Saturday, July 28, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 7/20 - 7/26)

Friday (7/20) We all slept in today since Adrian had the day off and we had a family day planned.  Even though the forecast was not great, we headed to the zoo to do some of the things there that we haven't been able to do yet this summer.  We had a relaxing start to the day then headed up to the zoo around 11am.  We started on Dinosaur Island because we wanted to make sure to ride it before there was a line.  Then we decided to head over the Africa to feed the giraffes.  AJ and Zak had so much fun doing that!  They took all of our lettuce to feed to the giraffe, which was fine because Adrian and I just enjoyed watching them.
 
 
After those big things, we did a few little things that everyone wanted to do.  We rode the carousel, train and played in the splash pads near the aquarium.  Then we watched two 4D movies.  AJ, Daniel & I watched "Sharks" and then the other two joined us for "Storks."  They were both pretty good, the shark one was educational and the storks one was cute and made me want to see the full movie.  When we finished up there, we headed to Jungle Jacks to try to get in as many rides as we could before the storms hit.  We did the log flume and safari stampede twice then he headed to the "Sea Dragon" coaster.  Just as we were ready to take off, the lightening started and they closed all the rides so we headed home for the day.  All things considered, we really made the best of the day and did a ton of stuff in a short time before the weather got really bad.
 
 
 
 
After we fought rush hour traffic to get back home, we had a little bit of free time for everyone and then we got set up for family game night.  We played Machi Koro, Avalon, Magic Maze and New York Slice.  We had a great time playing together and everyone had fun!  When we were done with those games, Zak really wanted to play his new game Beets so he played that with Adrian while AJ and Daniel watched a show and I did a few things to start getting the house back in order.  When they were done their game, we got the kids down to bed, made ourselves a bowl of ice cream and watched a few comedies.  It was an early bedtime for us since we were exhausted after a fun filled day!

Saturday (7/21) Today started earlier than I wanted it to because I had to get up to teach a Zumba class.  I was the first one up and enjoyed a little quiet time with my coffee before everyone else got up.  I got ready to go the Y to teach my amazing Zumba class.  AJ and Adrian were supposed to go on a canoe trip with the Scouts but due to the bad weather, it will be rescheduled.  The only good news was that I didn't have to drag the other two boys to the Y with me.  I came home a sweaty mess after the class, grabbed a quick shower and lunch and headed back out to a planning meeting for Zak's Cub Scout pack for next year.

While I was at the meeting, Adrian got Daniel ready to go to the movies together to see "The Iron Giant."  AJ and Zak decided to stay home instead of going to see the movie.  Adrian and Daniel enjoyed seeing the movie and then headed down to the Jazz and Rib Fest to pick up some Butch's ribs for us for dinner.  While they were out, I got a bunch of stuff done around the house, specifically catching up and dishes and laundry.  When everyone got home, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and then settled in with some popcorn for family movie night.  We watched "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."  It was my first time seeing it, everyone else saw it in the movie theater.  Zak was hit or miss thru the movie, but pretty much held it together.  I loved it!!  When the movie was over, it was late so we got the boys to bed, finished up a few things, watched a few comedies and went to bed.

Sunday (7/22) We all slept in a little this morning and had a slow morning.  I got ready and headed to church for the first service since I was serving in the second service.  Since the boys slept in, Adrian brought them to the second service.  When we all got home from church, we focused on getting our stuff done so we are ready for another fun week.  One of the things we are working on slowly is switching our spare room to become Daniel's room.  We made quite a bit of progress on it today and he is thrilled with how it looks so far.
Adrian took the boys to martial arts in the evening, where all the kids were wound up and not listening.  They got thru class but had some extra push ups to do because of their behavior.  When they got home, we had a quick and delicious pasta dinner and then cleaned up and set up for family game night part 2.  We played "Unlock" which is like an escape room in your house.  It wasn't the best game for us, Zak got bored and I got very frustrated.  The other 3 really liked it so they may play again another time.  Then we pulled out a fun evening with "Dixit" which Daniel won and we all had a lot of laughs.  When that was done, it was late so the boys had a snack, watched a show and headed to bed.  When we came back down, we finished a few things and then grabbed some wine and a snack and watched a few comedies before we headed to bed too.  We're ready for our last full week at home for the summer before vacation!

