Our Week - The One with Summer, Week 10 (Volunteering at Outreach, Sleepovers, and Back-to-School Drop-In)

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And just like that, summer 2026 has come to a close.  It was such a great one, too – we did a lot of traveling, we did a lot of relaxing, we did some volunteering, we had a lot of fun, and absolutely none of us were ready for it to be over.  Waaaahhhh! 

The last week of summer break was the perfect mix of fun, relaxation, volunteer work, and productivity and I’m recapping it all today!

Monday, July 27

Monday, I slept until 8 AM, and I was up with plenty of time to see Brian off for another business trip.  He had to go to Delaware again for a few days, and on the way to the airport, he decided to swing by a theme park that’s closing and ride their big roller coaster one last time.

After he left, I had breakfast, unloaded the dishwasher, and did my morning things (same as always), and then I started tackling my to-do list for the day:

 

-       Working on my weekly blog post

-       Washing 4 loads of laundry (even though it wasn’t laundry week)

-       Spraying and washing my white tennis shoes to get them looking brand new again

-       Getting a return ready

-       Organizing all the uniforms my SIL had given to us and getting them listed in a local Facebook group to sell for her (after we kept what we needed for Jacob)

-       Chatting back-and-forth with buyers and bagging up sales all day

-       Cleaning out Jacob’s closet and making room for the uniforms we kept that he’ll eventually grow into

-       Cleaning out the fridge and freezer a little to make room for incoming groceries on Tuesday

 

Meanwhile, the kids cleaned out and tidied the playroom, Olivia tidied her room, and Jacob studied some more for chemistry.  I also couldn't  believe how gorgeous my flowers still were that Olivia had brought home for me from her Diva Day with my friend, Jen.  Best supermarket flowers ever!

After lunch, I helped the kids finish cleaning out the playroom and then Olivia vacuumed the whole thing, and it looked like a new space!  It’s been getting junkier and junkier all summer since the kids have been home, so it was time to get things back in order before they go back to school and before they had sleepover company Tuesday night.  ;o)

After everything was nice and tidy, the kids played video games for a bit, and I worked on my last Colorado post some more.  Jacob and I also ordered some card protectors from Amazon that he’d been wanting.  I then caught up on some things in my planner, I caught up on emails, and I did a Bible study and my devotional for the day.  Oh, and I made a grocery list.  It was a productive Monday!

Since Brian wasn’t home and since our kids are picky eaters, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen for dinner, so Monday evening, I dug into the freezer and pulled out some leftover burgers that Brian had grilled for 4th of July and we had those for dinner.  I made a burger bowl (chopped up burger patty, cheese, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard… hold the lettuce since there’s been a big outbreak of stomach issues from it – haha) and the kids ate their burgers in a bun with cheese.  We had those with chips and fruit, and it was an easy dinner.  Meanwhile, Brian was enjoying this and I was soooo jealous!

After the kitchen was clean, I went for a walk and then I took out all the trash and recycling that the kids had dredged up from their cleaning extravaganza.  I did an 8-minute arms workout after that, and then it was time to shower and get in my pjs so the kids and I could watch Friends.

We popped some popcorn first, and then we mowed through, like, five episodes, I think?  Haha.  We are all SO into it, and it’s like watching it again for the first time even though I’ve seen (and can quote) every single episode, probably, 50 times.  (And watching it through fresh eyes with my kids also made me realize just how inappropriate it was that it was an 8 PM show on network TV all those years ago.  Haha.  Seriously, how was that on at 8 o’clock when all the littles were still awake?  I’ve cringed so many times watching it with our kids.  I mean, Jacob’s 15, so he’s more than old enough to watch it now, but some of the content is probably still questionable for Olivia.  I knew that going in, of course, but I figured, might as well go for it.  I was 12 when I started watching it, after all.  Haha.)

Anyway, after Friends, the kids and I Facetimed with Brian and then they went to bed.  After they were in bed, I did my meditation on my vibration plate and neck pillow, and then I read for a bit before going to bed like I always do.

 

Tuesday, July 28

Tuesday morning, I was up at 7:45 AM and I got showered, ate breakfast, and did my other morning things before hitting the road with the kids at 8:45 AM to work at our church’s Outreach center all morning one last time before the kids went back to school.

