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Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Our Week - The One with More Sickness, a Girls Night, and Fall Decorating

Well, Olivia ended up getting what Jacob had, and she had to miss a couple of days of school last week, but as I type this, all four of us are finally well for the first time since August 2, and I’m hoping it stays that way for a while!  Let’s get to the recap of our week, shall we?

Monday, August 22

Monday morning, I dropped the kiddos at school, hit up Publix for some groceries, and then I spent the day working on the blog and deep cleaning the toilets and all surfaces of the house.

After school, Jacob and I dropped Olivia at dance, and then I got him home so he could do his homework before he had to leave for his golf interest meeting.  I left at 5 to go back and pick up Olivia, and Brian and Jacob headed to the school for the golf meeting, and then we all met back home at 6:15 for dinner. 

Since we get home later on Mondays, I just heated up some Publix meatballs and then made some mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli to go along with them.  Our kids would eat those meatballs every single day if we’d let them.  They are so good!  Just a little FYI if you have a Publix nearby!

By the time dinner was ready, Olivia had finished her homework, so after dinner, the kids headed upstairs to get showered.  While they showered, I got outside for a quick 2-mile walk/jog.  It was cooler Monday evening because it had been dreary all day, but the humidity was a million percent, and I was drenched by the time I got back home.


I got showered when I got home, and then the kiddos played in the playroom for a bit.  One of Jacob’s friends texted my phone and asked to talk to Jacob, so the two of them texted back and forth for a bit before it was time to go to bed.

Right before bed, we were all upstairs, and we all heard a loud crash followed by the shattering of glass downstairs.  B and I ran down there to see what on earth had happened, and after searching the whole house we couldn’t find anything wrong.

I finally realized that one of my beloved champagne glasses had slid off the back of our wine rack and crashed to the ground.  I was so glad that happened while we were home, because if we hadn’t been home to hear it, we probably wouldn’t have noticed for a while that it had fallen.  Then we would have run the risk of someone stepping on one of the shards of glass that had flown out from behind the rack.  It shattered into a million pieces. 

We have no clue how or why that thing fell, and it was just really bizarre.  I’m still scratching my head over it. 

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched another episode of Vampire Diaries, and then some more of the Manti Te’o documentary before heading to bed.


Tuesday, August 23

Tuesday morning, Olivia woke up with the same stuffy nose/scratchy throat cold that Jacob had over the weekend.  Sigh.  They are together every minute when they’re at home, and it’s impossible to keep them separated, so we figured she’d get it at some point.  She felt totally fine, and she didn’t even have a fever, but we, of course, kept her home so she wouldn’t spread her cold germs at school.

I had an allergist appointment and a school meeting on the calendar Tuesday, so Brian ended up having to work from home yet again since I couldn’t stay with Olivia.  Tuesday was the first day that he was finally going back to the office for work since August 1 since he’d been out with Covid for so long, and then he had to tell his boss he had to stay home again.  Can’t make this stuff up!  Lol.

After I dropped Jacob at school, I ran to Staples to grab a couple of things, and then I went to my allergist appointment at 8:30.  After that, it was Starbucks and Target to pick up some stuff for Olivia’s teacher’s birthday, and then I had to be back at the school for a 10 o’clock meeting.  I’m in charge of Grandparents Day again at the school this year, and it was time for our meeting since Grandparents Day is next month!

After the meeting, I finally headed back home to Brian and Olivia.  I pulled her away from her cartoons and got her all settled in with her schoolwork.  Thankfully, this year, a lot of her work is done on a laptop, so she was able to make up the majority of her classwork right there at home.  So convenient!

After she was done with schoolwork, she played video games for a little bit while I did some work, and then I headed out to pick up Jacob from school.

Olivia was supposed to have two dance classes Tuesday evening, but she had to miss them, so we had an unexpected free evening.  I cooked dinner while the kiddos finished up homework and played, and then after dinner, I finished folding towels and did an arms workout while the kids got ready for bed.


We watched some of AGT before the kiddos went to bed and then B and I watched another episode of Vampire Diaries and finished up episode 1 of the Manti Te’o documentary.  Side note, we’re about a quarter of the way into the second season of Vampire Diaries, and I am totally swooning over Damon, y’all.


Wednesday, August 24

Wednesday morning, Olivia was still pretty congested when she got up, so we made the decision to keep her home for another day.  Pre-Covid, I would have definitely sent her back on Tuesday, but we are trying to be especially mindful right now about germs since there’s such a stigma, and for good reason.

After Olivia and I dropped Jacob at school, she and I swung by Publix to pick up cupcakes for her teacher’s birthday on Thursday, and then we stopped to get gas, and we ran inside to find some Vanilla Coke to add to her teacher’s favorite things basket from the class since that’s her favorite.  I hated to take her out in public while she was sick, but I didn’t have a choice since B was back at the office.  We both wore masks just to be safe even though there was hardly anybody there anyway since we went before 8 AM.

