Sunday, March 31, 2019

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for March 31 - April 6)

After a two week break, I am back to meal planning.  We had an interesting week before vacation which included an overnight stay at the hospital for Zak (and me) so that threw off my eating a bit that week.  Then last week on vacation it was carb central and that continued this weekend when we got home.  Tomorrow I'm back on track with healthy, portion controlled eating for the month of April.  I will take off Easter weekend because we have family coming in and I love Easter candy.  But other than that it will be a pretty strict month because I know May-Aug we will have multiple times that we are off our schedule and it will be hard to eat right.  The good news with that is I'm usually more active over the summer.

This week I'm getting back to eating a lot of variety as well with one of each type of food each week.  I'm not planning leftovers this week because we honestly don't have any right now.  Plus it's working out to have no planned night and then if I need to take a night off to just bump the planned meal to the next week.  I also made sure we were stocked up on pasta stuff before we left and I'll be stocking up on salad and sandwich stuff this week.  It's going to be a huge grocery shopping week because the cupboards are very bare after vacation!

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Leftover pizza for the boys & Chinese for the adults
Monday - Big Mac Bowls
Tuesday - Chicken Taco Bowls
Wednesday - Garlic Shrimp and Veggies
Thursday - Garlic Soy Pork with Edamame Rice
Friday - Vegetable Soup
Saturday - Chicken, Veggie & Pasta Skillet

Water Flavor - I didn't really have much in the fridges but I was able to find one orange to use.  Since that didn't fill the infuser, I pulled some strawberries out of the freezer to top it off.  I'll have to think ahead better for next week.

Overnight Oats - I got a bunch of flavored Greek yogurt on sale right before we left so I'm using those for my oats this week.

Use it Up - Since the whole past 2 weeks were about this, I don't really have anything to use up.  I do have a few grapefruits that I will eat over the next week or so before they go bad but other than that I don't have anything to use up right now.

Lunches - I'll go back to salads for most lunches this week.  I'm working everyday so if I run out of time getting a salad together, I'll take a sandwich or leftovers.  Nothing super exciting, just trying to get back on track.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 3/15 - 3/21)

Friday (3/15) We finally made it to Friday!  We got up and moving much better today than any of the other days this week.  Adrian got AJ ready and dropped him off to school before heading to work.  I got Daniel and Zak ready and dropped them off at school.  I had a rare morning off so I got a bunch of stuff done around the house before heading in to school to sub a kindergarten class for the afternoon.  I had a great class & he had a fun Friday afternoon!

After school, we all came home and got ourselves settled for the weekend.  Thankfully since this is the weekend between 3rd and 4th quarter, no one has any homework this weekend, yay!!  We had a quick dinner of leftovers and then AJ and I got ready to head out to the high school for their production of "Mamma Mia."  It was really good and we had a great time together!!  We were both tired, but it was worth it to push thru to see the show.  AJ said it was different than he thought it would be and way better.  When we got home, it was time to get the boys thru their bedtime routine and then we watched a few comedies and went to bed too.  It's been a very long week!!
Saturday (3/16) The alarm went off way earlier than what I wanted it to, but I got up and moving.  Adrian headed to the church for the men's breakfast and enjoying hearing Roy Hall speak.  He said it was very fun, informative and motivational.  While he was there, I was in the back room teaching Zumba.  We had a fun class and got a great workout!  When that was done, Adrian headed out to get an oil change and I came home to hang with the boys and get them ready for the rest of the day.  After lunch, Adrian dropped AJ off at his Scout service project while I got ready and headed out to the Y for a jam session.
I had so much fun dancing for 3 hours with friends and learned four new amazing routines to bring to my classes.  I can't wait to practice them and add them to my classes.  I snuck out a little early to get home and get ready for my date night with Adrian and some friends from church.  We met up with them at 101 Beer Kitchen for a delicious dinner and some Graeter's ice cream.  Then we headed to one of the local escape rooms where we (barely) escaped from the 90's!  We had a good time and lots of laughs with the other three couples, such a fun date night!  When we got home, we had a glass of wine, watched some TV and then headed to bed.  It was an amazing day!!
Sunday (3/17) Happy St Patrick's Day!!  We don't really do anything to celebrate, other than maybe wearing green if we think of it.  We all slept in a little today and then got up and moving and headed to church for the second service.  I was serving in childcare so I was back with the elementary kids while AJ and Adrian went to their services.  It was a nice way to start our week!  When we got home, we had a quick lunch and then Daniel's friend Yusuf came over for a play date.  All four boys hung out and played upstairs and didn't fight for the whole 3 hours he was over!  I told his mom he can come over every day!!

