Whew, what a
week! It was a busy but oh-so-good one
celebrating our Boo for his tenth birthday!
Let’s just dive right in to the recap!
Monday, July 19
Monday morning, B had to go into the office for a couple of hours, so I
woke up as he was leaving, and I got in a cardio workout while the kids
slept. After my workout, I got ready for
the day and did my morning meditation, devotional, and by the time I was done,
the kids were up playing in the playroom.
We all headed down for breakfast after that, and then they watched a few
minutes of cartoons while I caught up on blog reading. The rest of the morning was spent playing
inside as it was yet another rainy day. Olivia
finished drawing her poster of Elsa from Frozen 2, and I helped her cut the
hole out so she could put her face in it.
My creative girl!
B made it home mid-morning, and shortly after that I headed out to Bed,
Bath, and Beyond in search of some new kitchen mats. I have been looking high and low for some
that are nice looking and have the rubber backing so they don’t skid,
and I’m convinced that no such thing exists.
All kitchen mats/rugs are either cute and don’t have the rubber backing
OR they have the rubber backing and are ugly.
Why can’t I have both?! Haha.
I did find one that was semi-okay-looking, so I grabbed three of them
(one for the kitchen sink, one for the back door, and one for the garage door)
and then I headed to Jason’s Deli to meet my friend, Adrienne, for lunch. We hadn’t seen each other since May when our
play date was cut short due to Olivia’s broken elbow extravaganza, so we had
some catching up to do.
After our lunch, I headed back home.
B had already fed the kids lunch, so when I got home, I got them settled
in front of their laptops for an hour of IXL summer homework. After summer homework, we all tidied up the
house a bit, and then they played video games while I cranked out some
work.
It rained on and off all day long, but cleared up just after dinner, so
after eating some of my mom’s delicious spaghetti leftovers from the freezer,
we all headed outside to play Cornhole.
We wrapped up the evening with the series finale of Breaking Bobby
Bones, and then the kids headed up to bed to read and sleep over in
Olivia’s room again.
Tuesday, July 20
Tuesday morning,
the kids and I were up and ready and out the door before 9 to get to my semi-annual
checkup at the allergist. My appointment
went well, and it was super fast, so we were in and out in just 30
minutes. Olivia asked if we could stop
and get cake pops from Starbucks afterward, and I obliged because a caramel
latte sounded really good since it was, yet again, another dreary day.
After we ran
through the Starbucks drive-through, we headed to the library yet again to go
grab some more books for Olivia since she rolled through her last stack so
quickly. She needed three more AR books
to read and test on for summer homework, and she ended up coming home with
eight. Jacob also grabbed three more
non-fiction books, and then we headed home with our fat stack!
At home, the
kids read for a long time, and then we had a light lunch, followed by more
reading time. Jacob isn’t loving the
book he chose for summer reading, but he’s nearly halfway through, so he’s
powering through to get it done so he can write his report. I joined in their reading time after lunch
and got well into my Ennegram book that I started earlier this month. Pancake joined in on the reading fun,
too. ;o)
After reading
time, the kids tidied up the house, and then they got into their video games
while I worked and wrapped Jacob’s birthday gifts. I had dinner on the table when B got home
from work, and then we all went for an evening stroll around the
neighborhood. After our walk, I settled
in to read for a bit, and then afterward, the kids put on a show for us. They sang, danced, DJed, and did acrobatics
with their stuffed animals. It was so
cute!
At 8, we turned
on Lego Masters, and I got in a stair stepper workout while we
watched. After the kiddos went to bed, B
and I watched some of The Bachelorette and Atypical, and then we
headed up to bed, too.
Wednesday, July 21
Wednesday was
another super dreary/rainy day, but I was able to squeeze in a fast-walk around
the neighborhood before the rain came.
That was my first fast-walk/run since I hurt my toe a couple of weeks
ago, and I did great thanks to my new shoes!
After my walk,
I got ready for the day, and by the time I was ready, the kids were up and
ready for breakfast. After breakfast, I
went outside to water the plants, and saw that Olivia’s sunflowers had FINALLY
bloomed. And they were both so
beautiful!!