Monday (7/23) Today started earlier than we wanted it to because Zak got up at 5am.  Thankfully Adrian was ready to get up for the day so he took him downstairs while I got a little more sleep.  Then I got up and got ready to head to the Y to sub a barre class this morning.  The boys stayed home again while I was gone.  They have been doing a great job of staying home by themselves this summer, I'm very proud of them.

I came home, got a few things done, we all had lunch and then I turned around and headed back to the Y for Zak's swim lessons.  AJ didn't want to swim so he sat in the internet cafe and played on his phone while I saw with Daniel and Zak had class.  After a little "practice" Daniel finally worked up the courage to try the deep end test again and he passed!!  He was so excited, as was I since now all three boys have passed and can swim in the deep end together.  When Zak was done in class, he swam with us until the next rest period and then it started raining so we changed our clothes and headed out.
We ran a few errands including going to Meijer to pick out book bags and lunch boxes for back to school.  I was reminded why I don't like to grocery shop with the boys!  They did great picking out their stuff but trying to get them thru the rest of the store was a nightmare.  At least I finished my grocery shopping for the week and am just about finished back to school shopping.  I'll just need to pick up a few things next week for our vacation and then I'll be good until everyone goes back to school.

When we got home, the boys played while I put away the groceries and made soup and salad for dinner.  Adrian came home from work and helped out a little, then got himself and AJ ready to go hiking with the Scouts.  Even though it was a little rainy, they were still able to make it work.  They did some bird and animal watching from the nature center first and learned about what they need to hike.  Then when the rain stopped, they headed home.  They came home wet, tired and hungry.  Everyone had a snack and then we got the boys down to bed for the night.  Adrian & I finished up a few things and then had a snack and watched a few comedies.  We are almost caught up on all of the shows from last year, just in time for the new season to start!
Tuesday (7/24) Today started early again with Zak getting up around 6am.  I don't know why he doesn't like to sleep in like the rest of us.  He watched some TV and played while Adrian got ready for work and headed out.  Then I got ready and headed out to Harcum to teach my two Silver Sneakers classes.  I also needed to run to Kohl's to make a quick exchange while I was over there.  Then I came home to have a quick lunch, change and head to the Y for more swimming.

AJ and Daniel had their lessons while Zak and I had the outside pool to ourselves, probably because the weather wasn't great.  We swam outside until they closed the pool due to thunder in the area and then we moved inside.  The boys continued to swim with a few friends from their class while I dried off.  We headed out at the next rest period so we could get ready for our night activities.  When we got home, the boys played while I cooked dinner and got ready to head to the church to work for the evening.  While I was gone, the guys worked on the escape room game for a while and made some really good progress.  When I got home, we got the boys down for bed and then watched a few comedies and headed to bed too. 

Wednesday (7/25) Today we all slept in again, we are loving summer and are going to have a very hard transition in a few weeks when school starts.  But I'm going to enjoy the late mornings while I can!  I got up and did a few things around the house and then headed out to sub a class for another friend who is in Florida at the Zumba convention.  I taught a fun barre class to a few people, then headed home to grab a quick lunch with the boys before heading to the Y for Zak's last swim lesson of the session.

After he finished his class, we swam for a while together, then we headed out so I could drop the boys off at home and turn around and come back to the Y to sub another Zumba class for a friend.  The boys really didn't want to stay in childcare so I agreed to go back and forth so they could still get some swim time in today.  After my class, I headed home and got dinner ready for everyone.  Adrian had Bible study so I was on my own with the kids all night.  We had dinner, played Forbidden Island and relaxed.  I am super tired from teaching all of these extra classes!  Adrian got home in time to help with bedtime for the boys and then to have snacks and watch a few comedies with me before we headed to bed too.
Thursday (7/26) Today looked much like all of the other days this week.  We got up early and Adrian headed to work while I got ready to head out to teach my two Silver Sneakers classes.  The boys stayed home again and did a great job here at home.  On my way back, I stopped at Dollar Tree and officially finished our school supply shopping so we'll be ready when we get back from vacation.  When I got home, we had a quick lunch and then headed to the Y for AJ and Daniel's last swim lesson of the session.  Daniel has officially tested out of swim lessons, yay!!  AJ has opted not to do them in the fall but will swim while Zak is in lessons so he remembers how to do it.

