Saturday, October 27, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 10/19 - 10/25)

Friday (10/19) We all had the day off and we enjoyed it!!  We started by sleeping in this morning and having a lazy morning.  We watched a little TV, played some games and got a few things done around the house.  After a quick lunch, we headed to Lynd's to do the corn maze that we do every year.  This year the theme is Star Wars and we had a great time finding our way thru the 8 acre maze and finding all 7 of the etchings and completing their challenge.  After we finished the maze, the boys enjoyed playing on the bouncy house and in the new fun zone. We stayed until we all got cold, tired and hungry and then headed home for the night.
 
 
Adrian and I had planned to go to our church's chili cook off tonight, but the boys really wanted us all to stay home and play board games so that's what we did.  We had a quick, easy dinner and then played "The Mind" and "Machi Koro" together.  The boys also filmed their first YouTube video for their new channel, Board Kids.  They worked on editing it a little bit and will finish it up tomorrow.  We ended the night with two new episodes of "Teen Titans Go" and then got the boys to bed.  Then Adrian and I enjoyed a little wine and a few comedies before heading to bed too.  It was a great day off!!

Saturday (10/20) Today started really early because we all had a lot to do and it started early this morning.  Adrian woke up early and headed to Starbucks to meet up with a new Bible study.  He enjoyed meeting with the other men and is looking forward to getting to know them better.  He came home with flowers for me since today is Sweetest Day.  When he got home we all got in gear to get ready.  I headed out to teach a Zumba class and then a Yoga class while he took Daniel and Zak to their soccer games.  Daniel's team won and they finished the season undefeated, although they do have 4 ties.  Zak's team played well but they did not pull out the win today.  I had a great time teaching both classes and felt great, although hungry after the combination.

We all met back at home and had a quick lunch before heading out again.  Adrian dropped the boys off at Math Plus for their Star Wars themed escape room adventure.  They had a fantastic time and beat the room with 6 minutes left.  The teacher said he thought that was the best anyone had done on their escape room.  They were super excited when I picked them up and can't wait to go back next month for the Fortnight themed one.  Adrian left from there to take AJ up to Falling Rock for his first overnight camping trip alone with his Scout troop.  And I brought the other two boys back home for some relaxing before our full night.
When we got home I played "Dr Eureka" with Daniel and the "Machi Koro" with Zak while also trying to get a few things done around the house.  After about an hour at home, we got our Halloween costumes on and headed to the YMCA for their Halloween Dance.  We had so much fun at the party, especially since there were only 5 or 6 other families there with us.  The boys enjoyed playing on the two bounce houses, playing a bunch of games, painting pumpkins, eating pizza and winning a lot of prizes and candy.  Adrian and I had a good time playing the games with them, painting our own pumpkins and I did some dancing as well.  It was a great family night!!
 
After that party, we headed home but not before stopping at the township party at a park on our way home.  We did a hay ride, played some games and played at the park a little even though it was very cold and windy.  We didn't stay too long since there wasn't a lot to do but the boys had a blast playing the games.  When we finally got home, we played a game of "The Mind" and lost horribly, probably because the boys were super tired.  They watched a new Beyblade episode and then we got them to bed - they had a sleepover in Zak's room since AJ is gone for the night.  Adrian and I did a few things around the house and then he watched the OSU game while I played around a little and then headed to bed.  It was a super fun but exhausting day!!
 

Sunday (10/21) We all slept in a little and had a lazy morning watching TV and drinking coffee.  Then Adrian left to pick up AJ from his camping trip.  He came home so excited to tell us all about it - he had a great time!!  He said he got there in time to do the scavenger hunt, then they had dinner, played some games and went to bed.  This morning they had breakfast and headed home.  He came home in his pajamas because he said he slept in and there wasn't time to change this morning.  He also told us all about the mice that they found in one of the beds in the cabin.  He thought it was awesome - I thought it sounded gross!
After we got him cleaned up, the boys settled in to play video games for a while and Adrian and I got some work done around the house.  We were able to finish cleaning out the garage so my van can now be parked in there.  I also watched the Jets game in between getting things done, they had a rough game and I was bummed to see them lose.  We took a break in the afternoon to go to a local church for their trunk or treat party.  The boys had fun collecting candy and playing games.  It was a fun break in an otherwise fairly boring day.  When we got home, we finished up the boys' homework and then went back to work on our stuff around the house.  Adrian watched the Cowboys game late and finished it up after the boys went to bed.  And they lost too - what a rough sports weekend for us!!  It wasn't a super exciting day but it was a necessary work day for us and we got a lot accomplished around the house.

Monday (10/22) We were back to the grind today and finally all of us were back to where we needed to be!  Adrian and I got AJ ready and he drove him to school and then headed into work for the first time in a week.  I got the other boys ready and dropped them off at school before heading to the Harcum Center to take two water aerobics classes and then teach a chair yoga class.  It was a really nice mix of workouts and I felt great when I left.  I ran a few errands and then headed home to get lunch and get a few things done.

Soon it was time to get everyone from school for the day.  I forgot to pack AJ's phone this morning so he was a little upset with me but he brought a book home to read on the bus.  I picked up the other two boys and when we got home I let everyone have an hour of video games before we did dinner and homework and got ready for our evening activities.  I took Daniel and Zak and headed to small group while Adrian too AJ to Scouts.  We all had great meetings and met back at home for the boys to have a snack, watch a show and head to bed.  When they were settled, Adrian and I enjoyed cupcakes that my small group sent home and watched a little TV and then headed to bed.  While it wasn't an exciting day, I am SO happy we are all healthy and back to our regular schedule!

Tuesday (10/23) Another day of everyone being healthy and going where they are supposed to!  I helped Adrian and AJ get out the door to school and work and then got myself and the other two boys ready.  After I dropped them off at school, I headed to the Harcum Center to teach my 3 Silver Sneakers classes.  When classes were over, I headed back to the school to volunteer in Zak's class to practice sight words with the students.  When the day was over, we all headed home and got ready for a busy night.