By the time we got home, her teacher had added her assignments into their Google classroom, so she worked on those for the rest of the morning while I vacuumed and mopped the whole house.  I finished up just as she did, and then we played a game of Memory with her favorite set of cards.  Per usual, she whooped my tail, 17-10.  I swear, she and Jacob have THE BEST memories when it comes to those memory games.  I totally suck at remembering where any of them are.  Haha.

By the time we finished up with that, it was time for lunch, so I got everything on the table, and Olivia and I ate together while listening to our Halloween playlist.  My girl has been begging for a couple of weeks to listen to it, so I finally gave in… who am I kidding… I’m excited for it, too!!

After lunch, we got everything cleaned up, and then she helped me put all of the gifts together for her teacher’s birthday gift from the class.  We got it all wrapped and got everything ready to go for Thursday, and then I helped her hang a couple of handmade Halloween decorations she’d made for her room.  She’s just as festive as her Momma!

We had just about an hour before it was time to pick up Jacob from school, so I sent her to play video games so I could get some work done.  I had to send an email to all of the parents about the teacher’s birthday gift, and then get a couple of things done for the blog.

On the way to pick up Jacob, we jammed out to the Encanto soundtrack, and Olivia was content in the car drawing more Halloween decorations to hang in her bedroom… although, she was initially shocked to find out that I have to sit in the car line for 30-40 minutes every day just to pick them up from school.  Haha. 

When we got home, the kids had snacks and did homework, and then Jacob played video games for a few minutes while I got dinner ready.  I had to be at Parent Night for the middle school on Wednesday evening, so we ate a verrrry early dinner, and then I headed to the school. 

Brian took Maui and the kids for a nice long walk and to play on the neighborhood playground while I was gone, so they were finally able to get some fresh air after a lot of rain earlier in the week.

Parent Night went well, and I was able to sit in each of Jacob’s classes and see what to expect for the upcoming year.  I was also able to meet the two teachers of his that we didn’t already know, one of whom is new to the school this year.  I was impressed with all of them, and I think Jacob is going to have a really wonderful year!  So far, so good!

I got home around 7:30, just as the kids were finishing up getting ready for bed, and then we all sat down and watched a few more minutes of AGT before sending them to bed.  By the end of the day, Olivia was feeling great and had very minimal congestion, so we knew we could go ahead and make the decision to send her back to school on Thursday.  Like I said before, she really could have gone back on Wednesday, but we’ve been being overly cautious about germs since Covid started.

After the kiddos went to bed, it was more Vampire Diaries and more Manti Te’o documentary for us, and then bedtime.

 

Thursday, August 25

Thursday morning, I dropped both kiddos off at school (PRAISE!) and then I dropped off some cupcakes and a class gift for Olivia’s teacher since it was her birthday.

After that, I headed straight home to do all the things that I hadn’t been able to do since I’d been entertaining a sick kiddo.  Thursday was the first day that Brian was at work and both kids were at school since May, so it was the first time I’d had the whole house to myself for the day in months!  It was nice, but also odd because it was so quiet.

At 3, I grabbed the kids from school, and we headed straight home for a quick snack before music lessons.  Jacob’s piano teacher had a cancellation right before Jacob, so the kids were able to take their lessons at the same time on Thursday which meant that our time there was cut in half!  Woo hoo! 

The kids’ school librarian/media center specialist was there with her two kiddos (one of whom is in Jacob’s class), so I was able to chat with them during the 30 minutes that the kids were taking lessons, and that passed the time very quickly. 

When we got home, I got everything prepped and ready for Friday, and then I headed out for dinner with my girlfriends while B took the kids to the driving range.

We’ve officially reached busy season, so only four of us girls were able to make it to dinner, but it was nice to get out and catch up with those who were able to make it. 


I got home around 8, and the kids were still in the midst of getting ready for bed since they’d gotten home late.  B had picked up dinner for them, and apparently Jacob wanted Chipotle and Olivia wanted Chick-Fil-A so he took them to both places so everyone could get what they want.  Suckerrrr!  Haha. 

Once the kids were in bed, it was more of the same for Brian and me – Vampire Diaries, and more Manti Te’o documentary.  We’ve been watching that in 15-minute chunks so it’s taking us forever to get through it.  Ha!


Friday, August 26

Friday morning, I dropped the kiddos at school and then I swung by a friend’s house to pick up some uniforms for our kiddos.  The rest of the day was spent working, and then after school, the kids and I swung by the library to pick up some books.  My friend, Jeannine, was working, so we were able to chat with her for a bit, too.


When we got home, I wanted to start pulling out fall decorations, but in order to do that, the closet we store them in had to be cleaned out first.  The closet in Brian’s office houses all of our holiday décor, sell/donation items, and gift wrap, and it has also become a catch-all for junk, so it was reeeeally bad. 

We had a lot of stuff in there that needed to be listed to sell, so I photographed all of it and got it uploaded to a local Facebook page that we use to sell stuff, and then I got all of the donation items pulled out and placed in our dining room until I could get them loaded into my car and dropped off.

Once all that was done, Brian helped me carry the fall boxes out to the front sitting room so they’d be ready for me first thing Saturday morning.

