Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Surgery and Recovery

So Lindsay had her hernia repair surgery on Friday. We had to wake up super early! I set my alarm for 4 and woke her up around 4:30ish? We were out the house by 5. I think we were all a little nervous and ready to get the day over with. I did feel an overwhelming peace mostly though. We got to the hospital a little before 6. We found the surgery center easily and went and checked in. We waited for maybe 10 min in the waiting room before they called us back. We got situated in a little room. From there it was very busy for the next 30+ min. It was a constant flow of nurses and doctors. They had her change into the hospital gown, took her temp, pulse ox, and blood pressure. They also asked us a bunch of questions. During that time too they tried to distract her with balloons, iPad, stickers, etc. She did ok up until the point they wanted to give her the "happy juice" to help the transition into the operating room. They had asked us if we thought she would need it. I figured she would cry and be tense so we said YES! Well it was a HUGE struggle to get her to take it. Once she finally did she was freaking out! They finally let her have one ice cube to calm her. By the time she got that it was about time to take her back. That was the hardest moment of all...seeing her upset and scared. Once they took her back though I think she was so overwhelmed and distracted that she didn't cry. We sort of slipped out the room and they took her right into the OR. We went out into the waiting room. Austin went and got us some breakfast and coffee. We sat and chatted for a few minutes while we ate then went back to the waiting area. I read and worked on Bible study and also answered texts. It didn't feel like we were in there long before the doc came out and said all went well! What a blessing! He told us she was still asleep and they would call us back when she started to wake up. Well about 20 minutes went by before a nurse came to call us back. When we got back there she was still knocked out! She went on to sleep about 30 min. Finally the nurse adjusted her bed and she woke up. She was really groggy and hung over acting. She was not happy with the IV placement in her hand. They quickly moved her from PACU to a recovery room. There she ate 2 popsicles and was well on her way to getting out of there. The whole process was about an hour. They released us and she got dressed and we were out of there! We were home by 10:30! It was amazing! We got home and we thought she would mostly sleep but NOPE she was wanting to do art projects and play board games. She was still very loopy though so she had to be watched closely b/c she was very dizzy and could hardly walk without assistance. After Austin and I ate some lunch we made her lay down. I knew her body needed the rest. I turned on PBS kids and hoped since the house was quiet that she would sleep. Not so much! I woke up to her kicking me forcefully in the side! So that afternoon she mostly drew and watched tv and played inside. Austin went to get Colby at the normal time. We pretty much had a normal evening. She also ate really well all day! After dinner we got ready for movie night! We ended up watching Inside Out. Well by about 8:30 she was DONE! She requested finally to go to bed and she crashed! 
Saturday I knew would be a low key day for us. We had nothing on the calendar and I planned a stay home day for us. It ended up being quite nice. We worked on Colby's homework and the kids just played. Lindsay didn't complain much at all. I had given her IBprofun Friday afternoon and then again when she got up Saturday at breakfast. We picked up chickfila for lunch. That afternoon we just hung around the house. I made red beans and we had plans for the SAINTS game. Lindsay ran around the house like a crazy person so I was pretty confident she was back to herself! 
Sunday again gave her some IBP but other then that she was completely fine. We made the decision to go ahead and go to church for 2nd service when they would be celebrating the school. The kids went to Jumpstart then we went back to their classrooms then went to lunch. She was a little quiet/slower then normal but nothing major. She enjoyed hanging out with her new friend Maribelle. It was nice to get out and see people and feel somewhat back to normal!! That afternoon though we rested and worked more on Colby's homework and just relaxed. 
It honestly was a great weekend as far as slowing down and re-charging our batteries! We were ready to tackle the upcoming week! 