After we swam for a while and soaked up a lot of sun, we headed home for the day.  When Adrian got home, we had a nice dinner together and then played the DC deck building game with Zak (he destroyed both of us!)  Adrian and the older boys also finished up "Unlock" and started another adventure in that game.  After all of that, it was time for bed for the boys.  We got them settled and then headed down to do a few things around the house and watch a few shows and head to bed.  I am super tired this week with all of the extra classes I'm teaching, whew!

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for July 22 - July 28)

We stuck to our meal plan for most of last week until the weekend hit and then we moved some things around.  We had a great family day on Friday and decided we didn't want to cook so we just had some appetizers, which still helped to clean out the freezer.  Then on Saturday we had a change of plans due to weather and instead of cooking, we went and picked up Butch's ribs from the Jazz and Rib Fest.  Our plan was to do that tonight but it just made more sense to do it last night.  So two of our meals from last week carried over to this week.
This will probably be my last meal plan for a few weeks.  We leave for vacation soon so we are already in make sure we use up everything that will go bad before we leave mode.  I'm taking on next Sunday for this meal plan and then we will just eat leftovers, frozen appetizers or sandwiches for the next few days.  Then we're gone for 10 days and when we come back the boys go back to school.  That week will be crazy so we will probably do easy dinners, at least for the first part of the week.  I will be back the weekend of the 17th with my next meal plan.  And then we will be back to our regular schedule and back to healthy eating until the holidays.


Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Pasta (using up butternut squash sauce & pasta in freezer)
Monday - Mexican Corn Soup (using up broth, milk & corn in freezer) and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Tuesday - Taco Soup
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Pork Chops and Zucchini with Kale and Beans
Friday - BLT Pasta Salad
Saturday - London Broil and Corn on the Cob on the grill
Sunday - Cornish Hens

Water Flavor - Apple again until they are all used up

Overnight Oats - Once again, we have a bunch from last week.  Adrian doesn't take them every day so it's hard to judge how much I need to make.  We have enough for at least 3 days this week so I will reevaluate on Wednesday.  If I need to make more, I will use some of the flavored yogurts that I have to make some.  And again after this week, I will probably not make anymore so that we don't have any left when we leave.

Use it Up - I made an inventory of the freezer downstairs and we are using up what we have down there.  This week I'm using up the pinto beans I have, pork chops, bacon, london broil and two cornish hens.  I'm also trying to use up all of the fruits and vegetables that we have before we leave.  My goal is to leave the fridge and freezers as bare as possible.

Lunches - I am going to make this Brussels Sprouts Salad one day this week and use it for lunches.  I have a bag of sprouts to use up so I'll use half for dinner on Monday and half for lunches.  I will probably add turkey or leftover chicken to it on days that I am very active so I have a little more protein.  Other than that it will be leftovers, frozen appetizers and sandwiches.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 7/13 - 7/19)

Friday (7/13) Today we all got to sleep in a little since we didn't have anything super early.  Adrian got up and headed to work while the rest of us had a slow start.  I did need to run out to sub a quick class for a friend and was able to leave the boys home while I went since I was only gone about an hour.  They are enjoying that extra freedom this summer and so am I!  When I got home, we got a few things done around the house and then headed downtown to my pick for this week, to see "Jumanji" for the free movie series.  I had never seen the original so I was excited to see it.  We were running a little late but made it just in time for the start of the show.  It was a great movie, although I thought it was a little scary.  Thankfully the boys didn't agree and weren't scared at all, although Zak did get a little bored so he spent the second half playing on his tablet.
After the movie, we headed up to Zoombeezi Bay for AJ's pick of the week.  We had fun playing in the wave pool, lazy river and tipping bucket for a few hours and then we were super excited to get tubes for the movie.  The boys watched most of "Ghostbusters" (the new one) while floating in the wave pool while Adrian and I enjoyed adult beverages on dry land.  Zak again got bored about half way thru and asked to head home so he and Adrian left.  I found out later he was actually scared by the movie, which is understandable.  I stayed and watched the end with AJ and Daniel.  When we got home (super late!) we found Zak and Dad asleep on the couch.  I got the other two boys to bed, got settled myself and headed to bed.  I was so tired!!
 
