Our Week - The One with a St. Patrick’s Day Party, a Massage, and the Mother Son Dance

Recapping last week…

Monday, March 17

Monday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I headed to Walmart and Publix to get groceries for the next couple of weeks.  The rest of the day was spent working on my blog post for Tuesday, and then I picked the kids up from school at three.  And I read my book the entire time in the car line because I couldn’t put it down.

When we got home, I did my Bible study while the kids did their homework, and then they played outside for a bit because it was so nice outside.

My friend, Jeannine, and her husband, James, throw a St. Patrick’s Day party every year, so we headed to their house a little after five for all the fun St. Paddy’s Day things.  They had a great turnout… lots of people there with TONS of kids.  The kids all hung out upstairs and played outside while the grownups chatted and drank beer (of course), and then the kids decorated green cupcakes with Airheads rainbow strips and marshmallow clouds.

After that, we played many rounds of St. Paddy’s Day Bingo, and then our fam headed out.  We swung by Chick-Fil-A on the way home, and ended up eating there since we didn’t need to rush to get home to Maui.  Typically, we would have picked it up and taken it home to prevent her from being home alone for too long, but obviously we don’t have to plan our schedule around her anymore, which makes me so sad.  :o(

By the time we got home, it was after eight, so the kids got showered and then we got them in the bed.  I did a stair stepper workout while they were getting ready for bed, and then after everyone was ready for Tuesday, Brian and I skimmed through some of the iHeart Radio Music Awards.  I just wanted to see Taylor and Gracie and that was about it.  Haha.

Tuesday, March 18

Tuesday morning, after I dropped the kids at school, I had to swing by the school office to pick up all of my stuff that had delivered for the Mother / Son dance.

When I got home, I threw in a load of laundry, and I started my blog post for Wednesday.  I had a massage scheduled for 10 AM, and I was so excited I couldn’t stand it.  I looooveeee a massage, but I never get them because they’re just so dang expensive.  As a matter of fact, my last massage before this one was back in 2010 shortly after my miscarriage.  So, it had been nearly 15 years.

I was excited when Brian gifted me with a couple last year.  It took me forever to schedule one, but I finally did it and it was the best 60 minutes I’ve had in a long time.  I was grateful that it didn’t affect my dizziness and vertigo negatively, too.  I was very concerned about that, but it turned out that I didn’t need to be worried.

The rest of the day was spent finishing my blog post for Wednesday and then finishing up two loads of laundry that I’d started earlier in the day.

I picked Olivia up from school at three, and she and I headed home.  Jacob had Velocity right after school + a golf match at four, so Brian grabbed him from Velocity a few minutes early so he could make it to golf on time.

While they were there, Olivia did homework, I knocked out my Bible study, and I also spent some time responding to all of my blog comments as I was waaaay behind.  Now that they don’t come to my email anymore, I rarely even think to check them.

I dropped Olivia at dance after she was done with homework, and then I headed back home to an empty house.  I finished up responding to blog comments, and then I went for a walk.  I wanted to do a more strenuous workout, but I didn’t want to undo all of the muscle relaxation that the massage had done, so I took it easy.  I did do a couple of jogging spurts but, overall, I kept it pretty low-key.

When I got home, it was time to leave to pick up Olivia.  Usually, Brian picks her up so I can cook, but he was still with Jacob at golf, so I grabbed her and then we headed home.  Since I got home so late, we did turkey and cheese biscuit sliders and fruit for dinner, and we ended up eating after 8 PM since Brian and Jacob got home so late.  Jacob had done better at this match, and he’d beaten his first match by one stroke.   

After dinner, the kids and I all had to shower.  I was still covered in massage oil from head to toe, and my hair was GROSS from the massage since I’d asked her to spend extra time on the back of my neck, so it was much-needed.

Later in the evening, my friend, Kristen, texted me to thank me for Olivia’s drawing of their cat.  They’d had to put him to sleep, and Olivia was so sad for her friend, so she painted a picture of the cat for them.  I thought it was the sweetest thing, and it truly did look just like their cat.