Tuesday was busy – Publix had made a massive donation of food to Outreach since the shelves were bare, so there was an abundance of food to give out.  We had crates and crates of plums that needed to be separated and bagged, boxes and boxes of bread and other goods from the bakery that needed to be separated and bagged, and it was a distribution day, so we were loading carts, checking people in, and loading groceries into cars all morning.  We were all tired and HOT by the time we left because the weather was miserable Tuesday.  It has been soooo hot here lately.  Also, random, but I love the back of our Outreach shirts!

We left Outreach around 11:30 AM, and then we had a bunch of errands to run:

 

-       School office to drop old uniforms for donations

-       Church office to drop old uniforms to one of my friends for her kids

-       Rack Room Shoes to buy new tennis shoes for both kids (they always have a BOGO deal this time of year, so we were able to get both kids shoes and get the second pair half off!)

-       Hobby Lobby for Olivia to look at yarn… and while we were there, we all walked up and down the fall and Halloween aisles for funsies

-       Chick-Fil-A to take a break and have some lunch!

-       Target for Jacob to spend some of his birthday money… and to get a couple more things for back to school

-       FedEx to drop a return

-       Walmart to get groceries

 

Whew! 

By the time we finally walked into the door at home, it was already after 3 PM.  We all unloaded the groceries, and I got them put away and Jacob immediately pulled out his new Lego set he’d bought with his own money and started putting it together.

I finished my blog post for the next day, I caught up on some emails, and then I tidied the kitchen before dinner.

Since Brian was still gone, I kept it simple again with pizza quesadillas.  They were so easy, quick, and delicious and the kids have requested that I throw them into the regular rotation.  I also steamed some broccoli and put some fruit on the table, to at least get in something healthy.  ;o)

After dinner, we all cleaned the kitchen and then I did my evening routine – walk, meditate/neck pillow/vibration plate, shower – and then the kids and I watched several more episodes of Friends.  We Facetimed Brian right before bed, and then the kids were in bed by 11 PM with me right behind them!

Wednesday, July 29

Wednesday morning, I was up at 8 AM, and after my morning things, I caught up on emails, started a blog post for the following week, watered the indoor plants, and then I shut down in my office to spend the rest of the day getting some things done around the house.

First up, was the bar cart.  It was in desperate need of some TLC and the lights on it had died the previous week.  So, I pulled everything off, I wiped the whole thing down, I pulled off the old string lights and added a new strand since the current strand was dead, and then I reorganized everything back on it.  We had just run out of paper straws, so I placed an order for those, too.

When that was done, I did some more tidying around the house and then I watered all the indoor plants before lunch.

After lunch, I wasted some time just scrolling social media in my office and then I headed downstairs to do some more cleaning.  The microwave needed a deep clean, so I pulled out my Angry Mama and got it done.  It is so great for loosening all the gunk!

While that was steaming, I pulled out my Keurig again, and I rearranged some things in my coffee/tea area so I could get the Keurig and the tea kettle in the same area.  I also removed all my mugs from my mug stand and dusted everything and deep cleaned the countertops since they were dusty underneath.  And while the mugs were down, I also changed out a few of my mugs to keep them fresh.  ;o)  I have quite a collection of mugs and I rotate them out frequently. 

By the time that was all done, I needed to shower even though I wasn’t quite done doing everything in the kitchen I’d wanted to do.

After I showered and was ready for the day, the kids and I went to pick up Olivia’s friend, Maren, and she told us all about the trip she’d just taken with her family.  Then, we drove to pick up Jacob’s friend, WJ, and the five of us headed home so the kids could have one last sleepover before school started.

When we got home, I grabbed a muffin and some tea and I corrected some blog typos, caught up on some planner stuff, caught up on some emails, and I did a Bible study and my devotional for the day.

After that, I went back down to the kitchen to finish what I’d started earlier.  I descaled and deep cleaned and changed the filter in the Keurig and I changed the filter and deep cleaned our Brita water pitcher that we use all day every single day.  That all took forever, because of all the water flushing of the filters and such, and once all that was done, I had just enough time to take out the trash and sweep the kitchen before Brian got home from his trip.

He’d landed much earlier than expected, and he offered to pick up dinner for all of us on his way home from the airport so I wouldn’t have to go back out.  The kids all wanted Chick-Fil-A, so he brought that home and we all ate dinner together, and then the kids went back to hanging out.  The girls hung this sign on the boys' room and I thought it was the funniest thing.

I was on a roll Wednesday, so I kept it going after dinner and I watered all the outdoor plants, I swept off the front porch, I cleaned out the guest bathroom and restocked everything in there (soap, toilet paper, tissues, etc.), and I added a new frame to the shelves with a picture of Maui in it.  Meanwhile, the girls set up their sleep area and decorated it and everything.