 
Saturday (7/14) Today started way earlier than I wanted it to, at least for me.  I had to teach my Zumba class at the Y so I had to get up and moving.  I'm thankful that the boys all slept in a lot, they needed the rest.  I headed out and had a great, sweaty time with my class while Adrian got the boys ready and took them to Blendon Woods natural play ground.  They enjoyed playing on the zipline swing, obstacle course and hiking a little bit.  Then they stopped to pick up two video games and Marco's pizza for lunch.

I saw them briefly when they got home from the park because I was home doing a quick change and grabbing a quick lunch before heading back to the Y for another Zumba jam session.  This was my 7th one of the year and I'm having a great time going to them all!  We danced and sweated for three hours and I learned a lot of new rhythms, steps, choreo and teaching tricks.  It wasn't one of my favorite jams but it was still a great way to spend an afternoon!  When we were done, I headed home exhausted and sore!
Thankfully when I got home, Adrian volunteered to cook pasta for dinner.  We had a nice family dinner and then we played a game of "Machi Koro" before the boys headed upstairs to play video games while Adrian and I tried to get control of the house.  Before long, it was time for the boys to head to bed for the night.  We tried to get them down a little early since we know they are down sleep from the week.  After we got everyone in bed, we headed down and watched a few episodes of "Living Biblically" before heading to bed too.  It was an early night but much needed after a long day!

Sunday (7/15) Today we all got to sleep in a little again, yay!  Then we had a lazy morning at home before heading to second service for church.  I was supposed to be serving in children's ministry for that service, but there were more than enough volunteers so I was able to go and be in the service.  It was an inspiring sermon and I'm glad I was able to be there.  After service, we headed home for a quick lunch before splitting up for the afternoon.  I was working at the church for the afternoon while Adrian took the boys to their friend's birthday party.  They had a fun time at the party playing with sprinklers and water guns, jumping on the trampoline and running around the yard.  In fact, they had so much fun they did not want to leave!  So Adrian made the decision to let them stay a little longer and skip martial arts this week.

When we all finally got home, we got a few things done including finishing cleaning out the front closet and the toy room.  Then Adrian went out to get dinner, which was his pick of this week.  He picked up Piada for both of us while I did leftover Marco's pizza for the boys.  After dinner, we finished up what needed to be done for the week including giving the boys hair cuts.  They had some video game time while we worked and then it was time for them to have snacks and head to bed.  When they were down for the night, Adrian and I got some ice cream and watched a few comedies before heading to bed to rest up for a busy week!

Monday (7/16) We all had a rough time getting up and moving today.  We may have hit another wall in our amazing summer and just needed some down time.  Adrian eventually got up and out to work, but he was very late getting in.  The boys and I had planned to go see "Ferdinand" but we decided a relaxing day at home was a much better idea.  So we played some video games, got some things done around the house and had a lazy morning.  We all had lunch and then we all headed to the Y to swim for a while.  Zak had lessons so he went there while the other boys swam with me in the outside pool.  Soon after Zak's class was done, it started to storm so they closed the outside pool.

After seeking shelter inside, we realized it would be really crowded in that pool so the boys decided they wanted to go home.  So we dried off and headed back to the house.  I drove them home, got changed, made a quick dinner and headed back to the Y to sub a Zumba Gold class.  The boys decided to stay home while I was there instead of going into childcare.  I had a great class and was reminded how much I love my afternoon crew.  When I got home, we ate a quick dinner and then I drove Zak to VBS at a local church.  He decided he wanted to do this one even though his brothers didn't want to and I'm excited for him! 

While I was dropping him off, Adrian and AJ headed out to Boy Scouts.  They were supposed to hike tonight but the storms changed their plan and they had a regular meeting at the church instead.  They got home and I headed out to pick up Zak from Shipwrecked VBS.  He had a great time and can't wait to go back tomorrow!  When we all got home, we got the boys ready for bed, finished cleaning up around the house and watched a few comedies before heading to bed.  It feels like it's going to be a long week!