After scoping
out the sunflowers, the kids watched a couple of cartoons and then played in
the playroom until lunch, and then after lunch, they settled in for more summer
homework. Both of them tackled IXL and
Olivia also took another AR test, and then they both squeezed in some reading
time.
After summer
homework, it was tidy-up time and then video game / work time, and then I made
chicken and pineapple stir fry with rice and broccoli for dinner. After dinner, the rain had stopped, so Brian
and Jacob went out back to kick the soccer ball around while Olivia and I did
sidewalk chalk, and then about 30 minutes into our outdoor time, the bottom
fell out yet again. We have had so much
rain this summer, y’all. So much rain.
The kids played
in the rain a little bit, but once it started thundering and lightning, we
headed in the house so the kids could take showers. While they got ready for bed, I read for a
bit, and then we all settled in to watch America’s Got Talent from the
previous evening. I finally tackled
Jacob’s birthday chalkboard while we watched, and then the kids headed to their
sleeping bags (yep, they’re still sleeping together every night… they haven’t
slept in their beds in weeks) to read a bit more before lights out.
B and I did our
usual show-watching/relaxing/frozen yogurt eating, and then we headed to bed,
too.
Thursday, July 22
Thursday morning,
I got up and did a cardio workout at home since B was away at the office. Afterward, I got ready for the day and then
got breakfast for the kids. They watched
a couple of cartoons afterward, and I snapped this picture of them on the couch because I love how close they sit together. I know this sweetness won't last forever, so it had to be documented.
After that, we we all went outside because we finally
had a sunny day! No more than 45 minutes
after we got the pool blown up and filled, massive storm clouds rolled in yet
again. Argh. So, we headed back indoors and had
lunch.
After lunch, we
had just enough time to take pictures of Jacob with his birthday chalkboard
outside before the bottom fell out yet again, and then we spent most of the
afternoon indoors again because of the weather.
B got home from
work at 4:30 and then he and I dropped the kids at my father-in-law’s so we
could head out for… OUR FIRST DATE NIGHT IN 16.5 MONTHS. Yep, we hadn’t been out together for a date
night since March 7, 2020… one week before everything shut down. We did sneak out to run some errands together
on our anniversary back in December 2020, but that hardly counted as a date since
we didn’t even go out for breakfast or lunch that day since Covid was near its
peak.
A new hotel
just opened here in town and they have a rooftop bar that everyone has been
raving about, so B and I headed straight there for some drinks and small
plates. When we arrived, the place was
pretty busy and all of the tables in the shade were occupied, so we opted to
sit at the bar so we didn’t have to sit in the sun.
I opted for a
Gimlet for my first drink – your choice of gin or vodka + lime juice, simple
syrup, St. Germain, and a lime wedge. I,
of course, went for the vodka as it’s my favorite liquor, and it did not
disappoint. It was so refreshing and
delicious. B opted for the Punch which
was a blend of Jack Daniels, Chambord, sweet & sour, and cranberry, and it
was yummy, too.
After our first
round of drinks, we ordered two small plates and shared them. They had several different things on the menu
that sounded delicious, but we opted for the steak and frites in herb oil and
the sloppy joe tacos. The tacos were AMAZING…
they were short rib, collard slaw, and swiss, and they were just
perfection. I will be going back there
again just for those!
Right before
our food arrived, we both ordered Tropicalias (the best beer of all-time!) to
accompany our meal. It was a pretty hot
evening since it is July in the south, but since the bar is on the
seventh floor, there was a nice breeze coming off of the river. And speaking of the river, the view up there
was just gorgeous.
After we
finished our dinner, we walked around the bar a bit to take in the views, and
of course, we had somebody snap our picture.
(And then I obsessively cleaned my phone with a hand wipe. Hahahaha.)
Since we were
downtown, we headed to our favorite craft beer shop next to browse some of the
new beers they’d gotten. B had a gift
card, so we loaded up on a few new ones to try including a triple IPA and a
banana bread beer?!?! I’ll have to report
back and let y’all know how that one is.
I love banana bread, but I’m not sure how it’ll taste in beer form.
By the time we
finished up there, it was almost 8, so we headed toward my FIL’s to pick up the
kids. On the way, we swung by Krispy
Kreme to grab donuts for Jacob’s birthday breakfast the next morning only to
find that they were closed because their donut machine was broken. What?!