While they were playing, Adrian and I were working on our to do lists and trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for vacation on Friday.  My biggest accomplishment was filing our taxes for last year!!  I'm so happy not to have that hanging over my head anymore.  The day passed quickly and we were very productive.  We had leftovers for dinner as part of our clean out the fridge quest for the week and we're doing a very good job!  Before long it was time to get the boys down for bed for the night.  We finished up our weekend with snacks and a few comedies before heading to bed.  We're ready for a short, but busy week!!

Monday (3/18) Back to our regular schedule for one more week before spring break - and it's a short week for us.  We had a rough time getting up and moving this morning, but we managed to do it.  Adrian got AJ ready for school and dropped him off before heading to work.  I got the other two boys ready and the three of us headed into school because I was subbing today.  I spent the day in a rough 4th grade class, but we made it work.  I also had to supervise a lock down drill, one of my least favorite things to think about with kids in school.

When the day was over, we picked up our fundraiser items from school and headed home.  I dropped the boys off and then headed out to the bank to grab a copy of Zak's birth certificate for our insurance verification so we can cross another big thing off of our to do list.  When I got home, I got everyone thru homework and dinner and then we got ready for our night activities.  I took Daniel and Zak with me to the church for Zumba class.  I had a great time teaching Zumba Toning while the boys hung out in childcare.  Adrian took AJ to Scouts for a very busy and productive meeting for them.  When we all got home, we got the boys down to bed, finished up a few things around the house, watched some TV and headed to bed.  It's a very focused on work week since we have a bunch of stuff to get ready before we leave on Friday.

Tuesday (3/19) Today we started off a little off schedule and ended up way off schedule.  Zak has been having some pain and discomfort "down under" so I decided to take the day off and take him to the doctor.  Adrian got AJ ready and dropped him off at school while got Daniel ready and dropped him off.  I called and got an appointment with our doctor for this afternoon and then spent the rest of the morning working on stuff around the house to get ready for our upcoming trip.

We got to the doctor a little early and soon realized this wasn't an external, easy fix.  He sent us for an immediate ultrasound of the are to see what was going on.  We headed over to the other side of town since they could get us in right away.  The doctor there said they didn't see anything that was an emergency so he sent us home.  Soon after we got home, our pediatrician called and told us to head to Children's ER as soon as possible.  So I packed up a few essentials and Zak and I headed downtown.
After a few scary hours of lots of different suggestions, the doctors finally determined he had an infection in his testicles and that was causing the swelling and redness in the area.  So we were admitted for the night so he could start antibiotics and they could monitor him overnight to make sure it wasn't something more serious.  We finally got to our room around 10:30pm and were both starving since we hadn't eaten in nearly 12 hours.  He got some food from the nurses and I headed to Subway to grab a sandwich while he was out for an X-Ray.  After dinner, Captain Underpants movie and some chatting about what was going to happen, we finally went to sleep shortly after midnight.  It was a rough day for the two of us and we were exhausted!
While we were dealing with all of that, Adrian came home early and dealt with the other two boys.  He picked up Daniel from school and got everyone thru homework and dinner.  Then he took Daniel to his first soccer practice and went and picked up our bottles of wine from Cooper's Hawk for the past two months.  He got everyone to bed and got the debrief from me on how to get everyone to school in the morning.  He was also in constant contact with me about what was going on with Zak.  It was a scary day for all of us, but we pulled together as a team and got thru it!

