Weekend Recap

Well, well, well…WHAT a week we have had! The good, the bad, and the ugly…are all right here, my friends. It’s been an eventful past 7 days, so let’s jump right into our Weekend Recap!

After the party last Saturday night, I was on my own for the rest of the week with the kids. Keith flew out to Seattle on a business trip on Sunday, so I spent my morning supervising laser tag outside,

while jumping rope and lifting some weights. It was SO nice to enjoy the warmer temps and the sunshine!

I then dragged all 3 of these guys with me to the grocery store (they’re thrilled…can you tell?!),

where I picked up this new snack. So good with some cool cucumbers for dipping!

We had lunch at Panera (that’s the Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce on my tray…so YUM), and spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Thanks to all of the fresh air, the boys went to bed early and slept well!

I snapped this photo on Monday morning when we were taking Gibbs to school. It might not look too bad here, but Spencer pitched the ULTIMATE tantrum over…not really anything. Classic two-year-old. We have tantrums ALL.THE.TIME. these days…

but he was suddenly fine a few minutes later when we stopped at Burger King to kill some time before dropping Casey off at preschool.

The kids munched on breakfast #2 (hash browns and orange juice),

and ran out all of their wiggles on the indoor playground.

And here’s a sweaty, make-up free, post-run selfie with Mollie (and a suddenly camera-shy Spence)?! It was a gorgeous morning to be outside, and I was actually HOT in my long sleeves. Go figure.

Dinner on Sunday evening was pizza, and on this night it was another kid-favorite: 4-Ingredient Spring Pasta! When Keith is gone, the cooking around here is minimal…

Tuesday morning’s adventures included a trip to the vet for Molly’s annual check-up. The dog was great…but the two bored boys along for the ride were definitely NOT. I couldn’t get them out of there fast enough…

The day took a turn for the better when we headed outside (without coats!!) for a walk in the woods, where the boys collected handfuls of “gems,”

and big sticks.

Lunch afterwards was a PB&J picnic on the front porch!

While Spence napped that afternoon, Casey and I made another batch of Bunny Chow for him to bring to school to share with his friends for his Star Student Week. The kids love this stuff, but I’ve decided that powdered sugar is just about the messiest ingredient imaginable when it comes to cooking with kids. ?

We also managed to get to the polls to vote (with 3 boys in tow),

and the kids took it upon themselves to handle some of Dad’s jobs while he was away…such as tree trimming (protective eyewear included),

and taking the garbage out to the shed. ? I’m sure they won’t be nearly as helpful when they’re teenagers…

I received another letter from Aunt Bee, where she enclosed this recipe for Green Pea Guacamole. I love that the peas will add a touch of sweetness to the dish. I’ll be making this next week to have with dinner one night!

On Wednesday morning we made a stop at Yoder’s on the way to Casey’s school. The boys picked out (and devoured) these mini animal crackers. Aren’t they the cutest?! They would make a great topping on yogurt, ice cream, or a smoothie bowl, too!

Spence and I had a fun morning in Charlottesville with Kristin and Jonathan. We had plans to meet at a park outside, but it was cold and windy, so we ended up in the mall instead…

I picked Casey up at lunchtime, and we got stuck behind our neighbor in his tractor. We don’t have traffic around here, but this type of equipment will often slow us down! ?

Hannah arrived after lunch to entertain the younger boys for a couple of hours so that I could fold laundry, check email, and squeeze in a 20-minute workout at the gym. The break was SO refreshing…even if it was short. And by the way, I LOOOOOOOVE these new Nike Free Flyknit shoes. By far, the most comfortable thing I’ve put on my feet in years! Plus, they come in a ton of different colors, which is just fun. I think I need something bright next?!?

Dinner that night was another easy kids’ request: chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese! Gibbs told me that you can’t have one without the other!

Thursday morning quiet play at home:

and the spring “flowers” that Casey brought me from the yard:

I also received a delivery of Halfpops, which have quickly become a snack time favorite!

I immediately dug into the Angry Kettlecorn flavor (salty-sweet-spicy-HEAVEN!), but I’ll be sure to give you a full review when I’ve had a chance to try all of the other flavors as well!

Thank goodness Keith made it home from his business trip late on Thursday evening, because Friday turned into an unplanned sick day for me. ?

Keith handled the school runs and entertaining the boys outside so that I could do this ALL DAY…

Aside from a quick trip to the grocery store in the morning and folding massive amounts of laundry, a high fever kept me on the couch for most of the day. And by 11 p.m., we were at the E.R. because my sore throat was tightening up and I was having trouble breathing. I eventually tested positive for the flu, my breathing returned to normal, and we headed back home to sleep for a few hours. Bless our amazing babysitter, Catherine, who rushed over to stay at the house with the sleeping boys during that whole escapade!

I’m happy to report that I am now feeling MUCH better, so I’m looking forward to getting back into our usual routine, cleaning up my house a little bit (?), and just trying my best to keep the rest of the fam healthy! Have a great week ahead, everyone!