After we were all ready for bed, we got the kids in bed and then Brian and I skimmed through the rest of the iHeart Radio Music Awards.

Wednesday, March 19

Wednesday morning, I got the kids to school and then I headed home to work for an hour.  My hair guy, Jamey, came by at 9 AM to highlight and cut my hair, and then after he left, I set my timer for 30 minutes and then I removed the foils and got showered and ready.

After that, I was ready for lunch, and then I worked on my blog post for Maui for a while.  I have fifteen years of pictures to go through, so it is taking a very long time to prep.

I picked up the kids from school and took them home, and they did homework while I did my Bible study.  Olivia had to be dropped off at dance at 5:15 and by the time I got home, Brian was already home.

I made taco Joes for dinner for Brian, Jacob, and me, and then after dinner, the three of us went for a walk around the neighborhood.  It’s so nice to get one-on-one time with each kid!  While we were walking, one of the lenses popped out of Jacob’s sunglasses, and he wanted me to take a picture of him with one in and one out.  Lol.  I love this kid so much.

After our walk, Jacob wanted to download some new music, so we did that, and then he got showered while I did a functional strength training workout.  Brian left to pick up Olivia from dance, and while he was gone, I sat with Jacob at his piano for a while to watch him play. 

When Olivia got home, she showered, we got the kids in the bed, and then Brian and I started watching the new season of American Idol.  I’m not a huge Carrie Underwood fan, so I’m hoping that I’ll like it.  I used to like her waaaayyyy back, so hopefully she’ll be good on there.  I already miss Katy Perry, though… I loved her on that show.  She brought such great energy and she was so dang funny.

 

Thursday, March 20

Thursday morning, I worked all morning on my blog post for Friday, and around 10 AM, I left for Olivia’s third quarter awards ceremony at school.  Brian met me there, and we got to sit with our girl.

When I got home, I had lunch and then I worked on sorting more pictures of Maui + I finally started this post that you’re reading.  I typically try to start these posts on Tuesday, a full week before they go live, so I can type each day out as I go.  Lately, I haven’t had the time to do that, so I’ve just been keeping notes in my phone all week and then catching the post up all at once.  That is a big task, though, since these posts are so long.

After school, the kids and I headed to music lessons and both of them worked on the same things they’ve been working on – Jacob’s Minecraft piece and I Knew It, I Know You by Gracie Abrams for Olivia.  She was able to get the chord progression down on Thursday so she’s on her way!

When we got home, I got my quiet time done, and then I made meatballs, mashed potatoes, and broccoli for dinner.  I’d been feeling awful all day with headaches, neck strain, and dizziness, so I grabbed a glass of wine with dinner as it sometimes helps relax my muscles when nothing else works.  Thankfully, I felt a little better afterward, but I didn’t have the motivation to work out, and I didn’t want to anger the tension again.

Instead, I got a few more things done while the kids got showered, and then Brian and I watched some more of American Idol before going to bed early.

 

Friday, March 21

Friday was “dress like a book character” day at school for Olivia, so she dressed up like Glinda from Wicked.  Surprise, surprise.  ;o)  She had the perfect dress just laying around, and she’d just gotten a crown from a Wicked themed birthday party a couple of weeks before that, so she was all set.

After I got the kids to school, I ran to the school office to pick up my key since I was co-chairing the Mother / Son dance that night, and then I went home to get stuff done all day.  I worked on the blog, prepped for the dance, and Brian was kind enough to help me blow up two garbage bags of balloons because my inflator has been wonky, and it has been popping them. 

I grabbed the kids when they got out of school and then I hit the ground running.  I had a quick snack, finished packing for the dance, loaded up my car, freshened up, and then hit the road.  I arrived there around 4:45 to meet the DJ because he has to have ample time to set up all of his equipment. 

My friend, Bianca, arrived shortly after and she got started on the balloon arch while I lay out necklaces and masquerade masks, I swept and wiped down a couple of surfaces, and I set up a few other things. 

We got done setting up in time to snap a few pictures before the guests started arriving.  Love this co-chair of mine… she is the balloon arch queeeen! 