After that was done, Brian and I took my stair stepper outside to use some WD40 on it with the hope of getting it to stop squeaking.  He was able to get it to stop for a while, but it was squeaking again by the time I got on it later in the evening.

The girls played outside for a bit and then they both wanted to shower, so they took turns doing that and getting into pjs, and then I got them set up with milkshakes, popcorn, and 10 Things I Hate About You.  Maren had never seen it, and it’s one of Olivia’s favorites since I introduced it to her and Jacob earlier this summer, so I got her to get permission from her dad (since it’s PG-13) and he gave the thumbs up.

Meanwhile, the boys played video games and watched videos and laughed all night as they always do. 

While everyone was occupied, I did a stair stepper workout and then I did an 8-minute arms workout followed by some mediation/vibration plate/neck pillow time (y’all know the drill!  Haha.).  Then, it was time to settle in for the evening with B.  We watched another episode of Every Year After, and then he and I went to bed.

Thursday, July 30

Thursday morning, I was up at 7:30 AM and I finally dragged myself out of bed at 7:45 AM to check on the kids.  The boys were still asleep, but Olivia and Maren were already up, and they were just about to turn on the TV.  They’d slept downstairs on the couch bed, and they’d decorated the whole front sitting room to make it cozy and fun.  They said that they’d gone to sleep at 11:30 PM, which is unheard of, so they were actually feeling refreshed when they got up at 7:30 AM. 

The boys were up by 8 AM which is so early for them after a sleepover.  All four kids raided the muffins and donuts we’d bought at the bakery Tuesday, and then the girls took out their heatless curlers.  I couldn’t believe how well they’d worked.  Look at those gorgeous curls!  And that was before they brushed them out!  They were even more beautiful afterward!  We cannot recommend this set enough if you want easy, overnight curls with no effort whatsoever!

I helped the girls spray and then brush out their hair, and then after that, I suggested making a Starbucks run in our pjs.  They were both the most excited ever and I was excited, too, because that meant I could get a lil treat for myself, too.  ;o)

Olivia doesn’t drink anything but water, so she just wanted a cake pop, and Maren opted for a Frappuccino, while I got a peppermint mocha.  Since the kids are back at school, I’m in my fall feels, and since Starbucks doesn’t have pumpkin syrup year-round, I opted for the next best thing – my Christmas drink!  Haha.  Fun fact, Starbucks has the peppermint syrup all year long, so you can order a peppermint mocha any time you want… you don’t have to wait for the holiday season.  I learned that from my brother when he worked there several years ago.  #TheMoreYouKnow

When we got home, the girls started playing with Olivia’s new Gui Gui slime (she says it's the best slime everrrr), the boys played video games, and I went to my office to work for a bit.  I had some emails that needed attention, some blog housekeeping to do, and I wanted to finish my blog post for Monday.  While I worked, the girls kept calling me down to see their slime creations.  <3

Late in the morning, I got showered and ready for the day and when I went downstairs to make lunch, the girls were working on a dance routine to the theme song from Shimmer and Shine.  It was the cutest (even though I did have to hear that song 84 times while I made lunch – haha).

After lunch, the kids cleaned up all the mess they’d made (which actually wasn’t much) and then WJ and Maren got all their stuff packed and ready to go.  While they did that, I put all of Jacob’s leftover birthday cake in the freezer to keep it fresh, and then we went out.

The girls had been begging me all morning to take them to Target “just to browse” so I told them we could go on the way to take everyone home.  We swung by the library on the way to pick up a book for me, and then we headed to Target.  The girls led us all around the store (mostly in the beauty and school supplies sections) and the boys checked on the Pokemon section which was mostly bare other than a few booster packs, and I grabbed a few things we needed at home, too. 

Both girls ended up leaving with something small (I knew they weren’t going just to browse!  Haha!), and the boys both grabbed booster packs, and then we were on our way.  We dropped WJ off after that, and then Jacob, Olivia, Maren, and I headed home to grab Olivia’s guitar and then take Maren home... and, of course, she had to give Stella some pets.  After Maren was dropped off, Olivia and I headed to her makeup guitar lesson.  The music school was closed for summer break last week, but since her guitar teacher had been out of town the week prior, he was doing all his makeup lessons the week they were closed.

After her lesson, we headed home for the rest of the day.  The kids both finished cleaning up the house and then I did a couple of loads of laundry to wash all the bedding they’d used.  I had a few more emails that needed attention, and then I caught up on a few things in my planner before doing my devotional and my Bible study for the day.

