The Struggle is Real

So this week has been a week of getting back into routines...also it was the first week of ALL our spring activities! So Monday was a nice ease back into the crazy though b/c Austin was off and it was probably our quietest day. I had grocery shopping to do, but once I finished that he and I got out and ran some errands then had lunch out. I really miss our Mondays. Now with his new job he is mostly off on the weekends which I love too, but having him home during the week while the kids are at school just reminds me of our "just married" days. Anyway it was a sweet time. That afternoon he got the kids from school which is always helpful. We had a nice night in with steaks and potatoes for dinner. 
Tuesday it was the start of the busyness. Well first off I had Bible study. Its always nice though to get back to this. After bible study I was able to come home though which is nice. That afternoon Colby had art lessons so I picked Lindsay up and we went to the library to do homework before venturing back to pick him up. We got home after 5 and I still had to help him with homework and cook dinner. I felt very stressed. Not to mention Austin didn't get home until after 10 that night. It made for quite a crazy day. 
Wednesday was the slow down I needed. I was able to run an errand then come home. I really needed that day at home to accomplish some house stuff, but also relax. We had church that evening. It was a hard night getting home...I exploded at Lindsay and was just tired. We had a nice night at church its just after a crazy Tuesday and getting in late and tired, cranky kids I think we were all ready for bed. Lindsay has enjoyed having some school friends there on Wednesday night. Colby had his friend Zachary there which was nice after the week before of him not really having anyone to hang out with. 
Thursday was a super busy day too. I had music class. We also had a staff meeting so I had to be there early. I felt the classes went well. I came home for my short little 2 hour break before going to get the kids. That afternoon I found out that Colby didn't work on his homework like he should have during the school day so I ended up taking him in the kindergarten room while Lindsay was in art. We got about half of it done. Afterwards we went to my parent's house to finish up the homework and eat dinner. I was so relieved when he finally finished everything! We ate dinner then went on to Scouts that night. It was a good night all around. Even though these are exhausting days I love seeing the kids blossom and make new friends. We were so worried last year when we found out his 2 besties would be attending a different school. God has just worked it all out though and blessed him with 2 new friends and seeing them all together at Scouts makes my momma heart happy. 
Friday was a really low key day which I think we were all ready for. I ran a couple errands then came home. That afternoon Colby had piano. That night we watched Wonder as a family. It was a nice start to the weekend. 