I had to cut my cleaning short because we had plans Friday afternoon/evening to hang with my father-in-law and the rest of B’s family to celebrate my FIL’s birthday.  His birthday was back near the beginning of August, but we were never able to celebrate with him because B got Covid. 

Brian picked up food from our favorite pub and my SIL picked up a Dairy Queen Blizzard cake, and we all met over at my FIL’s house to eat dinner and hang out.  We hadn’t seen any of them since the end of July because our family had so much sickness in the house in August, so it was nice to be able to see everybody again.

When we got home, we had a package on the doorstep from my blog friend, Jess.  She had sent us a bunch of Georgia goodies that she'd gotten at work all the way in Oregon and we were all so excited.  There were so many wonderful goodies in there, and the kiddos had fun helping me unpack everything.


By the time that was done, it was late, so the kids showered and got in bed, and then B and I ended the evening with two episodes of Vampire Diaries.  We also finally finished the Manti Te’o documentary… what a crazy story!   


Saturday, August 27

Saturday morning, Jacob had his first golf tournament, but this one was just for practice.  Therefore, we were up a little earlier than usual for a Saturday.  I made some homemade waffles for breakfast and then Olivia and I sent Brian and Jacob on their way.  For golf, only two spectators are allowed per player, so our family of three won’t be able to go together.  Instead, B will likely be taking him to most of his matches. 


While they were gone, Olivia and I got down to business decorating the house for fall.  ESPN College GameDay was on for the first time this season, too, so we turned that on as our happy background noise while we decorated, and it was just the coziest little morning with my girl!  We ended up getting nearly everything done by the time the boys got home… including adding some décor to Olivia’s bedroom for the first time ever.  And, of course, I added some fall foliage to my office. 





Jacob wanted a couple of things in his room, too, so we hung a fall leaf garland over his headboard, and we added a pumpkin to his dresser.  It was the perfect little touch to make his room festive!

Jacob had done pretty well at the golf tournament.  They had paired him with another kid, and the other kid only beat him by two strokes, so we figured that wasn’t too shabby.  This was the first time he’s ever played in a competitive environment for golf, so we weren’t sure what to expect with regard to scoring at this age group.  After looking at all of the other scores, Brian said that Jacob’s score was comparable to the other kids’ scores so that was good. 

Jacob said that he had a good time, and Brian confirmed that he did, indeed, seem to enjoy it.  The real season starts this week with his first practice, and his first match should be next week, so it was good that he was able to get out there with some other kids so he’ll know what to expect.

By the time the boys got home, it was time for a light lunch at home, and then afterward, I finished decorating for fall (for the most part), cleaning out the closet in Brian’s office, and getting all of our everyday decorations put away since we won’t need them until the end of December/early January after Christmas décor comes down!

By the time I’d finished, I was exhausted, but it was THE MOST productive day, and I could finally see the floor in the closet for the first time in months, so that alone was a huge win!!!!



By the time all that was done, I had just enough time to have a little snack and rest for a few minutes before it was time to get ready for church.  We hadn’t been to Mass in nearly a month since everyone had been sick, so it was nice to finally be back in person.  Virtual is great to have as a backup option when someone is sick, but it is definitely not the same as being there in person.

After Mass, we headed to our favorite Mexican place with my parents, and then we swung by Dairy Queen to grab some Blizzards to go.  Our next-door neighbors own the Dairy Queen by our church, so we like to go support their business whenever we can… we also like to use that as an excuse to go get Blizzards.  Hahahaha.

By the time we got home, it was time to get the kiddos ready for bed, and then after they went to bed, B and I enjoyed our Blizzards while watching two more episodes of Vampire Diaries.

 

Sunday, August 28

Sunday morning was cinnamon rolls and cartoons, and while the kids watched cartoons, I sat down with my cinnamon tea and I spread out my planner, my blog calendar, and my lists, and I got to planning the month of September.  Seeing all of the fall leaves and other décor in the house made the view even better, too!

After that was done, I headed upstairs to do a quick arms workout as well as a yoga workout, and then I got a couple of things done around the house while B mowed the lawn.  Late morning, we all got showered and ready and then we headed to my mother-in-law’s and step-father-in-law’s house for Sunday lunch.  We hadn’t been there since July, so it was nice to be back and be able to visit with them after all that time had passed.


When we got home, the kiddos played some video games and I got everything prepped and ready for Monday, and then we headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner and to finally celebrate my Daddy’s birthday which was also back at the beginning of August.  So much catching up to do!  My Momma made her famous spaghetti, and we ended the evening with a delicious apple spice cobbler with vanilla ice cream… it tasted exactly like fall, and I thought that was the perfect way to end the weekend that had started with fall decorating and college football!!!! 

And now for a few current things…

Currently Reading

 

Well, I didn’t read anything for most of the month of August because I was waiting on my book to become available at the library and it never did.  Boooo.  I finished The Summer I Turned Pretty in July and immediately put the second book on hold at the library.  There were two copies, and both were checked out already, but I was first in line for the holds, which meant that I should have only had to wait about a week to get the book.  Well, it’s been about six weeks now and I’m still waiting because the people who checked them out won’t turn them back in.  I finally gave up and started The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, though, so I’m back reading after a weeks-long hiatus!