When Brian got home from work, he and I made breakfast for dinner together, and then I divided up all the chicken I’d bought at the grocery store and packed it away in the freezer.

The evening was spent walking, doing an 8-minute arms workout, meditating and laying on my vibration plate and neck pillow, and showering while Brian mowed the lawn and the kids showered.

Once everybody was clean and cozy in pjs, we popped some popcorn and settled in for a few more episodes of Friends and then Brian and I watched some more of Every Year After when the kids went to bed.

 

Friday, July 31

Friday morning, I was up at 7:30 AM but I lay in bed for 15 minutes just soaking up the feeling of being peaceful and calm and knowing that I didn’t have to rush out of bed to get ready for the last weekday this summer break.

After breakfast, I got all caught up on blog reading and then I went through all my emails before getting showered and ready for the day.  Jacob had a wire poking in the back of his mouth from his braces, so I called the orthodontist and they told us to come on in, so he and I headed that way as soon as I was ready. 

He was in and out in literally two minutes, and then we swung by the gas station to fill my SUV before heading home and eating a quick lunch.

Both kids had drop-in at school Friday to meet their teachers, walk their schedule route, and set up their lockers, so we went to the school a little after noon to get started.

The first order of business was getting Jacob’s locker set up – he’s right in the middle of the main long front hallway this year and he has a bottom locker, so it’s going to be chaos compared to his top locker/small hallway situation last year – but I’m sure it’ll be fine.  He got his locker organizer in, and he put all his binders / stuff in there, and then we walked his schedule together and met all his teachers.  I saw my old religion teacher and stopped to talk to him for a few minutes, and then I talked to Jacob’s religion teacher for this year for a bit since she graduated in the class right behind my brother’s graduating class.

Several of Jacob’s friends were there by that point, so I left him with them in the high school and Olivia and I walked over to the middle school to get her locker set up and meet all her teachers, too.  One of her teachers this year went to school with my littlest brother, so I stopped to talk to her for a bit, too, and by then, Jacob had met back up with us because most of his friends had left.

We were THRILLED to see that the middle school science teacher was back after a battle with cancer.  He was supposed to be Olivia’s science teacher last year, but a couple of months into the school year he was diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer, and he had to step down from his teaching position to get treatment.  He had hoped to come back before the end of the school year, but he never made it.  We were all shocked and SO happy to see him Friday, and both kids ran up and gave him huge hugs.  He told us he’s in remission now and all of us got a little choked up talking about it.  His gratitude to be teaching again was evident and Olivia is thrilled that she’ll finally get her chance to have him as a teacher next year since he teaches 6th and 8th grade science.

Olivia found some of her friends and chatted with them for a bit, and then we headed home... but not before getting a picture!  All of us were tired (and in a little bit of a funk) after being at school all afternoon because none of us were ready for summer break to be over.  Haha.

I grabbed a cup of tea and started working on this blog post and then I lay and rested my neck for a bit since it was bothering me.  I got a Bible study and my devotional done for the day after that, and then I helped Olivia set up all her school supplies since we’d picked them up from the school.  Jacob finished up the last of his summer homework while we did that, and then both kids packed up their backpacks and all their summer homework so we wouldn’t have to think about school the last two days before going back.  ;o)

Brian went to pick up Five Guys for dinner early in the evening, and I got the house (and myself) all cozy for the evening.  Olivia said since they had to go back to school on Monday then the least we could do was put fall scents in the diffuser.  I couldn’t argue with that, so I got out my cinnamon bark, pumpkin spice, and vanilla oils, and in they went!

After dinner, we all settled in to watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and while we watched, I got our One Second a Day video caught up for the year (I was two months behind), and I also mended the broken straps on the kids’ bath towels.

After the movie was over, it was only 9 PM, so the kids popped some popcorn, and we watched a couple more episodes of Friends before they went to bed.

Brian and I ended the evening with toasted marshmallow old fashioneds and the newest episode of Silo, and then we watched a smidge more of Every Year After before bed.

 

Saturday, August 1

Saturday morning, I slept in until 8:45 AM, and then I headed downstairs to make homemade waffles… my Saturday specialty.  :o)  By the time the waffles were ready, everyone was up, so we all had breakfast together and then Brian and I cleaned up the kitchen while the kids started their laundry and showered.

