Our Week - The One with Girls Night, Glasses for Olivia, an Evening Downtown, and a Play

After 12 weeks with vertigo, I’ve pretty much accepted that I will just have to live with it at this point, and since I’m still on medication for it, it hasn’t been as bad these last couple of weeks.  I’m still severely dizzy every single time I lay down, sit up from a reclined/laying position, or when tilting my head up, and I’m still having random mild dizziness while standing on very rare occasions, but other than that, I feel pretty normal most of the time, thank goodness. 

That has, in turn, boosted my mood a bit, so this past week has been one of the better ones that I’ve had in a while.  I’m praying the meds will continue to work their magic until this vertigo goes away so I can continue living a mostly normal life.  I was so nice this week to not have to think about being dizzy 95% of the day.  As a matter of fact, I felt so good a couple of the days that I forgot altogether about the vertigo until I accidentally moved the wrong way and started spinning.  Whoops.  I guess that’s a good thing, though?  Let’s get to the recap!

Monday, September 25

Monday, I had zero appointments, commitments, or meetings, so I dropped the kids at school and then headed home to get caught up on all the things.  I did a ton of laundry, I finished and worked on multiple blog posts, I started working on a new Instagram reel, I got some pictures organized, and I worked on various other random things.

After school, I got the kids home, and then Brian and Jacob took off right away to go to Jacob’s golf match.  While he was there, I helped Olivia with some studying, and then I made breakfast for dinner.

When the boys got home, we all ate together, and Jacob told us about his match.  My dad had joined them this time, and Jacob ended up shooting a 42, tying his personal best. 

After dinner, we got the kitchen cleaned up, and then I headed out to walk/jog.  By the time I got home, it was nearly dark… I’m going to be sad when my evening walks have to cease. 

I got showered when I got home, and then we ended the evening with some America’s Got Talent from last week + the last episode of season one of Cruel Summer.  Y’all.  The last 30 seconds of that episode was mind-blowing.  I did not see it coming.  That is such a great show.

Tuesday, September 26

Tuesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I hung around for an all-school Home and School meeting at 8.  After the meeting, another girl and I stayed behind and got the school all decorated for fall.  We got the front entrance, the sidewalk, and the front office all decorated.  This year, we lined the whole sidewalk with scarecrows in the bushes, and all of the kids absolutely loved it.  While we were decorating, the three-year-old class walked by, and you could just hear the excitement in their little voices…

“Look at that one!” 

“Oh, I like that one!” 

“That one is pwetty!”

It was just the sweetest thing.  Gosh, I really do miss having teeny tiny babies.  They are just so precious.

We wrapped up with the decorating around 10, so I headed home to work and finish the laundry for the day before heading back to the school to pick up the kids.  We went home so the kids could grab snacks and do homework, and then we got Olivia to dance class. 

Jacob and I swung by the library after that to pick up a couple of books for him, and then when we got home, he and I worked on his application for National Junior Honor Society.  He still had more homework to do after that plus some reading, so I got dinner in the oven and then did a quick stair stepper and arms workout while he did that. 

Once Brian and Olivia were home, we all sat down to eat together – parmesan chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli – and then after dinner, Olivia got showered and ready for bed.  (Jacob had already showered before they got home since we knew it would be a later night.) 

We had just enough time to watch a few minutes of AGT before bed, and then B and I started season two of Cruel Summer.  I think it’s gonna be another good one!

Wednesday, September 27

Wednesday morning, I had nowhere to be, so I dropped the kids at school and then headed home to work on the blog all morning.  I had an appointment with my therapist at 12:15, so I headed there after lunch, and then I ran a couple of errands in the area – UPS to drop an Amazon return, and Target to drop a return as well. 

My original plan was to head straight to the car line after that, but I realized on the way to my therapist appointment that I had forgotten to bring Olivia’s dance stuff, so I had to go all the way back home after my errands, grab that stuff, and then head back to the school to pick up the kids.  Whoops.

We dropped Olivia at dance right after school, and then Jacob and I headed home so he could work on homework.  I was a whirlwind for the next hour unloading and reloading the dishwasher, putting away four loads of laundry, getting everything prepped and ready for the next day, and getting freshened up because I had a girl’s night.

