Our Week - The One with a Field Trip, Poker Night, a Night Out, and Another Birthday Celebration

We had a good bit going on this past week, and we had the best weekend, so let’s get to the recap!

Monday, April 10

Monday, the kiddos were out of school one more day.  They always get the day after Easter off!  While it was lovely to have one more day off, I had a million things to do, so we opted to stay at home most of the day.  The kids kept themselves entertained while I started catching up on all the things that had been neglected the previous week when they were on spring break.

I had an orthodontist appointment at noon – my first one since getting my braces on! – so I dropped the kids with my parents (they can’t come inside with me there) and I headed to my appointment.  The assistant commented on how much my bottom teeth have straightened out in just these last eight weeks, and she removed that wire and put in a new one on the bottom with a new configuration to continue straightening them.  The orthodontist checked my top teeth, and they were still all very sensitive, so he said that means that wire is still working, so there was no need to tighten or change it.  My appointment was super fast, and painless, and I’ll go back again in eight more weeks!

After that was done, I picked up the kids, we ate a quick lunch at home, and then they played video games for a bit while I got some more stuff done around the house.

Both kids had all of their extracurricular activities Monday afternoon, so we hit the road to get Olivia to dance at 3:45, and then Jacob and I headed straight to piano lessons with all of his golf stuff in tow since golf was right afterward. 

His piano lesson went well, but he’s been struggling with a particular song, so his teacher pulled out another book with a slightly easier song for him to try, and he nailed it.  His teacher sent Jacob home with the book so he can continue to practice  that song.

After piano, Jacob and I headed straight to the golf course where Brian was already waiting, and Brian took over while I headed back to Olivia’s dance studio to pick her up.  I had a few minutes to wait when I arrived, so I tackled some things on my phone (emails, social media responses, etc.) and read for a bit while I waited.

When we got home, I started dinner (mashed potatoes, honey glazed carrots, steamed broccoli, and blueberry muffins… no meat because I didn’t have much time!), and then we all ate together when the boys got home. 

Jacob shot a 45 again Monday night which is really great.  He had five double bogeys, then three straight bogeys, then a double bogey.  Brian said he played his best overall that evening and he had chances to beat his best score (a 44), but he had a couple of errors in inopportune spots. 

After dinner, I went out for a quick walk/jog, and then when I got home, we watched an episode of Weird But True.  After we got the kids in the bed, I showered, meditated, and did my devotional time, and then B and I watched some of American Idol before calling it a night.

Tuesday, April 11

Tuesday morning, I sent the kids off to school, and then I set out to tackle a very long to-do list.  First up, was grocery shopping at Publix.  Once that was done, I got all of the groceries home and put away and then I worked on blog stuff, paying bills, working on stuff for the school, and various other things that needed to be done.

After I picked up the kids, we came home so they could start on homework, and then Brian came home early so I could take Olivia to dance.  She had another visitor night Tuesday, this time for her Musical Theatre class, and they only allow one guest per student which meant that Jacob couldn’t come with us.

She has a Lyrical class before Musical Theatre, so I sat in the car and read while she did that, and then I headed in at 5:45 for her Musical Theatre class.  This is her first year ever taking Musical Theatre, and it’s tough because not only do you have to dance, but you also have to sing and act, so you basically have to be a triple threat.  Haha. 

The girls have been working on their recital dance since January, and it’s three minutes long, and very fast-paced, and I am so proud of how well she is doing in there.  The choreography is a LOT to remember, and all of the girls have their own separate parts and are all going their separate ways on the stage, so it’s not like you can just watch the person in front of you if you forget what you’re supposed to be doing… it’s tough!  But she is rocking it!  Only six weeks to go until the recital!

After that was done, Olivia and I went home, and B had made mini pizzas for dinner since I didn’t have time to cook.  We had those with some leftover broccoli and fruit (for good measure – ha!), and then afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen.

After that was done, I got out for an actual run, and it felt so good!  It was a gorgeous day with low humidity and sunshine, and I felt great when I was done. 

