Our Week - The One with Grandparent’s Day, First Reconciliation, and Brian’s and Olivia’s Birthday Celebrations

What a week!  It was a busy one, but one filled with so many wonderful things for our little family.  It was bittersweet, though, watching everything unfold in Ukraine.  I spent every spare second praying for all of the innocent people there and praying for peace in this world.  It seems as though there may never be a time when we’re all living in peace and harmony.  When one conflict resolves, another begins, and it’s an ongoing cycle that I fear may never be broken. 

If you have a moment, please say a prayer for all of the people who have been uprooted and lost loved ones, and for those who are mourning the loss of daily life and normalcy as they know it. 

Now for the recap…

Monday, February 21

Monday, our kiddos weren’t off for President’s Day like they usually are, so it was a school day for us.  We got up and out the door at our usual time, and then once I got them to school, I headed to Target to return some things.

After my Target trip, I had an 8:30 AM appointment with my allergist.  I did all of my breathing tests, and he said that my lungs are looking great and that my asthma seems to be well-controlled right now.  Woo hoooo!  As for the pesky allergies, there’s not much I can do about those except to keep on taking my daily allergy meds.  The doc did confirm that the tree pollen has, indeed, started here, so that explained my cough and runny nose that I started having when the kids had Covid.  I tested negative three times, so I knew there had to be something else going on!

After my appointment, I headed back home to crank out some blog content for the next couple of hours, and then B and I went to Lowe’s later in the morning to grab some stuff for the kids’ bathroom project.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating lunch and working, and then I headed out to pick up the kids from school. We headed straight to dance and dropped Olivia, and then I took Jacob home before heading back out to run a couple more errands. 

It rained all. day. long. Monday, so it most definitely wasn’t ideal for running errands, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!  When I got back to the dance studio, I talked to my uncle on the phone for a bit while I waited for Olivia’s classes to end.  He’s been working out of town for several months, so we haven’t been able to see him much lately, so it was nice to be able to catch up with him.

Olivia and I got home just as Brian and Jacob were leaving for baseball.  His practice was in the batting cages, and since those are covered, the rain wasn’t an issue.  They’d already eaten dinner, so Olivia and I were on our own.  I made some sandwiches and cut up some fruit, and that was that. 

After dinner, Olivia did her homework while I cleaned the kitchen and prepped for the next day, and by the time that was done, it was time for her to get showered.  While she showered and got ready for bed, I got in a quick stair-stepper workout, and by the time she and I were both done, the boys were back home from practice.

Jacob got showered, and while he did that, Olivia and I lay in her bed together and looked at my old sign language book.  She has taken a major interest in sign language, and she informed me the other day that her New Year’s resolution is to learn some sign language.  I love it!  I went through a phase in middle school of wanting to learn sign language, and I still have my old book, so I pulled it out, and we learned to sign a few new words together. 

After Jacob was ready for bed, B and I headed to the kids’ rooms to pray and hang out with them for a bit, and then I meditated with Jacob as we do every night before bed.  He really loves meditating now, so we do a children’s meditation from my Calm app pretty much every night before he goes to sleep.

Once they were in bed, B and I enjoyed some more banana pudding leftover from his birthday, and we watched The Bachelor.  Which, by the way, is getting dumber and dumber every season.  Haha.

Tuesday, February 22

Tuesday was Twos-day, 2/22/22, so the school did a fun dress-up theme - tutus, ties, tennis shoes, and twinning.  Jacob opted to wear a tie and tennis shoes, and Olivia wanted to wear her dance tutu.

Tuesday was also Grandparent’s Day for the middle school and high school at our kids’ school, and my friend, Becky, and I were in charge.  After I dropped the kids, I made a quick stop at Walmart to grab some necessities, and then I headed to our favorite local donut shop to pick up 50 dozen donuts. 

I met Becky at the school, and we got everything set up just in time to walk over to the church to greet everyone.  The plan for the middle school and high school was for the grandparents to meet all of their grandchildren outside the church, and then they all went to Mass together.  After Mass, they all went back over to the school’s media center, where the donuts were waiting for them, and they were all able to eat and socialize.  The whole event went smoothly, and it was so nice to be volunteering at the school again.  I missed it so much while everything was shut down because of Covid.