 

Currently Watching

 

With B:  In August, we finished the final season of Better Call Saul, although, I hardly paid any attention to it.  I just didn’t love it.  We also watched the Manti Te’o documentary which was just bizarre.  Brian also started House of the Dragon and while I’m present when it’s on, I pay zero attention to it.  Haha.  And, of course, we have also been making our way through The Vampire Diaries.  Y’all, I am obsessssed!!!!  It did take me about 10-12 episodes to really get into it, but now I am fully invested and I’m SO excited that it’s eight seasons because that means I can enjoy it for a long time.  There’s nothing worse than getting into a great show, binging it in two weeks, and then going through withdrawals because it was over so quickly.  Haha.  The bad thing is that it’s leaving Netflix on September 3, but I’m hearing rumors that it should move to HBO Max sometime in September, so I’m praying that’s accurate.  What the heck am I going to do if it doesn’t move somewhere quickly?!  Waaaahhhh!

 

With the Kids:  We’re still working our way through America’s Got Talent on network TV and the kids finished the first season of Theodosia.  We also watched a couple more episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but we didn’t have much time for anything else since AGT takes up so much of our time.  Oh, and we also had a couple of movie nights – Lightyear and Zombies.  Brian and Jacob also watched Revenge of the Sith the night that Jacob was sick and couldn’t attend the Back to School Social.

 

Alone:  I have actually branched out this month and I’ve watched quite a few movies to have on as my happy background noise while I work –  Father of the Bride 2 (I just can’t quit that one), Mean Girls, When Harry Met Sally, Crazy Stupid Love (I had forgotten how fantastic that movie was!), Miss Congeniality, Bridget Jones’s Baby (did not love that one but I didn’t like the OG Bridget Jones movie either), Something’s Gotta Give, and Made of Honor (don’t think I’d ever seen that one and it was just okay).  I also started Gilmore Girls again.  Hahahaha.  ‘Tis the season!  And I just realized that I actually haven’t watched any more of Friday Night Lights after starting it again last month.

 

Currently Listening To


All the cozy fall faves AKA old standards and jazz!  We may have already listened to our Halloween playlist a couple of times, too.  I blame Jacob and Olivia.  ;o)

Happy Wednesday, y’all! 

Monday, August 29, 2022

The Perfect Stadium-Approved Clear Bag + GameDay Essentials

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

In the last few years, stadiums and other large facilities that host mass gatherings for big events have implemented rules about the type of bags that they allow inside.  While this does make things a little tricky for patrons, it’s important for everyone’s safety.  That means that if you attend pro sporting events, college sporting events, concerts, and miscellaneous other shows for entertainment, chances are, you’re going to need a stadium-approved bag.

Football season is just around the corner – just five more days!!!! – so it’s almost time to pack those stadium-approved clear bags and have them ready to go!!  I found the perfect stadium-approved clear bag last year, and I thought I’d share it with all of you today, just in time for football season!



A few reasons why I love it…

 

  1. Despite it’s small-ish size, it holds a ton of stuff!  There is plenty of room for all of my essentials, and then some.
  2. It’s lightweight.
  3. It’s durable and made of good quality materials.  Sometimes on Amazon, you never know what you’re gonna get, but this bag is truly top-notch.
  4. In addition to the main compartment, it also contains a small inside clear pocket to hold smaller items so they don’t get lost in the bottom of the bag.
  5. It has an adjustable strap so you can get the perfect fit whether you’re wearing it as a crossbody bag or by your side.
  6. The shoulder strap is soft and comfortable, even after hours of wear.
  7. The plastic is so soft and supple.  Every single one of the plastic bags I’ve used in the past has always been made of a very thick, stiff plastic that makes it difficult to maneuver in and out, but this one is completely different… the plastic on this bag is so flexible!
  8. The zippers are smooth and high quality, and they’re easy to open and close.
  9. It doesn’t have that weird plastic smell that so many other plastic products have.
  10. It’s easy to clean – just wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe and let it dry.

 

This bag comes in seven different colors – black, blue, green, grey, maroon, red, and white, so you can select one to match your team’s colors!  It has over 7,000 reviews on Amazon with 4.7 / 5 stars, so I’m not the only one who agrees that it’s a winner.  And now for the best part – it’s only $15.99!   

Now that you’ve heard all about the bag, I’m going to share all of the essentials that I carry with me to games, concerts, and other events.  All of these items fit easily in this bag, and I still had room to spare!

 

  1. Driver’s license
  2. Credit card
  3. Cash
  4. Phone
  5. Charging bank
  6. Keys
  7. Pill box with meds
  8. Gum
  9. Oil roller
  10. Hand sanitizer
  11. Antibacterial hand wipes
  12. Lipstick
  13. Chapstick
  14. Compact
  15. Sunglasses





 
Different venues do have different requirements, so be sure to check the requirements for your specific venue prior to your event!