My friend, Shaun (the DJ), and I had to snap a picture and so did our resource officer and I.  I’m so grateful for this team… we have these school dances down pat and these people help make everything so easy!  And if you are local and are ever in need of a DJ, let me know, because Shaun is the best!

Once the dance started, I parked myself on the stage with Shaun to be his DJ request line since the kids can’t get up to him on the stage with all of his equipment and wires.  And I also wanted to monitor the boys because they always try to climb on the stage at some point.  Haha.

Our theater director at the school has been working to build the stage outward to make it larger, and it was still under construction, so unfortunately, it was open to the dance floor on the bottom.  The boys started trying to crawl under it almost immediately, so I ended up standing on the floor in front of the DJ to keep them from going under there.  Lol.

Those boys are wild, I tell ya.  It’s amazing how different the Daddy / Daughter dances are compared to the Mother / Son dances.  The Daddy / Daughter dances are much easier because the girls actually dance, and they love to request songs (good ones – haha).  Plus, the dads tend to get out and try to dance with them every now and then. 

However, at the Mother / Son dances, all the boys want to do is literally run crazily around the room THE WHOLE TIME and their moms all just sit along the side and chat.  Haha.  They also request songs like Sigma Boy.  <eye roll>  Hahahaha.  And hardly anyone actually dances.

Needless, to say, I much prefer the Daddy / Daughter dances.  Jacob aged out of the Mother / Son dances years ago (they are only for PK-3 – 5th grade), so I was just there strictly to co-chair the event and not to partake. 

Once 8 PM rolled around, we hit the lights and told everybody, “PEACE OUT!” and we had that décor taken down and everything cleaned up within 20 minutes.  It takes Shaun quite a while to get his stuff taken apart and all packed up, so I hung around with him after everyone left because I had to lock up.  We chatted and caught up while he worked… I’ve known him since I was 19 and we used to hang out a lot before everyone grew up and got too busy, so it’s always nice to catch up with him.  We basically just talked about how old we are now the whole time.  Hahahaha.

He was done packing everything up by about 8:45 so we locked up and headed home.  Brian and the kids had just finished watching a movie when I got home, so I chatted with them for a bit while I got in my PJs and got ready for bed, and then we got them in the bed sometime around 10 PM.

I was starving, so I got myself some cheese and crackers and Brian surprised me with a Manhattan… he’d gone and bought ingredients without telling me.  I had one for the first time on our date night a few weeks ago and I loved it, and Brian’s was delicious.

We settled in to watch the season two finale of Severance after that, and then I fell asleep towards the end.  I have a love / hate relationship with that show… it’s verrrry slow, but the last two episodes of each season are usually better because they’re more fast-paced, but this last episode was just weird and super confusing.  Brian likes it, though.

 

Saturday, March 22

Saturday morning, we slept in, I made homemade waffles for breakfast, I enjoyed about 30 minutes editing blog pictures on my computer with my hot tea, and then I hit the ground running.  I got in a mixed cardio workout, I deep-cleaned all of the countertops and toilets, and I dusted the whole house while the kids did their laundry and deep cleaned their bathroom.  Brian mowed the whole front and back yards because the weeds are popping up and the grass has started to grow, and then he did some at-home pest control.  We have to stay on top of that here in the south, mostly for roaches.  BARF.  (And I forgot to snap a picture of my workout right after so I did it in the car on the way to church... better late than never!)

After all of that was done, I popped a load of towels in the wash and then I finally filed all of the kids’ keepsakes that had been building up in my office.  I save things here and there from home and from school and I’ve had it on my list forever to pull out their boxes and get some things stored, so it felt good to get that done.

We all stopped for lunch after that, and then Brian and Jacob went to pick up Jacob’s friend, WJ, and then he dropped them off at a Velocity event.

After lunch, Olivia and I went through all of the clothes in her closet and got rid of a big pile of stuff that no longer fits, and she also started tidying her room some more. 

After all of my tidying and chores were done, I needed a break, so I lay out in the sun because it was beautiful and sunny and WARM.  I read my book for about 45 minutes, and it felt good to just take some time to relax and let the sun sink into my bones.  It’s been a long winter.

