Our Week - The One with Summer, Week 8 (A Braves Game and the Start of Jacob’s Birthday Celebrations)

Last week was a good mix of fun and productivity, and today I’m recapping it on the blog!

Monday, July 11

Monday morning, we were up early, and I ran out to grab groceries.  When I got home, I finished up a blog post for the next day and then I got all of us packed for a little overnight trip to Atlanta to see an Atlanta Braves baseball game.  B got off of work at lunchtime and we ate a light lunch at home, swung by my mother-in-law’s house to drop something off, and then we hit the road!  But not before photographing some butterflies in Nana and Poppie's garden!

We arrived in Atlanta mid-afternoon and checked in to our hotel first thing.  After we were all settled in and freshened up, we took the hotel shuttle to The Battery across the street.  We could have walked, but the intersection was massive, and there was tons of traffic, so we thought the shuttle was the safer option.

The shuttle ride was about five minutes, and the driver dropped us off right in the middle of The Battery, so we set out to do some browsing.  The Battery is the area surrounding the new-ish Atlanta Braves stadium and there are tons of shops and restaurants and bars and apartments.  Everything is totally walkable, and it’s seriously the nicest – and cutest – area. 

Our first decision was where to grab dinner.  The Battery was INSANE, so all of the restaurants were packed which meant long-ish wait times.  My cousin Shelby who lives in The Battery highly recommended Superica, so we decided to do the 45-minute wait. 

While we waited, we walked around The Battery for a bit, and we made a stop in Sugarboo & Co.  They have the absolute cutest home décor, and I’d always wanted to stop inside one of their brick-and-mortar stores so I was in heaven.  We ended up staying there for most of the wait, and although I saw a ton of items I would have loved to bring home, I refrained.  I mean, just look at that artwork behind the kids.  I have always been obsessed with music, and I would love to have one of those prints behind the kids with all of the song titles.  You can customize all of the songs and artists, too!!

After we left Sugarboo & Co., we walked back down to Superica to wait in their waiting area.  We only sat there for about five minutes before we got the text that our table was ready, so it was perfectly timed.

We’ve eaten a lot of Mexican food in our day, but Brian and I both agreed that Superica was probably the best we’ve ever had aside from our beloved place in 30A.  They had an avocado salsa that was to die for, and their queso has a really unique flavor that we both loved.  Their margs were good and strong, but definitely not the best we’ve ever had.  Nothing compares to the margs at our place in 30A or Bartaco’s either.

The food was fresh and super delicious, though, and I ate way too much.  I was stuffed by the time we left.  We will definitely be back… I’m going to want to go every time we go to Atlanta now.  We may have to ditch Tin Lizzy’s and that’s saying a lot since we love it so much.

By the time dinner was done, it was time to head to the stadium, and my cousin Shelby met us outside just in time to take pictures at the sign. 

The Braves won the World Series last year, and they were giving out World Series replica rings to the first 40,000 people on Monday night, so the game was sold out.  It was craaaazyyyy.  We got inside in time to get our rings, and the kids were thrilled.  It’s pretty much the only reason Olivia wanted to go.  Haha.

When we got inside the stadium, we found our seats (which were bomb, by the way – good job, Brian!) and then we went in search of beer for the adults and snacks for the kids.  We had a wonderful time, and the weather was miraculously AMAZING.  Y’all, it has been in the high 90’s and hundreds for weeks here now, so for it to be 75 degrees with a breeze at 7 PM was a true miracle.  Normally at 7 PM it’s still 99 degrees.  It was just perfect.

The game ended shortly before 10:30 and we ended up losing, sadly, but we were playing the #1 ranked team, so I think it was expected.  That sure didn’t stop us from having a great time, though!  Well, most of us… haha.

Poor Olivia was so tired by the end of the game… she did have a great time but she was only there for the rings… and the snacks… and her beloved Shelby!

After the game, we walked Shelby back towards her apartment, and then we turned around and went in the opposite direction to walk back to our hotel.  They had police directing traffic across the crazy big intersection, and there were hundreds of people walking back, so we were able to walk and not worry about finding the shuttle again. 

By the time we arrived back at the hotel, the kids were both exhausted, and they both passed out almost immediately.  Brian and I headed to bed shortly after, and that was our day.  It was such a fun one!

 

Tuesday, July 12

Tuesday morning, we were up by 7 because we had to be back home so I could get to an eye doctor appointment.  My appointment had been on the calendar for a year, and when we decided to go to the game, I tried to reschedule, but they couldn’t get me in until October, so I knew I needed to just keep the appointment and make it work.  Brian had scheduled himself to work a half day anyway, so he needed to be back by noon, too. 

We were out of the hotel by 8, and we stopped to grab donuts.  We always love trying new local spots for donuts, but the only ones that were semi-close were right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, and we wanted to avoid that at all costs since traffic is so terrible.  We ended up settling for Krispy Kreme, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.  A donut is a donut to them!

