My week began with a celebration (it ended with one too but more on that later)! After church on Sunday, we piled into the car and drove up to the mountains to where Joey’s parents live to celebrate his father’s 65th birthday with all my in-laws. When we all gather, we total 19. They live in a sweet little home near the mountains and we always have lots of fun eating, playing with the kids and catching up.
Monday morning Emily (my oldest who is 15 years old) and I woke nice and early to hit the ice rink. She had a very important U.S. Figure Skating Test she needed to take as she continues to check them off her list. It’s a pass/fail kind of test and she… passed!! Whew. Then off to school. She only had one final today… in P.E. Really? Yes, apparently. I was at the office throughout the morning planning and meeting with staff. Mondays are usually my catch up days when it comes to AA and the house. I make a conscious effort not to work on Sundays. I don’t even check the orders. So between work, home and kid’s stuff the emails pile up a tad and it takes me most the day to get my checklist down to a manageable length. Since I was at the office, this catch up day was a little more challenging. Corban is taking his first swimming class every night this week and it started on Monday afternoon at my neighbor’s backyard pool. A swim instructor came to teach a bunch of the neighborhood kids a thing or two! We were supposed to go to a cookout with some friends but Joey had a rough day and I was close to my limit. It was a cookout where you bring the kids and I knew I’d have to have one hand on Corban the whole time. So with all those factors it added up to “Sorry, we can’t make it.” Whew… so thankful for my bed! My sweet niece has been watching Corban a few mornings for me, since he’s been out of school. But I decided to keep Grace and Corban all to myself on Tuesday because I had to take my mother to the airport (who went to go see her mother in TX). So I made it my day to run errands and not work too much. We were out most the day except we did come home for lunch. Grace is my musician and she has her piano lessons on Tuesday afternoons which she really looks forward to. Her lessons are short but I managed to get a quick run in while Corban played at a nearby playground… he plays and I run circles around him on the little path that winds through the park. I’m sure I look a little funny but sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do. Then I picked up Grace, picked up Emily from school and we all headed and got a quick dip in the pool. I wanted Corban to get some practice in before his swim class. Another crazy busy day for me. I’m not used to this! I admire you single moms out there on days like this… and I didn’t even work! On Wednesday my niece came back to watch the kiddos! Woo Hoo! And I ran out to buy gifts for my sweet Gracie's birthday! That was fun shopping and it went smoothly too. But it did take me all morning to find just the right little items. I ran to Target and found some pool toys, pjs, and a sweet little top. I ran to a sports store to find a little tank and shorts to keep her cool in this hot SC summer that is fast approaching. Then I ran to REI to get her big gift, an ENO (a hammock she can hang between our trees in the backyard). Emily has one too, so it will be a sister bonding thing, which I love! Speaking of Emily... she took her last exam today and she is done with her freshman year of high school!! Emily had a figure skating lesson and then back to Corban’s swim lesson. He is the oldest in his little class but you’d never know it. He’ll get it, I know he will. Then before we went to bed Emily and I decorated the kitchen with tons of streamers and balloons for Grace to wake up to. Happy 11th Birthday to my sweet Grace!!! The kids and I piled in the car to go get donuts (a big treat for this paleo family)! Then off to Barnes and Noble to browse the toys and books. Emily found a classy journal that she bought. We just happened to come when it was story times so Corban and I listened to the story (well to be honest, Corban kinda listened and I checked my email on my phone) and then did a craft! Nice! Grace found a book that I bought her (it was her birthday after all) and she bought a little toy with some of her birthday money. It was great outing which is rare with Corban. He has really turned a corner these last few months and it so nice to have a child who has finally understood HOW to behave (most of the time). Grace wanted a Subway sandwich so we grabbed it and took it home to eat an early lunch. Grace’s best friend, Elizabeth, came over and then we hit the pool! It was then that Corban put his whole face in the water for a number of seconds for the first time! He was so excited he just kept wanting to do it over and over. He couldn’t wait to show his swim instructor that afternoon! So exciting! Then home for a taco dinner, presents and a quick swing in the new ENO! Grace had all kinds of things she wanted to do including glow the dark bubbles (which unintentionally squirted all over the bathroom which you could see when you turned the lights out!), games and crafts. They were out by 10:30 and so was I… thank goodness.
Today is looking just as busy as the rest as we plan to hit the pool again since Elizabeth is still hanging with us, more errands, and one more swim class. I need to clean the house because I’m hosting a baby shower tomorrow afternoon and we’re going out on a double date with friends. Work? What’s that? It has not really existed this week since the kids have been home and we had a big girl turning 11! But I have a wonderful husband and staff to run the show. I am so thankful for them. They allow me to go to the pool with my kiddos and shop during normal business hours for my daughter’s birthday. It is truly a luxury I am so very thankful for.