We were meeting at our favorite local Thai place that happens to be right down the street from Brian’s office, so I dropped Jacob off there with Brian and then they headed to pick up Olivia from dance while I headed to my girls’ dinner. 

The Thai restaurant has been in our city for years and years, and then after a couple of deaths in the family, they closed sometime during the Covid era.  Everyone was so sad when it shut down, so we were all thrilled to see that the family decided to reopen.  The food was just as excellent as ever, and it was a nice night hanging with my girls.  Per usual, we didn’t take a single picture, but sometimes it be like that.  We did have a LOT of good laughs, though.

We had gone to dinner really early because the wait has been really long since the restaurant recently reopened, so I ended up getting home a little after 7.  The kids were just getting in the shower, so I took the time to do an arms workout and some squats.  That was about all I could muster after my big meal.

Once we were all ready for bed, we watched some more of the never-ending America’s Got Talent, and then after the kids went to bed, B and I watched another episode of season two of Cruel Summer.

Thursday, September 28

Thursday was a busy one.  I dropped the kids and hit the ground running.  First up, I helped a couple of other ladies clean out the storage unit that the Home and School Association has been using for a few years.  The price skyrocketed, so we decided to move everything out and find a place for it at the school.  So, we got it all cleaned out, loaded up our SUVs with all of the stuff, and we put it in the shed at the school.  It was mostly decorations and various items for school events, and there really wasn’t a ton in there, so it took a little over an hour and then I was on my way back home.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent working diligently on blog stuff and getting a couple of other things done.  Mid-morning, I got a call from Jacob saying that he had chipped one of his molars.  Sigh.  He assured me that it was a baby tooth and he said he wasn’t in any pain, so I told him just to continue his day at school, and then I got on the phone with the dentist as soon as I hung up with him. 

The dentist said that it wasn’t really an emergency since he wasn’t in any pain, but he did say that it was very important that we get him in as soon as possible to ensure it didn’t get infected.  We were able to get an appointment for 8 AM on Friday, so that was a relief.

I picked up the kids from school at 3, and then we hightailed it to my parents’ house to drop Jacob off so my Momma could take him to piano lessons because Olivia had an eye appointment.  She had been complaining about not being able to see the board at school for a couple of weeks, so we wanted to get her in for an appointment to get her eyes checked.  They could only see her Thursday afternoon, so we had to move her voice lesson to a different day, and thankfully, my Momma was able to get Jacob to piano since I can’t be in two places at once.

After we dropped Jacob at my parents’ house, Olivia and I headed to the eye doctor, and y’all, when I tell you this girl was thrilled about the prospect of getting glasses, she was THRILLED.  Haha.  The place was packed when we arrived, but somehow, we magically made it in and out in less than an hour, including a glasses fitting.  Because sure enough, my little gal is going to be sporting some brand new pink glasses in about a week! 

The doctor said that she is just barely nearsighted, so he said that she really only needs to use the glasses to see the board in class.  She doesn’t need them for reading up close or working on the computer, and she doesn’t need them for sports or playing outside, but he did say that she can wear them all the time if she wants to, and she has already told us that she just wants to wear them all the time.  Haha. 

She tried on about 8-10 different pairs, but she knew all along she wanted light pink frames.  One of her best friends at school just got pink glasses, so she wanted to twin with her.  <3

After her appointment was over, we headed back to my parents’ house to pick up Jacob, and then we headed home because Jacob had a paper to type.  While he worked on that, I made turkey and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls for dinner, and then after dinner, Jacob continued working on his paper.

I got out for a run Thursday night, and I did have a couple of dizzy spells.  Last week, I did have a couple of days where some general dizziness settled in for a short amount of time, and I’m still, of course, always having the positional vertigo that I mentioned at the beginning of the post (the spinning when I tilt my head up or down too far or lay down or sit up from laying down), but other than that I felt pretty decent.

I got showered when I got back home, and then I went over Jacob’s paper with him to make sure it was good to go, and then we watched a few minutes of America’s Got Talent.  B and I started watching The Golden Bachelor after they went to bed, and y’all, if you’re not watching then you are missing out!!  It is so good!  Haha.  This bachelor is just the absolute best – he lost his wife of 43 years a few years ago – and he seems like the most wonderful guy ever.  Most of the ladies seem wonderful, too, and I am SO HERE FOR IT.  This one just feels so much more genuine than the other bachelor seasons… those are just so contrived.