We took a little bit of a break when we all got home and then quickly got thru homework and taco Tuesday for dinner.  Then we got ready to head out for the night.  Adrian took Daniel to his soccer tournament game, which they won in a close one!!  Now his team plays for the championship on Thursday!  While they were there, I took the other two boys over to Wesley Ridge for their Halloween Hop.  We had fun seeing the residents, some of whom are also my students, and getting candy from all of them.  Zak especially liked the haunted hallway they set up in their basement.  It was a really fun night!!  When we got home, we played for a little bit and then got the boys ready for bed.  When they were asleep, Adrian and I finished cleaning up from dinner, watched two comedies and then headed to bed.
 
Wednesday (10/24) Everyone got up and out on time again today.  Adrian dropped AJ off at school and then headed to work.  I dropped the other boys off at school and then came home for a rare day off.  I was back and forth about what to do but decided to spend the whole day catching up on stuff around the house.  I got SO much done while everyone was gone and I was just focused on working.  I finished my whole to do list that has been dragging on for weeks and even got a jump start on stuff for this weekend.  I feel so much better!!  The day passed quickly and before long I was getting AJ off the bus and walking up to pick up the other boys from school.

As soon as we got home, Daniel and I headed out to Target because he had a growth spurt this summer and needed all new pants and long sleeve shirts.  We also found some fun tee shirts and pajamas on clearance for everyone.  And we bought birthday gifts for the two parties that Daniel has the next two weekends and Daniel spent some of his allowance money on a new Beyblade set.  I could not believe how much we spent, I did not think we would do that!  When we got in the car Daniel said "That was fun Mom!  We should go shopping together more often."

When we got home we quickly got through homework and dinner before heading out to a local church for a trunk or treat.  Unfortunately when we got there is was super packed and we couldn't even find parking.  So we decided to turn around and stop at a different church on our way home.  It was a smaller event but the boys had fun and came home with buckets full of candy!  When we got home, they played with their new Beyblades for a while and then we got ready for bed.  After we put the boys to bed, Adrian and I came down and watched "Survivor" before heading to bed too.
Thursday (10/25) We all got up on time and got ready to start another busy day.  Adrian took AJ to school and then headed into work.  I got the other boys ready and dropped them off at school before heading to the Harcum Center to teach my three Silver Sneakers classes.  I don't know what was going on with my students but they were all super silly and we laughed a lot in all three classes today!  As soon as I was done teaching, I headed back into the school to help Zak and his classmates celebrate their 50th day of school with a 50's themed party.  We had root beer floats and a sock hop and it was so much fun!!  Daniel's celebrated a great first quarter with a pajama day.  So fun!!
 
 
After school we came home and had a short break before getting ready for another super busy night.  We quickly got thru homework and dinner and then Adrian left with Daniel and Zak to head to the soccer fields for their games.  Zak's team struggled and did not win but Daniel's team won and won the tournament for the season!  They finished the season undefeated, although they did have 4 ties, and tournament champions.  Such a great season for Daniel!  While they were there, AJ and I headed to Eastpointe for my Zumba class and his basketball practice.  He had another great practice with Dad as his coach.  When we finally all got home, we had snacks and then got the boys to bed.  Adrian re-injured his back so he sat with the heating pad on while we watched a few comedies and then we headed to bed for the night.  Such a fun and busy day!!


Sunday, October 21, 2018

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Oct 21 - Oct 27)

We had another week of being completely off our schedule.  Adrian hurt his back on Sunday and was out of work all week recovering.  We did have a little bit more time this week since he wasn't working but he also couldn't help much so I had more work to do most days.  He also didn't go camping with AJ on Saturday, but thankfully AJ went by himself.  So instead that night we decided to go to the YMCA Halloween Party and we all had pizza for dinner and a ton of fun!  We mostly followed our meal plan from last week until the weekend when we didn't make any of the planned meals on Friday or Saturday.  This is starting to become our pattern and I'm not sure how to fix it.

Things are crazy again this week with it being the last week of soccer and Daniel having at least one, probably two games in the tournament and Zak having his final two regular season games.  We also have a few Halloween events this week and our first play for the Broadway in Columbus season.  And our weekend is again jam packed with fun fall activities.  Thankfully we have a ton of leftovers from last week so we should be OK to eat at home and not out everyday.  I'm planning on cooking everyday except Wednesday but that may change as the week goes.

The other good news is that since I typically buy a few days ahead I actually have all of the groceries I need for this whole week.  There are a few staples we are out of or running low on so I'll need to make a small grocery trip, but if I don't get to it until later this week we will be fine.  And honestly if I can't get there at all, we will also be fine.  I do probably need some fruit since I am out of peaches and we didn't go apple picking this year but I'm not sure anything is in season so we'll see what's on sale.  I love a light shopping week!

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Leftovers and frozen apps while we watch football all day
Monday - Kielbasa Soup (carry over from last week)
Tuesday - Taco Tuesday!
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Chicken Enchilada Soup
Friday - Stuffed Peppers
Saturday - Chili Mac in the Instant Pot (carry over from last week)

Water Flavor - Orange

Overnight Oats - I set up two batches of regular oats and two batches with applesauce, the final cup of applesauce that has been in the garage.  I also have a few days of banana chocolate chip oats leftover from last week that I will eat first.  Adrian hasn't been eating them, although he says he will be starting again this week.  If he doesn't eat them, I'll be set for all of this week and the beginning of next week as well.

Use It Up - I finished up the applesauce in my oats & I'm still using up the chocolate syrup that we have in them.  I'm forcing the boys to eat all of the chips we have before I buy new ones, we had two full shelves of chips, it was too much!  I'm also using all of the groceries I've bought over the last two weeks to make sure nothing goes bad before I pick new recipes to make.

Lunches - I have avocados from last week that I need to use so most days will be salads.  I will also probably be eating a lot of them on the run because I have a ton of errands to run this week and I'm subbing a few yoga classes at the Harcum Center.  I am not currently subbing in the schools yet this week but I'm sure that will change as the week goes as well.

