Our Week - The One with Braces and a Galentine’s Brunch

Last week I got braces, y’all.  It was not a super fun week because of that, but I popped pain meds like candy and made the most of the week because, what else can you do?  Ready for the recap?

Monday, January 30

Monday was grocery shopping day, so I headed off to Walmart after dropping the kids at school.  I typically shop at Publix for groceries, but since groceries are sky-high right now, I’ve been trying to utilize Walmart and its low prices more often even though I’d much rather go to Publix.  Haha.  Naturally, Walmart didn’t have several items I needed (no broccoli again… whyyyy), so I ended up having to go to Publix later in the afternoon to get the other items we needed.

After the groceries were put away, I got to work in my office for a bit, and then I headed out for an appointment with my therapist late in the morning.  Just as I was leaving the therapist’s office, I got a call from the school saying that I needed to come pick Jacob up.  They had an altered schedule Monday for the start of Catholic School’s Week, and his class had a suuuuper late lunch, so he had gotten dizzy from not eating, and then it caused him to feel pretty awful. 

His teachers and the administration had taken excellent care of him until I got there, and by the time I arrived, he looked much better, but I went ahead and brought him home.  He and I ate lunch together, and then I tackled a couple more things while he played with Legos. 

We headed to pick up Olivia from school when she got out at 3, and then we dropped her at dance before taking Jacob over to his piano lessons.

After lessons, he and I swung by Publix to pick up the missing items that Walmart didn’t have, and then we headed home where I started on dinner (BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and blueberry muffins) while he worked on homework.

Brian and Olivia got home after dance, and then we all sat down together to have dinner.  After that, it was kitchen cleanup, Tuesday prep, showers for the kids, and then a stair stepper workout for me. 

After the kids were ready for bed, we finished watching National Treasure that we’d started Friday night, and I braided Olivia’s wet hair so she could have “curly” hair on Tuesday at school.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I finished The Last of Us, episode 3 that we’d started Sunday evening, and then we went to bed.

Tuesday, January 31

Tuesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I had to head to my breast doctor’s office again because I had a weird red spot appear on my skin Saturday morning, and they wanted to check it out to make sure there was no infection.  The doctor did yet another ultrasound, and he determined that there’s definitely no infection, but it seems that my skin is going through an adjustment period from having that titanium in there.  Apparently, my tumor is right under the skin instead of deep in the tissue like they normally are, and my skin doesn’t like having that piece of titanium right under there.  So now it’s a waiting game to see if the spot subsides or gets worse.  He said if it gets worse then I’ll have to go back in again and they may have to remove it. 

It’s always something!  But I’m just grateful it’s not cancer.

After my appointment, I headed home to work on blog stuff for a bit, and then late in the morning I had a Home and School meeting at the kids’ school.  After the meeting, it was back home to eat a quick lunch, knock out a couple more things, and then head back to the school to pick up the kiddos.

After school, the kids did homework until it was time to drop Olivia at dance, and then Jacob and I had to swing by CVS to grab a prescription before heading back home.  I was able to get in an arms and abs workout right when we got home, and then it was time to cook dinner (sausage, peppers, and onions tacos, tortilla chips, and fruit).

After dinner, I folded some laundry and spent some time in my office meditating and reading my devotional while the kids got ready for bed.  After they were in bed, B and I started watching The Bachelor and I fell asleep on the couch.

Wednesday, February 1

Wednesday morning, I squeezed in a couple of hours of blog work, and then it was time for my appointment to get… braces.  Sigh.  When I walked in, the orthodontist’s assistant said, “Are you excited?!”  and I said, “Nope, not at all.  I’m actually dreading it.”  Hahahaha.  A little harsh of me, I suppose, but she thought it was funny.

The appointment went surprisingly well and much faster than I had anticipated.  I guess I had always pictured it taking 2-3 hours to get braces put on your teeth, but I was in and out in just over an hour, and at least 20 minutes of that was waiting for the orthodontist since he was bouncing around from patient to patient. 

The assistant had full braces on her teeth, so she was able to provide solidarity and give me some good advice and encouragement, and that did make me feel so much better. 

After my appointment, I headed home to eat lunch, and boy, was it a nightmare.  Hahahaha.  I had been really worried about the sore teeth and gums aspect of it, but that honestly didn’t bother me at all.  What I was not prepared for was how shredded the insides of your lips get from all of the brackets rubbing on them.  OUCH.  Why doesn’t anybody ever mention that when talking about pain from braces?!

It took me, like, 30 minutes to eat my lunch (all soft foods because I’d prepared in advance) because it was so painful with those brackets digging into my lip, and I was so grossed out by everything getting stuck in the braces that I pretty much lost my appetite halfway through.  Lol.  I know it’ll get better, though, so I’m hanging in there.