Monday, August 28, 2017

School Life and Lessons

So this week we are well into the school routine now. Here's a run down of the 3rd week of school. 
Monday I went grocery shopping then pretty much had the rest of the day to myself at home which was lovely! I mean I like when Austin is home too but I have to admit it was nice having a quiet day here. I tried to be productive. That afternoon we hit the ground running with homework and dinner preparations. Austin got home early enough to eat with us then we took a walk. That always makes for a good night! 
Tuesday I was back to Bible Study. We had met the week before but this was our first week starting a lesson. I enjoyed being back with the ladies and in the Word. We have had a good group so far and a lot of my friends are in there which makes it good as well. This summer I did a lot of reading but I feel like my studying of the Bible and my quiet time sort of went away. I am feeling convicted of not taking the time to study God's Word like I need to. That afternoon again I just took it easy knowing that once I picked the kids up from school it would be super busy! So that afternoon we got in and went right to work on homework. Luckily he didn't have a lot. We got it done then quickly got dressed and I took them to Cane's for dinner. That evening they were having a Scouts meeting at Calvary. This year someone went there to talk to the boys on Monday so they had an "interest meeting/signup" the following day. We didn't have to be there but I really wanted to go to support Melody and the school. Also I figured Colby would know any boys signing up. We had 3 new boys register which was exciting. We had 2 from 4th grade and 1 3rd grader. Lindsay was super bored during the meeting but Colby enjoyed seeing his friends so that made the hectic afternoon worth it. We got home and immediately went to bath/bedtime.
Wednesday I had a meeting at Aurora. I will be teaching music again this year. This was the Back to School Staff meeting. It felt good being back with these ladies who many have been a part of my life since Colby was a toddler. The meeting lasted about an hour then we were all asked to stick around and help them organize the supply room. I helped for about 30 min then told them I really needed to go because I had a SUPER busy afternoon/evening. So I got home right at 12 and ate lunch then had just a little while to relax before it was time to go pick up the kids. Usually my parents get the kids on Wednesdays but this week Lindsay was going to dance class with her friend Layla. I was excited for her to get to "try" dance again. For whatever reason she didn't want to to do the summer workshop this summer. I even asked her about doing it during the school year but she said she has to think about. I am not going to force the idea but wait and see if she inquires about it then if she did I would consider signing her up. Anyway I know she had a blast going with a friend. So after picking them up they both had to change and then I brought her by Layla's house. From there Colby and I went to get gas in my van then to visit with my parent's for a bit before going to church. We went on to church and had dinner. Lindsay finally got there about 6:15 or so. I got her changed again lol and she and I went out to the playground with all the other kids. Soon after getting out there we heard about one of our friend's windows in her car getting broken into. That made for a crazy night. I tried to help as much as possible since I know how that feels. I went on up though to help teach the k-2nd grade girls. We had 6 girls I think. I am really enjoying that group. By the time we got home that night I was so exhausted!! I was glad though to have gotten through the 2 most busy days of my week! 
Thursday I didn't have much on my agenda. I met a friend for coffee though. It felt good to let my mind escape with Lindsay's upcoming surgery. It was fun to visit. I then came home and tried to be productive around here. That afternoon we got to come home and not get back out which felt so great! Colby had a TON of homework too so I am glad we didn't have anywhere to be that evening! 
So the learning lesson this week has been for Colby. I recall that every year the first month he always has an adjustment period. Between getting used to a new teacher and just getting back into the groove of school. So he had summer reading this summer and he read 2 books and did book reports. Well we turned them in the first day of school. His teacher had told us they were extra credit. Well I put them in a folder and told him to hand them in. I never heard anymore so I assumed he turned them in and all was well. Well this last week he got his first progress report. I noticed his teacher had a 0 marked for summer reading. Well long story short...he never turned them in! Sigh....He had put them in his cubby and I guess forgotten and never told his teacher. I guess it was a learning lesson for us both. He needs to know that its up to him to get stuff like that turned in. It was also a reminder to me that I need to start backing off some. Anyway we live and learn! 


Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Swim Time and B-day Party

Its hard to believe another weekend has already come and gone. Friday was super low key for us. Austin and I were both extremely tired. We also did movie night. It was also the first time in awhile we didn't get outside and play...but after Lindsay's wasp sting on Thursday evening and it was just blazing hot outside we decided to start on movie night early. The kids watched Planes so that was fun. 
Saturday I was once again so happy to sleep in. We repeated last Saturday basically. We went over to my parent's house to swim and have lunch. Its a great Saturday activity. It gets us out the house, we get to see my parents and they get to see us =), the kids get in some outside/physical activity so its just a win/win! We didn't get home though until 3! We rested for a bit. Austin got home fairly early and brought home Olive Branch. It stormed most of that evening so we didn't get to go take a walk or anything. 
Sunday was a super busy day for us! We got up and went to first service as a family. The worship service was wonderful. They focused on the Romanian Mission Trip from this summer. They also highlighted some ways the church can get involved in our community. I am excited about ways we can get involved as a family. The kids and I came home after first service. Austin had to stay and count. We ate an early lunch then rested. Lindsay had an afternoon b-day party to attend. She and I left the house around 2:15. The boys stayed behind and did guy things. I hated getting out the house on a Sunday afternoon but we had a really great time. The party was for her friend Genevieve. Those two have been great friends since they were babies in the nursery at church. Now they are 5 and 6! Its so sweet to see them continue to grow up together. The party was at a Gymnastics place. I have always tossed around the idea of putting Lindsay in Gymnastics. She's super strong and very flexible. I have basically been asking her since she was 3 if she would like to and she's always said no. I don't think she ever really understood what it meant though. She loved the party but even with me asking her if she wanted to do gymnastics she said no. She did say she would like a party there sometime though. we will see what the future brings though. I wouldn't mind her maybe trying a camp or atleast doing it for a semester. Maybe as she gets older? Well we got home from the party about 6 and it was dinner time. The guys ordered pizza so we ate that for dinner. There was a Saints game that night so we did let them stay up for the first half. It put them getting to bed about 8:30 then of course they stay awake longer but I want them to grow up being Saints fans so I figure once a week isn't that big of a deal! they had fun! 
It was a great weekend and it was the perfect combo of relaxing but also we had some fun stuff to do. Looking forward to another week of school and some fall activities! 

Sunday, August 20, 2017

That School Life

Well things are pretty much back in gear around here for us! School has now been in a week and a half and our fall activities are also starting to pick up. Monday Austin was off. It was once again great to have him home. He stayed home that morning while I did the grocery shopping. By lunchtime he was finished with yard work so the 2 of us got to go have Chinese for lunch. It was nice getting that time with him. I so look forward to our little weekly dates now! That afternoon we mostly just hung out then rode together to go get the kids. Its so fun to hear about their day on the car ride home. They both had a little homework that evening but it didn't take long at all to finish up. We had a yummy dinner of pork chops, roasted potatoes, Hoppin' John, and some veggies and cornbread. We even made it out the house for a walk after. 
Tuesday Austin was off again. I started back to my Ladies Bible study though so he had a morning at home. I know he sometimes enjoys time by himself at home since its pretty rare. Once I got back he and I had lunch and waited on the AC guys. The rest of the afternoon was CRAZY busy. We had AC people here. I had to pick up the kids from school. We also had to drop my friend's son off at home so we were 4 getting in. We then started on homework. I felt completely crazy with everything! Colby had over an hour of homework. I hope/pray this isn't normal and I don't think it will be. Its just his math was kind of tedious, then had to make science flash cards, then he had a language page. In the midst of the crazy though Austin made steak fajitas so that was a treat! We didn't take a walk that night since it had been raining off/on. We ended up just spending a little time outside so the kids could get some fresh air before heading off to bed. 
Wednesday was a busy day! First off I had plans to meet Tayna for coffee. It was nice to visit sans kids and talk about the first few days of school and our summers and such! I am so happy that we have remained friends despite the girls being at different schools now. After coffee I went up to Aurora for a bit. I have been telling the teachers I would come up and help and this was a good opportunity for me to do that since I was in the neighborhood. I helped Mrs. Susan set up her room for a bit then we mostly just discussed the music schedule for this upcoming year. I then came home and enjoyed a few hours alone. My parents got the kids from school. That evening we of course had church. It was the big Fall kickoff night...this meant free Chickfila and bounce things for the kids. It was a fun evening. My kids had an absolute blast. It was nice b/c some of their closest friends were there! Colby's best friend Nijel came. The boys were so happy to see each other. He also had a lot of his other school friends there as well. Lindsay had her bestie Genevieve. I was happy to see them playing with their sweet little friends. So after dinner we went to the Worship Center for the Bounce time. They had to re-locate it inside last minute b/c of the threat of rain plus it was like 100 degrees. I was thankful they did! After that we went up to the Small Group time. I was with the k-2nd girls. Kristen did most of the teaching but it was a sweet group of girls. They also played an escape room game. 
Thursday was another fun day for me. I had plans to meet Virginia at Panera for breakfast and coffee. It was really great to visit with her. I got home around 10:30 so it was nice to have that time to get stuff done around here. Austin went to Hattiesburg that afternoon so it was just the kids and I after school. We did homework then picked up Chickfila. I was quite tired by that evening but ended up having a restless night due to our alarm or something chirping obnoxiously during the first part of the night. 
Friday I woke up a little tired but not super bad. I had a dentist appointment that morning. I wasn't super pumped about having to go. First off it was at 9:30 which meant I basically had an hour to kill after dropping the kids off. I ended up just sitting in PJs and reading my book though. I left at 9 to go over there and luckily they took me early. It was also a quick checkup! No problems which was great! After I needed to go to Target. I spent the afternoon resting though. By lunchtime my tiredness really kicked in. I got the kids home and we were anxious to spend the weekend together! 




Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Quiet Weekend

So now with school I am always thankful and happy for a low key and quiet weekend. 
Friday afternoon started our weekend busy but the rest of our weekend was quiet with no plans just as I prefer! 
Friday Colby was invited to go home with Ella after school. I decided since he had had a big day. First his teacher brought their class donuts. Then he got a "Friend day" I thought it would be nice to do something special with Lindsay. I picked her up and treated her to the donut shop. She loved her donut and lapped it up! From there I asked her if she would like to visit the Book Store...ofcourse she said yes! Its rare we do stuff after school like that. It was fun though..I think I may start bringing them places on Fridays more often! Once she and I got home Austin was on his way so he picked Colby up from his friend's house. They picked up chicken and we all ate. It was a much later evening then we normally have. We ate at 7 and then didn't sit down to watch our movie until 8. The kids were troopers though and atleast we knew we didn't have to wake up early the next day. We chose James and the Giant Peach since we had read that this summer. 
Saturday it was so nice to sleep in! Saturday bliss again! We had no plans so we decided to go swimming at my parent's house. Now with school in full swing there won't be much of that and I know our days are limited so I figured we better take advantage while we can. We enjoyed our pool time even though we were kinda dodging rains and storms. We still got in about a 2 hour swim then we had lunch with my parents. Again nice to hang out with them. Now with school starting they don't see the kids nearly as much so I know that time means a lot to them. After we got home we mostly relaxed. That evening we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Also austin got in early so that was nice. 
Sunday we had church. Austin had to work which was unfortunate but it also gave the kids and I a really relaxing day. I have so enjoyed being able to go into church. I mean I miss serving and hope to get back to that sometime later this year but for now I am enjoying going into church and working on my own relationship with the Lord. After church we picked up chicken and pretty much came home to relax. Austin got in fairly early and we just had leftovers for dinner. 