Friday, October 19, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 10/12 - 10/18)

Friday (10/12) Everyone was healthy for real today, except for me, but we all headed where we were supposed to be.  I helped get AJ and Adrian out to work and school and then hung out with Zak since he got up super early this morning.  Then I got ready and got Daniel and Zak ready and out to school.  We went in early since I was subbing for the day.  I had a split day and spent the morning with third graders and the afternoon with second graders.  It was a pretty good day but my throat hurt all day and I'm really worn out.  When school was over, I picked up Daniel and Zak and we headed home for the weekend.

The boys spent most of their afternoon playing and watching video games.  I was resting on the couch in an attempt to feel better.  When that didn't work, I decided to not attend the committee meeting for Zak's Cub Scout pack tonight in hopes of getting some rest and feeling better.  We had leftovers for dinner to make things a little easier and then had a relaxing evening of comedies on our DVR.  I'm hoping to rest as much as possible this weekend but if I don't feel better I will be heading to the doctor on Monday.

Saturday (10/13) After over 9 hours of sleep, I woke up feeling slightly better than I have felt for like a week.  I got up and got ready to head to the church to teach my Zumba class at a new, later time.  I had a lot more people so I'm hoping this time change will be helpful to boost my numbers and reach more people.  After class, I ran a few errands that I didn't have a chance to run during the week.  While I was out, Adrian hung out at home with the boys and had them get a few things done around the house then got Daniel ready for his soccer game.

When I got home, we had a quick lunch together and then Adrian and Daniel left for the game.  The team played well again and they played to another tie.  While they were there, I got ready and headed to the Y for another Zumba jam.  This is my 10th jam of the year and I'm well on my way to getting to 12 this year.  I wasn't feeling 100% so I took a lot of breaks during the jam but I still learned 3 of the 4 songs good enough to use in my classes soon.  I really enjoyed the jam and learning more about meringue, I just wish I was feeling better.  I didn't get any pictures since the jam ran late and I had to leave to get home for our evening plans.

I got home and we had a quick dinner together and then got the boys in their costumes for our first Halloween event of the season.  We headed to a local ice cream shop called Cones & Concoctions for their annual trunk or treat event.  We had a fun time collecting candy, eating ice cream and seeing friends.  It's a very low key event and was a nice way to kick off one of our favorite seasons.  The boys looked great in their costumes and got a lot of compliments.  When we got home, the boys watched two shows while enjoying some of their candy and then headed to bed.  Daniel had a "sleep over" in the other boys room tonight and thankfully everyone went to sleep quickly.  Adrian and I watched a comedy before he headed to bed since he was exhausted.  I read for a little while and then headed to bed too since it was a long day!
 
Sunday (10/14) We all slept in again today, and I am finally feeling like myself again.  I think I really did just need some rest to help my body fight off whatever I had.  We had a slow morning before heading to the second service for church and enjoying a great sermon with AJ in the service with us as well.  After church, we came home and had a quick lunch before getting to work on our to do list.  Adrian wasn't feeling well so he took it easy while the rest of us worked and got as much done as we could.  I was happy to take some time to watch the Jets win in between doing things around the house!  Adrian was also happy to watch the Cowboys win big today!!  It was a good football weekend in our house!

After we got a bunch of stuff done, AJ and I headed out to church for his One8ty youth group meeting.  We have missed the past few weeks so we were both excited to be back into it.  We all laughed too hard during the food Olympics even though AJ's team didn't win.  Then we heard a great sermon and split into our small groups.  Laura and I had an interesting discussion with the middle school girls, sometimes I wonder who is learning more - them or me.  Maybe that is the beauty of serving the older kids.  When small group was done, the kids all enjoyed brownie sundaes and then we headed home.  AJ watched a show with the other boys and then they all headed to bed, they are having another sleep over tonight.  Adrian and I watched two comedies and then he headed to bed for the night while I finished up a few things before heading up a little later.

Monday (10/15) I thought we would all be back to normal today but Adrian hurt his back over the weekend and is out of commission for the day.  He stayed home from work and will be spending the day in bed resting and hopefully recuperating.  I drove AJ to school for the first time this year and then came back and got the other boys ready and dropped off to school.  I was only subbing in the afternoon so I came home and helped Adrian get settled then got a few things done around the house before heading into school to sub in one of my favorite kindergarten classes.

After school was over, we came home and got thru our homework.  Then the boys hung out with Adrian upstairs while I cooked and cleaned and got ready to host my small group tonight.  I got AJ ready and out to Boy Scouts with a friend just as everyone from group was arriving.  We all enjoyed baked ziti that I made and lots of sides that they brought.  We had a good discussion and then everyone headed home for the night.  We got the boys ready for bed and then came down and watched two shows before heading to bed as well.  Adrian is still in a lot of pain so he has decided that he won't be going to work again tomorrow.  One of these days we'll all be healthy and back to our normal routine.

Tuesday (10/16) We all got up and thought we were heading out but Adrian's back is still really bothering him so he will be home again today.  He did drop AJ off at school this morning so I could get myself and the other boys ready on time.  I dropped them off and then headed to Harcum to teach my three classes.  I ran a few errands between classes and got most of the grocery shopping done for this week.  When I was done teaching, I headed into school to volunteer in Zak's class and practiced sight words with a few of the students.  Zak was able to finish his first sight word book of first grade, he is super proud that he finished it before the end of the first quarter!
After school we went home and had a random night with nothing going on.  We enjoyed our time by taking our time doing homework and having dinner together as a family.  We played a few board games, got a bunch of stuff done around the house and watched some TV.  It was very relaxing and while I love the boys being involved, I am looking forward to a little downtime when soccer is over.  We got the boys down at their normal bedtime and then we watched a few comedies and headed to bed too.  Adrian is feeling a little better after another day of rest and he's hoping to be back to work tomorrow.


Wednesday (10/17) Adrian woke up again thinking he would go to work and again he decided it was a better idea to stay home and rest his back.  He did drive AJ to school again since I had to sub all day in the school.  I got myself and the other boys ready and then headed into school where I finally got to sub as Daniel's teacher for the entire day!!  He has been asking me to be his teacher since I started subbing and the schedules never worked out.  But today I got to spend the whole day with him and his classmates.  We had a great day together and everyone was very well behaved!
After school, I ran home and dropped the boys off, got changed and then headed out to teach my last class at the Y for a while.  I have decided to take at least the next session off due to our crazy busy schedule but I hope to be back for the winter session.  It was a fun class but I did get a little teary at the end since I've been with some of those ladies for like 4 years!  When I got home the boys were done with homework and Adrian was cooking our dinner.  While I don't like him being injured, I could get used to the help at home.  Again we had no night time activities so we played a new game called "The Brain," watched some TV and got the boys to bed.  Then Adrian and I watched "Survivor" and also headed to bed.  He already took off tomorrow, but we still need to get up early to get everyone to school and me to work.