Mardi Gras Break

So as I previously mentioned: we started our Mardi Gras break out on quite a busy note. Between the bday party that night, having a friend over, and colby going parading. 
Well Saturday I knew I wanted to have a much quieter and low key day. The weather was forecasted to be rainy. The kids and I slept in and then went over to my parent's house to make king cakes and spend some time with them. This is our Mardi Gras tradition. It was nice being over there and visiting. We had no agenda and that felt really good. We were over there until about 2 before coming home. Once we got home I was pooped and we just pretty much relaxed the rest of the day. They show the big parade Endymion on TV so we let the kids stay up and watch some of that. I would love to take them one year, but Austin is always working. 
Sunday was ofcourse church day. Austin was working so it was just the kids and I. We went to the early service. We then picked up Panera for lunch and came home and just enjoyed the day at home. Once again it rained some so we just hung out and relaxed. That night they showed Orpheus on TV so once again the kids were later going to bed. Just so much excitement this time of year! 
Monday it was nice to sleep in and just enjoy some time together as a family. I got ready and went to the grocery though mid-morning while Austin stayed home with the kids. They played outside and such while I was gone. Once I got in we ate lunch then rested up for a night of parading. We planned to go to Orpheus with some friends. We ended up bringing Lizzie with us as well. We brought chicken for the group and just had the best time. It was the 4 of us, Lizzie, Mrs. G and her 2 kiddos, Mrs. Dugas, and Melissa. We had so much time. They had gotten there early so they had a wonderful place saved for us. We enjoyed the parading as much as the fellowship. We saw both Proteus and Orpheus which I have to say are my favorite parades. It felt like such a truly NOLA night. I find these parades to be more traditional and just magical. It was a blast. Once again though the kids were in bed super late.
Tuesday aka MARDI GRAS we had decided not to parade. I would have been all for it honestly but I know with Austin only having the 2 days off and going the night before he wouldn't want to spend the entire day down at the parades. We opted to stay home and have a family day. We had a slow morning around the house. We finally got dressed and left the house about 11 and brought the kids to the park to burn off some energy. After that we went to eat lunch. It was nice just being together. The rest of the day we just hung out and enjoyed being home. That night we watched the REX ball and we spotted Lindsay's teacher Mrs. Schifllin! That was super cool! 
Wednesday Austin went back to work. I wasn't sure what exactly to do with the kids. We ended up having a Stay home day. I figured with church that night it wasn't really necessary to take them somewhere. I am trying to learn and to teach them that its ok to be still and maybe even bored sometimes. It ended up being a lovely day though. They practiced piano and even did some school work. I also got a lot of house stuff done as well. It was nice just being home with them. Days like this it makes me ponder the homeschool life. Although I enjoy it on occasion not sure I could handle it all the time. We got ready that afternoon for church. It was nice to not feel rushed going out the door. We had a nice night at church. The attendance was lower I guess due to school being out. Lindsay had 2 school friends there though so she was in high cotton. Colby had a few school friends there but no one he really "clicks with". He looked bored most of the night..poor fellow. I think he still had fun though. 
Thursday once again we kinda slept in. We got ready though and had to go to PETSMART...afterwards we picked up Chickfila for lunch and met Melissa and her 2 boys at the park for a picnic lunch. It was nice to get some adult time and let the kids play. We stayed about an hour. The weather has just been fabulous. After that the kids and I came home to rest. That afternoon my parents picked up Lindsay though to spend the night with them. We had a pretty quiet night with just Colby here. It was nice though spending a little more down time with him. Austin even let him stay up late and watch a show with him. 
Friday we got up and Colby and I had breakfast at McDonald's...once again it was fun to treat him and just enjoy a quiet meal with just him. He's so sweet and kind when he's alone ;). After that we picked up Lindsay then met more friends at the park. We met Colby's friend Zachary. This is a new friend he has gotten close to this year. Lindsay complained at first saying she had no one to play with, but then was having so much fun she didn't want to leave. So we came home for lunch and to rest. That afternoon at 3 Colby had piano. Lindsay and I went to the library while we waited on him. We picked him up and ran him to my parents to spend the night. I was happy to finally get in that night and was completely exhausted from all the running. We let Lindsay pick the movie for movie night and of course she landed on MOANA. We had a nice night just spending time with our girl. 
Saturday Lindsay and I got going and left to go get donuts. Again I try to do something special when I only have 1 kid. We had a nice little time at the donut shop then we went to pick Colby up. We ended up only running a couple quick errands before coming home though. We went to Hobby Lobby to get a St. Patty's day something for the door and then a quick run to the grocery. It was nice having the majority of the day at home. Austin got in that afternoon and did yard work and brought the kids outside. We had a nice evening in. 
Sunday we had church, but we only went to 2nd service. It was nice to sleep in. After church we went to eat Mexican for lunch. That afternoon we spent resting and just preparing to get back into the routine for Monday! 
It was a great break! It of course flew by! We didn't do anything major except a little parading. It was nice though just to slow down a bit and have the kids home. 