We ended up getting back with plenty of time for me to make it to my appointment, and after my appointment, I grabbed gas and headed back home to Brian and the kids.  We had a light lunch, and then we spent the rest of the day unpacking, catching up on stuff, doing summer homework, and shopping the Amazon Prime Day sale.  I found and shared so many great deals, and we also got a jumpstart on our Christmas shopping!

Tuesday evening, we made breakfast for dinner, and then we all went for a walk.  After B and the kids went in, I continued my walk, and it was a slow one again because my back was killing me on Tuesday… probably from sitting so much in the car and at the game.  I did get in a good arms workout, though!

After my walk, we watched some of AGT followed by an episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty and some more of Stranger Things.

 

Wednesday, July 13

Wednesday morning, the kids and I were pretty lazy.  They watched cartoons and I shared Amazon Prime Day deals most of the morning.  The kids did some IXL and then we all had lunch together, and afterward, the kids and I played a couple of board games.

After board games, the kids did some reading time while I tackled some laundry, and then it was back to hunting down and sharing more Amazon Prime Day deals with all of you on Instagram. 

It was pretty dreary again all day on Wednesday, but we did all get outside after dinner to spend some time riding bikes.  Olivia had a pretty bad spill, and for a split second, I thought for sure she had broken another bone, but thankfully, she was just scraped up and a little sore. 

After she was all cleaned up, I got in a 2 mile walk and an arms workout, we finished America’s Got Talent, and then B and I watched another episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty and a few minutes of Stranger Things.  Those new Stranger Things episodes are as long as movies, so I don’t think we’ve watched an entire one from start to finish in just one sitting.

Thursday, July 14

Thursday morning, we woke up to dark skies and pouring rain.  The kids watched some cartoons and I caught up on blog reading under the twinkle lights in my office with some hot tea (I’m so ready for fall, y’all!  Although, I’m not ready for the kids to go back to school…), and then mid-morning, we got out of the house.  We had a library book that was due and my copy of The Summer I Turned Pretty finally became available, so we hung out at the library for the rest of the morning.

By the time we got home, it was lunchtime, and then after lunch, the kids did some more summer homework.  It’s never ending! 

The rest of the afternoon was spent inside playing and hanging out, and then we all headed to voice and piano lessons late in the afternoon.  I started reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, and I am loving it so far.  It’s YA, so it’s an easy read, and it’s just perfect for summertime as the book obviously takes place during the summer.

The clouds finally cleared late in the afternoon, and then the kids got outside for a bit while I cooked dinner.  B and I indulged in a rare weeknight glass of wine with dinner, and then after dinner we all got outside to let the kids ride scooters.  It started drizzling on our walk, and we ended up having to cut it short because the rain started coming down harder.

After that, we headed inside, and the kiddos got ready for bed while I did an arms workout.  We started a new show on HBO Max with the kids called Theodosia.  I ended up falling asleep on the couch (thanks to my glass of wine – LOL) but Brian and the kids LOVED the show.  Each episode is short – only about 30 minutes – and they all end on a cliffhanger similar to Secrets of Sulphur Springs, which we all love.

After two episodes, we sent the kiddos to bed, and then B and I watched some more of our shows before heading to bed.

Friday, July 15

Friday morning, I got some things done around the house while the kids played, and then I met my friend, Shelly, downtown for an early lunch at 11:30.  The weather was surprisingly pleasant, so we sat and ate outside.

On the way home, I swung by Chick-Fil-A to pick up lunch for Brian and the kids, and they dove right in as soon as I walked through the door.  The rest of the afternoon was spent prepping for back-to-school – measuring for uniforms, checking our current inventory, and placing orders, and y’all, our uniform company is so backed up, our kids aren’t going to have everything they need when school starts.  Whoops.

While the kids played video games, I paid some bills, sorted some pictures, and caught up on several things that have been on the backburner for ages.  B got off at 5, and we decided to stay home for the evening and get takeout rather than go anywhere.

B picked up dinner from our favorite barbecue place, and then after dinner, we went back outside to ride bikes.  Both of the kids did so great, and we are now just patiently waiting for Olivia to gain a little bit more control with her arms.  She has a tendency to do everything hard and fast, including her turns, and then she ends up turning too sharp, which obviously leads to crashing.  We keep telling her that any slight arm motion on a bike can make a huge difference, but she just keeps doing everything too hard.  Lol.

They rode bikes forever and I didn’t think they’d ever want to come in, and I love that they are finally understanding the joys of bike-riding.  All these years that we’ve tried to teach them, they hated it and just got so frustrated, but now that they’ve got it down, they finally know!

After the kids were ready for bed, we all watched a couple more episodes of Theodosia, and while we did that, I spread my planner, folder, blog calendar, and pens out all over the table, and I got to work getting organized for the week. 

The kids are in summer camp one more time this week, and I wanted to get all of my to-do lists made for each day so I could make the most of the empty house.  There is a ton that I want to tackle this week while they’re gone, and I’m hoping to get it all done so I can just sit back and relax and spend all of the time with them for the last couple of weeks of summer break.