Happy Monday, y’all, and HAPPY ALMOST COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!  EEK!




Friday, August 26, 2022

Five on Friday - Fall Decor Finds

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Happy Friday, y’all!  It’s August 26, which means that next weekend will be September, which means that it’s basically fall in my book!  I typically pull out the fall décor on Labor Day weekend, and I know most of you won’t be too far behind, so I thought today would be a good day to share a few fun fall finds that I’ve come across these last couple of weeks!

O N E – Faux Tree Branches

Fall foliage is one of the absolute best things about fall, and I include lots of it in my décor.  I came across these faux tree branches the other day and they are just stunning.  They are very pricey but look how realistic they are!  I shuffled through all of the different pictures of how real people styled them, and I am so inspired!  I also love these!

 


T W O – Throw Pillow

These throw pillows are gorgeous.  I love the design and the colors and the stitching – every single thing about them!  These are perfect for cozying up the living room, the master bedroom, or even a guest room or reading nook!   


 

T H R E E – Pumpkin Mugs

There’s nothing better than sipping on hot cinnamon tea on a crisp fall morning, and it’s even better when you can drink it from a fancy mug!  These mugs are so fun – the colors, the patterns, and the shape – and they’re not only functional – they can double as décor, too!  I have a little stand that I keep by our Keurig that holds several mugs, and I change them out for each of the seasons/holidays.  It adds such a fun, festive touch to our kitchen!


 

F O U R – Hey There, Pumpkin Door Mat

Cute, clever door mats are all the rage, and I love this one.  It comes in a two-piece set that includes the buffalo plaid mat, too, so you can layer them to add depth to your fall front porch décor!  The price is great, too!


 

F I V E – Ceramic Pumpkin Cocotte

I love this pumpkin cocotte because, not only is it functional, it also doubles as décor for the kitchen!  It’s oven-safe up to 572 degrees, oven broiler-safe, freezer-safe, dishwasher-safe, and very durable.  It has excellent reviews on Amazon!


 

Friday Funnies





 

On the Blog This Week

 The Best Way to Display Lego Builds  Jacob's Lego Museum and Updated Bedroom

Our Week – The One with the Back to School Social and Football Game, More Sickness, and a Day at the Riverwalk


Happy Friday, y’all!


Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Our Week - The One with the Back to School Social and Football Game, More Sickness, and a Day at the Riverwalk

Well, we finally got one person well in the house just in time for another one to get sick, but thankfully, it wasn’t Covid this time, it was brief, it didn’t ruin any major plans, and we were still able to have a mostly good week!

Monday, August 15

Monday morning, I got the kids off to school and then I headed to drop some more recycling and grab a couple of things from Publix.  The rest of the day was spent working until it was time to pick up the kids.

Olivia had her first day of dance classes on Monday and she was so thrilled to be back at it.  This year, she’s taking ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and musical theatre.  Monday’s classes were ballet, tap, and jazz, and thankfully, her ballet and jazz shoes delivered mere hours before I had to leave the house to pick them up, so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

They had a fun photo spot complete with a balloon arch and an Instagram frame so the girls could take some fun pictures on their first day back, and of course, we had to partake.



Once Olivia was settled in, Jacob and I headed home and I got some things done around the house – unloading the dishwasher, unpacking and repacking lunchboxes, washing and filling thermoses, etc. – and then I headed back to the dance studio to pick up Olivia. 

She has ballet, tap, and jazz on Mondays so it was her old familiar stuff, and she was bursting with the news that she had been selected by her instructor that day to be the example for the other girls in the class because she had performed the moves so well. 

When we got home, it was homework for Olivia while I cooked dinner, and then we all ate together… well, aside from B… he was still banished to the other room because of his rebound Covid.  Sigh.

By the time dinner was done, it was time for the kiddos to get showers.  While they did that, I did my 7-minute arms workout three times back-to-back since I hadn’t done it in a few days, and then I got some of the laundry done. 


After the kiddos got in the bed, B and I watched an episode of Vampire Diaries, and then we started the last episode of Better Call Saul.  A big thunderstorm rolled in right after the kids went to bed and the power flickered a few times, but thankfully, it never went out.  Why oh why do we have so many issues with our power?


Tuesday, August 16

Tuesday was Jacob’s first middle school Mass, so of course, I had to snap a picture of him in his church attire.  Now that he’s in middle school, he has to wear a dress shirt and tie, and he looked so handsome I could cry.  My baby is growing up so fast!  And now, to teach him to tie a tie.  EEK!  I was just grateful that his delivered in time… it had been on backorder at the uniform company for so long, but it delivered in the nick of time.  Now to get his proper shirt with the school crest!  And also, a picture of Olivia's hair... this is the only way we can get it put up these days because it's so short!



Tuesday was another day of errands for me – I dropped the kids at school, and then it was UPS to drop some Amazon returns, Target to drop a return, Fresh Market to pick up chicken, and the post office to drop another return. 