I grabbed a cup of tea and headed to my office to catch up on emails, work on some more blog housekeeping stuff, and get this post caught up, and then I worked on a couple of things for social media.  I also realized Saturday morning that Instagram FINALLYYYY started showing all the highlights on my bio again after years of having them only show 100 of them.  (Yes, I have more than 100 highlights in my Instagram bio.  Haha.) 

So now, I can scroll all the way over and see every highlight I’ve ever made – from our very first Disney trip (the kids were tiny) to every concert we’ve been to and all the highlights in between… I’m so thrilled and so grateful they’re all back.  For a while there, I was worried they were gone forever! 

After I was done at my computer, I got started on some things I wanted to do around the house – make the bed, fold all the clean bedding I’d washed Friday, and photograph and list tons of clothes for sale on Facebook and Poshmark.  That has been on my list foreverrrr, so I was happy to get it DONE.

We all had lunch together after that, and after lunch, Jacob opened his mail from the DMV… he officially has his permanent permit instead of the temporary paper one.  I still cannot believe it.

After lunch, I finished photographing and listing items on Facebook and Poshmark and then I washed two loads of towels.

I had to lay down for a few minutes late in the afternoon to give my neck a rest, and then I grabbed a cup of tea to enjoy before it was time to shower and get ready.  I finally got to wear my new necklace and it is even more beautiful than I'd hoped.  I'm so here for the statement necklace comeback!  And it looks cute with my favorite bracelets!

We went to 5:30 Mass, and then afterward, we went to our usual Mexican restaurant for dinner.  My cousins, Wil and Shelby, and Shelby’s boyfriend, Drew, had all driven in from Atlanta and Athens, and they joined us for dinner, which was such a special treat.  Wil is the assistant director of equipment for the University of Georgia football team, so we don’t get to see him a lot even though he’s only a couple of hours away.  This was his last free weekend before college football starts, so he will be busyyyy for the next six months.

Since they were all here visiting, we stayed later than usual at dinner, and my Uncle Greg also had them come out to sing Happy Birthday to Jacob since he'd just had a birthday.

After dinner, the kids wanted ice cream, so we swung by Bruster’s on the way home.  When we got home, I bet y’all can guess what we did!!  We got in our pjs and watched Friends until the kids went to bed.  Haha.  And then Brian and I watched the second to last episode of Every Year After. 

 

Sunday, August 2

Sunday morning, I slept in until 8:30 AM and realized it was the last day of summer break and the last day that I didn’t have to wake up at 6 AM, so my Sunday Scaries kicked in big time.  I headed downstairs to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then after we ate and cleaned the kitchen, I headed to my office to get my Sunday things done.

First up, was getting my planner ready for the week ahead, and let me tell you, it’s a whole lot less fun when school is back in session.  Haha.  After that was done, I transferred my photos from my phone to my computer and it behaved this time, so organizing them didn’t take long at all. 

Jacob wanted to practice driving, so he and Brian (and Olivia because she just wanted to be there to watch) all left late in the morning to do that.  While they were gone, I folded all the towels that got washed Saturday and put them away, and then I got a couple of shipments ready for sales that had come in for some of the stuff I’d posted Saturday.

After that, I relisted all the uniforms on Facebook that I’d listed the previous week to get some fresh eyes on them.  I sold about half of them earlier in the week when I first posted them, but the post eventually got buried in the algorithm, so I made a fresh post. 

After that, I rearranged a couple of things in my closet, and then Brian and the kids came home.  Jacob had driven a lot more than he did the first time with me.  He felt more comfortable in Brian’s SUV, too, since his is smaller than mine.  Plus, they’d found an even bigger parking lot that was completely empty, so it was a good experience.  He even practiced parking!

We all ate lunch together when they got home, and then I sorted the dirty laundry since it was laundry week.

I headed out for a walk mid-afternoon and oh my word, it was hot.  The sun was overhead and it was miserable.  I ended up cutting it short because I started feeling a little woozy thanks to my dizziness, but at least I got most of it done.  When I got home, I did an 8-minute arms workout, and then I got showered.

Sunday afternoon was spent at home just being.  The kids love a lazy homebody day like I do, so we did just that.  They both showered and got everything ready for school the next day, and we all tidied the whole house – nobody wants to go back to the regular routine with a messy house!  Then, I spent the rest of the afternoon in my office working on this post, starting my post for Friday, watching The Wedding Planner, and working on a few other administrative things.

We went to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and then when we got home, we watched a little bit of Friends, the kids went to bed early (boooo), and then Brian and I started the last episode of Every Year After before also going to bed early (double boooo).

Happy Tuesday, y’all!