After that, I made my way to my office to do some blog work and then I did my Bible study before it was time to get ready for church.  Just as we were finishing up getting ready, I got my “proof of life” picture from WJ’s dad as he’d been the one to pick them up and I started cracking up… I love these two goofballs!!  Haha.

After Mass, we met at our favorite local barbecue place with my parents and had dinner.  My aunt and uncle who usually join us were at a wedding Saturday night, and Mama Cass decided to eat at home, so it was just the five of us since Jacob was sleeping over at WJ’s house.  It was a small group!  The barbecue place had live music Saturday night so that was nice… y’all know how much I love live music!

This barbecue place has been around since the 1970’s and my parents used to eat there when they were teenagers and dating, so I’ve been going there my whole life.  They’ve had this big, red rocking chair there as long as I can remember, so we got Olivia up there in the chair to take a picture.  We hadn’t taken her picture in it since she was probably two. 

After dinner, Olivia was begging for Dairy Queen, so she and Brian grabbed Blizzards on the way home.  When we got home, she and I spent some time together lying in my bed and chatting, and then Brian and I got her in the bed just before ten.

After that, Brian and I made another round of Manhattans and then we started the movie You’re Cordially Invited, but we didn’t finish it because it was so late.

 

Sunday, March 23

Sunday morning, the three of us had breakfast, and then I went to my office to do yoga, watch my sermon, and get my planner ready for the week ahead.  I also got completely caught up on emails (and I mean all of them – woo hoooo!) and I got caught up on blog reading.  I paid a few bills, I ordered Olivia’s school supplies for next school year, I got Olivia registered for a class at her dance studio for the summer, I created and updated Jacob’s golf spreadsheet for the new season (yes, I am that parent who keeps a spreadsheet of his stats, haha), I tackled the pile of papers on my desk and got it completely cleaned off for the first time in weeks, and I got a few other annoying tasks done that I’d been putting off.

Olivia worked on a project for social studies, and then when Jacob got home, we all ate lunch together and he told us all about his Velocity event and sleepover.

After lunch, the kids got showered and I photographed and listed a bunch of Olivia’s clothes that we’d cleaned out, and then I got showered and ready for the day.  By the end of the day, five of the seven items I’d posted for sale had already sold and been paid for.  Woo hoo!

I’d wanted to spend some time outside with the kids on Sunday because it was beautiful, but I’d gotten an air quality alert for our area saying that it was unsafe for all people, not just sensitive groups, which never happens here.  I have asthma, so between that and the pollen, I wasn’t about to set foot outside, nor was I going to make the kids go out there either.

Instead, the kids did some screen time, and I went to my office to do my Bible study, transfer the week’s pictures and videos from my phone to my computer, and work on a blog post while I watched The Wedding Planner.

Brian had a tennis match at four, but he had to wait on a court, so he ended up meeting us at my parents’ house for Sunday dinner since he got done late.  Momma made ravioli lasagna (SO good) and a lemon cake to celebrate Mama Cass’s 96th birthday!  We are celebrating her with a bigger party in April (since hers got postponed due to our severe weather last weekend), but it was nice to do a little something for her at Momma and Daddy’s house.

When we got home, I got in my PJs and sorted the laundry, and then we got the kids in the bed.  Brian and I ended the evening with the newest episode of White Lotus, and good gracious, that show gets crazier and crazier.  So cringe this season.  Haha.

And now for some current things…

Currently Reading

In March, I read All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker and I loved it.  I’m now making my way and am on track to finish Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez by the end of the month.  It is so cute, and I am loving it, too.  It’s nice to have something a little lighter after three heavy books in a row.

I also continued my new devotional Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp.  I’ll be working on this one all year long.

And, of course, I’m still working my way through the Bible for the second time around, along with my new study… The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz.