At Fresh Market, they had all of the pumpkin stuff out and I couldn’t have been more excited!  I had to restrain myself from buying aaaallll the things, but I did treat myself (and Brian) to some pumpkin bread fresh from their bakery.  It was soooo good, too.

At home, I heated the pumpkin bread, made a cup of cinnamon tea to accompany it, and then I settled in to get some work done.  On deck Tuesday was getting through both email inboxes and working on a few blog posts… with some laundry thrown in, of course.



Brian tested for Covid yet again on Tuesday, and y’all, HE WAS STILL POSITIVE, FOR THE LOVE.  That was on day 15 for anyone who’s counting… ME.  I am counting.  Haha.

Olivia had dance class again on Tuesday – this time for lyrical and musical theatre – but classes are later on Tuesday, so we had just enough time to run home after school to let her have a snack, get changed, and do homework before we had to leave again.  Since B was still home, Jacob was able to stay home as well.

After I got Olivia settled in for her classes, I had about an hour to kill, so I did some fall and Halloween browsing at pOpshelf and Marshall’s.  pOpshelf is relatively new to our area and that was the first time I’d visited, and I have to say, I was pretty darn impressed!  They have a huge variety of stuff for the home, and the prices are insanely low, but unlike most places with insanely low prices, the quality of most of the stuff is pretty great.

They had tons of fall and Halloween home décor, and it was pretty unbelievable how inexpensive the stuff was for the quality.  I got a super cute fall mug for only $3, but it looks like something you could get from Anthropologie that would cost $15.  The quality is excellent! 

I also bought a giant melamine serving tray (that looks exactly like glass) for just $12.  It is absolutely gorgeous, and it looks like it should cost $40 easily.  I can’t wait to use it for a charcuterie!!  It’s perfect for serving outside since it’s not glass.

I also bought the kids some skull-shaped cups for Halloween, and they are the cutest.  Those are just cheap plastic like something you’d find in the Target Dollar spot, but they were only $2 and I couldn’t resist them.

I grabbed Olivia when her class got out at 6:30 (her latest dance class yet!), and then she and I headed straight home to get dinner ready.  She was raving about Lyrical and Musical Theatre, and she’d had the best first day in both classes.  Lyrical was her very favorite last year, and she said that she thinks she’s going to love Musical Theatre just as much.

We did breakfast for dinner since we were short on time, and then after dinner was over, the kiddos got showered and ready for bed.  We wrapped up the evening by doing some Halloween costume browsing before bed.  Both kids had gotten so excited about it after I gave them their skull cups, and they were inspired to start the hunt for the perfect costume.

Olivia’s Musical Theatre class had discussed The Wizard of Oz and Olivia had been given the role of Dorothy, so she wanted to learn more about it.  Neither of our kids have ever seen that movie, so she wasn’t super familiar with it.  After seeing Dorothy’s dress, she decided that she wants to be Dorothy for Halloween… until she remembered that she wanted to be a bloody zombie bride this year.  Hahahaha.  What in the world?!  So random. 

Who knows what she’ll end up choosing, but I assured her that she still has plenty of time to decide!

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched another episode of Vampire Diaries, and then we watched some more of the last episode of Better Call Saul, and then it was off to bed for us, too.


Wednesday, August 17

Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I came home to tackle some blog work.  I also needed to get the audition registration form filled out for Olivia’s Christmas dance audition.  Upon searching for the form, I saw that they’d finally put up a FAQs page about the Christmas performance, and I found out that in order to be in the Christmas performance, she has to be at dance nearly every single Saturday from now until the performance in mid-December (at different times each Saturday that haven’t even been announced) + she’d have to take an additional class every Thursday night from 8 - 9:05 PM which is crazy late.  They stated that attendance is, obviously, mandatory, and that you can only miss one Saturday class, or you will not be able to perform.

Unfortunately, we already have several Saturday/weekend events lined up this fall, including a trip for fall break that we’ve already booked, so Saturday classes just aren’t going to be feasible.

When Olivia expressed her interest to dance in the Christmas performance, we didn’t think it would be a problem at all, and we’ve been encouraging her to try out since she loves dance so much.  I thought for sure that they would just learn their dances for the Christmas performance in their regularly scheduled classes just like they do for the spring recital, but unfortunately, I was wrong, and I felt terrible that we’d mislead her a bit.  We decided to let her make the choice and if she decided she still wanted to try out, we’d try to see if we could figure out a way to make it work. 

When I picked her up from school, I told her everything I’d learned, gave her all of the information about having to take classes on Thursdays and Saturdays in addition to all of the classes she’s already taking, and she immediately said, “NOPE, NOT DOING THAT.”  Hahahaha.  She then went on to say that she loves dance, but she doesn’t want to do dance on the weekends because she likes to be able to spend time at home and play and hang out with Jacob and do fun stuff, and that she doesn’t want Saturdays to, “be like a school day.”  AKA have scheduled commitments.

I was really happy that she wasn’t upset about having to choose, and that she was so decisive.  She’s a girl who knows what she wants, that’s for sure! 

