heading out of town for spring break, I’m trying to get everything squared away for the blog (and everything else in life).  Haha.

At 3, I grabbed the kids from school, and we headed home.  They’re doing major road construction on the road we take home every day, and they had our exit closed which meant that we had to go about 15 minutes out of the way to get home.  Naturally, that happened on the day when Olivia had a pile of homework and studying that she needed to get done before dance, but thankfully, she was able to get in the zone and knock most of it out before we had to leave for dance. 

She has taken to doing her homework outside since it has started warming up, and I love that she wants to work out in the fresh air.  I walked outside to check on her and saw this scene and I just cracked up because – the sunglasses, the lounge chair, the Stanley tumbler – this is all just such an Olivia vibe!  I love her so much.

Jacob and I dropped her at dance at 5, and then he and I headed home.  It was gorgeous outside (although a little chilly… it had gotten down to 32 degrees that night.  Sigh.) so I got changed and headed out for a run.  Right after my run, I grabbed Jacob and Maui, and we went for a walk together.  I always love our chats when we walk.  He is such a great kid, y’all.  While I do miss having tiny babies in the house, I absolutely love the kids’ ages right now.  It’s awesome to be able to have real conversations with them and joke around with them and stuff.

After our walk, I got showered and into my PJs, and then it was time to cook dinner, put away the clean dishes, prep everything for Wednesday, and tidy the kitchen. 

When Brian and Olivia got home from dance, we ate dinner – stir fry with chicken, rice, broccoli and various other veggies with Hawaiian rolls – and then Brian and I cleaned up the kitchen while Olivia finished up studying for her tests.

While she showered, I wrapped up the last few things on my to do list, and then we got the kids in the bed. 

After they went to bed, B and I watched some of The Bachelor and then we headed to bed, too.

Wednesday, March 20

Wednesday morning, I had nowhere to be, so I dropped the kids at school and then I headed straight home to work on the blog most of the day.  After lunch, I also started packing for our Disney trip.  At that point, the trip was still a week and a half away, but we have so much going on leading up to it that I wanted to go ahead and get a jump start on it.  The hardest part is always figuring out what everyone is going to wear.  And yes, yes, I do plan out each outfit per day per person.  Except for Brian’s… he does his own planning. 

After school, we swung through the car wash – FINALLY – and then we got Olivia to dance.  Once she was there, Jacob and I went to the library to pick up some books.  I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, so I was ready for some fiction.  I ended up picking up three new books, and per my poll on Instagram, the majority of people said to read The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth first. 

We had about an hour to spend at home after that, so I did my Bible study and opened some packages while Jacob did his homework and played on his computer for a bit.  Then, he and I headed back over to Olivia’s dance school to grab her because Brian had a tennis match, and he couldn’t pick her up like he usually does.

We all headed home after that, and I whipped up some turkey and cheese biscuit sliders with fruit for dinner, and then afterward, Olivia had homework to do.

I helped her study for a couple of tests, and then I got in a strength workout while both kids got showered and ready for bed.  Brian got home in the middle of all of that, and then by the time the kids were done showering, it was time to get them in the bed.

B and I finished the episode of The Bachelor that we’d started, and then we started a new episode of The Girl Before before heading to bed.

Thursday, March 21

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed home to work on the blog all day.  I also spent some time packing a few more things for Disney.  Since the trip isn’t until April 1, there’s only so much I can pack right now, but I want to pack as much as I possibly can as early as I can since the weekend before we leave is going to be insane.  Plus, there are so many extras that we pack for Disney trips – autograph books, Mickey ears, Magic Bands, special snacks, etc. – so I started rounding all of that stuff up Thursday afternoon.

At 3, I grabbed the kids, and we headed to music lessons.  Olivia didn’t have her voice lesson because her teacher was out, so she and I hung out in the lobby together while Jacob had his piano lesson.  That was his last lesson before his Honors Recital on Saturday, so they went through Fur Elise several times to make sure he had it down.