After shows were over, the kids went to bed, and then B and I watched two episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty.  Y’all, I am loving it SO much!!  I’ve never read a book and watched the show/movie at the same time before, so it’s interesting to see the differences between the two as I toggle back-and-forth.  It is a bit confusing, though, remembering which things have happened in the book and which things have happened on the show since they do differ quite a bit.

Normally, I read a book prior to watching a show or movie, but this book had a long wait at the library, and I had to wait for it to be available.

Saturday, July 16

Saturday morning, B and the kids headed to the golf course to take lessons at 9, and then after lessons, they played a round on the course.  Brian said that Olivia decided that morning that she’s not really all that interested in golf anymore.  She thinks lessons are boring and playing the course has gotten a little repetitive to her, too, apparently.  She did tell him that she still loves going and riding in the golf cart, though.  Lol.  Just like her momma!  I’m just here for the golf cart!!  (And the drinks if there are any!  Haha.)

While they were gone, I took full advantage of the empty house, and I started deep cleaning the whole thing from top to bottom – scrubbing down the countertops, cleaning the toilets, dusting everything, vacuuming every floor, and mopping the hard floors.  My back is STILL killing me, so it was very slow-going, but while they were gone, I managed to get in a light cardio workout and my arms workout, I did four loads of laundry, I tidied up a good portion of the house, I got the dusting, toilets, and countertops done, and I did all of my other various Saturday chores.

When B and the kids got home, it was lunchtime, so we threw together a quick meal, and then I vacuumed and mopped the whole house while B mowed, and the kids showered and did their laundry.  It was a VERY productive day, and we somehow managed to have the entire house deep-cleaned and tidied with clean sheets on the beds and the yard mowed all at the same time.  It’s pretty rare that everything is clean all at once, so it was a happy accident!

My back held up fairly well during all that – probably because I took things very slowly – but it was still feeling stiff and sore and a little bit crunchy – so I grabbed an ice pack for the millionth time that week and iced it while I did some blog work in my office.

The kids played video games while I worked, and mid-afternoon, we all got showered and ready so we could head to my father-in-law’s house for the first of several birthday celebrations for Jacob.  My sister-in-law also has a July birthday, and my niece’s is in early August, so we celebrated the three of them together since this will be the last time they’re in town for a while as school is starting back up soon.

My father-in-law picked up takeout and we all ate together, and then watched the three birthday people open their gifts.  After that was done, we hung out for a bit, and then we had cookie cake for dessert.  It was a great evening with family!

When we got home, B and the kids watched another episode of Theodosia while I made some simple syrup for cocktails to have after the kiddos went to bed.  I’m still working on my Old Fashioned skills, and I just can’t get mine to taste like the one we had at Great Southern Café in 30A.  The version I did Saturday night was quite different than a traditional Old Fashioned, but it was my favorite version so far.  I’ll have to share it on the blog eventually!

After the kids went to bed, B and I enjoyed our cocktails while we watched two more episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty… I can’t get enough!  It is the cutest show!  And I’m also loving the book.

Sunday, July 17

Sunday morning, we slept in and had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I interviewed Jacob for his birthday as I do every year.  I sorted all of the dirty clothes, got in a quick arms workout, and then it was time to get showered and ready for lunch.

We celebrated the same birthdays on Sunday at my mother-in-law’s and step-father-in-law’s house, this time with a home-cooked meal and a chocolate chip cookie dough Dairy Queen Blizzard cake for Jacob, and we were all SO STUFFED when it was over.  Seriously, I ate way too much, and I felt almost as full as I do on Thanksgiving. 

After all of the eating was done and the gifts were open, we moseyed out to the garden.  The kiddos had planted corn at one visit with Nana and Poppie, and their corn was starting to come in.  There were also baby watermelons and cucumbers and green peppers and tons and tons of other things starting to grow in addition to the fruits and veggies that have already been coming in all summer.

We ended up staying at their house until nearly 4, so by the time we got home, it was pretty late.  I got some blog work done while the kids played video games and put together a new Lego set, and then I got everything prepped and ready for camp on Monday. 

My parents didn’t cook our usual Sunday dinner because they were out of town, so our original plan was to go out for Mexican.  B and I were still so full by the time dinnertime rolled around that we weren’t even hungry.  He and I polled the kids, and they weren’t all that hungry either, so instead, we opted to stay at home and have a Sunday charcuterie board. 

I made the kids a little plate to share, and we let them eat in the living room at the coffee table while we watched… Freaky Friday (the 2003 version, not the one from the 1970’s)!  Do y’all remember that movie?!  I loved it when it came out, and I hadn’t seen it in forever.  It’s still so dang cute and funny and the whole family loved it.  I had forgotten just how funny it is, too… there are several laugh out loud parts that had all of us rolling. 

B and I ended up not eating dinner at all… we got by with popcorn and Moscow Mules.  Lol.  After the movie was over, the kids played a while longer, and then after we got them in the bed, B and I watched the last episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty.  Ugh, so good!  And the soundtrack – amazing!  #AllTheTaylorSwift 

I’m already ready for season two!

Happy Wednesday, y’all!