I also have to say that I’m a little bit relieved, too, because our schedule was about to become INTENSE for the next four months if she’d still decided to try out.  This is our favorite time of year as a family, and it would have been a bummer not to be able to partake in our favorite events like college football games, fall carnivals, pumpkin patching, etc.  We’ve always been lucky in that our kiddos have always chosen to do sports that didn’t interfere with fall weekends, and I’d like to keep that going for as long as possible.  Lol.

Wednesday evening was our only evening off, so the kids got homework done, we ate an early dinner, and then we walked on our neighborhood trail to the playground per the kids’ request. 

They swung on the swings nearly the whole time we were there, and they invented some sort of game where they kick their shoes off as high as they can when they’re swinging.  Hahahaha. 


When we got back home, everyone got ready for bed, and then we watched America’s Got Talent for a bit before sending the kids to bed.  B and I squeezed in an episode of Vampire Diaries and then some more of Better Call Saul… how long could we possibly drag out that last episode?  Hahahaha.

Also, Olivia drew this picture of her art class at school and I thought it was the cutest thing!


Also, Vampire Diaries – I’M HOOKED, and I love me some Damon!!!!  I don’t usually love bad boys, but my goodness, he’s gorgeous.  And if you comment, no spoilers please… I know the show is old, but this is our first time watching and we’re only on season two, so we still have a long way to go! 


Thursday, August 18

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I went home to work on blog stuff for the rest of the day.  Brian picked up Chick-Fil-A for us as a little mid-week lunch treat.


The drive to pick up the kids from school was rough as it poured down rain the whole way.  Every single time it rains, there are accidents on the highway, so traffic is always dicey, and sure enough, there were two wrecks on my route, one southbound and one northbound.

I made it to the car line on time, but we had to take the long way home since traffic was stopped in all three lanes on our route home.  The kids had voice and piano lessons, so we had to stop by the house to grab Jacob’s piano book and snacks, but thankfully, we ended up making it to lessons right on time.

While the kids did their lessons, I knocked out some emails and planning for a couple of projects I’m working on, and then we headed home to cook, do homework, and eat dinner.

After dinner, I got in an arms workout while the kids showered, and then afterward, Olivia pulled her own tooth!!  Loose teeth freak me out, so I love having a child that will pull her own!  Haha.




We watched a little more of America’s Got Talent after that, and then the kids went to bed while B and I watched more of the same – Vampire Diaries and Better Call Saul – while we enjoyed some leftover blueberry apple cobbler that my Momma had made and dropped by earlier in the day.  It was soooo yummy.


Friday, August 19

Friday morning, Brian tested one last time, and he was finnnnaaaallllyyyy negative!!!!  On day 18, y’all.  Or maybe 17?  Do you count the first day as day zero?  I can’t remember.  Either way, wow.  That was a long time.

I got the kids off to school, and then I did some blog reading until it was time for my 9 o’clock hair appointment.  After my appointment, B and I had lunch together at the same table for the first time since August 1 – crazy!! – because he was finally germ-free!

Friday afternoon, I picked the kids up from school, and we headed home to get ready for the back-to-school social and first high school football game of the year.  Jacob mentioned having a stuffy nose, and then after he ate his snack, he went to lay down on the couch.  RED FLAG. 

Neither of our kids go lay down in the middle of the day voluntarily, so my mom radar was on high alert.  I went to take his temperature and it was 100.2.  NOOOO. 

I drove to Walgreens and picked up some Covid tests since we’d used all of ours on B since he was positive with it for so long.  By the time I got home, his fever had gone up slightly to 100.4 and he was full-on congested with a super stuffy nose and a mild cough.  He said he felt fine other than that… no aches or pains or anything else.

His Covid test was negative, and he was so full of symptoms by the time we tested him that I’m sure he would have been positive if that’s what he had.  As a matter of fact, Friday evening was as bad as he ever got… he did nothing but improve from there on out!


Since he was running a fever, we knew he couldn’t go to the social and game, so we decided to split up for the evening.  All of Olivia’s friends were going to be at the school for the evening, and she had been so excited all week to go, so I decided to take her while B stayed home with Jacob.  Jacob was pretty disappointed to have to miss it, but Brian made the evening special for him by showing him one of the Star Wars movies he’d never seen.

I made some hot dogs for dinner, and then after that, Olivia and I hit the road.  Our school does a back-to-school social every year before the first high school football game, so the campus was PACKED Friday night… probably more packed than I’ve ever seen it and we have had some huge events with a lot of people.  We were playing another local private school for the first time (because we recently switched football conferences), so tons of their families and friends showed up as well.

When Olivia and I arrived, her friends all ran over screaming and hugging her, and she took off.  For the rest of the night, I only saw her every 15 minutes as she checked in with me.  Haha. 

Our campus is surrounded by fences on all sides, and we have tons of security on hand at all times, and since we know so many families at our school, I’m comfortable with letting her run around without me… as long as she stays with her group of friends, of course. 