Tuesday (7/17) Today started early for us since it was a very busy day!  I got up and enjoyed a little time to myself before having to wake Zak up to get ready for his first day of Safety Town.  I got him ready and left a list of things to do for AJ and Daniel while we were gone.  I dropped Zak off at Blacklick Woods for Safety Town and then headed to Harcum to teach two Silver Sneakers classes.  As soon as the second class was over, I raced out to run over to pick up Zak.  He had a great time learning about fire safety, animal safety, touring an ambulance & fire truck and playing a few games.
After I picked Zak up, we headed home to grab a quick lunch and pick up AJ and Daniel.  Then we all headed to the Y for AJ and Daniel's swim lessons.  While they were in class, Zak and I swam in the outside pool.  We stayed until the rest period after class and then headed home to have some downtime before our night activities.  We came home and got a few things done and then had a quick dinner of tacos and then Daniel's friend Ethan came over to play with him.  Zak was supposed to go to Shipwrecked VBS again but he really wanted to play with Ethan too so he stayed home to play with the boys here.
The four boys had a great time playing for over two hours together - and only a few minutes were video games!  After Ethan's dad picked him up, we did a quick clean up and then the boys had a snack and a show to calm down after the exciting night.  Then we got them down for the night, Adrian and I finished up a few things around the house and watched a few comedies before bed as well.

Wednesday (7/18) Today started early again but I am enjoying getting up a little before everyone and having some time to myself.  Adrian and I got our donation together and out to curb for VOA to come and pick up during the day.  Then he headed off to work and while Zak and I got ready and headed out for the morning.  I left the other boys home alone again with a list of things to do before I got back home.  I dropped Zak off at Safety Town then headed back to my church for a few meetings with some of the staff about picking up some additional responsibilities.  I will be taking on a little more in my role as facilities manager and will also be adding a few group fitness classes.  I'm so excited for these opportunities!
 
After the meetings, I headed back to pick up Zak from Safety Town.  Again, he had a blast learning about safety including water safety, bike safety, car safety and fire safety.  We got home, had a quick lunch and headed back out to the Y for Zak's swim lessons.  He did a great job in class and I enjoyed sitting and watching for a change since the other boys asked to stay home instead of coming to swim with me.  When lessons were over, we headed home again.  I dropped Zak off, made dinner really quick and got changed to head back to the Y to teach a Zumba class.  While I still have some reservations about it, I am also loving the boys wanting to stay home alone all the time.  It makes it SO much easier on me to leave!
I had another amazing sweaty class with my friends and am looking forward to getting back to teaching the afternoon classes in the fall!  I got home to help Adrian get ready to head out for the evening activities.  He took Zak to his third night of "Shipwrecked" VBS and then went to his men's group for our church.  The timing worked out nice that he was able to do both drop off and pick up.  I stayed home and hung out with the other two boys and got some stuff done around the house.  When they got home, we watched one more show and then got the boys down to bed.  Then Adrian and I made snacks, watched a few comedies and headed to bed too.  It was a busy day in the middle of a busy week!!

Thursday (7/19) Last day of Safety Town for Zak!!  Adrian got up and out to work early today and I was happy that Zak was up on time this morning as well.  Same as Tuesday, I left the other boys with a to do list and headed out with Zak for the morning.  I dropped him off at the park and then headed to the Harcum Center to teach my two Silver Sneakers classes.  We had smaller than usual classes but we still all had a great time.  After the second class, I again ran out the door to pick up Zak.  He had a blast on his last day of Safety Town learning about food safety, bus safety, sun safety, school safety and gun safety.  They also played a few games and did a group picture.  Very fun few days for Zak and I highly recommend Reynoldsburg Safety Town!
We went home to have a quick lunch and pick up the other boys before heading out the Y for AJ and Daniel's lessons.  While they were in class, I swam outside with Zak.  But I was really tired and was thrilled that he found two other kids to play with so I could spend most of the afternoon relaxing in the gorgeous weather.  When the other boys finished class, they came out to play and soon the life guards started a game of Battleship in the pool.  When the boys realized they needed to pass the deep end swimming test to play, they headed back inside to do that.  Much to my surprise, AJ and Zak passed!!  I am SO proud of both of them!  Daniel unfortunately got water up his nose and has to wait to try again another day.
After they got their wrist bands, they headed back outside to play Battleship.  AJ and Zak had a blast playing two different games and playing in the deep end in between games.  Daniel sat and sulked for a bit and then went and played with some friends in the shallow end of the pool.  I finally pulled everyone out at the 3:45 rest period so we could get home and get ready for our night activities.  We had a quick dinner and then I headed out to drop Zak off at his last night of Shipwrecked VBS and then do a quick grocery trip.  Adrian stayed home with the other boys and they worked in the yard since we're forecast to get rain all weekend.
 