Survival Mode and Mardi Gras Mambo

So last week was one of extreme busyness! Monday was our slowest day. The kids had school and I went grocery shopping. I was so relieved to be able to spend the rest of the day home alone. That night we hung out here and had tacos for dinner. It was nice to start the week on a slower note. 
Tuesday was the start to the busy. I had Bible study of course. As always that's a nice way to start the day. Afterwards I did come home and have a few hours to myself which was great. That afternoon Colby had art class. This meant I still had to pick up Lindsay though at 3:30. She and I went to the local library to do her homework and pass some time before heading back to get him at 4:45. I was happy he really seemed to love the art class. After art class we picked up dinner and came home to eat before starting on his homework. It was a very busy evening with all that. I am happy that they have some after school activities but my oh my I am gonna be a busy momma! 
Wednesday was ofcourse another busy day! I got the kids to school then went to my parent's house to bake cookies for Valentine's for them. It was early, but since they aren't actually in school on Valentine's and Lindsay had snack day that Thursday we did it early to celebrate. It was a good time visiting with my parents. I don't get to hang out with them often by myself. I left there a little before 11 though and got home to work around the house and rest. I have had this cough/cold for about a week and I knew it would be good to take it easy. That night we had church. I had a children's meeting. Austin got to come and attend that as well. Its always nice seeing friends and catching up on Wednesday nights too. 
Thursday was a SUPER busy day for me. Austin was off though and that really helped and changed things for me. So I had been toying with the idea of going to MUSES parade with some teacher friends that night. I had about backed out though on Wednesday though due to everything we had going on. So anyway Thursday I still had to work and teach music class. With being half sick and it being Mardi Gras/Valentine's season and knowing how much I had to do I really didn't much want to be there or feel too much on my game. Things went ok though, but I was sure happy to wrap that up. I came home and hung out with Austin for awhile. We rested knowing that we would both have a busy afternoon/evening. By 2:30 I was up busy and packing for our fun night ahead. Austin was able to leave around 2:45 to go get Colby which was a huge help and I left around 3:30 to head up there. I picked Lindsay and I up some chicken at Cane's then from there went to the school. Lindsay had art lessons so I went to hang out in her teacher's classroom. I just visited with her and her daughter and a few of the other teachers. Once she finished art at 4:30 I rushed to get her dressed and we all headed out. I ended up riding with Colby's teacher and her daughter over there. There was about 10 of us out there so it was a lot of fun. Lindsay just had a blast! I think she felt so big being out there. Mrs. G's daughter is 9 and Mrs. Schifflin's daughter is 13. She hung in there though like such a big girl. The parade was very crazy and crowded though. There were some intense moments. Not to where I didn't feel safe it was just very crowded and I basically had to hold on to Lindsay's shoulder the entire time. We left the parade by about 9 then got home about 10. It was such a fun night though. It was hard keying down though that night. I was so glad I went on and decided to go. 
Friday of course I was exhausted and so were the kids I think. But we were up and at em and off to school that morning. I was so glad we only had to get through that day before having an entire week off. I decided to treat myself to breakfast at Chickfila. It was so nice honestly to eat alone and take my time. I wanted to meet up with a friend, but I was still half sick so I felt it best that I rest. I ran a couple errands before coming home and enjoying the rest of the day from home. That afternoon I picked up the kids for what would be another busy evening though. Lindsay had a b-day party for one of her classmates that evening. Austin of course was working late with Mardi Gras stuff and my parents had dinner plans. Colby ended up spending the evening with Randall and Elizabeth. So we got home from school and shortly after Lindsay's little friend Mirabelle got dropped off. She was riding with us to the party. the girls were a little wild and I was honestly wishing for some quiet, but I tried to be thankful that 1) Lindsay has a sweet little friend and 2) that I could help a mom out. So we got ready and dropped Colby off with Randall and Elizabeth. From what I hear he had a great time. They actually went to a parade and then out to dinner. They had friends in town so he got to go hang out with all of them. I think he had a blast! We went to the bowling party. It was from 6-8. I think the kids had a good time, but Lindsay was definitely ready to go by 8. She had started getting clingy around 7:30ish. I knew she was just exhausted. It was good to see so many of my little kindergarten friends though and their moms. That night once again we were all to bed late. Colby didn't get in until about 9:30 and we let the kids watch some of the Olympic opening ceremony. 