Friday, September 29

Friday morning, I took Olivia to school and Brian took Jacob to the dentist to check on his chipped molar.  I had a physical therapy appointment at 8, so that’s why I couldn’t take him myself.  At PT, my physical therapist told me there’s not much more that she can do for me since I know all of the exercises, so she told me that she thinks it might be wise for me to take a break from seeing her while continuing my exercises at home, and then she told me to call her after I see my cardiologist and neurologist to rule out other stuff.  Then we’ll go from there.  The one thing that’s greatly beneficial from PT is the occipital release she does on my neck and the base of my skull, so she did that one last time and I’m going to miss that more than anything.  It feels like exactly what my tight neck muscles always need, but I know I can’t keep seeing her forever for it.

After my appointment, I headed downtown to the space center that we have here in town.  On the way, Brian called and said that Jacob’s chipped molar was just a baby molar as we suspected, and the dentist said there was no need to pull it or anything.  He said that Jacob just needs to continue wiggling it a lot to try to get the rest of it to come out. 

I arrived just after the kids at the space center, and I chatted with all of my friends AKA the other parents while the kids were in a classroom talking to one of the employees who worked there.  When they came out, it was time to explore.  The kids played with some kind of space rovers, they projected themselves onto the moon via a green screen, and they flew in some kind of jet simulator. 

Once all that was done, we boarded a rocket ship and took a trip to the moon, and then we headed into the planetarium for one final show.  The planetarium has always been my favorite part.  I have always loved a good show at the planetarium. 

The kids thought the planetarium show was the coolest thing ever.  Olivia had been before when she was verrrry small but she didn’t remember it, so it was quite a treat for her.  Once the show was over, the kids headed back to school, and I headed home to have a quick lunch with Brian and then get some work done.

 

After school, the kids and I went home and I got a couple more things done, and then the four of us headed downtown to spend the evening.  We’d been wanting to try a new restaurant in town for a couple of months, so we were excited to finally get in there. 

The restaurant is a whole vibe.  It’s casual and relaxed and kid-friendly.  You order at the counter, but the food is excellent… they have pizza, tacos, and Asian inspired cuisine there, and we all opted for pizzas because we’d heard it was amazing.  People weren’t kidding either… definitely five stars from me!

The special thing about this restaurant is that they have an entire wall of beer and wine taps.  You get an electronic bracelet when you buy your food, and then you have free reign over all of the beer taps.  To activate the beer tap, you just hold up your electronic bracelet to the screen, it pulls up your tab, and then you can fill your glass with as much or as a little as you want.  You get charged by the weight, so your bracelet keeps track of your tab based on how much or how little you get.  That makes it a great option for trying new beers because you can just get a little taste of each one without being stuck buying a whole glass.  It’s such a cool concept.

The place was packed, but we were able to grab the last available table at the time, and our food came out quickly.  The pizza was excellent – seriously SO delicious – and we all loved it.  Our kids are super picky about food, and they were both raving about it… I believe they said that it’s the best pizza they’ve ever had.  And they both ate more than I’ve ever seen them eat.

Once we were done there, we took a little stroll around downtown to walk off our food, and we stopped by the mural as well as our favorite local craft beer store to grab some new beer to try.  I’d hoped to find some gluten free beer, and the guy who works there told me they usually do have some, but they were temporarily out.  Bummer.

While we were there, we did spot this on the freezer, though:

Bahahahaha.  The kids were so excited. 

After that, we dropped the beer back at our car and then we walked to our favorite frozen yogurt place to grab some dessert.  B and I both opted for a bit of pumpkin spice and toasted marshmallow, and the toasted marshmallow was my favorite.  The kids, of course, loaded theirs up with gummies because they’d rather have the candy anyway.  Haha. 

We ate outside because the weather was just PERFECTION Friday night, and it was just such a nice little evening.

