Last week was all about getting back in the swing of things after ten days off for spring break and Easter. I was a busy little bee trying to get caught up on #allthethings and, unfortunately, I had to do it while my allergies kicked my butt all week. I’ve had a scratchy throat and a very hoarse and sometimes non-existent voice for over a week now with no end in sight. That’s spring in Georgia for you, though!
I’m also still having issues with my retainer – BIG SIIIIGH – so I was fighting off some pretty bad face and jaw tension and headaches all week… it’s looking more and more each day like I may need to see if getting a fixed upper retainer is a possibility.
Anyway, let’s get to the recap! There was lots of good this week even though re-entry after vacation is always challenging!
Monday, April 6
The kids were out of school again for Easter Monday, so after an exhausting (but incredible) trip to Disney World and a whirlwind of an Easter and birthday weekend, we finally got to relax on Monday. Brian did have to work, but he was working from home, so he was able to sleep in a little, and I slept in until 8:30. Praise!!
The kids were just getting up when I got up, and we all had cake for breakfast because we had so many leftovers. It was the day after my birthday, so I figured, why not? ;o)
Meanwhile, I washed my new weighted blanket that Brian gave me for my birthday and then I got to work in my office. I had gotten so ahead on the blog before we left for our trip, but as always when returning from vacation, I was right back to flying by the seat of my pants when we got back. I had to finish my blog post for the next day, and it was a time-intensive one, so it took all my work time for the day.
The rest of the morning was lazy for the kids – some video games for Jacob since he’d been deprived of them all week (LOL) and some Facetiming with Maren for Olivia.
Late in the morning, Olivia brought Maren into my office via her iPad, and she and Maren told me that Maren’s mom had said that Olivia could come over and hang out if it was okay with me and that she’d be texting me shortly. Sure enough, I got the text, so right after lunch, I ran Olivia over to their house so they could hang out all afternoon.
They live just about five minutes from us, so it’s so convenient because it’s a quick round trip. Olivia was thrilled to be spending all day with her bestie, and she said goodbye and jumped out of the car as fast as she could.
I headed back home after that and helped Jacob finish up with his Confirmation paperwork. I also helped him log some service hours as he needed help with the contact information.
After all that was done, I hit the pavement for a walk and Jacob put together his new Lego set that he’d gotten in his Easter basket. It was cold and dreary on Monday, so that wasn’t ideal, but it still felt good to get out after not working out for four days.
After dinner, Brian, Jacob, and I went back to my father-in-law’s house for Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard Cake and gifts, and then we hung out for a bit and chatted before heading home.
Artemis II was busy making its journey around the moon that day, so we had been following along on and off all afternoon. When we got home, they were on the dark side of the moon with no communication, which had to be so wild for them. We turned on the live coverage when we got home, and I started making a grocery list while Olivia went upstairs to shower.
The sunset started out as a fiery orange and yellow and eventually morphed into hot pink, deep purple, and blue, and it was just STUNNING. All the while, I kept thinking about the four humans just flying around in space beyond what I could see in our atmosphere, and it was just one of those moments when you realize just how grand the universe is.
It was COLD Monday night, so I froze to the bone watching it, but it was totally worth every single second. Just look at those gorgeous pictures. Every single one of them is unedited and unfiltered. Just God’s true beauty shining right there on the picture.
After the sunset, we all got into pjs, the kids went to bed, and then Brian and I watched some of The Chosen before going to bed.
Tuesday, April 7
Tuesday was the first school day in 10 days, and I can tell you right now that waking up at 6 AM to get the kids to school is way less fun than waking up at 6 AM to go to Disney World. Hahahaha. I draaaagggged my booty out of bed and still felt half asleep, but we were out the door on time, and the kids made it to school just after 7:30 AM as always.
I had to go to Walmart and Publix to get groceries because we were out of everything, and then I went home to put the groceries away before getting to work. It took most of the day to get my blog post done for the next day, and I also had to transfer pictures from my phone to my computer and get those organized again. While those were transferring, I tidied my office and fixed some typos, and then I finished my blog post for Wednesday with just enough time to look at my planner for the week ahead and leave to pick up the kids from school.
