Summer Week 5

So here we are ending another Summer week. Its so hard to believe how fast the weeks are flying by! So we got in from our trip on Tuesday. 
Wednesday Austin went back to work and so it was a day of getting back to routines for the kids and I. We started the day with a trip to the grocery. We got home right in time for lunch. We had lunch then rested and hung around the house. I have been trying to get them to work on school work in the afternoons. Colby also had a book report to write so he and I worked on that. That evening we had church. It felt good to get back. With church being cancelled the week before, then missing Sunday with our trip and even missing my Women's Study I felt like it had been forever since we had been. The kids also enjoyed being back. We ate dinner there and they had Mo's pizza. During the Bible study time I went back upstairs to help out with Jumpstart. Seeing some of my preschoolers really made me miss them but I know right now I need to take a break from that. I enjoyed being upstairs. The big kids were out on the playground for the first 30--45 min. They had free play then played an organized game. I also enjoyed visiting with some of the other adult helpers out there and getting to see some of the kids my kids hang out with. There were about 4 other 8 year old boys there that evening. Neither of Colby's two besties came but I was glad there were some other boys for him to hang with. He is closest to JT though but I am hoping he will expand friendships to some of the others this upcoming year. Lindsay mostly hung with Ebbie. This was her first time to have Ebbie there since she promoted. Ebbie was in our class downstairs and even though she is almost a year older then Lindsay they get along really great. Lindsay had a blast this week! I ended up helping Kristen with the k-2nd grade girls class. My plan was not necessarily to teach Lindsay's class but she said the other girls class only had 2. Lindsay's class had 4 so I guess she wanted me in the bigger class. Their lesson was on what God created. She had given them some random objects in a paper bag and told them to create something. Well this was right up Lindsay's ally. She loved doing that! Anyway it was a great night! 
Thursday the kids and I had a free day. We decided to go play putt-putt out at City Park. We are slowly crossing things off of our summer bucket list. It was fun just going the 3 of us. We chose to play the New Orleans side. We were fortunate that it was overcast and even sprinkled a tiny bit that kept us mostly cool while we played. After I took them out to McAlister's for lunch. Again it was a sweet moment just mommy and the kids. We came home after and just enjoyed a nice afternoon at home. Our routine pretty much consists of me taking a nap while they play the iPad and/or watch tv, I do some cleaning, they were on school stuff for about 20 min, we hang out and play, and then go outside, then I cook dinner. I love these simple, slow days. Its been so nice to finally slow down in life.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I feel they have too. 
Friday my dad had surgery. He was having hernia repair surgery done. He and my mom had to be at the surgery center at 6am. Well I knew I couldn't be there that early but I woke up at 6 and had us out the door and we got there about 8:30. When we arrived Lizzie was there with them. I got to go back and see my dad. he had been out of surgery about 20 min and was in recovery. The kids and I waited about an hour in the waiting room for him to get out then we followed he and my mom home. I wanted to make sure he got in and settled. He seemed to be doing well so we left so he could rest. I promised the kids a trip to Barnes and Noble so we stopped by there before coming home. They were both excited to pick out a book. They have so many books and we have been trying to use the library more but it had been awhile and its sort of a summer tradition for us to go by there. Afterwards we had lunch and came on home. We did our usual summer afternoon routine from there. That night we had baked potatoes for dinner. 
Saturday the kids and I once again had a free day. We had contemplated going swimming at my parent's house but I was having "female" issues and I really didn't want to go over there and make my mom have to do all the work with the kids since she's taking care of my dad. Anyway it worked out we ended up meeting friends at the park. My friend Melissa (our pastor's wife) asked if we could meet at the park. She had her 3 younger kids and I had my 2. Colby and Ella are great friends and Lindsay loves hanging out with Ella as well. Eli is also 7 and he plays with them too. Then her youngest Emma who is 2. We got there and it was super hot. The kids played for about 30 min before they were dying of the heat. We found some shade and continued to visit for a bit. After about an hour we couldn't take it anymore so we decided to take the party to ChickFilA. The kids were really wanting to have a playdate that afternoon. I had originally offered to have Ella and Eli over but once I got my period I really just wanted to relax that afternoon. Colby tried to get himself invited to their house but I would have felt awful her there with 4 kids by herself on a Saturday. Anyway we promised the kids we would do all that another day. Lunch was nice and of course though it was hectic and loud but that's life with kids and I have just learned to roll with it. That afternoon we just did our usual thing and hung out at home. 
Sunday it was nice to have Austin off with us again. He got home early Saturday but the other days during the week we hardly saw him. anyway we all went to 1st service. With me no longer serving in preschool its been so nice to attend church together. I know God has plans for me and I want to start serving in Jumpstart this fall but for now its just nice to sit in church together. The kids also enjoyed their class. Lindsay was so happy b/c her closest friends were all there: Mia, Genevieve, and Ebbie. Its made such a difference with her going upstairs. After church we went to go eat lunch at Rivershack. The afternoon was spent just hanging out. Austin did get their big water slide out so they loved playing on that. We let them play for about an hour during the afternoon then it was pretty hot so we made them take a break then they went back out after dinner. It ended badly though b/c all they did was fuss and argue. They basically both ended up punished and had to go to bed early that night. 
I cannot believe another week has come and gone and now we are in JULY! It feels like we just got out of school. Its been great having the kids home and having time to slow down. I look forward to all the fun this month before we get geared back up for school to start.