I got home just after 11, and I immediately got to work checking things off of my list.  I had soooo much to do Tuesday, so for the rest of the day I worked on my list until it was time to pick up the kids. 

After school, the kids did their homework and then Olivia and I headed to her lyrical class.  Her class on Tuesdays is just 45 minutes, so I sat in the parking lot, and while I waited, I cleaned out my whole car and then started my new book… another one by Colleen Hoover!

When we got home, we made breakfast for dinner, and then we had a nice evening at home.  Jacob was supposed to have had baseball practice, but the fields were still too wet after all the rain we had, so they canceled it.  The weather was beautiful on Tuesday, though, so we all headed to the back yard after dinner.  Jacob had been working on his 1,000 pop-fly catches all afternoon while we were at dance, and he wanted to go practice some more.

We stayed out until dark, and then I got in a quick workout while the kids showered.  Afterward, we watched some more of The Amazing Race before the kids got into bed.  After they were in bed, B and I watched This is Us, and then we headed up for bed.

Wednesday, February 23

Wednesday morning, I had a dentist appointment first thing after I dropped the kids at school.  I wear a bite guard at night for my TMJ, so I have to see my dentist several times per year in addition to getting my two cleanings per year.  I actually see two different dentists – one for my regular cleanings – and then another for my TMJ, and I always love visiting the TMJ dentist because all of the chairs face floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, and we have a view of all of the wildlife out there.  They’re in the middle of the city, but there’s a big lake nearby, so there are ducks and geese outside the window every single time I visit.  That one goose kept staring at me, and I felt like an animal at the zoo.  Hahahaha.

After my appointment, I headed home to start some laundry and get a couple of things done for the blog, and then I had to turn around and leave again for my hair appointment.  Y’all.  My hair was so so so so bad.  I went a really long time in 2020 after Covid started, but I think I waited even longer to visit this time… partially because I was due during the holidays and the kids had the flu, and then we got too busy with the holidays.  Then by the time those were over, Omicron was everywhere, so I avoided the hair salon for that reason.  Then, when I was just about to make my appointment, Jacob got the Rona.  Then Olivia.  So now, here we are… probably 5-6 months since my last appointment.  EEKS!

Once Jamey had my hair looking fab, I headed back home to finish up working for the day and then I grabbed the kids from school.  After homework was done, they watched some YouTube videos and I went for a run.  It was hot (well, hot for February, as it was 82 degrees), sunny, and humid on Wednesday, and it was not a fun run.  Haha. 

I got showered when I got home, and then B and Jacob headed to early baseball practice while Olivia and I stayed home.  I hung out with her for a bit while she started a new weaving loom project, and then she got showered.  After that, she helped me chop broccoli for dinner, and then I taught her how to make the parmesan chicken we were having.  She even took notes and wrote down the whole recipe… any excuse to write and use her fun notebooks and pens!  She is truly a girl after my own heart.  She reminds me so much of myself at that age.  Give us all the notebooks and pens and crafts! 

Once the chicken was in the oven, Olivia worked on her sign language some more while I got the rest of dinner going.  The boys ended up getting home later than usual, so we all sat down to a very late dinner, and by the time that was done, it was time for Jacob to get showered for bed. 

Once the kids were in bed, B and I watched an episode of Raising Dion, and then we headed to bed.

Thursday, February 24

Thursday was Grandparent’s Day for the lower school, so after I dropped the kids, I headed back to our favorite local donut shop to pick up 64 dozen donuts, and then I headed back to the school.  My friend, Becky, and I hung around in the school until it was time to start, and then at 9, we walked over to the church to greet all of the grandparents and students. 

My parents and my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law all came and met up with the kiddos.  My father-in-law had wanted to come, but he had a prior engagement and couldn’t make it.  They all went in the church for Mass together, and while they were in Mass, Becky and I, along with two other ladies got all of the donuts delivered to the classrooms.