On the way there, I swung by the library to pick up some books, and I talked to my friend, Jeannine, for a bit.
After school, we headed home, and I did my devotional and then turned in all of Jacob’s Confirmation paperwork in (a huge check off the list as he’s been working on it since last summer) all while keeping my eye on the news since our administration was sending horrible threats to Iran.
Olivia had parent night for her lyrical class at dance, so I drove her there and then sat in with her class. I got to see part of her routine for the recital, and it looks awesome so far. Those girls sure do put in the hard work. Their warmups alone are exhausting.
I headed straight home after that to get dinner in the oven while she had her other two classes, and Brian was just getting home from the funeral home as his best friend’s mom passed away and the visitation was Tuesday afternoon.
While dinner was in the oven, I got the rest of the groceries put away and I chatted with Brian about the visitation, and then I got in a very quick, very half-hearted functional strength training workout. I felt like crap all last week with a scratchy throat, an achy neck, and lots of issues from my jaw and face tension, so it wasn’t a fun week. Pretty sure my retainer is causing issues, so I may have to see if I can just get a fixed retainer and be done with all the drama. I’m soooo over it.
The four of us sat down to eat dinner when Brian and Olivia got home from dance, and it was nice to have something a little healthier than takeout after a week of junk food on vacation. I made barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and Cheesecake Factory bread, and it was a nice to be back around our own table together.
After the kitchen was clean, I did a quick strength workout, I watered all the plants outside and in, and then Jacob wanted to order a 4x4 Rubik’s Cube to up his game. The one he had completed Monday was my uncle’s OG Rubik’s Cube from 1982. LOL.
Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday, I dropped the kids off at school and then I headed home to wrap up in my electric blanket and work. I had thought the cold snaps were over for the season, but last week proved me wrong. Haha.
Wednesday was another admin day because I had a bunch of “life” stuff that needed attention. I shopped for a few things Olivia needs for her upcoming recital, I grabbed a couple of things with my birthday gift cards, I downloaded some new music, I paid a bill, I caught up on emails, I looked over summer dance registration information (I can’t believe it’s already time to sign up for that), I ordered Olivia’s school supplies for next school year (how on earth are we already here?!), and then I spent the rest of the day catching up on blog reading. I was a week and a half behind so that took foreverrrr.
But again, I felt like crap all day Wednesday, so it was a nice day to just be lazy and catch up on reading my favorite blogs. I fought sleep all day until 1 PM, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Everything hurt from my tension, and my brain fog was fogging, so I covered up with my weighted blanket and passed out for a 30-minute power nap. I did feel a little better when I woke, but still not great.
I had to put gas in the car before grabbing the kids from school and then we all headed home. I did my devotional with a cup of tea and then tackled a couple of things around the house and then it was time to get Olivia to dance.
I picked up a prescription from CVS on the way home, made chicken stir fry, rice, and veggies for the boys and me when I got home, and then I got out for another walk. I was able to complete my entire route, but my pace was slower, and it did feel good to get out even though I’d been lacking energy all day.
After she showered, the kids got into bed and then Brian and I watched the season finale of Shrinking, me with another hot toddy in hand. And regarding Shrinking – if you aren’t watching it, you are missing out so much. It is one of the best shows I have ever seen… right up there with Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek. It is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny and you will cry at every episode as well. I had tears streaming down my face at the end of last week’s episode. Gah, I love every single character on that show.
Thursday, April 9
Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I came home to work on the blog all day long. I started and finished my post for Friday, I started and finished my post for Monday (yesterday’s post as you’re reading this), and I started this post that you’re currently reading and got it caught up to present time. Once that was done, I started my post for Wednesday, which is the first of my Disney recaps! It was a very productive day on the blog front and I’m happy to report that my scratchy throat had improved (a tiny bit) and I was no longer brain foggy and feeling exhausted.
I grabbed the kids from school when they got out, and we headed to music lessons. Jacob was supposed to have had a golf match, but it got cancelled, so we didn’t have to worry about conflicting extracurricular activities as originally thought.