When I got home, we watched another Weird But True, and then after the kids were in bed, I showered, meditated, and did my devotional time again.  That has been my routine lately.  I don’t know why, but I always feel more connected to my workouts, meditations, and devotional time when I do it at night.  I am not a morning person… I’ve always been a night owl, so I guess that’s why?

After that was done, B and I finished American Idol, and then we headed to bed.

Wednesday, April 12

Wednesday, I dropped the kids at school and then swung by the vet to pick up Maui’s flea/tick/heartworm medication, and then I headed home to work until it was time for my hair appointment.  Fresh hair is always the best!

After school, the kiddos tackled homework, and then Jacob and I spent some time playing the piano together.  I advanced a little further in my book, and then he practiced playing that new material that his teacher had sent home with him on Monday.

When B got home from work, we all headed to my personal favorite pizza place in town to celebrate my birthday with my father-in-law.  The pizza was extra good Wednesday evening and it hit the spot!

After that, we all headed back to my FIL’s house for Crumbl Cookies and presents.  If you’ve never tried one of the Classic Pink Sugar cookies from Crumbl, then you are missing out.  Oh, my goodness it is good.  The almond flavoring in the frosting is the chef’s kiss!! 

We headed home after that, and I did an arms and squats workout while the kids got showered and ready for bed.  We ended the evening with another episode of Weird But True and some more of American Idol.

Thursday, April 13

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I headed home to work all morning.  I had an appointment with my therapist late in the morning, and I also made a quick stop at Target to grab something on the way.  The rest of the day was spent working on blog stuff and shopping for the school fundraiser.

After school, the kids and I grabbed snacks at home and then headed to Olivia’s voice lessons, and then we headed back home so they could do homework.  While they worked on homework, I made chicken stir fry for dinner, and then we all ate together as soon as Brian got home from work. 

After dinner, I got out for a walk/jog, which was unexpected… it had been raining all day and I had assumed it would rain all evening, too, so I was excited to have the chance.  The forecast looked totally clear before I left the house, but then no less than five minutes after I got out the door, it started raining.  Haha.  There wasn’t any lightning, though, so I just kept on going in the rain.  The weather was perfect, so the rain actually felt pretty great, and the best part was that I was treated to the most beautiful, vibrant rainbow.  Per usual, the pictures didn’t do it justice.

After my walk, we watched The Mandalorian, and then we got the kiddos in the bed.  I showered and got ready for bed, too, and then B and I watched TV before calling it a night.

Friday, April 14

Friday morning, I dropped the kids at school, and then I headed home for an hour to get a few things done before I needed to meet Olivia for a field trip.  Her field trip was at an environmental learning center, so they got to do all kinds of fun stuff and see all kinds of animals.  First up, the kids had to design a bird beak out of materials that were provided, and their goal was to make it strong enough to pick up beads and peas and plastic bugs. 

After that, we saw the alligators and went on a nature hike, and then we headed back to the center to let the kids identify various animal bones, furs, and habitat items. 

Finally, we toured around inside the center to see all of the fish, snakes, lizards, and other animals, and then there was a presentation in their auditorium.  During the presentation, we all got to see some live animals, and the kids were able to pet a live turtle and a snake.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Olivia so excited as the moment right before she got to pet the snake!  My little girlfriend loves all living creatures and she’s pretty much scared of none of them… she had no qualms about touching that snake.  She has mentioned many times that she’d like to be a veterinarian one day, so we’ll see if that sticks!

After the presentation, the kiddos went to the bus to grab their lunches, and I took that as my cue to exit.  I had to go shop for her class’s fundraiser project that I’m in charge of, so I said my goodbyes and headed to the liquor store to pick up some vodka and whiskey and other various items to include on the bar cart that we’ll be auctioning off.

By the time I got home, I had about an hour before I had to get back in the car to be at the school, so I ate a super fast lunch, worked on some blog stuff, and then I headed back to pick up the kiddos.