When Mass let out, the kids escorted their grandparents to their classrooms, and they all got to enjoy donuts together.  We had a great turnout, and it was a successful event, and we couldn’t have asked for anything better!

After Becky and I wrapped up at the school, I headed home to work on blog stuff, eat lunch, and get a couple of other things done, and then I headed back out to pick up the kids from school.

I had just enough time to unload the dishwasher and get most everything prepped for the next day before it was time to leave to pick up my momma for a movie date!  She and I headed to the 4:20 showing of Marry Me, and we both loved it.  Y’all know I absolutely LOVE a Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy (hello, Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan!!) and after all these years, she’s still the queen of the romcom!!

It was my first time in a movie theater since before the pandemic started, and I think the last movie I saw in a theater was Frozen 2, so that would have been November 2019.  Crazy right?!  We only had to share the theater with three other people, so it was the perfect time to go, and it was so nice being back in there and doing something normal.  I’m just so grateful that things are finally moving in the right direction with the pandemic and I’m praying we don’t have any more setbacks.

After the movie was over, I dropped Mom at her house, and then I ended up staying for a bit to chat with my parents because Brian and the kids weren’t home from Jacob’s scrimmage game.  He was supposed to have had a late practice, but the coach changed it to a scrimmage game at the last minute which meant I had to miss it.  They ended up playing an A-Ball team, and they lost 6-2, but I suppose that’s not bad since they were playing a team with some kids who were older and bigger.

B and the kids picked up Chick-Fil-A on the way home, and then we all had a late dinner, followed by showers for the kids, followed by one episode of Raising Dion and bedtime for us.

Friday, February 25

Friday was Olivia’s birthday, so I sent her off to school with donuts to share with her class.  She wanted to do donuts this year instead of cupcakes.  After that, I made a quick stop at Publix for some urgent items, and then I spent the rest of the day catching up on blog work and life stuff since the whole week had been hectic.  While I’d gotten to work on the blog each day, I didn’t have time to do much, so I’d gotten way behind.

When I picked the kids up from school, Olivia told us how wonderful her birthday had been at school and how her friends had made it so special for her.  We headed straight home, and when we got there, she opened her presents from us because she didn’t want to wait another second!! 

Once presents were open, the four of us headed to the hair salon because Brian, Jacob, and Olivia finally had hair appointments.  It had been months since Brian and Jacob had gotten their hair cut and it had been nearly a year since Olivia had been, so they were all looking shaggy.  We ended up taking 5-6 inches off of Olivia's hair!  Look at that before and after!  

It was a strange thing to be doing on Olivia’s birthday, but we have something going on pretty much every other day, so we knew if we didn’t do it Friday, it wouldn’t happen for a while.

By the time they were all done, it was time to head to my father-in-law’s house to celebrate Brian’s and Olivia’s birthdays with him.  He had picked up dinner from our favorite local pub down the street from our church per Olivia’s request, along with a cookie cake for dessert. 

We hadn’t been to his house in months because of Covid, so it was nice to finally be back over there doing something normal.  He’d had a lot of work done inside his house, and he’d also rearranged the furniture, so it was nice to be able to see all of the changes.

We left his house around 7:30 and headed straight home.  The kids got showered and ready for bed, and then once they were all tucked in, B and I headed downstairs to watch A Million Little Things.  After that was over, I fell straight to sleep on the couch… it had been such a busy week, I just couldn’t hang any longer!

Saturday, February 26

Saturday morning, B headed out for a tennis match, and I made homemade waffles for the kids and me.  After breakfast, I snuggled on the couch with Maui and drank my tea while the kids played with Olivia’s new Barbie camper.  They played all morning with that thing and never once asked to turn the TV on, and that’s how I know that gift was a true winner.  Haha.

While the kids played, I got in a cardio workout and did all of the Saturday chores.  B got home around lunchtime and he’d picked up Olivia’s cake from the bakery.  He made mini pizzas for us for lunch, and while he did that, the kids did their laundry and I got lots of stuff photographed to sell on Facebook and Poshmark. 