Thursday (10/18) It was an early morning because Zak came in to start the day at 4am.  Thankfully since Adrian is off today he took him downstairs and I fell back asleep for a little while.  But I still had trouble getting up and moving on time for the day.  I helped get AJ ready and then Adrian dropped him off while I got myself and the other boys ready for the day.  I dropped them off and headed to Harcum to teach my three Silver Sneakers classes.  We had a great time during class and I took a break between class 2 and 3 to meet Adrian for lunch at First Watch since it's right near Harcum.  We had a nice lunch together, enjoying good food and conversation.
After class, I ran a few errands and then got home just in time to pick up the boys from school.  We relaxed for about 30 minutes and then kicked it into high gear to get ready for our super busy night.  Adrian took Daniel to his soccer game, which they ended in another tie.  I dropped Zak off at soccer practice where he did great and Adrian picked him up at halftime of Daniel's game.  I took AJ to the church with me to teach my Zumba class and in the middle of class I sent him to the gym for his first basketball practice of the season.  Adrian met us there with the other boys and stayed to coach AJ's team while I took the other boys home.  Thankfully we are off from school tomorrow so we didn't have to worry about homework or early bedtimes!  We came home and played another game of "The Brain" and made it all the way to the last level before losing!  Then we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" together as a family before the boys went up to bed.  Adrian and I watched two comedies and then headed to bed too.  It was a long & fun day!!

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Oct 14 - Oct 20)

I was sick all of last week and tried as best as I could to power through and keep up with everything.  I also had sick kids and then this weekend a sick husband.  So I really hit the wall and had a bit of a pity party for myself this weekend.  I didn't cook on Friday, Adrian messed up the Chili Mac yesterday and today I don't feel like cooking before I take AJ to One8ty tonight.  So we've been eating whatever we can find - lots of leftovers, frozen apps and sandwiches.  It hasn't been great for us but it's what we need to do right now.  I'm hoping to be back to 100% tomorrow and then back to eating healthy on Tuesday.

In addition to being sick for nearly a week, I'm having a hard time finding a groove and rhythm to my life right now.  Things are changing often, some of that is expected since I'm subbing so I'm at the mercy of other people's schedules.  But some of it isn't expected, like soccer changing all of the time because of the weather.  And I'm having a hard time finding the time and motivation to cook dinner, especially since we are often eating on the run or in shifts.  I know this is the season of life we are in right now and I wouldn't change it for anything but it is hard to be motivated to cook and disciplined to eat right in this season.  I'm really hoping to buckle down for the last few weeks of this year and then head into the new year with a new energy and motivation.

This is another weird week for cooking with me out Sunday night, hosting life group on Monday night, Adrian out on Wednesday night, everyone off this Friday, a chili cook off on Friday night and AJ and Adrian going camping again Saturday night.  I'm planning to cook each of those days and hoping that I do so that we restock our leftovers for lunches and our planned leftover days.  I'm not doing a leftover day this week because we don't really have a lot to choose from and I want to make sure we have enough for lunches.

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Leftovers or sandwiches and salads
Monday - Baked Ziti  - I'm making 2 trays for my life group, one with sausage and one without
Tuesday - Monterey Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Squash (carryover from last week)
Wednesday - Cheesy Chicken Thighs with Spinach & Mushrooms
Thursday - Cilantro Lime Shrimp for wraps for the adults, tacos for the kids
Friday - Kielbasa Soup for lunch if we are home, or just for leftovers if we're not home for lunch
Saturday - Chili Mac in the Instant Pot - Adrian made this last week and he added chipotle peppers which made it too hot for anyone but him to eat.  So I'll be making it again for the rest of us.

Water Flavor - Mango!  I got a mango on sale this week and I love it in my water so I set that up tonight.  Can't wait to drink it all week!!

Overnight Oats - Again, I have a few servings of this from last week still left since Adrian hasn't been eating them that much.  I'll wait a day or two to see where we are and set some up on Tuesday night to get us through the week.  I have a few flavored yogurts to use up so I'll be using those for this week.  I also have two bananas to use so I may add those to them as well.

Use It Up - Again, I didn't think about this much this week but I definitely have some veggies that I bought last week for recipes that I need to use so I'm doing that at the start of the week.  I need to get back to focusing on this.  Next week for sure!!

Lunches - I will probably eat leftovers for most of this week since we are out of most of the stuff I use for salads and sandwiches.  I do hope to cook that soup on Friday for our lunch since we are all off for the day!  It would be nice to have a homemade lunch in the middle of all of the fun we have planned for that day.

Friday, October 12, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 10/5 - 10/11)

Friday (10/5) It was another rough night of sleep around here and I am really starting to feel it!  We got up and moving but barely.  I helped get Adrian and AJ off to school and then got ready and headed into school with Daniel and Zak.  I subbed a half day in a kindergarten class and had so much fun with the kids.  Then I grabbed a quick lunch and headed over to Harcum to sub a yoga class for my friend who is on vacation.  When class was over, I ran a few errands and then headed home to pick everyone up from school.

When we got home, we were all exhausted.  I was super thankful that my meeting for the evening was rescheduled to next Friday so I had nothing that I was committed to tonight.  AJ and Zak were supposed to go to the high school football game to help raise the flag, but they decided they didn't want to do that because they were so tired.  So we all stayed home and relaxed all night.  The boys played video games while Adrian and I tried to regain control of the house.  We put the boys down to bed at their normal times in hopes of a good night of rest.  Adrian and I split a bottle of wine and watched a few new shows, "God Friended Me" and "Welcome to the Neighborhood."  Both were pretty good, but we'll see how they progress.  When that was over I was so tired I barely made it upstairs to fall into bed and fall asleep.