Wednesday (3/20) After very little sleep for me, today started super early when the doctor rounded at like 6:30am. The good news is that Zak's swelling was significantly down after only 2 doses of antibiotic and he was looking much better.  They scheduled him for a repeat ultrasound later in the day so they could make sure everything looked good now that the swelling was down. He slept thru the whole exam, as well as a few vitals checks and a dose of antibiotic.  I'm glad he was able to get some rest!  When he woke up, we did his favorite part and ordered breakfast on the TV to be delivered to his room!  He ordered a huge breakfast and ate nearly all of it while watching YouTube.
Adrian started his day early too, getting up and getting AJ ready and dropped off to school.  Then he got Daniel up and ready and after he dropped him off, he headed downtown to visit me and Zak and bring me a few things I forgot and breakfast.  He stayed with us for most of the morning and went with Zak for his ultrasound to give me a little break.  He left around lunch time to go home and get a little bit of work done before the boys got home from school.  Zak ordered another huge meal and enjoyed eating his lunch in bed again.
Shortly after lunch, they told us that everything looked good and they were going to discharge us!  We were both super excited to be going home!  They got all of our discharge info together and after a quick stop at the pharmacy for a huge pile of medicine, we headed home.  We got there shortly after Daniel and AJ got home from school and we were all happy to be under one roof again.  We were all pretty worn out so we spent the rest of the night relaxing, playing games, watching TV and getting settled after this adventure & ready for our next one.  We got the boys to bed at their normal time and then Adrian and I started the new two hour long "Survivor."  We watched about half of it and then headed to bed since we were both exhausted!
Thursday (3/21) I was so thankful to sleep in my own bed last night and get a good night of sleep.  I'm still worn out this morning and Zak is home for the day so I called out of my three Silver Sneakers classes, cancelled my Zumba class and stayed home for most of the day.  Adrian got up with AJ and dropped him off at school before he started working from home for the day.  We both got Daniel ready and then he dropped him off at school.  Zak was feeling much better this morning and spent the day relaxing and watching or playing video games.

I went out in the afternoon to run a few errands that I needed to get done before our trip.  I also went into school to sub for just two hours at the end of the day.  Then I picked Daniel up and we headed home for the next week.  He brought a package for Zak from his class, all of his classmates made him a get well soon card.  They were super cute!  I dropped Daniel off at home and then ran to pick up AJ from his final Model UN meeting.  He had a great time using the VR headset to visit a few different places around the world, including Turkey, the country he represented.  He said it was so much fun and he can't wait to do Model UN again next year!
After we all got home, we took a short break and then got ready to head out again as a family.  We headed over to Central for the District wide art show.  We found all three of the boys' pieces of art very quickly and then we were able to enjoy the rest of the art in the show.  There were some very good pieces and some talented students!  Zak got tired after about an hour so we headed home pretty quickly.  We had leftovers for dinner and then we started to do the prep work to leave tomorrow.  We got a few things ready, finished all of our laundry and finished a few things around the house that needed to be done.  We got the boys to bed and watched the second half of "Survivor" before heading to bed too.  It's been a very long week and we can not wait for our vacation tomorrow!!

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 2/22 - 2/28)

Friday (2/22) We survived another week!  Adrian got AJ up and ready and out to school as I struggled to get moving again since I had another rough night of sleep.  When they were on their way, I got the rest of us ready for the day.  I dropped Daniel and Zak off to school and then headed to the church to teach Zumba to the preschool students.  They are learning about taking care of their bodies so this was a fun way to show that.  After teaching those two classes, I headed to Kroger and Meijer to finish our grocery shopping for the week, heading home to grab a quick lunch and then headed into school to sub for the last two hours of the day.

After the easiest sub job I've had in a while, I picked up the boys and we headed home to start our weekend.  I started working on everyone's dinner while Adrian helped AJ get packed up to head out for a Scout camp out for the weekend.  We are super proud of him for going alone this weekend and can't wait to hear how it goes.  After getting dinner ready, I headed out to the church to work for a few hours while Adrian dropped AJ off with his troop and came home to prep our living room for our big paint job this weekend.  He got everything prepped and decided to start painting tonight as well.  I got the house in order as best I could, got the boys down to bed and headed to bed myself.  It's been a long week!

Saturday (2/23) I was the first one up today and came down to see my brand new living room!  OK, it's not brand new, and not done yet, but the paint job looks amazing!!  Adrian did a great job on the first coat.  We all got up and moving earlier than we wanted to since we had to be at the church.  I taught a Zumba Toning class to a bunch of fun ladies and Zak had a basketball game.  He was super excited to come in and tell me that his team won and he scored a basket!!

When we got home, the three guys quickly changed into painting clothes and went to work on coat two in the living room.  The boys had so much fun helping paint and did a pretty good job.  They worked until lunch time, then they ate and Zak and Adrian got changed back into regular clothes to head to Zak's Pinewood Derby.  Zak again was super excited to come home and tell me that he won third place in the derby for his den!!  They again changed clothes and got to work helping Dad do some touch ups on the paint in the living room.
 