After piano lessons, we headed home.  The kids had minimal homework and then they headed outside to play since it was so nice out.  I did my Bible study and then got the kitchen all cleaned up and prepped for dinner.

When Brian got home, we made breakfast – eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, and toast – and then we got the kitchen cleaned up.  Afterward, we went for a family walk to the neighborhood playground, and the kids swung for a while.  Jacob wasn’t feeling the playground too much… he’s definitely reaching the age where it doesn’t interest him as much anymore, but he took one for the team (AKA Olivia) since she wanted to go so bad. 

After we wrapped up at the playground, we walked back home, and the kids got showered and ready for bed.  While they did that, I attempted a run, but I stopped after a mile because my body just wasn’t having it.  Earlier in the day, I’d started feeling exhausted, and my body started feeling a little weak, and I’d started to worry I was coming down with whatever Jacob had, so I probably shouldn’t have attempted the run in the first place.

When I got home, I got showered and in my PJs, and then I read for a bit while Brian and the kids watched another episode of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Then after the kids went to bed, B and I finished the series The Girl Before and it was really good.  It’s only four episodes and then done, but it’s definitely worth the watch.  I didn’t want it to be over because that meant that we were back to having nothing else to watch.  Haha.

Friday, March 22

Friday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed home.  I had grand plans to knock out some errands, but upon looking at the weather – rain all day AGAIN – I decided to pivot and work on blog stuff all day instead.  As I’ve said before, I’m trying to get way ahead since we’ll be out of town for spring break.  When we go on vacation, I leave my laptop at home and I don’t work at all other than posting links to my blog posts on Instagram and documenting our trips here and there in Instagram stories.  So, it takes a LOT of prep to get it all done before we leave.

After school, the kids and I headed straight home because it was still raining – it seriously rained nonstop all day long – and I got straight into my pajamas.  The kids played video games for a bit, and I did my Bible study, and then I tackled some tiny tasks that needed to be done, followed by some packing and getting organized for our Disney trip.

B headed out to grab pizza for dinner, and while he was gone, I cracked open a beer and read for a bit.  I was in the middle of The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth, and I couldn’t put it down.

After dinner, the kids got showered and ready for bed, and I read some more, and then we all settled in for an evening of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  I got in a good couch nap while they watched, and then B and I started a new show after the kids went to bed – The Watcher.  It’s a miniseries on Netflix (I think?) and it is giving me the creeps.  It’s a little too creepy for me, but I can’t stop watching because I have to know how it ends.

Saturday, March 23

Saturday morning, I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I got some laundry started, tackled a couple of things on my computer, and then got in a mixed cardio workout.  After that, I got showered and ready for the day because Jacob had his Honors Recital at 2, and we had to have lunch and be out the door by 1:15 to get there on time.

All of you who have been reading for a while know that Jacob started piano lessons less than two years ago.  He wanted to play for his own enjoyment, and he had no desire to perform in any of the recitals (they do a winter recital and a spring recital for everyone, plus an Honors recital for those who are accepted).  We based our enrollment on the fact that they would not require him to do a recital because we knew it was very important to him as he has major anxiety about getting up in front of people.

A few weeks ago, his teacher told him that he believed that Jacob was one of the best in the school, and he told him that he wanted to invite him to try out for the Honors Recital if he wanted to – no pressure, whatsoever – and to our surprise, Jacob decided to try out. 

He ended up being one of just ten kids selected for the Honors Recital out of SIXTY-TWO, y’all.  So that was a huge honor in itself.  At the time, we knew that a lot of kids had tried out, but we didn’t realize that there were that many, but Jacob did know that it was an honor to have been accepted.

His teacher (and Brian and I) told him there was no pressure to do the recital and that we’d support him no matter what he decided to do.  To our surprise again, he decided that he did want to do the recital, so he has been practicing Fur Elise for weeks.

