Our Week - The One with the Fall Carnival, a Birthday Party, and Pumpkin Carving

Last week was definitely better than the previous week, and much more eventful, too… in a good way!  Here’s the recap!

Monday, October 17

Monday morning, I got up and got ready, and I tested again for Covid to see if it was finally out of my system.  When I took the test, I thought I saw the faintest line ever, but it was so faint that I thought I was going crazy and imagining it.  I called B to look at it, and he said he thought he saw a line, too, but he wasn’t totally sure either.  Since we weren’t 100% sure if it was negative, I took another test of a different brand, and that one came back negative, no questions about it.  Just in case I was still contagious, though, B took the kids to school, so I didn’t have to be cooped up with them in the car.  Can y’all spot the faint line on the top test?!

I felt totally normal aside from a little bit of brain fog and not having all of my energy back, so I hit the ground running… at home, of course.  I reeeeally needed to go grocery shopping, but I decided to wait one more day in the off chance that I was still contagious, and instead, I got a lot of work done for the blog.  I also spent a good part of the day washing all of our sheets, blankets, towels, and anything else that I’d used while I had the funk.  And I sanitized all of the surfaces and knobs and light switches in the house, too.  Covid germs, be gone!

B had all-day meetings every single day last week, so I had no choice but to pick the kids up from school Monday afternoon, so I opened the sunroof and rolled down the windows and hoped for the best.  Thankfully, it was a GORGEOUS day, so it was awesome having the windows down.

After school, Olivia had dance, so Jacob and I dropped her off, and then I took Jacob to piano lessons.  I normally go in with him and wait in their waiting room, but I didn’t want to risk giving anyone the funk, so he went in by himself and I waited in the car.  Right after he went inside, he and his music teacher came outside and headed towards my car and I immediately thought, “OH NO, are they not going to let him do his lessons since I had Covid??”  But fortunately, that wasn’t the case at all.  His music teacher is a just super nice guy and he just wanted to come out and check on me.  Then after they checked on me, they headed back inside for Jacob’s lesson.  Haha.  I was so panicked at first, though. 

Once Jacob was done with his piano lessons, he and I headed home, and I spent the rest of the afternoon folding all of the laundry and putting sheets back on the bed before cooking dinner.

After dinner, I decided to head out for a solo walk, and I was super pleased that I was able to do 2.22 miles.  I took it easy since I didn’t have all of my energy back, but I did run for a short stint just to see how my lungs would hold up, and y’all, I had zero lung issues at all!  I was so happy!  I have asthma, so I tend to have issues even when I don’t have Covid, so I was grateful that my lungs felt nice and strong after having Covid.

As I said, I took it easy and walked the majority of the way, and when I got back, I was pretty darn tired, so my energy level definitely wasn’t back to 100%, but it felt great to be able to get out of the house and move my body!

While the kids showered, I worked on my Friends puzzle – yes, I’m STILL working on that – it’s the hardest puzzle I’ve ever done – and then we all watched an episode of Nailed It before the kids went to bed.

B and I watched an episode of Vampire Diaries after that, and then we went to bed.  B finally felt comfortable sleeping in the same room with me Monday night, so he was back in our room and off of the couch bed. 

Tuesday, October 18

Tuesday morning, I decided to test ONE MORE TIME (sheesh) since I had errands to run, and thankfully, this time there wasn’t even a hint of a line.  It was fully 100% negative, no questions about it!  Woooo hoooo!

After I dropped the kids at school (first time in a week!), I headed to Target to pick up a few things, and then I had my annual checkup with my midwife.  After that, I was finally able to get groceries from Publix, and then I spent the rest of the day at home working on the blog and trying to get my life back together.  Ha!

Tuesday afternoon, as I was getting on the highway to pick up the kids to school, my tire pressure alert popped up on my dashboard.  It had been popping up for a couple of days because of the dip in temperatures (happens every year around this time!), but this time, it alerted me that the tire pressure in my rear driver’s side tire was 12.  TWELVE, y’all.  The normal pressure is 35, so I knew something was bad wrong.

I drove super slow the rest of the way, and I got in the car line, and then when I hopped out of the car to inspect, it looked like my tire was going flat.  Sigh.  I called B and asked him what to do because I’ve never had a flat tire before – LOL – and he met me at the gas station to put air in it.  Yes, I know, I know, I could have done that myself, but I hadn’t put air in a tire in years.  Pitiful, I knoooow.

As he was filling the rear driver’s side tire, he did a little inspection, and there was, indeed, a big nail in it.  Boooo.  So, after he got it all filled up, the kids and I rode to the tire place near our house and they patched it for me.

By the time we were done there, we had just enough time to get home, get Olivia changed, and then head straight back out to get her to dance.  When we got home, Jacob tackled homework, and I got dinner started.

After our late dinner, Olivia still had homework to do since we’d been at the tire place all afternoon, so she got that done, and then the kids both showered.  I got in an arms wrokout and then worked on my puzzle again (somebody come finish it for me!!!!) and then we watched an episode of Nailed It before sending the kids to bed.  It was yet another episode of Vampire Diaries for B and me after that, followed by bed.