After all of that excitment, the rest of the day was pretty mellow.  The boys played video games and played with Beyblades upstairs while Adrian worked on the living room and I worked on the other stuff we needed to do around the house.  The day passed quickly and soon I was super tired and ready for bed.  We let the boys stay up a little later since AJ was on his camp out but soon I couldn't wait any longer so we got them thru their night routine and into bed.  I stayed upstairs, watched an episode of "Fuller House" and went to bed too.  Adrian finished up the trim work, did a few other things and then headed to bed.  We didn't hear from AJ or his leader all day so we're assuming that no news is good news!

Sunday (2/24) We all slept in this morning, some of us later than we planned.  I had to volunteer for childcare for the first service at church but forgot to set my alarm.  Thankfully I woke up with enough time to get ready and head out with Zak and Daniel to service.  Adrian stayed home to start getting the living room back together and then go pick up AJ from his camp out.  When we all got back home, we heard all about how much fun AJ had shooting stuff, building fires and eating over the weekend.  He was tired and dirty but had fun and was glad he went!  His leader said he did pretty good, only a few issues but that's to be expected.

After some down time, we all had lunch together and then Adrian and I headed to Lowe's to figure out our options for flooring for the living room.  We decided to go with them and got it all set up for installation.  Then we came home and Adrian continued to put the living room back together while I worked on getting the boys thru their weekend stuff.  It was a long and tiring day but it passed quickly and we got a lot done!  AJ was exhausted after his weekend away so he pretty much just finished his homework and played video games.  After a quick dinner, we finished up getting the house back together and ready for a busy week.  The boys did their normal night routine and after we got them to bed, we came down and watched the Oscars for a bit before heading to bed too.

Monday (2/25) Back to our daily routine today.  We all got up and moving pretty quickly this morning.  Adrian dropped AJ off at school and then headed into work.  I got Daniel and Zak ready and then the three of us headed into school together since I was subbing all day.  I had a good day subbing as a 4th grade teacher and the day passed quickly.  I even got to enjoy some treats, an apple a student brought for the teacher & a rice krispy treat during lunch.  When school was over, I picked up the boys and we all headed home.  We got thru homework and dinner quickly so we could get ready for our evening activities.
We had to split up for our last super crazy Monday tonight.  Adrian and Zak headed out first for Zak's last basketball game of the season.  His team played great & they won the last game!  And Zak was awarded the most improved player of the season on his team.  We are all very proud of him and how hard he worked!  Soon after they left, I headed out with the other boys to the church.  I taught my Zumba class while Daniel was in childcare.  We had a fun time, it was a packed class again!  AJ waited up front for his friend to pick him up and take him to Scouts.  He had a good meeting learning about maps and Adrian picked him up when the meeting was over.  When we all finally got home, we got the boys thru their night routine, got our snacks and after a few comedies we headed to bed too.
Tuesday (2/26) It was another typical day for us today, which is always good in my book.  We all got up and moving on time this morning and Adrian and AJ left for work and school.  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.  In between classes, I ran a few errands and then after class I went in to Zak's class to practice sight words with the students.  It was a good day and it passed quickly.

After school, we again got thru homework quickly since I had to work tonight.  I quickly made tacos for all of us then I headed out to work at the church for a few hours while Adrian fed the boys and then took them to Menchie's for a special mid-week treat since we had a coupon that we wanted to use.  When we all got home, it was time for our normal night routine.  We got the boys down to bed and finished cleaning up the kitchen.  Then we got our snacks, watched a few comedies and headed to bed.
Wednesday (2/27) We were starting to run out of steam but still got up and moving on time this morning.  Adrian got AJ ready and dropped him off at school before heading into work.  Then I got Daniel and Zak ready and the three of us headed into school together because I was subbing again.  I floated around today and subbed for a few different teachers so the day passed very quickly.  When school was over, we headed home to meet AJ here and get ready for our evening.  I was supposed to work at the church but Adrian got stuck at work so I got someone to cover my shift and I stayed home.

I got the boys thru dinner and homework and then Adrian got home from work.  Since he was late he wasn't able to go to Bible study either so we all got a rare night home together.  We got a few things done around the house before it was time to get the boys down to bed for the night.  We did their normal night routine and then came back down to get our snacks together.  We watched "Survivor" together, I love that we watch it together every week.  When it was over, we watched a quick comedy and then headed to bed.