Monday, August 14, 2017

BACK 2 SCHOOL

Hard to believe we are already winding up our first full week of school. School started back on Monday. The kids were anxious and ready! Colby has definitely been the most ready. He's been super excited about Mrs. G and the 4th grade class. Lindsay finally started seeming excited over the weekend but also still a bit apprehensive. They both have rocked their first week though. 
Colby has reported a great week and so far is doing wonderfully. This first week they are mostly reviewing things like multiplication and also mostly working on rules and procedures. He is loving the flexible seating! His teacher is awesome and keeps us updated nearly every day with the DOJO app. We get to see pictures/videos throughout the week of things they are up to. I know they had Chapel this week but haven't had their other extra curricular classes yet. 
Lindsay has had a great first week in kindergarten. They have begun talking about the letters I and U I believe. They are also doing simple things like counting. I feel like she is going to do great academically. She is older and also had the experience of being in prep 4 there last year. She is ahead leaps and bounds from where Colby was. Everything was pretty much new to him that year. She is quiet but I think has already opened up with her teacher and seems to love going. Its been hit or miss this week with recess between a soggy playground, rain, and the heat! I think they have gone out 1 or 2 times and played and the others had inside recess or drawn with sidewalk chalk outside of the classroom. 
I am enjoying getting back into the groove as well. The 5:45 wake ups are hard but I am adjusting. 
Austin was off Monday and Tuesday so it was nice to get some much needed adult time! Monday he went with me to the grocery store. Its always fun to shop as a couple. After the grocery he came home to do yard work. I got some stuff done inside while he worked then we ate lunch together. It was nice and peaceful to have a few hours of quiet. We both went that afternoon to pick them up! We were both so anxious to hear about their first day! That afternoon we cooked grilled chicken sandwiches. After dinner we took a walk and just enjoyed time with the kids. 
Tuesday he was home again and I didn't have Bible study or anything so once again I brought the kids to school then came home to pick him up. He and I then went to breakfast at Parrot Pete's. This is one of our favorite things to do! We love getting breakfast dates! It was nice to catch up and be able to talk and visit. We then left and ran a couple errands. We had Lindsay's money from her piggy bank so we got that counted and deposited into her account. We again just had a relaxing afternoon. He did get out and trim some bushes so I brought my book outside and sat in the shade and read while he worked out there. Again I just love the couple time. Simple but so sweet! That afternoon he went to get the kids and took Colby for a haircut. It was a busy evening for us though b/c once he got home with them: Colby had homework, I had a bunch of paperwork to fill out for their school, then we had orientation that evening. My parents came to watch the kids. They allow kids to come and someone watches them upstairs but after a full day of school I really don't want my kids up there for another hour plus. Plus my parents always enjoy an evening with them. The orientation went well. It was slightly longer this year. We all met together in the worship center first. Pastor Michael talked for a bit, then Mrs. Price. Afterwards we were instructed to go to the kid's classrooms. Austin took Lindsay's and I went to Colby's class. I was glad they did that even though it meant a longer night. I think parents want to be able to see their child's classroom and all that. After it was over Austin and I had our usual dinner out. Since orientation ran long we just went to Chick-Fil-A. Knowing the kids would still be awake when we got home. Once again though we enjoyed our time together. We got in and quickly got the kids off to bed. 
Wednesday Austin was back to work. It was my first official day alone in quite awhile. I dropped the kids off at school and my first thing to do was stop by and see our friends Brittany and Chris. They are the ones who bought our old house. She just had a baby a couple weeks ago. I was so happy to see the old house and see the new baby. I ended up staying over an hour and visiting. It was super fun to catch up. I also got some newborn baby snuggles which was also great. By the time I got home it was after 10:30. I did some cleaning around the house and enjoyed some downtime. My parents also brought the kids home from school so I had a long afternoon. It was wonderful!! They got in that evening and I made jambalaya for dinner. Austin also got in in time to eat with us which was nice then we took a walk. 
Thursday was a busy day for me. Lindsay had a doctor's appointment that day. Due to a couple weeks ago my mom spotting what she thought was a hernia our pediatrician ended up referring us to a pediatric surgeon. So her appointment was at 9:30. Austin went to work late so that he could go with us to the appointment. So first we dropped Colby off at school then we met up with Austin at PJ's for a little breakfast and coffee. The appointment went really well and we were out by a little after 10. I got her back to school by 10:30. After that I just came home and enjoyed my day at home. I picked the kids up from school and we had cheesy chicken over rice for dinner. 
Friday I had nothing going on so I pretty much just came home after dropping the kids off. I ended up taking Allie for a walk. I hope to get in this practice of walks in the mornings atleast 1-2 days a week. Its hard b/c I don't often come straight home but I was thankful for that time even though it was HOT as blazes! I had a pretty quiet day around the house! 