Then we grabbed the kids from Grandpa’s and headed home to watch an
episode of Walk the Prank before getting the kiddos into bed.
Friday, July 23
Friday was
Jacob’s birthday so we were taking the day off together, but that didn’t stop
me from waking up before everyone else so I could get in a run. I’m trying to close all of my rings every
single day in the month of July, so I knew I had to get out there early and get
it done. However, I do not recommend
running in a thousand percent humidity after a night of drinking. But hey, at least I got it done! Ha!
B had taken the
whole day off, and we spent the whole rest of the day celebrating Jacob. He had requested donuts for breakfast, but
unfortunately, our favorite local place is closed right now because of Covid and
Krispy Kreme was still closed because of their broken machine so we had to
settle for nasty Dunkin munchkins, and they were just so awful. I was raised on Dunkin Donuts as a
kid/teenager and their donuts used to be the best, but when they rebranded a
few years ago, they started shipping frozen donuts to all the stores, and those
frozen ones are garbage. Needless to
say, breakfast was a bit of a disappointment and I settled for a scrambled egg
instead, which is what I eat every morning anyway. Lol.
After breakfast
we all got ready for the day, and then we headed to the local arcade that Jacob
and Olivia love so much. Jacob always
requests to go there for his birthday, but we didn’t go there last year because
of Covid, so they were thrilled because it had been so long since we’d
been. We got there right when they
opened at 10 and we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves the whole time
we were there. There were other people
in there, of course, but we were able to avoid everyone very easily which was
good since positive cases are spiking terribly here in our city again. Sigh.
By the time we
finished up, it was lunchtime, so we swung by Panera curbside pickup, also per
Jacob’s request. We took that home and
ate, and then afterward, the birthday boy opened his gifts from us. After presents, he and Olivia played with his
new gifts plus their new arcade prizes, and Olivia asked me to take a picture
of her in her new googly eyed glasses.
Lol.
After playtime,
B and the kids played some video games and I squeezed in some work. Jacob wanted his favorite burger in town
(from our favorite local pub near church) for dinner, so B picked that up along
with DQ Blizzards for his birthday dessert (also his request), and we spent the
evening at home. So much junk food! Eeks!
Thank goodness for healthy options like salads and grilled veggies!
After dinner,
my parents stopped by to see the birthday boy, and then right after they left,
my brother and SIL and their kiddos Facetimed us from Huntsville. We talked to them for a while, and then the
kiddos got showered, and then we sang Happy Birthday to our boy!
After dessert, we watched some of the opening ceremonies of the
Olympics followed by a Walk the Prank.
The kiddos
slept in sleeping bags on Olivia’s floor yet again, and then B and I watched a
few more episodes of Atypical.
We’re coming down the homestretch already, and I’m not ready for it to
be over. It’s a really good show.
While we were watching, I stalked the live setlist updates for the first Dave Matthews Band concert since Covid!!!! They kicked off the show with one of my favorite DMB songs of all-time (#41) and they also played one of my other all-time favorite songs that they rarely ever play!
Saturday, July 24
Saturday morning
after breakfast, the kids begged to go to my parents’ neighborhood pool again,
and even though I had a ton of stuff to do, we obliged. Gotta squeeze in all the fun for summa summa
summatime! We stayed there all morning,
and the kids got lots of playtime while I got another pool workout done. We headed home at lunchtime to eat a light
lunch, and then I got some laundry and other housework done before showering
and getting ready for the day.
Once I was
ready, I tackled some work in my office… I swear, this summer, I’ve been flying
by the seat of my pants. I usually try
to blog about a week in advance, but lately I’ve been squeaking out posts the
day before they go live. I hate that,
but it is what it is during the summer when the kiddos are home. While I worked, this girl brought me some “tea”
so I could take a little break. ;o)
Saturday
evening, we went over to my father-in-law’s house to meet all of the fam to
celebrate Jacob’s birthday as well as my SIL’s and my niece’s. All of their birthdays are within a few weeks
of each other, and since they don’t live here, we typically lump several
together when they’re in town.