Thursday (2/28) Today started a little earlier than we wanted but for a good reason, we were invited to attend the student of the month breakfast for Daniel.  We got AJ ready and Adrian dropped him off then came home to help me get the other boys ready and we all headed to West together.  We enjoyed donuts together and then watched Daniel and a bunch of friends get an award for February student of the month for showing "perseverance" in their school work.
After the breakfast, Adrian and I headed to work while the boys headed into school.  I taught my three classes at the Harcum Center and then came home to relax a bit before a busy night.  Soon it was time to pick up the boys from school.  I picked up Daniel and Zak and then headed over to pick up AJ since he had his Model UN meeting today.  When we got home, we got thru homework and dinner quickly before heading out for the night to the Blue Jackets hockey game.  AJ and Daniel earned 4 free tickets for their grades in the first quarter so we used those tickets to go as a family tonight.  The game was exciting and the Jackets won in overtime!!  When the game was over, we fought the traffic to get home and then got the boys to bed.  Adrian and I had a quick snack and then headed to bed too.  It has been a great day, but boy was in a long one!!

Friday, March 15, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 3/8 - 3/14)

Friday (3/8) We were all super tired this morning but I'm just thankful we are also all healthy.  There are so many germs going around and so many people who are sick that I'm shocked and thankful none of us are sick.  Adrian got AJ ready and they headed out to school and work for the day.  I got the other boys ready and we left early to head to the church because I was subbing for the morning in the preschool.  My friend picked the boys up from there and drove them to school.  I had a fun morning cooking bacon and eggs for the preschool Dad's Day celebration.
After a busy morning, I headed over to West to sub in the afternoon there.  I've been in the same class all week so I have really gotten to know the kids in the class.  This afternoon we had fun reading a Dr Suess book and then making Oobleck.  It was a fun and easy way to end a long week.  When school was over, we all headed home.  I dropped the boys off and then headed out to run a few necessary errands.  Then I came home, made us all dinner and got some things done around the house that I haven't been keeping up with this week.  The boys were also tired so they pretty much spent the night playing video games.  Adrian and I got them down to bed at their normal time and then watched a little TV before heading to bed too.
Saturday (3/9) We all got a great night of sleep and woke up ready to tackle a busy and fun day!  I got up and got ready to head to the church for my Zumba class.  We had a great time dancing and I had my largest crowd in months on a Saturday morning.  While I was there, Adrian took the boys to get haircuts and to look for pants for AJ's Model UN event this weekend.  When we all got home, we got thru a few things around the house, had a quick lunch and then I headed out with Daniel and Zak for the play "Tuck Everlasting."  We had front row seats in the theater and had a great afternoon at the show.  It was a great show, honestly better than I was expecting.  We all really enjoyed it!
While we were at the play, Adrian and Zak played some board games and started moving stuff out of our living room in preparation for our new flooring on Tuesday.  When we got home, we had a short break and then Adrian left for his CABS meeting while I got the boys ready for Nerf Ninja Night at the Y.  We had so much fun at the event!  The boys did the Ninja course and laser maze and all four of us enjoyed making headbands, snacking and of course battling in the gym.  Our favorite part was when it was kids against Moms!  We enjoyed this event so much and are hoping they'll have it again next year!
We drove thru horrible rain to get home and then the boys took a little bit of time to play video games and do a livestream on YouTube before bedtime.  Adrian also got home around the same time as us.  He and I cleaned up from dinner and did a few things around the house.  Then after we got the boys down to bed, we played our next month of "Pandemic: Legacy."  We won again, that's 3 months in a row!  It's getting more challenging but we are figuring it out pretty well.  After we finished the game, we had snacks, watched a few comedies and headed to bed since we're losing an hour of sleep tonight.  It was such an amazing Saturday!!

Sunday (3/10) We woke up today not knowing what time it was because of the stupid time change.  We'll probably struggle all week because of it!  We got up early enough to have a relaxing morning before heading out to second service at church.  The boys had fun in their classes and Adrian and I heard the start of a great new sermon on the book of Mark.  After church, we came home quickly and got Daniel thru lunch and off to his friend Ethan's house for a play date.  He was there most of the day and had a great time playing with him and making videos.