Our city does a spring and a fall outdoor concert series right in the middle of our downtown area each year, so there was live music at 7.  We settled in to watch for a bit, we chatted with a couple of different people that we knew, and then we headed home.  I would have loved to have stayed until the end, but we were all exhausted, and I was ready to get home and in my PJs!

When we got home, we watched some more of America’s Got Talent, and then B and I watched another episode of Cruel Summer before calling it a night.

Saturday, September 30

Saturday morning, we slept in, I made homemade waffles, and then we settled in to watch ESPN College GameDay.  I also chatted with my Momma on the phone for a while and it was just a lovely, lazy morning.

Late in the morning, I finally got off the couch and got in a mixed cardio workout, and then we had lunch at home.  The early afternoon was spent doing laundry, washing all of the bed sheets, tidying the house, and getting a few other things done, and then I got showered and ready for the day just before the Georgia Auburn game started.

The game was a NAIL BITER.  Auburn put up a fight and I was worried for a while there that we weren’t going to beat them.  When we have super stressful games like that I literally can’t sit on the couch and watch, so instead I was getting the week and month ahead prepped in my planner, I was making to-do lists for the upcoming week, and eventually I got so nervous that I started tackling minor annoying things that have been on my to-do list just to have something to do with my nervous energy.  Of course I did all of this while in the same room as the TV, but I could barely bring myself to look at the screen.  Sheesh.

Brian picked up Five Guys at halftime, and I slipped Maui into her Georgia jersey to see if it could help turn things around.  Sure enough, we ended up beating them in the last couple of minutes of the game, and then I was finally able to breathe again.  Whew.  Auburn is a HUGE rival of Georgia’s, and they’re not even ranked this year, so if they had beaten us and taken us down from our #1 spot it would have been all kinds of devastating. 

After the game was over, the four of us took a walk around the neighborhood because I wanted the kids to see our neighbor’s giant skeleton that they’d put up a couple of days before that.  They got one of those massive 12-foot skellies and it is just the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.  If I had $300 to blow, I’d get one, too!  Hahahaha.

After our walk, the kids headed upstairs to watch some TV, and I started working on the Halloween décor… I added a black cat to our chalkboard, and I put out some Halloween straws, and that was about all I could get to for the evening because it was getting late.

Once that was done, I got into my PJs and ready for bed, and then I meditated while the kids got ready for bed.  Jacob had lost a tooth – a different molar than the one he’d chipped – earlier in the day, so he put his tooth under his pillow and then they headed to bed.

B and I watched more football, and then we headed up to bed around 11.  When I went in to put the dollar under Jacob’s pillow, he was laying right on the edge closest to me, so I had no clue how to get the tooth out.  Lol.  I tried and he kept stirring, so I went back in my room and decided to try again later.  I went back in a second time with no success and then Brian went in there two times, finally having luck getting the tooth on the second try.  Whew.  Whoever thought it was a good idea to have the kids put their teeth under their pillows did NOT think that through.  Why can’t they just leave them on the nightstand to make it easier for the tooth fairy?!  Lol.

 

Sunday, October 1

Sunday morning was cinnamon rolls, online church, yoga, and then getting ready for the day.  We swung by the store to grab some flowers for a play we were attending later in the day, and then we headed to my in-laws’ house for Sunday lunch.  Olivia caught a tiny frog, so I snapped a picture of it.  It was so tiny and cute, but please, my gosh, don't let it jump on me.  Lol.

We ended up leaving there a bit earlier than usual to make it to my best friend’s son’s play at 2:30, and it was just the cutest thing!  They put on The Velveteen Rabbit, and Buckley played Alex, the main boy, and he just did the best job!  He is so dang precious all the time, but he really shines on stage!  Our kiddos really enjoyed watching it, too.

 

After the play, we headed home to get everything ready for Sunday dinner.  My Momma cooked dinner, but we hosted because their air conditioner broke, and they had to wait until Monday before it would be repaired.  My littlest brother’s birthday was Saturday, so we celebrated him, and this picture about summed up the night.  Haha. 

Later that evening, I posted this picture of the two of us when I was 10 and he was a baby, and I cannot even tell y’all how many DMs I got asking if that was Olivia/saying they thought it was Olivia/telling me that Olivia is my twin.  Haha.  I definitely see it too, y’all!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!