I spent the rest of the day working until it was time to grab the kiddos from school, and then after school, I took them to Target to spend their gift cards they’d gotten for Christmas.  We also picked up Valentines for Olivia (none for Jacob this year… tear), and I grabbed a couple of things that we’d been needing. 

Jacob ended up buying an Avatar Lego set with his gift card + some money he’d been saving, and Olivia bought… a decorative pillow for her room.  Y’all!!!!  That is the first time ever that either of our kiddos has chosen something other than a toy to spend their own money on, and it just made me so happy that she chose something decorative.  She is such a little Lindsay, I swear.  Haha.

After we left Target, we headed home so the kids could do homework, and then when B got home from work, we made breakfast for dinner (eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, and toast).  I needed something easy to eat – and soft – so that worked.  And just for the record, I didn’t eat the bacon.  Waaaahhhh.  I like my bacon extra crispy (read: hard enough to break a tooth) so I guess I’m going to have to give it up for a while. 

After dinner, I got in a cardio workout while the kiddos got ready for bed, and then after that, we all sat down to watch part of National Treasure 2 before sending the kids to bed.

I was so exhausted Wednesday evening that B and I ended up finishing The Bachelor, and then we headed to bed around 9:15.  Hahahaha.  I did read for a bit before calling it quits, but I’m pretty sure I had the light out before 10, which is eeeeaaaarly for us. 

I’m blaming this horrible weather we’ve been having.  I swear, we have only seen the sun, like, three days since January 1.

Thursday, February 2

Thursday morning, I had a Home and School Advisory Board meeting right after dropoff, and that was fun because it was the first time I had to be around other people with my new braces.  Haha.  I’d normally be suuuuper self-conscious about something like this, but my word for 2023 is CONFIDENCE so I am just owning it, y’all!

After my meeting, I headed home to work for the rest of the morning, and then I had a lunch date with an old co-worker/friend.  Definitely poor planning on my part, but I warned him, and he knew what he was getting himself into with my sore mouth and chewing with my mouth open.  Hahahaha. 

We always go to a local BBQ place right down the street from my house since he works close, and thankfully, they had mac n cheese and baked beans, so that’s what I had for lunch.  Wasn’t mad about it! 

The rest of the day was spent in my office working on blog stuff, and then I picked up the kiddos from school, swung by our house to grab snacks, and then we headed to the music school for Olivia’s voice lesson.

My Momma had made some potato soup the night before, so we swung by their house to grab that after voice lessons, and then we headed home.  The weather was abysmal yet again on Thursday, so it rained all the way home and it rained for the rest of the evening, so there was no outdoor time yet again for what seems like the 84th day in a row.  Haha.

Instead, the kiddos did some homework, read for a bit, and then they watched some YouTube videos while I made dinner.  Thursday evening, we had one of our favorites – my Momma’s famous baked ziti (which I need to share on the blog sometime), green beans, and Cheesecake Factory bread. 

Unfortunately, I had failed to take a second dose of Ibuprofen Thursday afternoon, so by the time the evening rolled around, my teeth and gums were hurting pretty bad.  That pain still didn’t compare to the pain of the inside of my bottom lip, though.  Ugh. 

Dinner Thursday evening was the worst meal so far and I didn’t really even enjoy the food.  It took me 10 hours to eat, and then afterward, we cleaned up the kitchen.  Then, I got in a quick squats/legs workout along with an even quicker abs workout, and then I got in my PJs. 

After the kids were showered, we watched some more of National Treasure 2, and then once they were tucked in bed, B and I watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building before calling it a night… super early again in case anyone is wondering.  Last week I think we got at least eight hours of sleep nearly every night.  Haha.

Friday, February 3

Friday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I settled in my office with my big blanket and a hot cup of tea.  It was rainy YET AGAIN and cold on Friday, and I thankfully had nowhere to be, so I worked on the blog aaaallll day long.  April and May are always crazy and it’s hard to get much work squeezed in during summertime, so I’m already starting to prep the blog as much as I can for those months. 

Friday was probably my worst day for pain with my braces.  In addition to my teeth and gums and lips hurting, I also started having intense jaw tension Friday.  I’ve always had TMJ issues, and my right jaw starting popping with every single chew on Friday and it was miserrrry.  But the sun came out for the first time in days, so that made things a bit better!! 

After school, Brian and Jacob went to get haircuts, and Olivia and I made a stop at Publix so we could grab some stuff for my Galentine’s party on Saturday.

We always go out to eat or get takeout on Friday evenings, so we opted for Panera so I could get some macaroni and cheese.  I had some roasted carrots leftover from earlier in the week that were pretty soft, so I ate that and some kiwi along with it. 

After dinner, the kids got showered, and then we finished watching National Treasure 2 and we started watching the National Treasure show on Disney+. 

Once the kiddos were in bed, B and I watched a couple of episodes of Only Murders in the Building and then we called it a night, too.