While he was there, Adrian and I got AJ packed up and out to his Model UN Conference.  He will be downtown for the next few days representing the country of Turkey.  We dropped him off at school to ride the bus with his group.  We won't hear much from him because he'll be busy.  But Adrian went down tonight to see the presentations and AJ's team did really well presenting.  And the panel voted to approve their resolution, it was an 8-0 unanimous vote!  AJ is super excited his team did so well today!
With both brothers gone, Zak had about 2 hours of alone time with us.  He honestly didn't know what to do with himself and got very bored very quickly!  He just wanted to play with me or Adrian the whole time.  We took turns playing with him and getting stuff done around the house.  After we picked Daniel up, I got him and Zak ready to go to Martial Arts.  They had a good night on the mats and did a really good job practicing their skills.  After Martial Arts, we came home, had dinner and finished up what they needed to do for the weekend.  Then they played video games together while I worked around the house.  Adrian got home just in time for bedtime, so he helped me get the boys to bed and then we watched a few shows and headed to bed.  This time change is always so rough!

Monday (3/11) Ugh, I hate the time change!  Today was super rough to get up and moving, but we managed.  Adrian got up and went in to work early since AJ is still downtown at his Model UN conference.  We haven't heard any updates from him, I'm hoping to hear something from him today.  I got up and moving but when I came down from my shower, Daniel informed me that he wasn't feeling well.  We decided even though he would miss his first day of testing, it would be better for him to stay home.  I cancelled my sub jobs for the day and stayed home with him.  I got Zak ready and dropped off to school, he didn't even fight because if he goes everyday this week, he gets perfect attendance!

After dropping Zak off, I came home and got to work around the house.  Daniel rested all day, mostly watching YouTube and TV.  I got a ton of stuff done around the house before walking up to pick up Zak from school.  He enjoyed his alone time with me, telling me all about his day.  We got home and I got dinner ready for all of us while Daniel and Zak played.  After a delicious dinner, I headed to the church to teach my Zumba Toning class.  It was another great class and we all got a great workout!  Then I ran to Meijer to pick up a few things and got home just in time for bedtime with the boys.  After we got the boys down, Adrian and I finished up a few things around the house, watched a few comedies and headed to bed for the night.
Tuesday (3/12) We struggled again to get up and moving today.  At least we were able to sleep in a little since AJ was still downtown and Adrian was working from home.  We all got up and I got Daniel, Zak and myself ready to head out while Adrian started working.  I dropped the boys off at school and then headed to the Harcum Center to teach my 3 Silver Sneakers classes and run a few errands in between classes.  While I was doing that, Adrian worked from home and waited for the flooring company to come install our new flooring.  He also went downtown after the closing ceremony and picked up AJ.  It was a busy day all around!

When I got home, I got to hear all about AJ's Model UN convention.  He said he had a blast and learned a lot.  He enjoyed all of the debating about the issues, the food and hanging out with his friends all night in the hotel room.  He was exhausted and cranky when he got home, but so excited and ready to do it all again next year!  As he was filling me in, the guy was finishing up our floors and they look amazing!!  We are so happy with how they came out and can't wait to finish adding the final touches to the room after vacation.
The rest of the night passed quickly between moving furniture back into the living room, finishing up homework and catching up with AJ.  Adrian and I were going to sneak out for a quick dinner date, but we were so tired that we decided to skip it.  I got a quick taco Tuesday dinner together for everyone instead.  The night passed quickly and before long it was time for the boys' bedtime routine.  We tried to get them down a little early since everyone was so tired and cranky!  After we got them to sleep, we watched a few comedies and then headed to bed too.
Wednesday (3/13) It was another rough day getting up and out today, especially since we had to get all three kids up and out on time.  Adrian got AJ up and moving and they left for school and work.  Then I got the other boys up and ready for school.  I dropped them off and then headed to the church to sub in their preschool for the morning.  I had a fun time with the kids and then headed out to run a few errands before heading into West to sub in the afternoon.  We had a rough afternoon there but we made it through.  When school was over, I headed home with the boys to hear how AJ's first day back to school went.

The rest of the afternoon was up and down.  The boys were all still cranky and fighting a lot.  They did manage to get outside for a little bit since it was so nice, but that also ended in fighting.  I got them thru their homework and dinner and then I headed out to a meeting about AJ's scheduling for next year.  I learned a few new things, middle school is still somewhat of a mystery to us, and I helped AJ make his final decision on his electives.  When I got home, I got the boys thru their night time routine and down to bed for the night.  Adrian was at Bible study for the night, he came home soon after I got the boys down for the night.  We finished up a few things around the house and then settled down with snacks to watch "Survivor" before heading to bed too.
Thursday (3/14) Today we did a little better getting up and moving on time, maybe we are finally adjusting to this time change.  Adrian got AJ up and out to school before he headed to work for the day.  Then I got Daniel and Zak ready and dropped them off at school before heading to Harcum to teach my 3 Silver Sneakers classes.  I had so much fun with everyone, especially two of my fellow March birthdays who were celebrating today!  In between classes, I ran to visit my friend and got my hair trimmed before vacation.  After classes, I ran a few errands and then came home to relax for a few before everyone finished at school.