Currently Watching

With B: In March, B and I continued to watch Severance and we finished season two.  It just got renewed for a third season, but I imagine it’ll be a year or two before we see that.  We are also still making our way through the third season of The White Lotus, and we are loving it even though the last couple of episodes have been so cringe.  We also started the new season of American Idol, we watched the iHeart Radio Music Awards, and we watched the movie You’re Cordially Invited.  The reviews for that one have been terrible, but I thought it was decent.  I mean, it’s definitely the best movie ever, but it was worth the watch.  There are definitely some funny parts!

With the Kids: This month, we really didn’t watch much with the kids.  Their activities are keeping us so busy during the week that we really don’t have time to watch anything Monday – Thursday.  And all of our Fridays have been busy with the exception of one, so we did watch that movie Flow.  Brian and the kids also watched a Netflix movie called The Sleepover while I was co-chairing the Mother / Son dance, and that was about it.

Alone: I listen to music all day, every day, but every Sunday afternoon that I work in my office, I always turn on The Wedding Planner. 

 

Currently Listening To

I still have Gracie Abrams on repeat, y’all.  And I found a whole treasure trove of old albums by her, so I’m throwing those in the mix now, too.  I’ve also been shuffling some random play lists on my phone on occasion.

Happy Tuesday, y’all!

Our Week - The One with a St. Patrick’s Day Party and Two Birthday Parties

Last week was pretty low-key but we had a fun, busy weekend!  Let’s get to the recap!

Monday, March 13

Monday morning, the whole fam was on the struggle bus because of the time change.  I don’t think a time change has ever affected our kiddos this badly before.  Neither of them wanted to get out of bed, and Jacob was in a bad mood all morning.  Haha.  Same, kid.  Same.

We were plunged back into darkness again on the ride to school because of the time change, so that wasn’t fun either, but I did get to see the beginnings of a beautiful sunrise on my way to get groceries after I dropped the kids.  The silver lining.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent working on the blog, and then on the way to pick up the kids from school, I swung by the library to grab a new book to start. 

Golf started for Jacob last week, and while it’s only one day per week, naturally, it ended up being on the one day of the week that we didn’t want it to be… Monday.  Jacob already has piano lessons on Mondays, and Olivia has dance, so when we found out that Jacob’s tee time was going to be at 4:07 I panicked because he has piano from 4 - 4:30.  Sigh.

Fortunately, the golf coach and the people at the course where they play were able to work with us and move his tee time to accommodate us, but boy, does that make for a crazy busy Monday. 

I headed to pick up the kids from school with Olivia’s dance stuff, Jacob’s piano stuff, Jacob’s golf stuff, and all the snacks in tow and it was off to the races!  First up, Jacob and I dropped Olivia at dance.  Once she was all settled in, he and I headed to piano, and he did his math homework in the car on the way there.  We arrived at piano a few minutes early, so he had just enough time to squeeze in his reading for the evening while we waited. 

I gave Jacob’s teacher a heads up about the fact that we had golf right afterward, so he assured me he’d have him out on time and ready to go.  While they were in piano lessons, I started my new book, and then when piano lessons were over, Jacob and I hightailed it to golf.  Thankfully, golf is a short, straight shot down the highway, so we were there in just under 10 minutes. 

Brian met us there, and Jacob ended up having plenty of time to warm up, so it all worked out well.  I had hoped to be able to watch him tee off, but they ended up being a little bit behind on Monday, so I had to leave to pick up Olivia from dance before Jacob was able to start.

He ended up not teeing off until 5:35 (yikes!), so I guess all of our rushing was not necessary at all.  That did make for a very late night, though.

While Jacob was golfing, I grabbed Olivia from dance and got her home, and she worked on homework and reading while I cleaned up the kitchen and prepped for Tuesday.  She was so excited to show me her new book from the library because it has my name in the title and it’s spelled like mine.  ;o)  

Once she was done with homework and reading, she got in the shower, and I did my workouts for the day – 30 minutes on the stair stepper and 10 minutes of arms.  We usually do those things after dinner, but since the boys were still golfing, I knew we needed to knock them out earlier.