Mardi Gras Kickoff

So last weekend kicked off the Mardi Gras Parade season in NOLA. Saturday we had plans to hang out and do the Westbank parade with my parents and some friends. We got up and got going bc I had to make potato salad to bring. We got there right at 11. Some friends were already there so we left almost immediately to walk down to the parade. Lindsay's teacher and her daughter also met us out there. Then we met up with some other church friends as well. We all had a blast. To this NOLA girl this truly represents Mardi Gras. Neighbors, Family, and friends all meeting up on the route. The parade is very low key and probably only lasted about 30-40 min, but it was a fun start to the season. Afterwards we all went back for po-boys at my parents house. It was great visiting with everyone especially Mrs. Schifllin and getting to know her better. My kids thought it was great too to have 2 older girls to hang out and play with! We didn't get home until mid afternoon. We all crashed though for awhile. We enjoyed staying in that night and just taking it easy. 
Sunday we went to first service. We also made up our mind we would do parades after church. We did this last year and it worked out well. Since we get out of church so early we were able to grab a quick bite of lunch then head uptown. We got there to see the first parade of the morning finishing up. The kids were already catching tons of stuff! We moved to another spot then caught the Krewe of Carrolton and part of King Arthur. We stayed out there until about 2:30. By that point the kids had caught a ton and we were all ready to go home. We just had the best time though. The weather was great and the kids did awesome. I just love this time of year. That afternoon we rested and worked on Colby's homework. It was nice to have a family night in again! 

Another Week =)

So last week was a pretty usual week for us here. Nothing too major to report. I did sub on Monday. I worked at Aurora in the 4 year old class. There were only 6 of them though and they were so sweet and well behaved. It felt like a cake walk. Honestly if I were ever to work every day that would be the job I would want! It was a pretty day so we spent an hour outside as well. After teaching I had lunch with Melissa (the director) there. It was nice to visit with her and just have some girl time. It made for a short afternoon for me, but it was totally worth it. That evening we stayed in and just did the normal dinner/homework thing. Its always nice on Mondays that we don't have anything. 
Tuesday I was able to get back to Bible study which was nice. We had a smaller group but I was glad to get back to that! Afterwards I had to grocery shop though so once again it was a very busy and rushed day. That night Austin had his men's group so the kids and I just stayed in and did the homework and dinner thing once again. 
Wednesday I met Virginia at Chickfila...it was nice to have some more girl time and hang out with a friend. I was happy to come home after that though and have a nice long day here! My parents always get the kids so I appreciate the extra hour that gives me to rest and get stuff accomplished. That night we had church. Its been great getting back into that groove. Lindsay is really enjoying having her little friend Morgan there. Colby has also had his friend Nijel there so its been a win for them both. 
Thursday I of course taught music then that night we had Scouts. It was another extremely busy day and of course by that night I am exhausted. Colby always enjoys his friends at Scouts though and its so good for him. 
Friday I had a free day. Felt good to not have anything on the agenda. I ran some errands that morning then pretty much spent the day at home. After school Colby had piano lessons then we picked up take out and enjoyed the night at home. After a crazy busy week I just love Fridays at home with the family! 