We had pizza
and cookie cake over there, and they all opened their gifts. This was the first time we’d all been to my
FIL’s house since Covid started. We’ve
all been getting together on our back porch instead to play it safe, but it was
way too hot Saturday to be outside. All
of the adults and the older kids are vaccinated anyway now, so we felt pretty
comfortable being inside.
On the way
home, we drove around through a new subdivision down the road from ours (no, we’re
not considering moving… we’ve just been wanting to check it out), and then we let
the kids watch an episode of Walk the Prank when we got home. After that, it was bedtime for them, and then
B and I started season four of Atypical.
Sunday, July 25
Sunday morning,
I made homemade waffles and we watched some of the Olympics. B and I were surprised at just how much Jacob
and Olivia loved watching archery. It is
not my thing, that’s for sure, and I was surprised that it held their
attention.
After
breakfast, B headed out to mow again (story of his life during the summer
because the grass grows so dang fast) and I did a cardio workout to burn off
the junk food from the weekend.
At noon, we
headed to my mother-in-law’s and step-father-in-law’s and celebrated all of the
same birthdays again with them. They
cooked a delicious spread for lunch, and then we had cookie cake and watched
all of the birthday people open their presents.
Jacob racked up on Legos this year yet again!
We hung out
there all afternoon and then headed home for a couple of hours to relax (and
work for me), and then we headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner and to
celebrate Jacob one last time.
#AllTheBirthdayCelebrations
He had
requested my mom’s spaghetti and rice (LOL at that combination), so we had that
followed by his delicious cookies and cream Minecraft cake! We tried a different bakery this time for his
cake, and they did not disappoint!
My Mama Cass
joined us as usual, but we were missing my littlest bro because he had to
work. Boooo.
After dinner, cake,
and gifts, Primetime Olympic coverage started, so we ended up staying at my
parents’ house until almost 9:30 watching women’s gymnastics. The kids were enthralled and didn’t want to
leave, and I didn’t want to miss it either.
It’s always my favorite, too!
And that was
our week!
And now for a few current things…
Currently
Reading
In
July, I read Little Fires Everywhere since we watched the show back in
June. I thought the book was great, but
I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read it prior to watching the show
(which is what I usually do anyway). I
also read Daisy Jones and the Six, and after a very slow start I ended
up enjoying it! For my third fiction
book, I started Beach Read, and y’all, I just couldn’t get into it. My copy ended up being due back before I could
finish it, and I wasn’t even sad to return it without finding out what happened. Granted, I only got about 20% of the way
through it, so maybe I didn’t give it a fair chance? Maybe I’ll try again eventually, but I highly
doubt it.
For
my non-fiction book for July, I’m finishing up The Road Back to You: An Enneagram
Journey to Self-Discovery. I took an
enneagram test a few years ago when it started becoming popular, and I’ve been
fascinated with it ever since. The test
that I took ended up being inconclusive as it couldn’t pin down just one number
for me, but it did say that I am probably closest to a Six. After reading a little more about the different
types, I couldn’t have agreed more, and I’ve proclaimed myself to be a Six (The
Loyalist) ever since then.
However,
after reading this book and delving into all of the little details for each of
the numbers, I have come to realize that I identify with the Ones (The
Perfectionist) just as much as the Sixes.
Now I’m stumped as to which one I identify with more… I truly feel like I’m
split 50/50 between the two.
This
book has been so interesting, and I highly recommend it if you want some
insight about the different personality types and why people behave the way that
they do. I think everyone would have
more patience, compassion, and understanding for others if they took the time
to learn what makes them tick, what sets them off, what motivates them, and why
they feel the way that they feel.
Currently
Watching
B
and I finished Mare of Easttown, and we’re still rolling through The
Bachelorette and All American.
We also started Atypical which we’re both loving. And, of course, we’re still watching Walk
the Prank, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Lego Masters, and
America’s Got Talented with the kids.
Oh,
and the Olympics! We can’t forget
that!
Currently
Listening To
Dave
Matthews Band on repeat. And that’s
pretty much it. Haha. They just started their summer 2021 tour this
past weekend after being forced to shut down their tour for 2020, so I’ve been
listening in preparation for their concert in Atlanta. We were supposed to see them in May 2020, and
since it was canceled, our tickets rolled over to July 2021. My gosh, they will always and forever be my
favorite band.
Happy
Wednesday, y’all!