After getting AJ off the bus, I walked up to pick up the other boys from school.  Even though it was super windy, we enjoyed being able to walk home from school.  The boys asked to play outside as soon as we all got home so I let them do that while I got a few things done and got dinner together.  Adrian came home and we all had dinner together before I headed out to teach my Zumba class at the church.  Adrian stayed home with the boys and got them thru homework and started cleaning up the house.  When I got home, we finished up the cleaning and then go the boys down to bed.  We got our snacks, watched a few comedies and went to bed.  It's been a long week and I am ready for a little break this weekend!

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 3/1 - 3/7)

Friday (3/1) Ugh, after last night the alarm this morning was way too early!!  But we managed to pull ourselves out of bed and get to where we needed to go on time.  Adrian took AJ to school and then headed to work.  I got the other boys ready and we all headed in to school together since I was subbing today.  I had a fun day being a reading teacher in the morning and the art teacher in the afternoon and got to hang with some pretty fun kids.  After school, we headed home and I chilled on the couch for a bit while the boys played video games.  They were also exhausted so no one really wanted to do anything.  We had a quick dinner of leftovers and then I headed out to the church to teach my Zumba class.  I had a smaller group but that was expected since class is normally on Thursday night.  After a fun class, I headed home and did a little cleaning up before getting the boys down for the night.  Adrian was at his board game group so I was on my own for the night.  I finished cleaning up and then settled in with a snack and some Real Housewives before heading to bed pretty early.  We are all ready for the weekend!!
Saturday (3/2) We slept in a little today, but the alarm was still a little too early for what I would have liked.  I got ready and headed to the church to teach my Zumba Toning class.  We had a great group and worked hard!  After class, I headed to my women's Bible study group.  We had a small group but a great discussion about the book we're reading.  While I was there, Adrian took Zak to his Crossover basketball celebration.  Zak won the most improved player of the year and also took 3rd place in the obstacle course.  It was a great but busy morning for us!

After a short stop at home to get a few things done, we headed out as a family for the night.  Our first stop was IKEA to look at rugs, end tables and shelves for our living room.  We didn't have a lot of luck, but did get a new shelving unit for the living room that we will set up after our flooring is in.  After we loaded up our car, we headed over to my brother's house for the evening.  We hung out and chatted while the kids played.  Carl cooked a great dinner and I was happy not to have to cook or clean for the night.  After dinner, we watched American Ninja Warrier Jr and saw my friend's daughter compete.  She didn't win but I was still proud of her for competing!  After the show, we headed home.  We got home and got thru our night routine and got the boys to bed.  After they were settled, Adrian and I watched a few comedies from the past week and then headed to bed too.
 Sunday (3/3) We all slept in this morning and were well rested and ready to start our day.  We got moving quickly and got ready to head out to first service at church.  It was Crossover Sunday so we celebrated the recent basketball season with a special guest speaker, Lawrence Funderburke, a former NBA player.  We enjoyed his sermon and look forward to reading his book.  AJ and Zak both played Crossover basketball this past season and Adrian coached.  We are all very thankful for this ministry at our church.

After service, we came home, got a few things done, grabbed a quick lunch and headed out to the movies to finally see "How to Train Your Dragon 3."  It was SO good!!  We all really loved it and thought it wrapped up the story very nicely.  It was a nice afternoon at the movies.  After it was over, we came home, got a few more things done, then headed out to Martial Arts.  It was belt test results night and AJ and Daniel both earned their orange belts.  Zak struggled on test night and unfortunately did not pass this time.  But Sensai said he was very close so he wants him to practice for about a month and then retest for his orange belt.  While we were bummed he didn't pass, it did give us a good opportunity to talk about doing your best.
After Martial Arts, we came home and had a quick dinner then got back to work.  The boys played nicely together upstairs while Adrian and I finished some things, including putting some of the decorations back on our walls in the living room.  The day was a lot of in and out so we didn't get as much accomplished as we would have liked, but we were still fairly productive.  Before long, it was time to get the boys ready and down for the night.  We came down, watched a few comedies and headed to bed ourselves since we are back to our normal routine tomorrow.

