Zipping through the Weekend

Friday night we began by going to my school for Family Knight.  We helped break in the new playground and ate a brief hot dog meal before being scared away by the impending thunderstorm.

Champ had a wonderful opportunity to go to Jonah’s birthday party on Friday evening at an incredible place called Zip City.  Unfortunately, he only got to stay for an hour.  In that hour, he did zip lining, laser tag, and bubble soccer.  He worked his way up to doing ziplining upside down.  He also tried trampolines at the facility.  Unfortunately, he had to leave before he got to try the 2 story rock climbing wall.  I stayed for the entire party and enjoyed talking to friends.

Yesterday morning I went to a local coffee shop with former coworkers.  Then I did the majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi.

At home, I browned a package of sausage, 2 pounds of ground turkey, and 2 pounds of ground beef.  I baked sweet potatoes before turning them into 51 sweet potato pancakes.  I baked a package of bacon and 2 turkey breasts.  I made BBQ pulled pork in the crock pot.  I made 15 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I froze most of these items so that I can pull them out as needed in the next two weeks.  I diced 3 bell peppers.  I put carrots into individual ziplock bags.  I opened all the snack boxes, placed the individual bags in the pantry, and put the boxes in recycling.

Last night I went to Panera with Lara, Cory, Melanie, and Diane.  It is always good to laugh and catch up with old friends.  I finished cleaning the kitchen when I got home.

This morning I served in the middle school Sunday School class.  I came home and started mowing.  After the mower stopped twice,  I came into clean and listen to the sermon online.  The house got the works cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, mopping, disinfecting, etc.  I even cleaned a couple of rugs and cleaned out the shower head. I’ve been working on laundry all day too.  I returned to mowing.  After the mower stopped again, I was thankful for the neighbor who helped it get going again.  I went to Meijer to grab a few last minute items.  I was thrilled to see that Shopkins’ birthday invitations were on clearance.  I picked up 24 invitations for $3.00 instead of 8 invitations for $3.00.  I’ll save those until Princess has her birthday party.

I’ve also worked on paying bills online, updating my budgeting app, talking to Chase about a charge I didn’t understand, updating my checkbook, and balancing my checkbook.  Then I moved onto grading papers and entering grades into my grade book.  I took a small walk before driving to get the kids.  I walked laps around the gas station as I waited for them.  I noticed 3 other families making a 6:00 exchange of kids at that same gas station.  On the way home, we spied a rainbow.  At one point, it seemed we were driving through the rainbow, which was super cool.  I apparently made another driver angry as we were about to get off the interstate.  His front seat passenger flipped me off.  Champ saw it.  I used that opportunity to talk about what that action revealed about that person's character.  I also asked Champ what it revealed about my character that I didn't return the gesture.

After a late dinner at home, we watched a little TV.  Champ is now snuggled up against me as he reads.  

Braces

Yesterday Champ got his braces put on.

Then he tried running club.

Princess went back to tumbling today.

She and I did some chalk drawings tonight.

Magically Done, Except for Mowing the Carpet

I watched a video this weekend about a mysterious laundry basket.  The husband had discovered that if he put laundry in the basket the laundry was magically cleaned, folded, and put on his bed.  The same thing was happening to his stuff that he left on the coffee table.  It was magically getting cleaned up too.  Then his wife disappears.  In the end, the police woman suspects his wife left him, but he wonders if his wife fell onto the magic coffee table.

I wonder if my kids think we have a magic laundry basket and coffee table too.  This weekend I ran with Vanessa.  I mowed ½ the lawn before it began raining.  I went with Vanessa’s family to WAMM fest.  I returned a library book, and I picked up new ones for the kids.  I went to Aldi and Meijer for groceries.  While I shopped, I made sure to pick up snacks for Princess’s class at school because Monday is her day to bring snacks.  I made and froze peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I put carrots into individual baggies.  I ate dinner at my parents’ house.  I went to ATT to try to figure out how to lower my bill.  I made honey lime chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fries.  I froze all sweet potato stuff.  I made 3 batches of playdough for Princess’s class at school.  I had to run to Kroger in the midst of making the playdough because I didn’t have enough cream of tartar.  I did some loads of laundry yesterday and some today.

Today I helped with the 5th-8th grade Sunday school.  I went to service and sat by an old high school friend.  I handed in the form so that the church could run another background check on me that they have to do every couple of years.  I finished mowing the lawn.  I sprayed Round Up on many weeds and pulled a few weeds.  I cleaned some of the house.  I paid bills, and I updated all my expenses in my budget app.  I prepared mail that I need to send out.  I tithed to church using the online give program.  I filled out the permission slip for Champ to attend the chorus festival, and I also wrote out a check for it.  I updated activities to my calendar. I changed the sheets on the beds.  I took the recycling to the recycling drop off spot.  I worked for about 1 ½ hours at my school...updating my sub binder, entering students’ data scores into a spreadsheet, emailing parents and coworkers, splitting kids into reading groups, printing and posting a lunch menu, etc.

I drove an hour to meet the kids.  When I learned they were running extremely late, I started walking around downtown Crawfordsville.  Then I started walking around Wabash College.  The kids were returned to me at Wabash College.  Since we were leaving the meeting spot about 45 minutes later than we should have, I stopped to pick up dinner at a Wendy’s in Brownsburg.  We had to wait for them to finish making our healthy eating choice...grilled chicken sandwich.  I stopped to pump gas in the car at a Kroger’s closer to our house.  We finally got home around 8.  I read Princess all of her new library books, and now I’m returning work emails while I patiently wait for her to go to bed.

I got to so much this weekend, but there is always more I wish I had done. Princess asked if I “mowed the carpet.”  Vacuuming is one of the few things I didn’t do this weekend.

The Little Moments

I get to help Princess learn to read.

Tonight as we drove I played 20 Questions with Princess.  I was guessing kids in her classroom as the mystery person.  I was glad that I know so many names of kids in her class.

Boyfriends

Kids chose to exercise on their own.

Yesterday Princess showed me a picture she had drawn of herself and 3 friends at school.  She told me that she and Kevin were "boyfriends."  I asked her how she knew they were boyfriends.  She said because they snuggle.  Oh, my!  Kindergarten is risqué.

Beggars Can't be Choosers

Princess is hoping to be on the Olympic gymnastic's team.

There have been a lot of soccer games in our neighborhood this week.

I've been tutoring my mom on how to use her new iPhone.  Cousins Will and Caroline came over to play too.

We ate at Red Sun last night.  It was Champ's first time to eat sushi.

Champ was inspired to make Chinese food at home last night, although it wasn't served until today.

I volunteered in Princess's Sunday school room today, and cousin Caroline came too.  Then we went to Burger King for lunch.

We had a fantastic time in Columbus at The Commons, Kids Commons, and Zaharakos ice cream.

I came home and mowed.  Champ offered to prepare dinner while I mowed.  That sounded lovely.

Teriyaki chicken and rice were expected.  An unforeseen bonus was that he made me soup....a combo of salsa, soy sauce, Caesar dressing, flax seed, peppers, and potatoes.  Princess was so excited to get to try the first bite of soup.  I wanted to capture that on film.

She didn't have a second bite.  When Champ asked why I wasn't eating more of the soup, I reminded him that salty foods make my aches and pains worse.  I was thankful for the sweet gestures and reminded that beggars can't be choosers.