I got home about 20 minutes before someone needed to go pick up Zak so we unloaded the groceries and then Adrian went to pick him up while I put everything away.  When everyone got home, we did our normal night routine.  The boys had a snack and a show while Adrian and I finished up a few things around the house.  Then we got them down to bed and we watched a few comedies before heading to bed.  We pushed everyone's bedtime a little later tonight since Adrian is off tomorrow and we're having a chill family day!

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for July 15 - July 21)

We did pretty good sticking to our meal plan last week until yesterday.  I forgot to take out everything we needed for the meal so we just made pasta with Alfredo sauce.  I was behind all week because I didn't get to the grocery store until later in the week.  So Monday night I made my first batch of beans in my instant pot.  I had a bag of dry pinto beans and needed beans for our Chicken Burrito Bowls but didn't have hours to make them.  So I searched how to cook them in the instant pot and they came out amazing!  We used two cups of them in the bowls, now I need to use up the rest.  Watch for them in the next two weeks of menu planning.

The other interesting thing that happened this past week was that AJ and Adrian accidentally left our deep freeze open for a few hours.  Thankfully nothing defrosted, but a few things iced over from that so we decided we want to try to empty the freezer.  I will be trying to minimize my grocery shopping by only eating what we have until we come back from our vacation in August.  I will try to still remain fairly healthy, but there may be a little harder than usual since I will be limited on what I have.  I decided to start at the top and work my way down from the freezer, so this week I'm trying to use up broth.  I'm interested to see how long we can go with what we have in the house!

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Piada (Adrian's activity for the week was dinner out)
Monday - Baked Pasta with Spinach and Sausage (carryover from last week)
Tuesday - Taco Tuesday!
Wednesday - Shrimp & Corn Chowder (using up broth)
Thursday - Beef Fajitas (using up pinto beans & flank steak in freezer)
Friday - Pasta (using up butternut squash sauce & pasta in freezer)
Saturday - Mexican Corn Soup (using up broth, milk & corn in freezer)

Water Flavor - Apple again until they are all used up

Overnight Oats - Adrian isn't eating these again so I didn't have to set any up last week.  I still have one serving left over to start my week too.  I'll be using the flavored yogurts I have to set up a few batches this week.  I also have vanilla flavored greek yogurt to use up and salted caramel syrup to use up and think the two of the together with chocolate chips sounds amazing.

Use It Up - I've talked a lot about this in this post.  My plan is to get in the basement and inventory what is down there either tonight or tomorrow and go from there for the next few weeks.  I'm using up some things I know for sure are down there this week.  I'm also using up my frozen fruit in my smoothies, especially the bananas.  I tend not to use them after I freeze them but I've been intentional this week about using them up.

Lunches - I honestly haven't thought much about lunches.  I will probably eat salads a few days and leftovers a few days.  Adrian is off on Friday for a family trip to the zoo so we'll have sandwiches that day.  I may need to put a little more thought into my lunches, ha!

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 7/6 - 7/12)

Friday (7/6) Thankfully we were all able to sleep in a little today.  Adrian got up and headed to work while I stayed home with the boys.  I had to sub a class at the Harcum Center this morning and since the boys have been asking to stay home, we decided this was a good morning to let them do that.  So they hung out here playing video games while I taught a fun 30 minute class to some of the residents and then quickly stopped to drop off AJ's prescription at Meijer.  I got home and the boys did great, no problems at all while I was gone.