I sat with Olivia during her guitar lesson and she worked some more on her acoustic version of The Fate of Ophelia. She’s contemplating doing the music recital again, so we’ll see. Jacob is also contemplating doing the piano recital, so we will see about that as well!
When we got home, I had just enough time to clean up the kitchen and have a cup of tea, and then it was time to leave to meet my girlfriends for dinner. We had to cancel our last two dinners because so many girls were sick and/or tied up with kids’ activities, so I was extra excited to see them Thursday evening.
We met downtown at a market that sells a fusion of different cuisines and has a large beer wall. I’d been craving pizza since Brian had ordered one at my birthday dinner on Monday, so I ordered a pepperoni pizza. Jeannine, Jen, Jessica, Heather, and I all grabbed a high-top table and we spent the next couple of hours catching up and discussing pretty much everything under the sun.
I got home around 7:45 PM and the kids were just finishing showering and getting ready for bed. I got into some workout clothes, and I did a stair stepper workout while we watched some more of the live action Lilo and Stitch movie before the kids went to bed.
Friday, April 10
Friday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed home to get stuff done. On the list for Friday was:
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Filling in some events in my planner
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Catching up on emails
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Moving Disney PhotoPass pictures and videos to
Brian’s and my shared file
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Working on this blog post
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Finishing my first Disney blog post
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Washing a load of clothes
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Cleaning out my List Master app
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Downloading the new Teddy Swims single
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Organizing a couple of Instagram highlights
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Placing an order for essential oils
After school, the kids and I headed home to have some downtime before our
very busy weekend kicked off. Jacob and
I sat down together to select his classes for next schoolyear (TENTH GRADE,
HOWWWW?!), but his link for Honors American Sign Language hadn’t been
activated, so he ended up having to email the guidance counselor and pause his
registration.
Olivia received her recognition from Locks of Love on Friday, too, for donating 12 inches of hair!!
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Opened a couple of packages
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Got an Amazon return ready
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Measured for new light fixtures
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Sent Brian some of the videos I took at Disney World
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Placed an Amazon order
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Responded to all blog comments from the last week
At 5 PM, I decided that productivity could wait, and I did a rare Friday
workout. Fridays are usually the days
that I take off and rest each week, but I knew I wasn’t going to have time for
a workout Saturday, so I wanted to get out and move my body a little. It was just lovely outside, so I didn’t want
to waste the good weather.
After my shower, I decided to try out my new self-tanner, and it turned out to be SO good. It did stay sticky-ish for a while like all self-tanners do, and it also started having that self-tanner scent that doesn’t smell great once it started developing, but the color is beautiful, it doesn’t look fake at all, and it left zero streaks or weird patches on my knees or ankles or feet. And the best part is – it’s so inexpensive, especially compared to the ones that all the other influencers are marketing these days.
After my self-tanner was applied, I put away the laundry I’d washed earlier in the day, and then I whipped up some cocktails for B and me – a Moscow Mule for him and a Manhattan for me, of course. I got to use my new picks for the cherries, and it really does make the drink feel so much fancier. ;o)
While we were waiting for the crew to deboard, I talked to our old resource officer on the phone for a bit as he called to wish me a belated happy birthday. He had just boarded a flight to Ireland, though, so our call was pretty short as he had to turn his phone on airplane mode.
We ended up watching the Artemis coverage for hours… until all four crew members were safely out of the capsule, and then we finally turned it off. Olivia and I watched the Elizabeth Taylor music video by Taylor Swift (finally) and then she went to bed because we had an early and full day ahead Saturday.
Brian and I watched some more of The Chosen after she went to bed and then he had to leave to pick Jacob and his friend, WJ, up from their retreat at 11 PM. When they got home, they told us a little about their day and then they grabbed some snacks and headed upstairs, and Brian and I headed to bed.
Saturday morning, Brian got up early to put a few lawn equipment items out in our neighborhood yard sale, and I had set my alarm for 8 AM because we had so much to do. The first thing I did was make sure Olivia was up because she had an early dance class that was added to the schedule at the last minute. Then, I woke up the boys so they could get ready and have breakfast before day two of their retreat.