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Last of the Summer

This weekend was officially the last part of summer. I feel we sent summer out in an amazing way! Well Friday though we did have to go to the doctor. Colby had his 9 year old checkup. Lindsay also ended up having to get checked b/c we suspect she may have a hernia. We got to the doctor about 10:30...our appointment was for 10:45. I think it was near 11 before we got in the room and about 11:30 before the doctor came in. The kids were amazing though! We played games while we waited which was cool. Its so neat that they can do stuff like that now! We laughed and honestly it was just a sweet memory. Its stuff like that that now as a "seasoned" mom I have just learned to try to enjoy every moment. I took that was undistracted time to just play and talk to them. Colby did awesome for his checkup. He weighed in at 69 lbs and had grown a few inches as well. I think he's in the average percentile pretty much for both. Maybe a little over in weight and slightly under in height. After his check the doc checked Lindsay out. She was unable to fully determine if she truly has a hernia. She recommended that we go ahead and see a surgeon. She has a colleague who always tells her when in doubt to just send them to him. So we have an appointment scheduled for this upcoming week. She weighed in at 42 lbs...and she also had grown over an inch since her appointment in December. She is below average for weight and above average for weight. 
Anyway we finally got out of the doc office about 12:15 and we decided to come on home. We had planned to run errands but it was starting to rain but the kids were tired and hungry. We had a restful afternoon. Colby spent that night with my parents so we just had a quiet night with our girl. We watched SING and Austin picked up burgers for us for dinner. 
Saturday we got up and Lindsay and ran to Target to get a b-day present for her friend Layla then we went to my parent's house to swim. It was a nice visit and I sure enjoyed the pool. I know our pool time is limited with them starting back to school so I was happy the weather cooperated and we were able to swim for some time. We also had lunch over there. That afternoon we got in and again rested. We didn't get home until about 3 I believe so it was quite a busy day! That afternoon/evening nola flooded! It was crazy. We didn't have any issues on our side of the river but it kept Austin at work until almost 9 that night. 
Sunday was our last OFFICIAL day of summer! We went to first service. After church Lindsay's little friend Layla had a b-day party scheduled. It began at noon so we just decided to bring our swim clothes and go change at my parent's house so we wouldn't have to drive all the way home and back since the party was going to be right down the street from them. We got to the party at 12. Layla had only invited Lindsay and Claire so it was a small super casual b-day party. Lindsay was so excited to be with her besties and in the pool. Colby at first was a little bored with just the little girls but he ended up (as always) having a blast. I enjoyed visiting with all the grownups. I didn't swim...I should have b/c it was super hot. When we left for the party it was starting to rain and I hate swimming in the rain plus I had showered that morning and washed my hair. The kids did great though. I was shocked at how well Lindsay handled herself in the big pool with no assistance. The party lasted until 3. Actually the other friends ended up staying until after 5. We were all tired though since we had been gone since early that morning plus knowing the kids had school the next day! We came home and all crashed on the couch for about 30 min. We spent the rest of the day getting ready for the first day of school. We did play outside and take a walk. That night we just had leftovers for dinner. 


Sunday, August 6, 2017

Back 2 School

So here we are in the last week of summer. We are caught between school prep and just trying to soak up and enjoy the last days of summer and what they have to offer. So Thursday was Meet the Teacher for my littles. Funny this year we actually KNOW both of them but its still fun to go check out the classroom and chat a bit with the teacher. Its also a time you can drop school supplies off which makes the first day a lot easier without lugging all that stuff in. 
We had a pretty slow morning and I was also trying to finish up organizing and labeling all the supplies. For some reason I got WAY behind on that this year! We were finally ready to leave the house about 10:30. We got to the school a little before 11 then we were there an hour! We first went to Lindsay's class since it was downstairs. We enjoyed visiting with her teacher. Lindsay is a lot less vocal about starting school than Colby is. I think she is still somewhat apprehensive and nervous. I know she will love it though once she starts. She wouldn't say a word to her teacher though. We chatted a bit and learned about some of the big kindergarten things she would be doing. I cannot believe this year she will be getting GRADES and attending awards ceremonies and also get to go to all the extra curricular classes as well. She also has 11 students in her class but possibly will have 13. I think that's a good number. In prek4 they had 16 so I think having a bit smaller class will be beneficial.
After leaving her new class we stopped in to visit with her teacher from last year. We talked to her for quite awhile. I had a really good relationship with her so it was nice to catch up and see the changes she had made in her class for the new year. By this time though the kids were super anxious to move on. We finally got Colby's supplies and headed up to his room. He has been so excited about school starting. I think he is going to love his teacher Mrs. Gottberg. This is her 3rd year at the school...I am excited that she's somewhat experienced and now knows the curriculum pretty well. She also has two children who attend the school so I feel like she's pretty invested. His classroom is amazing! She has implemented flexible seating this year so I think that will be really cool. From what I know of her she is a very hands on type of teacher which I think will be great. He has 9 kids in his class. I think the smaller class will be great..plus many of the "behavior issues" have moved on to other schools. Hopefully it will be an amazing year for him. 
After we finished up at the school I took them to eat at Chickfila. I figured it might be our last "lunch out" this summer. I was thankful to have that sweet time with them. 
I think we are all ready for school to begin but I know I will miss them a bunch. This summer has been amazing and I am so thankful for the time I have had with them but getting back to routines will be nice too! I am really excited about this upcoming year and all it holds! 
That afternoon we hung around the house. Our AC repairmen also came so it was a fairly busy day! Austin was a little later working again so we had spaghetti for dinner and just a low key night. 