Recital day was Saturday, so we headed to the church where they hold the recitals, and we made sure to arrive early.  I told Brian that if Jacob was going to actually do this, I wanted to be in the front row to soak it all up.  The teachers and students actually sit in the front row, but we were right behind them in the second row.  ;o)

Jacob ended up being fifth in the lineup out of ten, which we figured was perfect.  That way, he didn’t have to go first, but he didn’t have to go through the agony of waiting through all of the other performances before it was finally his turn.  When you have anxiety, it’s the waiting that makes you go to the bad place.  Trust me, I know.

Throughout the other four performances, I watched him like a hawk to make sure he was doing okay, and I could tell he looked really nervous, but I could also tell that it wasn’t a bad anxious kind of nervous, thank goodness.

When it was his turn, he walked right up, took a bow, sat down at the piano, and played his little heart out.  I cried through the whole dang two minutes and 35 seconds because I was just so proud of him.  And I wasn’t only proud of him for his beautiful piano playing, I was mostly proud of him for stepping WAY outside of his comfort zone and doing something that he said he would never do.  He conquered his fear BIG TIME, and it was just such a joy to see him on the stage.  He played Fur Elise flawlessly aside from one little beat when the melody and tempo majorly change, and then he took his bow and exited the stage. 

I basically cried for the rest of the recital, especially when one of the other students played Clair De Lune.  It’s my favorite piano piece of all-time and it is just heartbreakingly beautiful.  This kid who is probably about 16 or 17 years old played the entire five-minute piece with not a single scrap of sheet music and it was just exquisite.  I have never seen anything so spectacular from someone that age and it left me in tears.

After all of the kids had performed, they all stood at the front of the stage and accepted their Honors Recital awards.  They saved Jacob’s for last because they wanted to acknowledge that not only had he made it into the Honors Recital, but that it was his first recital EVER.  Mr. Steve (one of the other teachers who we chat with every week) made sure to let it be known that it was a big deal since he knew he'd never wanted to perform in a recital.  He got a huge applause and I know that boosted his confidence even more. 

I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of him as I was Saturday.  This was a BIG deal for him to do this, and I am just over the moon that not only did he follow through with it, but he freaking NAILED IT.  Gosh, I just love him.  And he was so humble afterward.

He had tons of family in the audience – Brian, Olivia and me, my parents, my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and step-father-in-law, Brian’s two sisters, my brother-in-law, and my niece.  So afterward, we all gathered around him to congratulate him and take pictures.  I also snagged a picture of him with Mr. Jarrett, his teacher. 

It was such a great afternoon!  I only wish his first teacher, Mr. Joseph, could have seen him up there… he would have been so proud of him for conquering his fear.  Jacob opted out of two recitals under Mr. Joseph since he never wanted to do one.  And Joseph and Jacob had many chats about anxiety and feeling panicky when having to do things that are way outside of your comfort zone, so I know Joseph would have been so incredibly proud of him for getting up in front of all of those people!

After the recital, we let Jacob pick any place to grab a treat, and he opted for Crumbl Cookies.  He and I grabbed confetti cake cookies, and Brian and Olivia opted for Dulce de Leche. 

After that, we headed home and enjoyed our cookies, and then I had every intention to get my Bible study done before church, but instead, I ended up watching the video of Jacob playing in his recital like 20 times.  Hahahaha. 

We all went to 5:30 Mass, and it was Palm Sunday, so we read the Passion of Christ which always chokes me up.  Mass ran a bit long as it always does for Palm Sunday, and then afterward, we went out to have Mexican with my parents, Mama Cass, and my aunt and two uncles.

Mama Cass’s birthday was earlier in the week, and she turned 95!!!!  So, my Uncle Greg told the servers to surprise her with the sombrero and a birthday song.  They put fried ice cream on her face as they always do, and she was just the cutest dang thing ever. 

