Summer 2018 (Week 5) - Atlanta, Movies, & Storms

We had a much more relaxing week this past week.  With hardly anything on the agenda, we were able to just wake up and do as we pleased each day and it was really nice to have some flexibility. 

Monday, June 25

We decided to knock out most of our errands on Monday to get them out of the way, so the morning was spent dropping off library books that were due, Walmart shopping, and going to Publix for our bi-monthly trip for groceries.  By the time we got home, it was time for lunch, so we had hot dogs, blueberries, grapes, and Greek yogurt because it was nice and quick.  After lunch it was time for a little bit of fun!  Our popsicle molds had arrived the previous day so the kids were eager to try their hand at popsicle-making.  We had gotten ingredients for a couple of different recipes, and we decided to try the Creamy Lime Pie popsicles first.  The kids enjoyed mixing everything together (and taste-testing, of course) so it was a successful first time making them!  We had to wait until the next day to eat them, but they were worth the wait.  :o)

The three of us all piled in my bed after the popsicle-making, and we read the rest of Jacob’s Magic Tree House book that we had already started, and then the kids watched a little bit of TV while I did some work. 

Later in the afternoon, I got my new pots spraypainted white, and by the time dinner was over they were dry and ready for potting my new plants.  Since I’ve kept my grandmother’s plant alive for a year now, I recently rewarded myself with more plants.  I didn’t want to get too crazy so I opted for a couple of Golden Pathos because supposedly you can’t kill them.  WE’LL SEE.  Haha.

B and the kids played in the back yard as I repotted my new babies, and just as I was finishing up, a HUGE storm started rolling in.  We have had so many evening thunderstorms this summer and they have been rolling in and out very quickly which means that we are left with cooler temps and THE MOST GORGEOUS SUNSETS. 

Just after we put the kiddos down for bed, I walked outside to see a full rainbow and yet another unique sunset.  Just look at how the sky fades from purple to blue to pink to peach to yellow!!  And I did not edit this picture in any way.  The colors were truly that vibrant!  It was a beautiful ending to a great day!

Tuesday, June 26

Olivia had her thyroid appointment with the ENT at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on Tuesday, so B was off of work.  Her appointment was pretty early so we left the house extra early to ensure we could get there on time with that crazy ATL traffic!  We made excellent time and ended up arriving a good 45 minutes before her appointment time, but fortunately they weren’t busy that day and they were able to see us early so we didn’t have to wait.

The doctor there ended up agreeing with our doctor back home, saying that she thinks we should wait it out and monitor the nodule on Olivia’s thyroid as she grows.  She said that she can’t see any reason why we would need to do the surgery right away to remove it since we know it’s benign.  She did, however, refer us to a pediatric endocrinologist in Atlanta because she said that we need to have her thyroid tested to make sure that everything is functioning properly.  If for some reason it is not, we will likely have to go through with the surgery sooner than later. 

We are seeing our ENT back home tomorrow to follow-up after our findings with the doctor in Atlanta, and he will be able to get us set up with the labs that we need to do prior to seeing the endocrinologist.  So basically at this point, everything is still up in the air until we see the endocrinologist.  We haven’t yet booked that appointment because we are waiting to see our doctor at home first, but I’m hoping to get that appointment scheduled as soon as possible.  Thank you all for your prayers!  Please keep them coming!

After we left the doctor, we did what we always do when we’re in Atlanta, and we… went to TIN LIZZY’S for lunch!!  We were all stoked about that!  After lunch we headed to Trader Joe’s since we don’t have one close to home.  I loaded up on all of our favorites – the little mini chocolate chip cookies for the kids’ lunches, our beloved Three Buck Chuck (best wine EVER, and literally only $2.97 per bottle), and our favorite beer (Southern Juice), and I also grabbed a few new things to try – I finally got my hands on some of the Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, I grabbed some lemon scented kitchen hand soap since Bath & Body Works discontinued my beloved Lovely Lemon Meringue soap, and I grabbed a Mango Tangerine scented candle because it smells exactly like the Volcano candles at Anthropologie!!!!  Keep in mind the Anthro candles cost like $30.  Well this one was only $4.  :o)  I also grabbed some coconut oil because I’ve heard such incredible things about it.  Which brings me to… please tell me how you use your coconut oil!!

On the way out of TJ’s, the kids had a blast “feeding” the cart monster.  Lol.  They probably would have put up the shopping carts for everyone outside if we would have let them!  After TJ’s we headed out in search of ice cream, and we ended up at Krog Street Market just near The Beltline.  It is the cutest place!!  It’s in an old factory and it has lots of unique restaurants and other vendors, along with the cutest little craft beer shop.  We grabbed some ice cream at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream there, and then walked through Hop City Beer, the craft beer store.  

After browsing for a bit, we walked out of the market and headed straight for The BeltLine.  The BeltLine is a super long walking/biking trail that runs through Atlanta and it’s known for having loads and loads of street art all along the way.  It was REALLY hot that day, so we only walked for a few short minutes, snapped a picture of one of the murals, and then headed back to the car. 

When we got home, we set up the pool and all four of us spent the rest of the afternoon outside, laying out, and splashing around in our blow-up pool.  Best $25 we’ve spent this summer!  That evening we also got to try out our popsicles that we had made the day before, and they were soooo yummy!    