Saturday (10/6) Started way too early because Daniel had a rough night of sleep and ended up in my bed again last night.  My alarm went off for me to get up and head to the church to teach my Zumba class there.  I had to do a double class today one at the church and one at the Y.  They were both super fun but I was a sweaty tired mess by the time I got home!  While I was teaching, Adrian took Zak and Daniel to their soccer games.  Zak's team lost, and they really seemed to struggle in the heat this morning.  Daniel's team again played to a 4-4 tie, but his team played really well.  When we all got home, we had lunch and started working around the house since we had some free time.

After a few hours of work, we got packed up and headed to my brother's house for the night.  We had a nice time eating, chatting and relaxing with them.  The kids had fun playing together upstairs and outside while the adults relaxed downstairs and watched the OSU game.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and a fun dessert since it is Carl and Sarah's wedding anniversary!  We wanted to stay later, but we all got really tired so we headed home.  Daniel and I barely stayed awake on the car ride home and went straight to bed when we got home.  We all really need a good night of sleep!!
Sunday (10/7) We all finally slept thru the night!!  I got like 10 hours of sleep and I feel like a new woman today.  We had a lazy morning of TV, video games, breakfast & coffee before heading out to the second service at church.  We heard a great sermon and I was blessed to see two students that I know well be baptized.  I am so proud of them and their decisions!!  When we got home, we had lunch and then started working around the house while watching the Jets game.  They looked great today, I hope they play this well for the rest of the season!  We got a lot done around the house since we had a big chunk of time at home, including starting to clean out the garage so I can start parking in there again.  Adrian had to work for about 2 hours late this afternoon, so I took the boys to Martial Arts tonight.  I enjoyed watching them practice their skills and learn a few new ones.  We stopped for pizza at Marcos to bring home for dinner since we all were craving pizza and they had a great deal.  After dinner, the boys played while Adrian and I cleaned up from dinner.  When we got the boys down to bed, we watched the Cowboys game.  I only made it thru about the 3rd quarter before I went to bed.  Adrian was bummed they lost in OT but said it was a great game to watch.
Monday (10/8) Happy Columbus Day!  This is our favorite holiday recently because Adrian is off and the boys go to school.  Unfortunately, I woke up and the cold I have been fighting off finally caught up with me.  I got the boys off to school and then went back to bed.  We had to cancel our entire date day.  Adrian dropped everyone off at school and then ran a few errands that we were going to do together.  He picked up lunch from Piada for both of us and when he came back we did have a little bit of a stay home date.  We ate lunch together and then watched a few comedies from our DVR until it was time to pick the boys up.

When the boys got home, we got quickly thru homework and then they played while I cooked dinner and baked cookies and Adrian did a few things outside that needed to be done.  We had a quick dinner together and then headed to AJ's Boy Scout Court of Honor.  He earned both his Scout rank and his Tenderfoot rank.  Those are the first two of the seven he needs to earn to get to Eagle Scout.  It was a nice ceremony and fun to see all of the merit badges that all of the boys earned over the past few months.  We had some snacks after the ceremony and then headed home for the night.  We quickly got the boys down to bed, watched one episode of "Young Sheldon" and headed to bed.  I'm still not feeling great, hoping a good night of sleep will help.
Tuesday (10/9) We all got up and were ready to head back to our normal life since Adrian had work today.  I'm still not feeling 100% but I do feel better than yesterday.  Adrian and AJ left for work and school and then I got the other two boys up and ready for school.  I dropped them off and then headed over to Harcum to teach my 3 Silver Sneakers classes.  I struggled a little since I wasn't feeling well but I made it thru OK.  After the last class, I headed over to West to go over sight words with some of the kids in Zak's class.  Zak was mad that I ran out of time and didn't call him, but his classmates were all doing awesome so it took me longer than I thought with most of the kids.

When school was over we headed home for a short break and then I headed back to the school for parent teacher conferences.  Both boys are off to a pretty good start this year. They are both excelling in Math, Daniel's teacher said she keeps trying to stump him but hasn't yet. They both need to focus a little more on reading and Zak is still struggling a little with his writing. But overall it was all positive feedback and they are on the right track!  I got home and made taco Tuesday for all of us while getting everyone thru homework and AJ ready to go to Crossover basketball evaluations.  Adrian took him there and helped with the drills and AJ did a great job!  When everyone got home, we got the boys ready for bed.  While we were upstairs, AJ said he wasn't feeling well and threw up.  So we came down and made a plan for him to not go to school tomorrow.  We watched the premier of "The Good Doctor" and then headed to bed to get a good night of sleep.
Wednesday (10/10) We got to sleep in a little today since AJ wasn't going to school.  Too bad Zak had Adrian up around 6am.  But that was still an hour later for him so we'll take it!  I got up and wasn't feeling well but decided to push thru since I was subbing all day.  I got the boys ready and we all headed into school.  I had a tough day subbing, it was a challenging class for sure!  But I made it thru and got home with the boys to find out AJ was thankfully feeling better.  I relaxed a little then we got ready for our evening activities.  I headed to the church to work as a facilities rep and Adrian took Daniel to soccer practice.  He stayed there since the weather looked questionable.  AJ stayed home with Zak and continued to rest and recover.  When we all got home, we got the boys down to bed and settled in to watch "Survivor" before we also headed to bed for the day.  I am still not feeling well and by the end of today I had no voice.  That's going to be fun to teach three classes tomorrow!!
Thursday (10/11) After a great night of sleep we were all feeling better this morning.  We got up and I helped get Adrian and AJ out to work and school and then started getting ready myself.  Just as I was getting ready to leave with Daniel and Zak, Zak said he didn't feel good and got sick.  So I called out of work for the day to stay home with him.  I dropped Daniel off at school and then came back and rested with Zak for most of the day.  We did run out to pick up AJ's prescription because we need it for tomorrow morning but other than that there was a lot of couch time.
When everyone else got home from school, we got ready for our night activities.  Since Zak still wasn't feeling well, we skipped his soccer practice which made the night slightly easier.  Adrian came home and took Daniel to his soccer practice while I went to church to teach my Zumba class.  After a sweaty fun time at class, I headed to Meijer to pick up a few things and then came back home in time to help with bedtime.  When the boys were asleep, Adrian and I did a few things to straighten up the house and then watched "The Big Bang Theory" before heading to bed.  I'm really hoping to kick this cold soon!!