After dinner, we swung by Dairy Queen to pick up my mother-in-law’s birthday cake for Sunday, and then we headed straight to drop Olivia off at her friend, Maren’s, house for a sleepover.  They had called earlier in the day to see if she wanted to come over, and she wasn’t going to say no to that even after all of the day’s activities!

By the time we got home, it was after 9.  Brian and Jacob fired up Spider Man 3, and I got ready for bed, meditated, and uploaded our day to Instagram stories. 

Jacob went to bed around 10:30, and then Brian and I watched another episode of The Watcher before heading to bed pretty late.

 

Sunday, March 24

Sunday morning, I made cinnamon rolls for my two favorite boys and me, and then they finished watching Spider Man 3 while I got my planner ready for the week ahead, watched the sermon that I watch every Sunday, did yoga, and did my Bible study for the day. 

We all got showered and ready, and then we grabbed Olivia from Maren’s house at noon because we had Sunday lunch with my in-law’s.  They decided to do Easter a week early this year since my sister-in-law and niece and nephew were in town to celebrate my MIL’s birthday, and the weather was perfect for an Easter egg hunt!

They cooked the most delicious Easter spread – ham, deviled eggs, mac n cheese, pineapple casserole, corn casserole, and all of our favorites – and then we all chatted for a bit before doing birthday dessert and gifts for my MIL.

Once that was done, the adults headed outside to hide eggs, and then all of the kids came out for the hunt.  They all racked up on candy and trinkets and money… there’s always a competition to see who gets the most money.  Haha. 

 

After the Easter egg hunt, we headed home, and it was so late at that point that I didn’t have much time to work on blog stuff for the week ahead.  I typically use Sunday to remove all of the pictures from my phone for the week, but I had computer issues yet again, and got basically nothing accomplished.

We headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and we also celebrated Mama Cass one more time.  Momma made a new Crockpot ziti recipe that was amazing, and we had lemon cake for dessert since it’s Mama Cass’s favorite. 

We headed home a little earlier than usual because we were all tired, and the kids got in the bed before 8:30.  They were both wiped after staying up so late Saturday night.  Brian and I watched another episode of The Watcher and then we headed to bed early, too.

And now for a few current things…

Currently Reading

This month, I finished The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, and it was fascinating.  It was the perfect book to read leading up to Holy Week and Easter. 

I also started and finished The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth.  After reading mostly non-fiction for the last few months, I wanted something light and easy to read, and this most definitely fit the bill.  I couldn’t put this one down and I finished it in just five days.  (That’s fast for me this time of year… since we have so much going on, I don’t prioritize reading.)

I also started Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon.  I’m only a couple of chapters in, so the jury’s still out, but so far, it’s good.

And, of course, I’ll be doing New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp all year as it’s a daily devotional.  It gets better and better every day. 

And I’m also still working my way through The Bible and The Bible Recap… I’m currently making my way through 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms.  And I’m on day 134 today, so I’m 48 days ahead!

 

Currently Watching

With B:  This month, we’re watching American Idol and The Bachelor on network TV.  The Bachelor just wrapped up last night!  And we’re still throwing in SNL and Shark Tank every now and then when we have time.  For streaming, we finished Behind Her Eyes and OMG I cannot stop thinking about the ending.  My mind was blown, and it is one of those that I’ll never forget.  It was so good.  In addition to that, we started and finished Pieces of Her which was pretty good, and we started and finished The Girl Before, which was also good.  We just started The Watcher, and it’s totally creeping me out, but I can’t stop watching.

With the Kids:  We really didn’t watch a whole lot this month… we watched several episodes of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I think they watched a little bit of American Idol with us once, but other than that… nothing.  Although, B and Jacob did watch Spiderman 3 together while Olivia was gone! 

Alone:  I’m still watching The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days while I work on the weekends, but during the week, I just listen to music.

 

Currently Listening To

Justin Timberlake’s new album!  Can’t stop, won’t stop. 

Happy Tuesday, y’all!