Jacob ended up wrapping up at 7:20, and he kicked off the season with a personal best score of 44.  He had six double bogeys followed by a par and two bogeys.  Considering he hadn’t practiced but once since the fall season, I’d say that’s not too shabby.  Haha.  He was soooo excited, too!  He ended up coming in fourth place out of 30 kids spread out over six different local schools.  Pretty incredible!

Brian and Jacob stopped by Chick-Fil-A on the way home to pick up dinner.  I hadn’t planned on cooking Monday night since I knew I’d be running all around and we weren’t sure what to expect with regard to the timing of everything, but now we know going forward that I should have time to cook something quick and have it done by the time they get home.

We all ate together when the boys got home, and then Jacob headed upstairs to shower and get ready for bed, and Olivia requested that I go ahead and put her to bed because she was exhausted from the time change.  Lol.  Poor girl.  She told me when she was going to bed that this time change is rough, and I couldn’t agree more.  Haha.

After I got her in the bed, I headed to my office to do my meditation and quiet time for the evening, and then B and I watched some of the new episode of The Bachelor before calling it a night.

Tuesday, March 14

I slept like crap Monday night, so my reasons for being on the struggle bus Tuesday morning were two-fold.  It’s already rough enough feeling like you’re waking up an hour earlier, but after a night of little sleep, it’s much, much worse.

Anyhoo, I dropped the kids off at school in the dark again, and then I headed to Publix to pick up all of the grocery items that I wasn’t able to get at Walmart on Monday.  While I was there, I had to grab a red bell pepper because Walmart didn’t have any on Monday, and I almost FELL OUT when a single bell pepper rang up as $2.27.  WHAT?!

I was so shocked that I called over one of the Publix employees to ask him if something was wrong in the system, and he doublechecked, and that price was, indeed, correct.  What on EARTH?!  Why oh why are red bell peppers so expensive right now?!  Is there a shortage? 

Anywayyyy, I made my way home after that, still in shock (LOL), and I got all of the groceries put away before settling in to work the rest of the day.  It was freeeezing Tuesday morning again (like, literally freezing.  Sigh.), so I grabbed my hot tea and wrapped myself up in my cozy blanket, and I worked all day until it was time to pick up the kiddos.

When we got home from school, they tackled homework and reading time, and I wrapped up my to-do list for the day watering plants and folding towels and getting them put away.

We headed out to get Olivia to dance once homework was done, and then after that, Jacob and I made a stop at the mall to return something to American Eagle.  I hadn’t set foot inside the mall in literal years, so it was quite a time warp.  The only time our kids have ever been to the mall was to visit Santa Claus at Christmastime, but they hadn’t even been since before Covid, which would have been in 2019. 

After our quick trip to the mall, Jacob and I headed home.  We had to review his course load for next school year and get it submitted, so we worked on that next.  Jacob is currently taking advanced math this year in sixth grade and he has gotten a very high A every single quarter, so his advanced math teacher recommended that he go ahead and take advanced math in seventh grade, too!  Woo hoo!

Once that was done, Jacob got on his laptop to watch some Minecraft YouTube videos and I got in a quick arms and squats workout before it was time to cook dinner.  I’ve been doing outdoor runs on Tuesdays lately, but it was way too cold last Tuesday.  Boooo.

After my workout, I got dinner ready – vodka sausage pasta, steamed broccoli, and Cheesecake Factory bread – and then when Brian and Olivia got home from dance, we all sat down and ate dinner together. 

After dinner, Jacob and I spent some time playing piano together while Olivia was in the shower.  He gave me a refresher lesson since it had been a few weeks since I last played.  I was able to pick it right back up, thankfully, and I’m hoping to start practicing more on my own, too, until I can take lessons with a real instructor.

Once Olivia was out, it was Jacob’s turn to get showered and ready for bed, and I spent some time with Olivia in her room while he was doing that.  She is completely and utterly obsessed with the CDs that we got her for her birthday and she has been spending so much time in her room laying around and reading the lyrics inside the CD books lately.  I swear, I walked in on her the other day and she looked like a teenager.  So Tuesday evening, I went in and lay with her for a little bit.  She was learning the words to Daylight by Taylor Swift. 