While she ran around with her friends, I socialized with all of my friends.  Pretty much everyone we know was there Friday evening, and I was able to chat with all of our old friends, some of the kids’ teachers (who are also friends), and some new families as well.  I’m the room parent for Olivia’s class this year, so I was excited to meet the mom and dad of one of her new friends this year.  My Aunt Joy and Uncle Greg also came to the game, so I got to chat with them for a bit as well. 

The school had hired one of the local gourmet shaved ice food trucks to be on hand for the evening, and each of the students got a free shaved ice.  Olivia opted to have the unicorn cotton candy flavored one and she loved it.

Since Brian and Jacob were at home for the evening, Olivia and I cut our evening short, and we left a little after 8 PM.  As much as I would have loved to stay for the whole game, we were both exhausted.  Olivia raved about her evening all the way home, and I’m just so dang grateful for our little school and all of her sweet friends.  They have such a great group and I’m so grateful that she’s so happy.  Our team also won!  Woo hoooo!

I’m also super mad at myself because I took literally zero pictures the whole evening.  Although, that’s usually the sign of a good time!  I didn’t even think about it because I was too busy socializing!

Olivia and I rode home with the windows down and the sunroof open and the music blasting and she just ate it up… it was nice being able to have some Mommy / Daughter time with her.

When we got home, the boys were almost done with their movie, so Olivia got showered while they finished that up, and by the time it was done, it was time to send them to bed.  We were all exhausted.

Thankfully, Jacob’s fever had gone away on its own, with no intervention from Ibuprofen, and he seemed to be feeling just fine other than a verrrry stuffy nose and a mild cough by the time he went to bed.

After bedtime, Brian and I watched two episodes of Vampire Diaries, and then we called it a night, too.


Saturday, August 20

Saturday morning, Jacob was still fever-free, although it did go back up briefly to around 100.6 mid-morning.  It ended up going back down on its own shortly after that, and then it never came back! He had a lot of nasal congestion but was otherwise feeling fine.  All we had on the agenda originally was golf for B and Jacob and then church for all of us, but we decided to opt out of everything so we didn’t spread any germs.  I miss going to church in person, y’all!  Hopefully next weekend, finalllly!

B went to pick up donuts from Krispy Kreme first thing because their pumpkin spice donuts are BACK!  And they were soooo delicious, y’all!  Our kiddos were so excited… they love the pumpkin spice donuts almost as much as their Momma.  ;o)

After breakfast, we had some lazy time, and then I got in a cardio workout followed by my usual Saturday housework.  I also cleaned my makeup brushes.  We let the kids take it super easy all day since Jacob was sick.  I just wanted him to rest all day so his cold would pass as quickly as possible.  He and Olivia spent the whole day in their PJ’s, watching cartoons, playing with Legos and their marble run set, playing video games, and just hanging out and reading or doing whatever. 




Brian made a Walmart run late Saturday morning to pick up some necessities and then he came home and made mini pizzas for us for lunch. 

After lunch, I got showered and worked in my office for a little while, and then B picked up Five Guys takeout for dinner. 

After dinner, we watched Lightyear and then the kiddos headed to bed while B and I watched two more episodes of Vampire Diaries.  We also started that documentary about Manti Te’o and that catfishing scandal that he was a part of… what a CRAZY, WEIRD story, y’all.



Sunday, August 21

Sunday morning, we had leftover donuts while we watched Mass virtually, and then I got some planning done for the week ahead followed by an arms workout and a yoga workout.




Jacob still had a bit of nasal congestion on Sunday, but he sounded and looked tons better, and he had plenty of energy after resting on Saturday, so we decided to get out of the house Saturday afternoon.

Neither of the grandparents cooked on Sunday because they didn’t want whatever Jacob had, so we were on our own yet again.

We had a light lunch at home, and then after everyone was showered and ready, we headed for the Riverwalk to spend the afternoon.  We got in nearly two miles, and we watched some zipliners and white water rafters.  The kids also found a painted rock which they were very excited about because we haven’t found one of those in years!











After our nice long time outside, we treated the kiddos to frozen yogurt.  They got a couple of different flavors plus aaaallll the gummy toppings per usual, and I opted for cake batter with a dollop of Georgia Peach.  It was SO delicious. 




 
Jacob was feeling GREAT all Sunday afternoon, and he was 100% back to normal aside from some very mild lingering nasal congestion.  He had tons of energy and ran around all downtown, so I was grateful because I knew that meant he’d be good to go for school on Monday.  Thank goodness!  Missing a single day of middle school is going to be much harder to make up than missing a day of school in the lower grades. 

When we got home, I spent some time quizzing Jacob on his religion notes for his test on Monday, and then the kids tidied up and played video games for a short bit, and then B picked up pizza for dinner as one last little treat before the weekend was over. 

After the kiddos were showered and ready for bed, we got caught up on America’s Got Talent, and then after the kiddos went to bed, it was another episode of Vampire Diaries and the new episode of the Game of Thrones prequel.  I caught up on social media scrolling while B did that, though.  Haha.

Happy Wednesday, y’all!