Wednesday, October 19

Wednesday morning, we woke up to 35 degrees which is insane for us this time of year.  I had scheduled Maui’s appointment at the groomer, and I felt terrible because it was so cold, and they had to cut all of her hair off.  Haha.

After dropping her, I spent the rest of the day at home working on blog stuff (and my first Instagram Reel!) and then I picked Maui up mid-morning after she was ready.  She wouldn’t even look at me in the car… I think she was mad at me.  Lol.

After school, I whisked the kids over to Publix to get flu shots, but they turned us away and said they weren’t taking walk-ins that day.  Ugh.  I’d been trying to call their pediatrician’s office for two weeks to get them in for flu shots, and I hadn’t heard back.  Which is nuts because every single time I’ve called in the past 11 years, a human has answered the phone right away. 

I finally contacted them on Facebook, and somebody called me back right away, and she apologized profusely and told me that their office has been hit HARD by the flu and that they’ve been extremely short-staffed.  The flu is just everywhere here right now, and we weren’t prepared because it usually doesn’t hit hard here until December/January. 

She was able to make appointments for the kids for the next day, thank goodness.  Olivia had six kids out in her class about a week ago with the flu, so we’ve been holding our breath and crossing all of our fingers and toes and praying that she wouldn’t get it.  Last December when she and Jacob had it, they were both so, so sick.  It was awful.

Olivia had a makeup voice lesson on Wednesday, so we headed over there after our failed attempt at flu shots at Publix, and then we headed home.  I made a new tortellini soup recipe for dinner Wednesday night because it was soooo cold all day, and it was a crowd pleaser… all four of us loved it! 

Brian had tennis Wednesday evening, so the kids and I were on our own for dinner, and then the rest of the evening.  I got in a stair stepper workout while the kids got showered and ready for bed, and then B got home just in time for us to watch an episode of Nailed It before the kids went to bed.

After that, it was another Vampire Diaries and then bed for us.  (I always feel like a broken record when I say this because it’s literally this, like, five nights a week.  Lol.)

Thursday, October 20

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids off in some very cold 33-degree weather, and then I headed home for an hour to get started on some blog work before I had to be back at the kids’ school for Olivia’s Mass and first quarter awards ceremony.  I always love attending the school Masses because I love hearing those babies sing their little hearts out.  It is the sweetest.  Olivia was particularly snuggly, too, and I enjoyed every single second of her church cuddles.

The first quarter awards ceremony for third, fourth, and fifth grades was immediately following Mass, so I stuck around for that.  Olivia got Principal’s List (straight As), Religion award, and AR Completion award, and she got the award for Top 3 AR points earner in the class (she was second place).  I’m just so proud of my girl!

After the awards ceremony, I stayed and chatted with a couple of people at the school for a bit, and then it was time to head home and get some work done!  I’ve been drowning in blog stuff, and I’ve been struggling to get caught up, so that took up most of the remainder of my day.

On the way to pick up the kids from school, I dropped some soup off at my Momma and Daddy’s house because my Daddy was under the weather with Covid.  He didn’t get it from me either, y’all!  Just gonna go ahead and put that disclaimer out there.  Haha.  He and my Momma had gone to Huntsville to visit with my brother and sister-in-law earlier in the week, and we think they brought it back from there as they’re all down now with it, too. 

After dropping the soup, I headed to pick up the kids from school, and then the kids and I boogied on over to their pediatrician’s office to get their flu shots… FINALLY!  Thankfully, that was quick, and we were able to get Olivia to voice lessons on time right after that.  Whew!

The rest of the evening was spent doing homework, cooking and eating dinner, and then I went for another walk/jog after dinner.  My energy still wasn’t back to 100%, but I was able to jog about 25% of the way that evening.  Slowly but surely, I’m getting my energy back after that dumb Covid! 

After my jog, it was more working on my puzzle, and I am THISCLOSE to giving it up, y’all.  This particular puzzle is dumb because there are too many pieces that look like they fit together but they actually don’t, so we’ve had to go back and pull pieces apart and it’s been a nightmare to get it together.  If we ever get this one done, I’ll be donating if afterward.  It’s just not well-made.

After the kids were showered and ready for bed, we watched an episode of Nailed It and then the kids went to bed so B and I could watch Vampire Diaries.

Friday, October 21

Friday morning, I had a meeting first thing at the kids’ school.  I’m in charge of the Reindeer Run this year along with my friend, Becky, so we had a quick meeting about that, and then we delved into something else afterward. 

When I got home, I spent some more time Reindeer Run planning – calling to book Santa, organizing notes, searching online for a few things, etc. – and then the rest of the day was spent catching up on some life stuff.  I had just enough time to do a couple of things for the blog, and then it was time to head to the school to pick up the kids.  Friday flew by, y’all, and I felt like I’d hardly gotten anything accomplished. 

The kids and I headed home after school and I wrapped up a couple of other things, and then the four of us headed back to the school at 5 for the fall carnival.  They had food trucks, so we grabbed some dinner and ate first, and then we spent the rest of the evening hanging out at the carnival, chatting with friends, and watching the kids live their best lives.  We barely saw either of them all night because they were having way too much fun with their friends. 