After lunch, I worked on several small house projects and I got the closet in Brian’s office cleaned out a bit while the kids tidied the house.  After they were done tidying, they played video games for a bit, and I started getting ready.  We finally got to go back to church in person, and if you’re a long-time follower, you probably remember that we always opt for the Saturday evening Mass rather than Sunday morning Mass.  Mass is at 5:30 on Saturdays, but Olivia had to make up her First Reconciliation before Mass, so we had to meet the religious education director at our church at 3:55.

When we arrived, Olivia headed into the church to pray for a few minutes, and then she headed back outside where they’re currently doing afternoon confession.  They’re typically done indoors, but our church is still doing them outside at this time due to Covid.  They set up chairs and screens outside so there’s still privacy, but for now, it’s all done outdoors. 

Olivia got in line and waited for her turn, and then we all headed back into the church sanctuary so she could do her penance (say her prayers).  After she was done, we still had more than an hour before 5:30 Mass was to begin, so we let the kids play on the playground for a loooong time until it was time to head back inside.

This was our first time at Mass in person since July 2021 (I think… maybe August?), and it felt so, SO good to be back!  We sat with my Mama Cass and my parents, and it was as if nothing had changed.  I’ve been going there my whole life, so even after a long hiatus of being there in person, it never feels odd to be back in there. 

We all wore masks, but the CDC had just relaxed the mask requirements on Friday, so most people didn’t wear one.  We may stop wearing them soon again, too, although, they don’t bother me in the least anymore.

The Bishop from our diocese just happened to be in town, and was greeting everyone after Mass, so the kids ran up to him and chatted him up for a minute.  At the end of their conversation, he gave them each a special blessing, and it was just the sweetest.

After Mass, we headed to our favorite Mexican place down the street from church for dinner.  The rest of the family wasn’t quite ready for eating inside at a restaurant during peak eating time, so it was just the four of us.  The restaurant ended up being pretty busy, but it wasn’t totally full, and there were several open tables and booths in our room, so we felt totally comfortable the whole time.

After we stuffed ourselves with cheese dip, tacos, and margs, we headed home… but not before swinging through the Dairy Queen drive-through first!  It didn’t take long for us to fall back into our old habits!  Haha. 

When we got home, we watched an episode of The Amazing Race with the kids, and then after they went to bed, B and I watched an episode of Raising Dion before heading to bed ourselves.  

Sunday, February 27

Sunday morning, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then we had a free morning since we’d already been to church.  I got some things done in my office since I’d not even set foot in there on Saturday, and the kids played with Olivia’s Barbie camper some more. 

Later in the morning, we got ready and headed to my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law’s house for Sunday lunch, and it was soooo good to be back there after a several months long hiatus.  We’re still splitting up and eating in different rooms at this point so we’re not all crammed in the dining room together, but we all got to spread out a bit and visit afterward. 

We celebrated Brian’s and Olivia’s birthdays there again, and then afterward, the kids played ping pong in the garage with their cousins.  After ping pong, we all went outside so the kids could pick some carrots out of the garden, but our time was cut short because it started raining.  It was chilly and dreary all day Sunday.

We made it back home around 3:30, and we helped Olivia open a couple of her new presents and get them out of the boxes.  For the first time ever, she had requested LOL Surprise dolls, and she couldn’t dig into them fast enough.

I squeezed in a very quick 45 minutes of work after that, and then it was time to head downstairs and get everything ready for Monday before we headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner.

Mama Cass joined us at Momma and Daddy’s house for dinner, and we celebrated Brian’s and Olivia’s birthdays over there, too.  Olivia had requested a chocolate chip cookie dough cake with a Minecraft kitty cat on the top.  We’ve never had a bad experience with a bakery, but we were not pleased with the cake that we had gotten. I had sent them a picture of what we wanted the cat to look like, but it ended up looking nothing like what Olivia had requested.  And the cake was really dense and weird like it had been undercooked. 

Olivia didn’t seem to mind, though, and we all had a great evening celebrating.  I was so excited to finally be able to spend some time with my Mama Cass, too, as we’d hardly seen her since Christmas. 

And that’s a wrap on our week!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!