Once the kiddos were in bed, B and I watched some more of The Bachelor, and then we went to bed a little early again because this time change is kicking my butt.

Wednesday, March 15

Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids off at school, and then I worked on the blog all morning.  After lunch, I spent some time photographing and listing clothes on Poshmark, and then I headed to pick up the kiddos when they got out at 3.

We had nowhere to be Wednesday afternoon, so we headed home, and the kids worked on homework.  After that, they spent some time playing on their scooters outside, and then when B got home, we all had dinner together.  I made stir fry with chicken, pineapple, red pepper, broccoli, and rice, and I also made some chocolate chip muffins. 

After dinner, I headed out for a 3.5 mile walk/jog, and the kiddos played outside for a bit longer before it was time to get ready for bed.  I got really dizzy about halfway through my jog, so I had to take it easy for the second half, which was a bummer.  I also accidentally stopped my workout before I was done and I had to start a new one, hence the reason for two separate pictures of my workout.

When I got home, I figured the dizziness would pass, but it ended up staying with me for the rest of the night, and that also made me feel nauseated, so that wasn’t fun at all.  I still have no idea why it happened… I’m assuming from breathing in the ridiculous amounts of pollen in the air?  The pollen is horrible this year.  Who knows.

Anyway, I got showered after my jog, and then we all watched the newest episode of The Mandalorian before sending the kiddos to bed.  After that, B and I watched the newest episode of American Idol, and then we called it a night early since I wasn’t feeling great.

Thursday, March 16

Thursday morning, I woke up feeling mostly back to normal, so I got the kiddos off to school and then worked on various blog stuff and projects all day.  I also squeezed in a bit of reading.  After school, we grabbed snacks at home and then headed to voice lessons, and then once that was done, we were officially on our three-day weekend!!

When we got home, the kiddos played on their scooters outside, and then when B got home from work, we made breakfast for dinner (eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, and toast).  After dinner, the kids went back out to play on scooters, and I took Maui for a quick half-mile walk, and then I got in another 2.5 miles on my own.  Thankfully, I didn’t get super dizzy again, but I did still have some mild dizziness that resolved quickly after I got home.  I really think it’s the pollen that’s causing it. 

After the kids and I were showered and ready for bed, we finished watching The Mandalorian that we’d started the night before, and then we watched an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  We’d watched almost two full seasons of that in 2021 and 2022, but we went months and months (maybe even a year?) without watching one, so I was excited that the kids requested it again.

After that, the kiddos went to bed, and B and I watched A Million Little Things and called it a night.

Friday, March 17

Friday, the kids were out of school for St. Patrick’s Day, so we all slept in, and then I made green waffles with rainbow sprinkles for breakfast.  The kids had made a leprechaun trap Thursday night, and they left coins to lure him in, along with a blank sheet of paper and various shades of green crayons.  They were super pleased to see that one had visited in the middle of the night, and he’d left them a shamrock drawing on the piece of paper.  Apparently, he was too clever for their trap, though, because he was able to escape, and he was nowhere to be found.  ;o)

After breakfast, the kids settled in for some TV (they’re super into videos of watching people arrange elaborate dominoes setups and watching them fall down), and I spent a few minutes in my office reading blogs while I drank my tea.

Mid-morning, I got ready for the day, and I decided to use my hair waver since it had been a while since I used it.  Olivia has been asking for me to wave her hair, and she inspired me to pull it back out for myself.

Once I was ready for the day, the kids and I went to Target to return a few things, and Olivia wanted to spend some of her birthday gift cards.  She ended up selecting a Baby Yoda bathrobe, a giant stuffed unicorn, and a Barbie that has a baby.  Random assortment.  Haha.

After Target, we headed back home and ate lunch with B who was working from home, and then the kids played for a bit.  It rained all day so there was no outdoor time, and after the kiddos were done playing, they played video games for a while, too.

Friday evening, my friend, Jeannine, and her fam hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party at their house, so the four of us decked ourselves out in green, tattoos and everything!  We spent the whole evening over there eating and playing games, and it was a lot of fun.  They had corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, and of course, there were green adult beverages and lots of beer.  We played Irish Bingo off and on all evening, and the best part was the beard game. 