The carnival ended at 8 and we had to drag the kids out of there… they didn’t want to leave!  By the time we got home, it was getting late, so we hung out for a bit and then sent the kids to bed.  I had to scrub off Olivia's face paint, but she wanted one more picture of it first.

B and I watched two episodes of Vampire Diaries, and then he and I headed to bed, too.

Saturday, October 22

Saturday morning, B had a tennis match bright and early, so he headed to that while the kids and I made homemade waffles and watched ESPN College GameDay.  Jacob had spent the whole evening at the fall carnival tackling the football dummies on the football field, and he had worked out lots of muscles that he doesn’t normally use, so he was on the struggle bus with Jello arms and legs. 

Mid-morning, I got in a cardio workout, I started some laundry, and I tidied the house, and then when B got home from tennis, we made a light lunch.  Jacob had a birthday party to go to for his friend W.J. Saturday afternoon, so he and I + Olivia made our way to the local arcade at 2.  Olivia got to tag along with us because she’s friends with his little sister… they’re not in the same grade at school, but they take dance together, so they invited Olivia to come along, too.

While the kids played arcade games and laser tag, I hung out with the other parents, popping in and out to check on the kids every now and then.  Jacob was thrilled because he won some massive jackpot of tickets (he had well over 3,000 by the time they were done), so he was able to get one of the big prizes.

By the time the party was over, we were approaching early evening, so we headed home to pick up Brian and then we headed to our favorite Mexican place for an early-ish dinner. 

After dinner, we headed back home and watched Ghostbusters per Jacob’s request, and then B and I watched Vampire Diaries as well as some college football before hitting the hay.  Georgia had a bye week, so we didn’t have a game to watch.  Boooo.

 

Sunday, October 23

Sunday morning, we got up and had cinnamon rolls, and then we were super lazy and watched two episodes of Nailed It.  By the time those were over, I had just a few minutes to do some planning for the week ahead, and then it was time to get ready for the day. 

My MIL and step-FIL decided not to cook Sunday lunch since I’d had Covid the previous week, and since my dad had the same funk, we weren’t going there for Sunday dinner either.  That meant we were on our own all day. 

We ended up going to lunch at one of our favorite local restaurants.  I had a BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado) and it was delicious as it always is!  The weather was perfect, so they had all of the garage doors open, and it was just a really nice time.

After that, we headed to Publix to pick out a pumpkin.  We would have loved to go to a pumpkin patch to pick one out, but we don’t have any good ones in town anymore.  We were able to get a MASSIVE one – seriously, the biggest one we’ve ever gotten – for just $6.99! 

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out at home, prepping everything for Monday, working on blog stuff, doing some laundry, etc.  The kids prepped all of their stuff for the week ahead since we have such a busy week, and then they played some video games.

For dinner, we heated a frozen pizza in the oven, and we sat outside.  We hadn’t eaten dinner on the back porch in ages, so it was nice to get back out there.  Then after dinner, we carved our giant pumpkin.  It turned out so cute! 

 

By the time we were done carving, it was dark outside, so we got our pumpkin all set up on the front porch and then we went inside to watch Amazing Race.  After the kiddos went to bed, B watched the finale of House of the Dragon, and then we went to bed.

And now for a few current things…

Currently Reading

 

In October, I started American Royals III: Rivals.  It’s been pretty slow, though, so I haven’t made much progress.  The book that I’ve been wanting forever (Every Summer After) finally became available at the library while we were in the mountains, and then when we got back, I came down with Covid, so I wasn’t able to pick it up, and now I have to get back at the end of the long line again.  Waaaahhhh. 

 

Currently Watching

 

With B:  We are still making our way through The Vampire Diaries, and I think we’re nearing the end of season four now.  I have to say, this season has been my least favorite and I’m actually a little bored with the current storyline.  I’m hoping it picks up again since we still have several more seasons to go.  Brian just finished up with House of the Dragon and we’re still watching a boatload of college football + ESPN College GameDay per usual.

 

With the Kids:  We’re working our way through Nailed It, Lego Masters, and The Amazing Race.  And, of course, we’ve been watching all of our favorite Halloween movies – Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2, and Ghostbusters. 

 

Alone:  Y’all!!!!  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is on Netflix now and I’ve watched it, like, 84 times already since October 1.  I freaking love that movie and it has literally been on repeat around the clock while I work in my office.  I did take a break from that one day to watch The Wedding Crashers, though… another favorite. 

 

Currently Listening To

We’ve been rocking the Halloween play list mostly, but I’ve also been on an Ed Sheeran kick since we just bought tickets to his new tour next year.  Every single one of his albums is pure gold and I love him.  And, of course, you probably know that Taylor Swift released a new album on Friday (unless you’ve been hiding under a rock), and I’ll have that one on repeat for the next week until I make the switch to CHRISTMAS MUSIC on November 1!  EEK!

And that’s what we’ve been up to!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!