We did a few things around the house when I got home and then got ready for Daniel's pick of the week, going to Magic Mountain for some fun.  We had a great afternoon there!  We all played mini golf, Daniel beat me by 1 stroke.  And then they played in the play area for a while before we all headed to the video games.  We have a ton of tokens that we've accumulated over the years so we were using up some of those.  When everyone was done with games, we headed back outside for the boys to ride the go carts and then headed home for the day.  It was an awesome afternoon together, we all had a bunch of fun!
 
On the way home, we stopped at Family Video to get a few movies and video games.  Then we came home and enjoyed delicious baked ziti (that Adrian made) for dinner before cleaning up and setting up for Adrian's pick for the week - a family game night.  We tried to play "Resistance Avalon" first but it didn't go very well because you have to keep who you are a secret and the boys aren't great at that.  Then we played "Machi Koro" and we all LOVED it!  We finished up the night with a quick game of "Magic Maze" which we beat on level two this time.  It was a fun family night!  When we finished, we got the boys ready for bed and then watched two episodes of "The Good Doctor."  We only have two episodes left before we are caught up!  We probably would have kept watching last night, but we were both pretty tired.  It's such a great show!

Saturday (7/7) Most of us slept in this morning, except for Adrian who woke up super early.  We had a relaxing morning before getting ready to head out to the movies for AJ's pick of the week to see "Incredibles 2."  The movie was great, we all loved it!  We enjoyed sitting in the comfy recliner seats and eating too much popcorn while laughing thru the movie.  When it was over, we ran to Krispy Kreme to pick up donuts for our sleepover at my brother's and then came home to pack up and head over to their house.
We met Sarah, Isabelle and Vinnie at the dam park to play for a bit before heading to their house.  The kids enjoyed playing on the play ground and watching the people fish and swim.  When we were done playing at the park, we headed back to the house to meet up with Carl.  We enjoyed a fun night of the adults chatting and drinking while the kids played.  We had a delicious grilled dinner, made s'mores over the fire pit, watched a neighbor light off a ton of fireworks and enjoyed the amazing weather.  The kids went up to get comfy and watch a movie around 11pm and most of them stayed up until it was over, well after midnight.  The adults were up even longer enjoying the fire and some adult beverages.  It was a very relaxing and fun night!!
 
 

 
Sunday (7/8) After staying up until after 2am, waking up this morning was rough.  But I managed to get up and moving to help Sarah with the kids.  She made us an amazing breakfast of bacon, eggs and french toast, plus coffee and donuts.  The kids were all up and raring to go so they picked up where they left off last night, having an amazing time playing together.  We hung out until about 1:00 and then we finally motivated to pack up and head home since we had a few things to do around the house and the boys have Martial Arts tonight.  Even though the adults are exhausted (and maybe a little hung over) we had a great time spending the night with family and are all looking forward to doing it again!

When we got home, we unpacked and got a few things done around the house.  Then Daniel wanted to play "Machi Koro" so we took a break and played a fun game of that which Zak won easily.  Then the boys got ready and headed out to Martial Arts.  They had a good class and while they were there, Adrian went and picked up a Jersey Mike's sub for us for dinner.  When everyone got home, we had a quick and easy dinner then finished up a few things around the house to get ready for the week.  Then we played two more games of "Machi Koro" since it's only a 4 player game so we had to play twice so we could all play.  When we finished playing, we got the boys down to bed early, had a snack and watched some TV before heading to bed ourselves.  It was a great weekend but boy am I tired!! 

Monday (7/9) We all got a great night of sleep last night and started with a somewhat lazy morning.  Adrian headed to work and I played "Machi Koro" again with the boys.  Then we all got ready and headed to World of Bounce, which was Zak's pick last week and we didn't get to do it because it was too crowded.  The boys bounced for about 90 minutes and had a blast.  Then we headed home for a quick lunch before heading back out to the Y for Zak's swim lessons.