Three of the dads put on plastic capes to protect their clothes, and then the kids sprayed shaving cream beards on their faces and then threw Cheetos at them to create a red beard.  Lol.  And there were a gazillion kids there Friday evening, so the dads were getting pelted from every direction.  Haha.  I laughed so hard, y’all.  It was hilarious.  The guys were such good sports.

By the time we got home, it was time to get the kids in the bed, and then B and I watched some more of Outer Banks before hitting the hay ourselves.

 

Saturday, March 18

Saturday morning, I made homemade waffles for breakfast again, and then I read for a bit while the kids watched cartoons.  The rest of the morning was spent doing laundry, working out, and tidying up the house.  We all ate a light lunch at home together, and then I got showered and ready because Olivia had a birthday party to go to Saturday afternoon.

The party was at an indoor scuba diving place, so thankfully, the water was warm.  It was freezing all weekend here (boooo), so warmth was important.  Olivia had a blast swimming with all of her friends, and I loved that they had lifeguards on duty so I didn’t have to put all of my focus on watching her.  I was able to chat with all of the other moms while we waited instead.

After the party, Olivia and I headed home.  We weren’t able to go to 5:30 Mass per usual since the party ended after 5, so we settled in for an evening at home instead.  We’d originally intended to meet my parents for dinner, but Jacob had told us before bed on Friday night that his throat was scratchy and his nose was runny.  He was the same all day Saturday, but thankfully it never escalated into anything serious, and his symptoms remained mild.  We didn’t want to risk getting anyone sick, though, so we just stayed home Saturday.

I went out and picked up Five Guys for dinner while the boys wrapped up their Star Wars show that they’d started while we were gone, and then after dinner, the kids got showered and ready for bed, and we watched two more episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched more of Outer Banks, and then we called it a night, too.

 

Sunday, March 19

Sunday morning, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I watched church online.  We didn’t go since Jacob was still a little under the weather.

After that, I got in a yoga workout and then got ready for the day.  We had a light lunch, and then Olivia and I headed out to my Mama Cass’s birthday celebration.  I was bummed that Brian and Jacob weren’t able to come celebrate with her, but again, we didn’t want to expose her to any germs. 

The birthday celebration was at my aunt and uncle’s house, and much of my extended family was there, although, at least half of us were missing.  We have a HUGE family on my mom’s side, and we’re all spread out all over the United States, so it’s hard to get everyone together at the same time.

We celebrated the birthday girl with a lemon cake (her favorite) and a traditional birthday cake, and we all spent a few hours together and it was a really good afternoon.  My Mama Cass is 94 years old, y’all, and she still lives on her own, she still drives herself around, and her mind is still as sharp as a tack.  I always tell her I want to be just like her when I grow up. 

Gosh, I love her so much, and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to have this many years with her.  I pray that she makes it to a hundred so I can have many more.  (Although, she always gives me the side eye when I say stuff like that.  Hahahaha.)

On the way home, Olivia and I opened the sunroof and blasted Taylor Swift, and I had to snap a picture of her babies because she had put them in a seatbelt to keep them safe.  Lol.  She ended up naming her new giant pink unicorn Peanut Butter, and then when my brother gave her the smaller purple unicorn on Sunday, she decided to name her Jelly.  Love it.  And I also love that she still loves her stuffies.  She has done lots of maturing these last few months, and she is really behaving more like a tween these days, so it’s nice to still see glimpses of my baby girl here and there.

 

When we got home, the boys were playing video games, so Olivia joined them, and I retreated to my office to get a few things done for the blog.  Jacob was still sniffly and his throat was still a little scratchy, so he took it easy all weekend so he would hopefully be better and ready for school on Monday.

My Momma didn’t cook Sunday evening since we’d all been together Sunday afternoon, and that worked out well since we wouldn’t have wanted to bring Jacob over there anyway.  Instead, we picked up a pizza, and then Jacob and I played piano together for a bit before watching another episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the last episode of the new season of Outer Banks.

Happy Tuesday, y’all!