At home, the kids tidied the whole house and then watched some YouTube videos while I worked a little bit more in my office.  Then at 5:30, the four of us headed to our friend’s house for another poker night.  It was Khristina and Ian’s turn to host, and they had set up a taco bar with all the fixings.  Then all of us adults played poker on their sun porch for the rest of the evening while the kids ran around outside and lived their best lives. 

We had the best time over there, and as always, it filled my cup.  We had good conversation, I got some great book recommendations, and we laughed and had the best time.  At one point, my friend Jeannine and I laughed so hard that both of us had tears streaming down our faces.  I don’t even remember what it was that we were talking about now, but my goodness, I haven’t laughed that hard in so long.  Didn’t take a single picture all night other than the one of my beers, but we sure did have the best time!

We ended up staying past ten, so the kiddos got in the bed later than usual, and then after they were in bed, B and I watched A Million Little Things before calling it a night. 

Saturday, April 15

Saturday morning, I made homemade waffles for breakfast, and then I read my book for a bit.  Mid-morning, I started some laundry, and then I did my usual mixed cardio Saturday workout. 

Once that was done, I settled in to put together the bar cart that had been delivered, and Brian ended up doing a lot of it because I was getting so frustrated with the instructions.  Lol.  It turned out beautiful, though, and I’m so excited to have this wonderful item to auction off to raise money for the school in a few weeks.

Once that was done, we had lunch, and then I headed outside to lay in the sun and finish my book.  I looooved this book soooo much, y’all.  It is definitely in my top two for the year so far!

After I’d had my fill of sunshine, I headed inside to get a couple of things done in my office, and then we all got ready for church.

Our usual crowd was there at church plus my cousin Shelby, which was unexpected since she doesn’t live in town anymore.  We all went out to dinner together afterward – my family of four, my Momma, Mama Cass, Aunt Joy, Uncle Greg, and Shelby – and then my cousin Zoe, who was in town from Colorado ended up joining us at the tail end of the night. 

Shelby and I were already each one large marg deep, and then we ordered another small one to share since Zoe had joined us, so we were both ready to party, and we declared that we were going out after dinner.  Haha. 

Zoe was down for going out, so B took the kids home and my cousin Zoe (who hadn’t been drinking) drove us to a bar that’s really close to my house.  We grabbed a round of drinks and chatted for a while, and it was so nice to have some girl cousin time. 

About an hour after we arrived, my aunt and uncle walked in (Shelby’s parents), and we were all excited to see them.  Shelby had been trying to get them to come, so we were excited that they showed up. 

Once they got there, they grabbed some drinks and joined us at the table, and then Zoe and Shelby and I hit the dance floor and danced for the rest of the night. 

My Uncle Greg drove Shelby and me home just before midnight so Zoe could get back to my Mama Cass’s house… she had a 5 AM wakeup call to catch her flight home.  EEK!

When I got home, B and I hung out downstairs for a while, and then we went to bed suuuuper late.

 

Sunday, April 16

Sunday morning, I was on the struggggle bussss from too much drinking, so after making cinnamon rolls for breakfast, I parked myself in the chair in our bedroom and I didn’t move for 2.5 hours.  Lol.  I ended up scrolling through social media for a bit and I read for a while, too, and then at 11:15, I finally got up and sorted the laundry, and then I had to get ready to go to my MIL’s for lunch.

 

We celebrated my birthday with them on Sunday, so she’d made my favorite cheesy chicken and lawnmower potatoes + a few veggies, and then we had dirt cake for dessert per my request.  After that, I opened my gifts, and then all of the adults chatted around the table for a bit while the cousins all played ping pong in the garage.

By the time we got home from their house, I felt mostly back to normal, so I was able to get a bunch of stuff done in my office.  I also turned on The Wedding Planner while I worked.  The BEST.

The rest of the evening was spent at my parents’ house having dinner.  My Mama Cass, my Uncle Billy, and my brother were all able to join us, so the gang was all there!  It’s always my favorite way to end the weekend!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!