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 9/21 - 9/27)

Friday (9/21) We were tired but we got up and moving on time to get everyone out the door.  Adrian got AJ up and dropped him off at school before heading to work.  I got myself ready and then got Daniel and Zak ready and dropped them off at school.  Then I headed to the Y to sub two Zumba classes for a friend who is on vacation.  I had a fun time dancing with everyone, some old friends and some new!  Then I rushed back to the school to have Zak's initial IEP meeting.  We all laughed that his least favorite subject in school is "sitting and listening."  We got him all set up for speech therapy in school and I just love his speech therapist, she has worked with all of the boys now.

After the meeting, I had a short break for lunch in the staff room and then I headed down to sub a first grade class for a few hours at the end of the day.  The teacher has a student teacher so I pretty much just hung out in the room helping a little while she taught the class.  We had recess while I was there and I got to see both Daniel and Zak out on the play ground and they were both super excited!  It was a super easy and fun sub assignment.  When school was over, I came home with the boys and we all relaxed for a while because we were worn out from the week.
After a little relaxation, I got dinner for the boys and then dropped them off at a friends' house for a play date.  They were super excited to hang with their friends tonight.  Then I came home and got ready to head to church for a dinner with other church leaders to prepare for the women's conference.  We had a delicious dinner together and then heard an inspiring message from Wendy Fitzgerald, our speaker for the conference.  I left inspired and ready to lead tomorrow!  I came home just in time to say good night to the boys.  Adrian was exhausted so he headed to bed while I did a few things and then was ready to head to bed.  Unfortunately, Daniel and Zak were both having trouble sleeping so Daniel came downstairs with me and Zak got into bed with Adrian.  After about an hour, Daniel was finally ready for bed so he and I headed to his bed for the night.

Saturday (9/22) After a horrible night of sleep, my alarm going off felt super early!  But I got up and got ready to head to the church for the all day women's retreat.  I had an amazing day with over 100 women who were there to learn, worship and pray together.  I learned a lot and have a lot of things to think about and digest over the next few days.  I also lead a short exercise time to show a little of what a Zumba class is like for all of the women and gave away a free class to everyone who came.  We are hoping this helps keep the classes going.
That's me on the stage leading the women thru some exercises!!
 
While I was at the conference, Adrian held down the fort at home.  He took Zak and Daniel to their soccer games, which both teams won!  He helped all three boys get thru their homework for the weekend and got our lawn mowed so we don't have to worry about it this week.  He also set up a tray of baked ziti for our dinner before settling in to watch the Buckeyes game.  I got home during the 2nd quarter when the game was already pretty much decided in favor of the Buckeyes.  After dinner and the game, we were all really exhausted.  We got a few things done around the house and then I headed to bed shortly after we got the boys to bed.  Adrian watched a little more college football and then headed to bed too.  It's been a long weekend already!

Sunday (9/23) Thankfully we all got a good night of sleep and were able to sleep in a little this morning.  We had a slow start to our morning then hit the ground running to get our to do lists done, or at least get as much done as possible.  Zak begged to skip swimming so we decided to have an easy day and skip swim lessons this afternoon.  The boys played and got all of their stuff done during the day while Adrian and I worked around the house.  Then Adrian got Zak and Daniel ready and took them to Martial Arts.  They had a great class there and had a lot of fun!  While they were there, I took AJ to One8ty where he played with friends, I chatted with friends and helped serve dinner and then we both heard a great testimony from the speaker.  It lead to a great conversation on our car ride home!  When we got home it was close to bed time so the boys finished clean up, got ice cream for a snack and watched a Beyblade episode before heading up to bed.  When we got the boys to bed, Adrian and I watched the Cowboys game from this afternoon.  Unfortunately they weren't able to pull out a win.  If this continues, it's going to be a long football season for both of us!
Monday (9/24) After a great weekend, it was hard to get back to real life today.  But we got up and got moving early as always.  Adrian took AJ to school and then I got the other two boys ready for school before heading to Harcum to observe a few water aerobics classes.  I watched one and took notes then jumped in the pool for the second class so I could be a participant.  After the classes, I headed back home to get some stuff around the house done before everyone got home from school.  Since it rained all day I had to drive to pick up the boys at West.  I do not miss that express line at all!

After everyone got home from school, I gave them some free time and then we got thru homework before our night activities.  I headed out to Bible study with Daniel and Zak where we enjoyed meatball subs and great conversation.  Adrian took AJ to Boy Scouts where they prepped for their upcoming camping trip this weekend.  When we all got home, we got the boys down to bed and then Adrian headed to bed as well.  I finished up a few things around the house, watched a little TV and headed to bed too.

Tuesday (9/25) We got up and moving pretty well this morning to start a busy day.  Adrian and AJ headed out on time to school and work while I got the other boys ready.  I dropped them off at school and then headed to the Harcum Center to teach my 3 Silver Sneakers classes.  I had a fun time with my seniors as I always do.  When I was done teaching, I headed to school to volunteer in Zak's class and do sight words with some of his class.

We all got home from school and enjoyed a little downtime since Daniel's soccer practice cancelled for the night.  Then I cooked tacos for dinner - beef for the kids and shrimp for the adults before getting ready to head out to a pack meeting for Zak's Scout pack.  It was a quick and informative meeting and we are all excited about the upcoming Scout year!  When we got home, Adrian and I got the boys down to bed and then we watched a few comedies before heading to bed too.