Saturday, February 4

I had to start wearing rubberbands at night on Friday, so when I woke up Saturday morning, it literally felt like I was living in somebody else’s face.  My jaw and my bite had changed drastically overnight, and it was just bizarre because I felt like I couldn’t open my mouth or chew or even talk the same, and it was just… odd.  My right jaw also continued popping through breakfast, but then, thankfully, it settled down the rest of the day.  Saturday ended up being a day of less pain than the first three days were, so I’m hoping that means I’m heading in the right direction.

I made homemade waffles for breakfast per usual, and then the kiddos played while I started laundry and got in a mixed cardio workout.  After my workout, it was time to get ready and then finish up my fruit tray for my Galentine’s party, and then it was off to the party.

My friend, Jessica, is the QUEEEEN when it comes to parties, and she always goes all out with the décor.  Well, this Galentine’s party surely didn’t disappoint!  She had done the most beautiful tablescape complete with heart-shaped glasses and bookmarks for us to take home since we all love to read.

She had also put up a fun photo backdrop along with some beautiful mantle décor (peep those disco balls – my kind of girl!!), and it was all just so festive and fun.

She had made two fun cocktails for the party – one was so simple, yet it was the most festive thing – she had champagne glasses with tufts of cotton candy garnishing the side, and there was edible glitter in the bottom of each glass.  When we poured our champagne in the glass, the glitter sparkled to accompany the bubbles, and then we dropped our cotton candy in there where it dissolved, giving it a little bit of cotton candy flavor.  Seriously the cutest.

We all started with glasses of champagne before the brunch, and then once we all sat down, we had round 2 – strawberry basil margaritas.  Soooo delicious!  And pink!  ;o)

Each girl brought a dish, and we ended up having a breakfast casserole with eggs and sausage and cheese, a pineapple pecan breakfast dish, a blueberry breakfast dish, banana nut muffins, orange cranberry muffins, and a big fruit tray with yogurt and some Valentine’s Day themed chocolate covered pretzels. 

In addition to that, my friend, Jeannine, had brought an entire pancake setup where you could make your own pancake art and then eat it.  It was seriously the cutest thing I’ve ever seen – and it was shockingly easy to do – and the pancakes turned out absolutely darling!  Just look at them!  I had my very own personalized “L” pancake.  Haha.

After brunch, Jessica served mini warm lava cakes, and OMG, they were amazing. 

We sat around the table all afternoon, and then before everyone left, we took some fun pictures with our glasses and the photo backdrop.  Gosh, I just love these girls so much!  Also, we all understood the assignment – look at all of the warm tones!

At 4:45, I hightailed it out of there with the hope to get home, grab the fam, and then make it to 5:30 Mass, and it worked out perfectly.  B had everyone ready to go when I walked in the door, so it was timed perfectly.

On the way to church, the kids updated me on their afternoon.  B had taken them to play golf while I was gone, but he said that everything was super muddy from all of the rain we’ve gotten, so it wasn’t all that enjoyable.  They ended up playing four holes and then going home, so that was a bummer.

After church, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with my Momma and Daddy, Mama Cass, and Aunt Joy and Uncle Greg.  I can’t eat chips anymore for the next two years – NOOOO!!!! – so instead, I requested a couple of plain flour tortillas to dip in the cheese dip.  I’m going to have to improvise for the next couple of years, I suppose!  I have to say, it was delicious.

At the end of dinner, the waiters all came out and started singing happy birthday to my mom and we were all soooo confused because her birthday is in September.  My uncle and his crazy self had told them it was her birthday just to crack all of us up at the table and my mom’s reaction was so funny.  She looks so confused in the picture I took.  She did get a free dessert, though.  Hahahaha.  Shhhh.

After dinner, B and the kids grabbed Blizzards from DQ, and then we finished an episode of National Treasure before sending the kids to bed.  B and I watched two more episodes of Only Murders in the Building, and then we went to bed, too.

 

Sunday, February 5

Sunday morning, I woke up feeling like I was in someone else’s mouth again – LOL, I don’t know how else to describe it – and we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast while my right jaw popped the whole time.  Sigh. 

After breakfast, I got my planner ready for the week ahead, did a yoga workout, and then sorted some laundry while listening to a church sermon.  Sometimes I’ll do that on Sunday morning even if we’ve already gone to church Saturday night.  There’s another local church who livestreams their services, and their pastor gives really really great sermons, so I’ve started listening to those sometimes, too.

 

We all had a light lunch at home Sunday afternoon, and then the kiddos played outside for a long time because it was mostly sunny for the second day in a row.

The late afternoon was spent working in my office while the kids played video games, and then we went to my Momma and Daddy’s for Sunday dinner.  My Momma made spaghetti for me since it’s easy to eat, and it’s always one of my favorite things anyway, so I wasn’t mad about it!

And that was our week!!!!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!