Hattiesburg Weekend

Last weekend we made a trip up to Hattiesburg. We went b/c 1) we really hadn't spent the night up there since November b/c when we went for Christmas we only went up for the day, 2) b/c Austin's mom's b-day was the next weekend, but it falls over Mardi Gras season so we wanted to celebrate early with her. Anyway we left after the kids got out of school Friday. We picked them up and drove straight there. We arrived in Hattiesburg around 6. We picked up some chicken and went to his mom's house. Wendi, Harvey, and the girls were all there. We ate our dinner and just enjoyed visiting with everyone. We had also brought up a kingcake for his mom so we all got to enjoy that as well. We stayed until about 8 then we went to the apartment to get settled in for the evening. Traveling like that on a Friday is always exhausting! 
Saturday we woke up to a cold and rainy day. It felt so good though b/c we all slept until almost 8. We got ready though and got over to his mom's house about 9:30. We ate a quick breakfast then headed out to a local trampoline park. We had promised the kids and Maggie we would take them. Since it was rainy we knew there wasn't much we could do and I sure didn't want to just sit around all day. The 3 kids had a blast! It was so good for them. I enjoyed just seeing them have fun. After our time was over we went back to his mom's house for hotdogs and chips. We had a nice lunch and visit with Harvey, Wendi, Maggie, and his mom. We mostly sat around and watched tv after lunch. I got SO sleepy! Finally by the time Wendi and them got ready to head home I told Austin we needed to get out the house. He and I went to Target for a few things. The kids stayed back at his mom's house and played and watched tv. Once we got back we all got ready for dinner that night. We chose a new place to go eat at called Cotton Blues. It was so yummy and such a nice atmosphere. We had a wonderful dinner. After dinner we brought his mom in and we went back to the apartment. Since we had literally been over there all day and it was still raining at this point we were all just ready to get in our comfie clothes. The kids had a good time playing and we just enjoyed winding down. It was a relaxing night. 
Sunday we woke up around the same time, but quickly got dressed and packed so we could head home. We had a quick breakfast at Panera before coming home. That afternoon we mostly just worked on getting unpacked and prepped for the week ahead. 

Back to Normalcy and Teaching

So this past week it felt good to re-gain some normalcy...although having a full week made for some tired peeps as we get used to the full schedule again. Monday it was back to routine and I must admit I was a little excited. That morning I had to grocery shop and then I had lunch plans with a friend. Well I got to the restaurant and waited and waited. I finally texted her to see what was up...well turned out they had an emergency at the preschool and she couldn't come. I felt a little flustered by all this. By the time I got home it was 1. I ate my lunch and then just worked on some stuff until it was time to go get the kids. That afternoon evening was just our normal homework and dinner. 
Tuesday was a BUSY day for me. I had been asked to sub at Calvary in the kindergarten class. Even though its as a full day it was nice knowing it was only the 1 day. It was a great day. I was happy to be back with all the kids. They were also super well behaved. I just did their usual school stuff with them. It was a little harder being "back" and trying to figure out where Mrs. Schifllin put everything again. I enjoyed it though...but man oh man was I exhausted! That night I felt like a truck hit me. I guess just having the month off I was out of practice from a full days worth of teaching like that. That night Austin had small group so the kids and I did left overs. 
Wednesday also ended up being a busy day for me! Well I didn't really have plans, but I wanted to go to the uniform store to check into buying a blue jacket that Lindsay had been asking for. The problem was they didn't open until 10. I didn't want to come home then have to get back out. Anyway I ended up picking up a friend and meeting for coffee. By the end though I was feeling awful. I woke up with a little headache but by the time I left my friend it was a full blown migraine! I had banana bread and coffee at Starbuck's that morning, but I guess all the sugar and lack of protein just left me feeling BLAH! I seriously thought I was getting sick. I still had to run 2 errands though. I even picked up a sausage biscuit b/c I thought my body needed more protein. I felt a little better but still not great. I ended up coming home and passing out on the couch. My mom called and somehow she and I got in this giant fight. Its been years since that's happened. I mean I think we both get agitated now and again, but she ended up telling me she was angry with me. Anyway the day was just kinda blue. I mostly laid around just trying to feel better. Luckily by the time the kids got home I felt better. We went on to church that night. It was good to be back! Going on Wednesday nights isn't always easy but my kids love it so! Colby had a bunch of friends there and so did Lindsay! It was great getting to see them have fun. I also love the kids as well. 
Thursday was back to normal thankfully. I taught music. I really enjoy that job. Its perfect getting to hang out with kids a couple times a week, but not full time. I mean I loved teaching but I do still love my time at home alone too. Its always nice after music that I do have a few hours to myself. Its not much but it helps me to get in a better mood to deal with my own kiddos when they get home from school. We also had Scouts that night. It was fun going there. Colby always has the best time. Lindsay was a little bored though b/c it seems like the little sisters aren't coming as much anymore.