Wednesday (9/26) We all got up and moving early again today.  Adrian took AJ to school and then headed to work.  I got the other boys ready and then headed in to sub for the day.  I was the floater sub so I subbed for 4 different teachers over the course of the day.  It was fun but exhausting!  Then I picked up the boys and headed home to drop them off and change and head out to the Y to teach my Zumba class.  We had a sweaty fun class and then I ran home to get the boys thru homework and dinner.  Adrian went to his board game group tonight so I was on my own with the boys.  They did a great job of listening and we got thru everything.  I did notice that when I work all day, the house is a mess!  But I managed to get it all cleaned up, put the boys to bed and was relaxing on the sofa when Adrian got home.  It was a super busy day that flew by for sure!!
Thursday (9/27) After the busy day yesterday, we all got a great night of sleep and were up and moving for the day on time.  Adrian took AJ to school and I got the other boys ready.  I dropped them off at school and headed to Harcum to teach my three classes.  I ran a few errands between classes and after the last one so I could get my grocery shopping done for the week.  Then I picked up all of the boys from school and headed home for the night.  Since the weather was bad, both boys soccer practices were cancelled for the night so our night became much easier.  Adrian stayed at work a little longer and I got the boys thru homework and dinner before heading to the church to teach my Zumba class.  When I got there, I saw the room wasn't set up so I moved us into the gym and taught from the stage.  Everyone loved having that much room, too bad we can't be there all of the time!!  After a fun and sweaty class, I headed home to help with bed time for the boys.  When they were down, we finished up a few things around the house and then watched "Survivor" from yesterday before heading to bed ourselves.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Oct 7 - Oct 13)

We did really good again last week sticking to our meal plan until the end of the week again.  By Friday I am so tired after the long, busy weeks that it is hard to get motivated to cook dinner.  Last week on Friday I just made pasta for everyone so we could have a more relaxing night.  I'm hoping this week goes better.  If I can just get good sleep all week I think I would be OK but the boys haven't been sleeping well so neither have I.

This week starts with our favorite holiday - Columbus Day!  Adrian and I are both off and the boys all have school.  So we are going to drop them off and then spend the whole day together.  We're going to do some shopping, wine tasting and go out to lunch together.  Then we'll have a few hours at home with the boys before we all head out together for AJ's Scout Court of Honor.  Monday is going to be a great way to start off our week!  I'm also hoping to get a few things done tomorrow to make the rest of the week a little bit easier.  Our weekends are just as busy as our weeknights so I'm really having a hard time catching up and then I can't even think about trying to get ahead a little.  I'm sure I'll miss all of this craziness one day!!

Other than Monday, we have a fairly typical week ahead of us.  We will all be here all weekend so I'm hoping to get some cooking done.  I'm not teaching near as many classes as I have been the past two weeks.  We do have a super busy weekend ahead with meetings, another Zumba jam, a hike for Zak and our normal stuff of soccer, youth group and martial arts.  Wow, now that I'm typing it up, I probably won't be able to get any cooking done this weekend other than dinner.  I need a day off!!

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Marco's Pizza - we all wanted pizza and I got a great deal so we picked it up on our way home from Martial Arts.  The boys were SO excited!
Monday - Stuffed Acorn Squash (carryover from last week)
Tuesday - Taco Soup in my Instant Pot
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Pork Fajitas
Friday - Monterey Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Squash
Saturday - Chili Mac in the Instant Pot - hoping Adrian will make this while I'm at the jam.  We also have our first Halloween party tonight - yay!!

Water Flavor - Orange.  I have a few oranges that the boys got from soccer for snacks so I'm using them this week.

Overnight Oats - We haven't been eating this as quickly as we were so we have about two days worth in the fridge.  We are having sausage and eggs tomorrow morning so we won't use up what we have until mid-week so I'm waiting to set them up then.  I will just be using the flavored yogurts that I have to make them quick and simple this week.

Use It Up - I didn't really think about this too much this week.  I'm using a few of the squashes I bought on sale in two dinners this week.  And I have just about everything we need for our meals this week, it's a super quick shopping week.  I'll get back to focusing on this next week for sure!

Lunches - We're going out tomorrow.  The rest of the week will either be salads or sandwiches using up the open turkey and ham we have in the fridge.  It is just about ready to turn so I need to use it up as quickly as I can.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 9/28 - 10/4)

Friday (9/28) It was tough to get up and moving this morning but we all dragged ourselves out of bed on time.  We got AJ ready and Adrian took him to school then headed to work.  I got the other boys ready and dropped them off at school then headed to the Y to sub two Zumba classes for my friend who is still on vacation.  I had a great time dancing with everyone but I struggled to get thru the second class after teaching so many classes yesterday.  When class was over, I headed to Kroger and Aldi to finish up my grocery shopping for the week.  Then I came home to try to get as much done as possible and regain control of my kitchen.

The afternoon passed quickly and soon it was time to get everyone from school.  I walked up to get Daniel and Zak because it was so nice outside!  When we all got home, we had some free time and then got ready for a family night out.  After a quick dinner of leftovers, we headed out to the Schottenstein Center to see "Marvel Universe Live: Age of Heroes!"  We all loved the show!  Zak was a little overwhelmed and scared at first but he calmed down and enjoyed it.  The other boys loved every minute of it.  Some of our favorite parts were Spiderman, the motorcycle tricks and of course the Hulk.  Groot was also very cool and very talented to do the whole show on stilts!  When the show was over, we fought the traffic to get home and had a quick snack before heading to bed.  It was a long week but ended with a great night of family time!
 
 
Saturday (9/29) After a late night, we all got a great night of sleep and most of us slept in a little.  I had to get up early to get ready to teach my Zumba class at church.  I had a small class this morning but we all had fun!  While I was there, Adrian got Zak up and ready for his soccer game which they won 8-5 over Zak's team from last season.  When we all got home, we got a few things done around the house then got ready to head out to Daniel's soccer game in the afternoon.  I watched Daniel's team win big this afternoon, 6-1 and he played great!
While I was at the game with Daniel, Adrian got ready to head out to go camping with AJ and his Scout troop.  They just went to a park in the next town, but it's still a lot of work to pack everything up for the night.  They headed out soon after we got home from soccer.  I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Zak and Daniel while trying to get as much done from my to do list as possible.  I was pretty productive and got more than half of my list finished.  The boys played together really nice all day and barely needed me.  After they went to bed, I continued to work around the house until it was time for me to go to bed too.  I took advantage of Adrian not being here to not watch the OSU game, although I did flip to it from time to time while I was working.  And I watched the last few minutes which was the best part, Go Bucks!
 