Monday (3/4) Back to our normal weekday routine today, despite hopes for a snow day since it snowed all day yesterday.  Zak was up super early again but thankfully he only wakes up Adrian now so the two of them headed downstairs and I got to sleep until our normal wake up time.  Adrian took AJ to school and then headed to work.  I got the other boys ready and dropped off to school and then came home and worked for a few hours around the house.  I got a lot done and then headed into school to work the second half of the day there.  The afternoon passed quickly and before long it was time to pick up the boys and head home for the day.

The boys had very little homework today so we did that and then they played while I got dinner ready for all of us.  I fed myself and the boys and then got ready to head to the church to teach Zumba Toning.  We had a great class and worked really hard!  When Adrian got home from work, he ate a quick dinner and then headed out to Scouts with AJ where they learned about different leaves and trees.  After we all got home, the boys watched a show together then we got them down to bed for the night.  Adrian and I watched a comedy, did a few things around the house and headed to bed as well.
Tuesday (3/5) Another typical day for us around here.  We all got up and moving and out to school on time.  Adrian dropped AJ off and headed to work.  I dropped Daniel and Zak off and headed to Harcum to teach my 3 classes.  We had a lot of fun despite the brutal cold temperatures outside.  After class, I ran a few errands, picked up the boys from school and then came home to wait for our new flooring to be delivered.  Daniel had a field trip to AEP today so he was excited to tell me all he learned about electricity and the three different experiments they did.  AJ wasn't feeling well after school so he rested a lot of the night while the other boys played.  We had a quick taco Tuesday dinner together and everyone finished up their homework.  Zak was supposed to have a Cub Scout meeting but it cancelled earlier today so we had a rare free night.  Adrian and I got the house cleaned up and a few things done before getting the boys settled into bed for the night.  Then we had snacks and watched two comedies before heading to bed too.  It wasn't an eventful day but it was a nice, routine day for all of us.

Wednesday (3/6) We got a little extra sleep because we decided to keep AJ home today since he wasn't feeling well.  But the problem was that both of us had to work all day so we decided to give him the chance to stay home alone.  We got up and Adrian got ready for work and headed out while I got Daniel and Zak ready for school.  Zak did not want to go to school since AJ was staying home so he was fighting me all morning.  This resulted in him falling over and hitting his eye on the corner of our shoe holder so we had to deal with significant blood before heading to school.  It was not a great start to our day but we eventually got out the door, got them dropped off and I headed to my church to sub in their preschool.

It was my first time subbing in the preschool classroom today and I had a lot of fun with the kids.  We had chapel, recess and then read the story "Wacky Wednesday" since it is Suess week for them.  Then the other teacher got in so I headed back home to check on AJ and he was doing fine.  I had a brief rest at home before heading in to West to sub for the afternoon.  That class was interesting but we made it work and the day passed quickly!  I picked up the boys and came home to find AJ still laying on the couch watching TV and he did totally fine staying home all day by himself.
After a brief rest, I got everyone thru homework then sent them upstairs to play so I could cook dinner (and finish my episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills!)  We ate dinner together, cleaned up and played a little more.  The night passed quickly and I started getting them ready for bed.  Adrian had been at Bible study but got home a little early so he was able to help with the bedtime routine.  When they were settled, we headed downstairs, got our snacks and watched this week's episode of "Survivor."  After that we headed to bed, hoping for a much calmer Thursday!

Thursday (3/7) Everyone was feeling better today so we all went where we were supposed to go.  Adrian dropped AJ off to school and then headed to work.  I got the rest of us ready and dropped Daniel and Zak off at school and then headed to Harcum to teach my classes.  We had fun working out, as we always do.  I got a sub for my afternoon class and headed back into the school to sub for the afternoon.  When school was over, I picked up the boys and we headed home.  AJ was at his last Model UN rehearsal before his big conference this weekend so I got the other two settled and then headed over to pick him up.

I was really worn out so I decided to just do leftovers for dinner before heading out to the church to teach my Zumba class.  I had some new people and we had an awesome time, despite the fact that childcare didn't show up.  After class I quickly headed down the hall to speak to another group meeting at the church about my weight loss and fitness journey.  I was nervous but it went really well and they were all super supportive.  After all of that I headed home and got there just in time to help with bedtime for the boys.  After Adrian and I got them settled, we finished up a few things around the house and then got our snacks, watched two comedies and headed to bed.  This feels like the longest week ever.