While Zak was in class, I swam with the other boys outside because it was a gorgeous day.  Zak met us outside when class was over, then we moved inside because the boys were finally going to be able to ride the slide.  Zak wasn't tall enough last year and we haven't been there recently when it was opened.  He's been waiting for this and it didn't disappoint!  They rode the slide for the full 30 minutes it was open and had a blast.  When they closed the slide, we dried off and headed home for a quick dinner.
 
After dinner, the boys had soccer camp thru our high school.  All three are signed up but AJ really wanted to go to Boy Scouts tonight instead so I took Daniel and Zak while Adrian took AJ to Scouts.  They all had a great time at their activities and came home exhausted.  We did snack, show and then got them upstairs to bed.  Adrian and I finished up a few things around the house and then we settled in to watch the last 2 episodes of "The Good Doctor."  It is such a great show and I'm glad it will be back next year!!  We stayed up too late tonight watching it, but it was worth it!

Tuesday (7/10) Everyone was really tired and it was very hard to get moving.  Adrian and I got up and moving and he left for work.  Then unfortunately I had to wake the boys up to go to work with me.  They were upset but pulled it together really well and got ready and out the door on time to the Harcum Center.  I taught my two classes and had a great time with my students while the boys played video games in the lobby.  After class, we ran home for a quick lunch and then back to the Y for AJ and Daniel's swim lessons.

While they were in class, Zak and I swam in the outdoor pool.  Once again when it opened, we headed inside for everyone to ride the slide.  They had a blast and must have done it at least 20 times each!  When it closed, we packed up and headed home for a quick dinner and to get ready for the second night of soccer camp.  Then I headed to the church to work for a few hours while Adrian took the boys back and forth from soccer.  They had another great night playing with the high school kids and were exhausted when they got home!  They had a snack and a show and then headed to bed.  I had to grocery shop after work so it was late when I got home.  Adrian and I unloaded the car and put away the perishable items then finished a little clean up, watched a show and headed to bed.
Wednesday (7/11) We were all exhausted and no one felt like moving today.  Adrian got to work on time and the boys and I slept in.  When we all finally got up, I offered them the option to blow off the whole day and they accepted.  We played a few games of "Machi Koro" and then they played video games while I got caught up on a bunch of stuff around the house.  The day passed quickly between work and play and before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the final night of soccer camp.  I dropped them off and headed to finish up my grocery shopping for the week.  Adrian came home and ate and enjoyed a little quiet time at home before going to pick the boys up from camp.  When we all got home, we played one more game of "Machi Koro," watched a little TV, read a little and got the boys to bed.  Adrian and I finished cleaning up, had snacks and watched a few comedies before heading to bed too.  Nice day of doing next to nothing!!
Thursday (7/12) After resting all day yesterday, we did much better getting up and moving today!  Adrian got up and out to work and then I got the boys up and out to my classes at the Harcum Center.  After two great classes, we headed home, had a quick lunch and then headed back out to the Y for me to sub a third Silver Sneakers class of the day.  I dropped Zak off in childcare and AJ and Daniel hung in my class until it was time for their swim lessons.  Then they headed to the pool and Zak and I met them there after class.  He and I didn't get in the pool today since we didn't get in there until there were only about 15 minutes left in the lessons.

After swim lessons, we decided to try to head to Build a Bear for their pay your age promotion.  That was a waste of a trip because the wait was over 4 hours and we were not going to wait in that.  So we picked up my wine at Cooper's Hawk and then headed towards home.  We stopped to pick up Zak's shirt for Safety Town next week and then to turn in our June reading logs at Half Price Books for their summer reading program.  The boys each picked a new toy with their $5 that they earned.
When we finally got home, the boys spent some time playing video games while I got a few things done around the house.  Then we had a great dinner, that had cooked all day in my awesome Instant Pot.  When we were cleaned up from dinner, it was time for Daniel's pick for the week - family game night.  We played Machi Koro, Coconuts, Quick Cups and then Daniel and Dad played Flip Ships while Zak, AJ and I played the DC deck building game.  It was a very fun family game night, the only problem was I didn't win any of the games!  When we finished playing, we put the boys to bed, made snacks and watched this week's episode of "Younger" before heading to bed for the night.