Sunday (9/30) We all got a horrible night of sleep last night!  Daniel woke up around 2am and could not fall back asleep.  Just when he was about to go back to bed (around 4:30am) Zak came in ready to be awake for the day.  I yelled at everyone (I had only had about 3 hours of sleep!) and sent them all back to their rooms.  They did go back to sleep and I thankfully got a few more hours of sleep too.  Zak did end up back in bed with me, I'm not sure when he came back.  I finally got up and moving around 8:30 but I was dragging all day.  Adrian and AJ got a good night of sleep on their camp out and got home around 9:30 this morning.  They said they had fun camping, AJ said he really liked playing capture the flag.

After we caught up, I got ready to head to church to volunteer in childcare for the second service.  Then as I was going to pick up lunch, I got a text from Daniel's friend that he was able to hang out today so Adrian fed Daniel quickly while I grabbed lunch for AJ, Adrian and myself.  While we were eating, Ethan arrived to play with Daniel.  The boys all had a great time playing together, mostly playing video games and watching YouTube videos.  While they played, Adrian and I watched football and worked around the house.
 
After Ethan left, we set up our Halloween decorations as a family and then had a quick dinner.  The boys had a few things to finish up for the weekend so they did that and then we relaxed with snacks and TV.  We blew off swim lessons, Martial Arts and One8ty today because everyone was tired and wasn't feeling great, probably from the lack of sleep.  We'll be back to our normal schedule next weekend for sure.  We got the boys to bed early and they all went straight to sleep.  Adrian and I finished a few things and then finally watched the premier of "Survivor" before heading to bed too.

Monday (10/1) It was a struggle for us to get up this morning after the rough weekend.  But we did get up and moving on time.  Adrian took AJ to school and since Zak was up super early, he and I played a few games of "Sleeping Queens" before we got ready for the day.  I dropped Daniel and Zak off at school before heading over to Central for AJ's IEP meeting.  I got a great report on him and we have a good plan in place for him for this next school year.  After the meeting, I ran a few errands and then came home and got a bunch of stuff done around the house.
Then it was time to get everyone from school.  I got everyone situated at home and then headed out to sub a Zumba class at the Y for a friend who is on vacation.  I had fun dancing with everyone and seeing some friends I haven't seen in a while.  Then I came home and got the boys thru dinner before splitting up for the night.  I left with Daniel and Zak and went to small group where I enjoyed dinner and great conversation with them.  Adrian took AJ to Scouts and found out that over the weekend at the camping trip, AJ earned his Tenderfoot rank.  He is SO excited!!  He will get his award next week at the Court of Honor.  We are very proud of him!  When we all got home, we got the boys to bed and then sat down to watch "The Good Place."  We didn't realize it was an hour long premier so we watched part of it and then headed to bed because we were both exhausted after the weekend!

Tuesday (10/2) We all got up and moving a little better than yesterday after a good night of sleep.  Adrian took AJ to school and I got Daniel, Zak and myself ready to head out as well.  I dropped them off at school then headed to Harcum to teach my three Silver Sneakers classes.  In between class 2 and 3 I ran and did some grocery shopping for the week.  After class, I was supposed to go volunteer in Zak's class but I was asked to sub instead so I subbed in a 1st grade class for the last two hours of the school day then picked the boys up and headed home.  While he was at school, AJ had to be evacuated due to a threat that was thankfully found to be not credible.  It was a scary phone call to get and I was super happy when we got home to see him there safe and sound!
We quickly got through homework and dinner to get ready for our evening activities.  Daniel was supposed to have soccer practice but he wasn't feeling well and the weather didn't look great so we decided to let him stay home and rest up for his game tomorrow instead.  I took Zak and headed to his first Tiger den meeting of the year.  We enjoyed getting to know each other a little better playing games and making name tags.  Zak had a lot of fun and is excited that I am one of his den leaders for the year.  After the meeting, we came home and Adrian and I got the boys down for bed.  Then we finished up "The Good Place" from yesterday and watched the premier of "Modern Family" before heading to bed too.

Wednesday (10/3) We had another rough night of sleep last night so this morning was hard to get up and get moving but we made it.  And of course everyone was packing and I was working a 12 hour day so I had a million things to do in the morning.  But I got Adrian and AJ out on time and then got started on getting everyone else ready.  We just barely got on the door on time but I got to school in time to sub a kindergarten class for the day and drop the boys off as well.  I had fun day with the kids and as soon as the day was over, I picked up my two boys and ran home to quickly change and get them situated before I ran back out to the Y for my Zumba class.

I had a fun time dancing with my friends at Zumba and then shockingly hit no traffic on my way back over here to work at the church as a facility rep for the night.  I had a great time chatting with friends who were there for events and I laughed a lot.  While I was there, Adrian took Daniel to his soccer game, which he tied 4-4.  Daniel did OK but struggled at times and was really tired when he got home.  He doesn't usually do well with these mid-week games.  When we all got home from out night activities, we got the boys down to bed and then watched "Survivor" before heading to bed ourselves.

Thursday (10/4) It was another rough night of sleep, Daniel was up at like 4:30 in the morning with a leg cramp and could not fall back asleep.  Thankfully Adrian got up with him and let me get a few more hours of sleep.  I just could not get through one more day without a little more sleep.  I got up in time to help get AJ and Adrian out the door on time to school.  Then I got the other boys ready and dropped off at school before I headed to Harcum to teach my three Silver Sneakers classes.  I joined a few of my students for lunch at First Watch in between class 2 and 3 and we had a really nice time and delicious food.

When my third class was over, I headed back to West to volunteer in Zak's class room for about an hour helping students practice their sight words.  When the day was over, we headed home to meet up with AJ and quickly get thru homework and dinner before heading out for our night activities.  I dropped Zak off at soccer practice and then headed to the church to teach my Zumba class.  I had a great time in class and also at the church because a lot of my friends were there for an event.  It was so nice to see everyone!  When class was over, I headed home and helped get the boys down to bed for the night.  Then Adrian and I did a few things around the house and then watched "The Big Bang Theory" and "The Goldburgs" so we could laugh a little and then we headed to bed for the night, hoping for a better night of sleep!