We all ate donuts that Brian had picked up the night before, and then I had a quick cup of tea while prepping my to do list for the day in my office.
Olivia and I left a little after 9 AM to get her to dance, and then when I got home, Brian brought in all the stuff that hadn’t sold in the yard sale.
I headed upstairs to get showered and ready for the day while Brian and the boys headed to day two of their retreat, and then Brian came home to get ready because we had a funeral to attend for his best friend’s mom. She passed away last week after a long battle with Alheimer’s, and she was a second momma to Brian since he grew up hanging out at their house.
My dad also happens to be friends with Brian’s best friend’s dad, so my parents were at the funeral as well. It lasted about an hour and then we hung around for a bit to hung everyone and give our condolences and then we had to be back at Olivia’s dance studio to pick her up by 12:30 PM. The funeral was a really beautiful service, though, but it was a particularly tough one as Brian’s best friend, his best friend’s sister (who we are also close with), and Brian’s best friend’s son and daughter all said a few words. I doubt there was a dry eye in the whole church.
After we grabbed Olivia from dance, the three of us headed home to change back into comfortable clothes and then eat some lunch. Olivia tidied the house and showered afterward, and I spent some time tidying and arranging my new drawer organizer that I got for my birthday. I cleaned out a few things as well, and I’m soooo in love with the final result. Everything has a place, everything is grouped together logically, and it just looks so much cleaner and neater in there. Ya gotta love an organizer!
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I folded the towels and blankets I’d washed earlier in the day, and then I got changed and freshened up, and then we headed to one last hockey game of the season with our friends, Jeannine and James and their boys.
There were multiple events downtown in the same area, so parking was a nightmare, but eventually, we lucked out and found someone leaving, so we were able to get their spot, and we made it to the game on time. They ended up starting the game 15 minutes late, I’m assuming because so many people were still waiting to get in at game time due to the parking situation, and then there were a few other things that happened during the game that delayed it, making it run super late. We decided to leave during the intermission after the second period to avoid the crazy traffic that was likely to ensue after the game since it would be letting out around the same time as the other events. Plus we were all exhausted after the long day.
That said, we all had a fun time and the kids got to take pictures with the mascots and get ice cream, so it was a fun evening out! Mack also had a hat with a running marquee light across the front of it, and all the kids kept passing it around. Olivia wanted her picture taken in it... no surprise there! Haha.
We had some of the best cocktails of our lives in Hollywood Studios on our Disney World trip, so Brian ordered the ingredients to make them at home, and we tried our first round Saturday night, minus one of the ingredients that hadn’t yet arrived. It is out of this world delicious and I plan to share the recipe here as soon as we get the final ingredient!
Sunday, April 12
I got up around 8:45 AM Sunday morning, made cinnamon rolls, and helped Brian clean the kitchen afterward. Then, I settled in my office with my cup of tea to plan the week ahead and I also knocked out my entire blog post for Friday, making me almost a week ahead on the blog!
Meanwhile, the kids did their laundry, prepped for the week ahead, and had some screentime.
Late in the morning, I left my office to tackle a few things around the house – cleaning the remaining blinds and windows that I hadn’t yet gotten to (front room, Jacob’s room, Olivia’s room, and the playroom), and then we all had lunch together.
After lunch, the kids finished up with their laundry, showered, and prepped for Monday, and then they had some screen time while I did some more work in my office. I had to transfer all the photos from my phone to my laptop from the week and then get them organized. And I also got this blog post nearly finished. And Brian ended up selling our old lawnmower and edger on our neighborhood Facebook page, so we can officially cross that off the list! Woo hoooo!
Late in the afternoon, I got showered and ready and then we headed to 5 PM Mass before grabbing Mama Cass and going to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner. It was good to be back after skipping the previous week for Easter. We celebrated my birthday over there with my favorite meal that my Momma makes – meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, black eyed peas, and banana pudding for dessert! YES, MA’AM!
When we got home from my parents’ house, I sorted the dirty clothes, so they’d be ready for laundry day Monday, and then Brian and I settled in to watch some Saturday Night Live after the kids went to bed.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