Wednesday, June 27

Every Wednesday morning during the summer, one of our local movie theaters is playing old (and new) kids’ movies.  For only $4 per person, each person gets a ticket to see the movie, a popcorn, fruit snacks, and a drink!!  I mean, what a STEAL!!  We hadn’t gone to any yet because of prior commitments, so this was the first week we had the chance to go.  This week’s movie was Ferdinand which we hadn’t seen, so the three of us loaded up and headed to the theater for the 10 AM showing.  I wasn’t super excited about Ferdinand, and I honestly just didn’t think it was going to be that good, but y’all, I LOVED IT.  It was funny, it was heartfelt, and it had a great message for the kids.  And yes, yes, it made me cry a little.  Parents, watch it with your kids!  I think you’ll like it!

After the movie, we headed home for some homemade cheese quesadillas, lime tortilla chips, and bananas for lunch.  The kids then spent the rest of the day doing some summer homework and coloring.  I spent that evening with my girlfriends at Bonefish, and it was nice to have a Momma’s Night Out!  You can read more about our girls’ night here.

Thursday, June 28

Thursday was a good mix of fun and productivity.  The kids hadn’t played outside much during the week at this point because it had been so darn hot, so we headed out early to the playground to beat the heat.  It was already a sweltering 89 degrees with a heat index of 96 by 10 AM, so we were only able to stay out there about 30 minutes before everyone was just ready for some cool indoor air. 

Since we were already out and about, we headed to Chick-Fil-A for some nuggets and fruit for lunch, and while we were there, I let the kids play on the playground there, too, since it’s indoors and air conditioned.  We ran to TJ Maxx after that to return something, and then we stopped to grab some flowers to take to my mom at work.  I’m trying to teach the kids about random acts of kindness, and the best way to teach is to “do,” so this was our first RAK of the summer. 

The kids picked lilies because a) they thought they were the prettiest, and b) because my parents’ dog’s name is Lily.  :o)  My Momma didn’t know we were coming, so the kids snuck into her office (even though she has to buzz us in when we get there – haha) and they surprised her with the flowers.  The kids were really excited to give the flowers to her and she was equally as pleased to receive them.  :o)  We left Momma’s office and headed straight to get my allergy shot, and then we arrived back home just in time for another huge thunderstorm.  I worked while the kids played and watched a couple of shows on Netflix, and that was our Thursday!

Friday, June 29

We had nothing planned for Friday, so the morning was spent tidying up and getting a few things done around the house.  I have been wanting to have our kitchen cabinets painted white for years, and lately I’ve been DYING to have it done, so I finally got around to emailing someone for a quote just to see.  I sent them the following picture (SOOOO DARK in there) and they responded very quickly with the quote, so at least now I know about how much it’s going to cost.  Brian thinks I’m nuts for wanting to have them painted, but we’ve lived here for almost nine years and I’m ready for something lighter and brighter!  I had originally wanted white cabinets when we first built, but I let the builder convince me to do the “trendy” dark thing, and now I regret it.  Oh well, at least I’ll have something to look forward to one day down the road!

One of my goals for the summer was to start teaching the kids more about responsibility, so I made a couple of daily checklists and hung them in the kitchen, and the kids are loving doing the things on the list just so they can check them off each day.  #LikeMotherLikeChild  ;o)  But seriously, I’m loving it because they’re learning to make their beds and be more responsible, and they seem to be loving it, too!  Well, except when Olivia has to make her bed.  Read the caption on the picture below and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.  Lol.

We had some leftover Cajun pasta for lunch along with raspberries and Greek yogurt, and then B came home shortly after we finished lunch.  He had to work all day Saturday so he was able to leave early Friday.  We decided to take full advantage of his time off, and we headed to the movies to see Incredibles 2.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the first one, but the second one was good. 

The rest of the evening was spent bringing in pizza from our favorite place, drinking a couple of the craft beers we had picked up in ATL, and relaxing on the back porch.  After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched the movie Game Night and I thought it was really funny and good.  It has Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor) in it (aaaallll the heart eyes), so you pretty much can’t go wrong, right?

Saturday, June 30

As I said before, B had to work all day Saturday so the kids and I started our day with some festive red, white, and blue homemade waffles, and then we spent the rest of the morning outside.  The kids played in the pool while I read my book, and then we headed back inside for lunch just as more storm clouds were rolling in.  I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the entire house top to bottom – sweeping, mopping, dusting, cleaning countertops, toilets, etc. – and it felt SO GOOD to get it all done.  I’ve been slacking on the house cleaning, which is probably not a good thing since I don’t work.  Haha.

B was home in time for church so we were able to go as a family, and then we went out for Mexican with my grandmother, my parents, and my bro, SIL, and nephew who are in town this week.  After Mexican, it was DQ for dessert, and then we headed back home, put the kids in the bed, and B and I watched a few episodes of Friends before calling it a night.

Sunday, July 1

My MIL and step-FIL didn’t cook Sunday for lunch, so we spent the day eating lunch at Five Guys, running a few errands (Walmart & Target), and then we stopped by a fireworks stand to grab a few goodies for The 4th!

My Momma made Sunday dinner and my bro, SIL, and nephew were all able to be there again since they’re here for the whole week, so that was a nice treat and a nice way to end the weekend/kick off the new week! 

Happy Monday, y’all!  And happy short work-week!!  :o)

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