Friday, August 4, 2017

Last Week of Summer

I cannot believe it! this is our last official week of summer! In some ways it feels the kids have been out forever but in the same side it feels like school just ended and summer began! All that to say though we have had a wonderful summer. At 5 and 9 I feel like the kids are at amazing ages and that this has probably been one of our most low key, restful summer EVER! Part of that is we really didn't do a BIG trip this summer like the past couple of years. We chose instead to do 3 smaller ventures. We went camping at the start of summer, went to Alabama for a few days, then spent a week in Hattiesburg. Still though the kids have had an amazing summer and have been able to do a lot. There have been many playdates, park trips, swimming, grandparent time, zoo, aquarium, children's museum, and other things thrown in. This summer we also chose not to do any extracurricular things. I hated that my girl missed out on dance (she chose not to do it this summer) but it also helped us maintain a quiet and more low key summer. They ofcourse did VBS though and Colby did a week of camp at the church. We've also continued with our church activities so we have been busy but not overextended. 
Monday Austin was off so we were FINALLY able to do go to the COOL ZOO. The trip had been postponed twice. Lindsay still had her glue and strips on her forehead but we decided to just risk it. Most of it is peeling off and the wound is healing up quite nicely. We knew we just HAD to go before school starts. So we set off Monday and got there right about the time they opened. We were shocked though at how busy they were. I figured a Monday and this close to school starting that people wouldn't be out there but it was a BEAUTIFUL day and I guess everyone had the same idea. It was actually cool for NOLA. Anyway the kids had a blast. Austin got in with them and I mostly just sat and read. Honestly I think I would have considered getting in but I was on my period and I had taken a shower the morning. It was nice to just sit and people watch and relax while they played and wore themselves out. They both love the Lazy River now. Lindsay was a little more timid at first and wouldn't go off and do anything on her own but by the end she had warmed up. I wish we had time to go one more time though so she could feel comfortable. I think mostly her worrying about her bobo lowered her down a bit. We did put a Band-Aid on it though so that also helped keep it dry. So we stayed and let them play from about 10-12:30. By that point it was really getting crowded so we decided to go on and leave and go eat lunch. We stopped at our usual McAlister's. That afternoon was pretty low key. We enjoyed the family time. We made hamburgers and potato salad for dinner then took a walk. 
Tuesday the kids and I decided to have a fun morning with friends. It was a beautiful day...its been amazing that so far August has brought us cooler temps. Its dare I say felt "fallish". Anyway so we had made plans to meet up with Lindsay's friend Layla at the park. Lindsay was excited to see her and as always the girls were happy playing together and I was excited to visit with Cindy. The kids were having a blast. Soon after we got there Colby's friend Makyrin and his little sister Makylee also arrived. That ended up being a HUGE blessing b/c it gave someone for Colby to play with. He had been a bit bummed at first not having a friend. We stayed out there nearly 2 hours. It was just nice to be outside and them playing with friends. A sweet childhood moment! After we had to drop our tuition check off at the school so we caught a glimpse of the teachers and also my mom who was up there helping serve for the teacher's luncheon. After we picked up lunch and came home. We spent the rest of the day around the house. That night we had leftovers for dinner. Austin was a bit later getting in so it was pretty much heading the kids to bed once he got in. 
Wednesday we got up and got going early. I had a coffee date with a friend and the kids were going to hang out at my parent's for a couple hours. Since we had no Bible study this week I knew my parents wouldn't object to keeping them for little bit. I had coffee with Jenn from Aurora. It was nice to catch up and hang out with her for about an hour. I then went and knocked out my grocery shopping before getting the kids. We came home and mostly just rested/hung out since we had church that evening. That night church went well. I enjoyed being with the big kids again. Lindsay had some little friends back this week. She and Ebbie mostly played. Colby still hasn't really had any "best friends" there this summer but he still manages to have fun. We combined with the big girls again this week so we had a total of 6. I had kinda wished we had done 3 and 3 though b/c i think the lesson was over Lindsay's head and I think the other 2 little girls as well. 



Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Summer Weekend

So Friday of course started the weekend. We had a fun playdate scheduled that day. My mom had graciously offered to host Colby's best friends over for a swim playdate. Since they are going to different schools this year this was going to be a great time to get them together before the craziness of fall schedules set in. So we got to my parent's house right about 10 and shortly after his buddies arrived. 
They swam basically the whole time and had a blast. I thought from a behavior standpoint they did really well for 3 nine year old boys. There was a little bit of crude humor, tattle tailing, and picking on but not much you wouldn't expect from a gathering of 3 kids their age. Since the boys are getting older the trio isn't as strong as it once was though. I think a lot of this has to due with they are getting older and their interests are truly developing and they are picking and choosing the types of friends they want to hang out with. Colby and Nijel really do have the most in common and its been apparent b/c they have been the best friends since they were 5. The other one has different interests and as I have told Colby that is ok too. I told him its ok for them not to be best friends anymore. I told him to be nice to him and include him but its ok for them not to be as close as they once were. Plus I think now the innocence is fading and kids will be kids and leaving one friend out becomes a pretty standard thing. Anyway all in all I think it went great and I think they all truly had a great time. I also really have to commend my girl b/c she was such a great sport throughout it all. She never complained and just rolled with it and was very gracious for the boys to have their time. She and I pretty much hung out together in the pool. She's also being a great sport about not getting her head wet since her little accident. Anyway we ordered pizza for them and it arrived about 12 so they were able to eat then get back in the pool. They all left about 1:30 and we got home about 2. Well by that time I was wiped out. The kids and I had a short rest time. I felt pretty much useless the rest of the day. Between being partly sick and worn out we (I) didn't do much. We had leftovers for dinner that night. We did go on with movie night though and watched "Boss Baby" which ended up really being a cute movie.
Saturday it was forecasted to rain so I really hadn't made definite plans...plus with me still feeling under the weather. I would have been perfectly fine with staying in all day but I knew the kids wanted to get out the house. I told them that morning after breakfast that if it wasn't raining when we got ready to leave we would hit the park and if it was we would instead go to the library. Well of course it was raining when we got ready to leave. We decided to go to the library instead. We took our time in there and made the trip last 30 + minutes. The kids enjoyed browsing and looking at their books by the windows. After we picked up some soup for lunch and headed home. It was nice to have a low key day around the house. We were able to spend time outdoors as well though. The temps were cooler since it stayed overcast even though we didn't end up getting much rain. That night we had tacos also for dinner. 
Sunday was church day! Neither Austin or I had any responsibilities...well that we knew of. It turned out that he was supposed to count but he had no idea. Anyway so we went to 1st service. It was one of those Sundays that I felt like we got to chat with a bunch of people which was cool. Some long time friends were also in town! So after church we ran an errand then went to eat at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood. We got home early and it was nice to have an afternoon at home. We spent it relaxing and playing outside. We set up the sprinkler for the kids and let them play in their swimsuits most of the afternoon. That night we cooked chicken alfredo which was yummy. We even took a walk after dinner. Its been so nice to let the kids stay up later and take walks after dinner when the sun is setting! Such sweet memories! Now we are preparing for the last week of summer! I am hoping to do some fun things with them and also work on routines and getting back into the groove!