Saturday, November 30, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 11/22 - 11/28)

Friday (11/22) We made it to Friday!!  The boys are feeling fine, but I feel like I am crawling to the weekend.  I got AJ and Daniel ready and dropped them both off at school then came home and got Zak and myself ready.  We headed in to school together because I was subbing again and I was in the same class that I was in yesterday.  That doesn't happen often for me, but it was nice to spend the second day with the kids.  The day passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to meet Zak and head home for the weekend.  I dropped him off at home and ran quickly to Meijer to grab a few things I need for next week that I didn't get on Wednesday.

When I got back from the store, I got Daniel ready for his play date tonight.  He headed over to Yusuf's house for dinner and a movie tonight.  His mom picked him up on her way home from work, which was nice for me to not have to go out again.  The rest of the night was very chill around here.  AJ and Zak played video games while I got a few things done but mostly watched TV, finished my book and played some Candy Crush.  I was exhausted and just not motivated to do much of anything.  Daniel was out until almost 10pm, which I was surprised about but he had a great time so it was worth it!  When he got home, I got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night.  Then I cleaned up a little, finished my episode of "Married to Medicine" and headed to bed.

Saturday (11/23) We got to sleep in a little bit this morning, but not much since I had Zumba and Zak was up at 7am as usual.  I got up and moving, got every breakfast and then headed to the church to teach my last Zumba class there for the next week.  We had an awesome Zumba Toning class and got a great pre-turkey workout.  Then I came home and grabbed a quick shower before heading back out with the boys for haircuts.  We went at the start of the Buckeyes game so we were in and out and they look fantastic!!
After the haircuts, I decided to treat them to lunch wherever they wanted since they have had great behavior the past few days that Adrian has been gone.  AJ wanted Taco Bell, Daniel and Zak wanted McDonald's and everyone wanted a shake from Sonic.  So I went to all three, plus a stop at Jersey Mike's for lunch for me.  They were shocked that I did that and super excited!  When we got home, they spent the rest of the day playing video games and hanging out while I worked around the house.  I also got sucked into the Buckeyes game in the second half because it was a great game!  The day passed quickly and I got a ton of stuff done.  The boys asked to stay up late so I let them stay up until 11pm and then I got them down for the night.  I followed soon after since I was exhausted from the day too!

Sunday (11/24) We were able to sleep in a little today, but alarm clock Zak was still up at 7am this morning.  He and I got up and played a few games, Monopoly Gamer and Coconuts before his brothers got up.  By the time they got up, it was too late to go to church so we missed another week.  After a quick breakfast, the boys got dressed for the day and then started playing video games while I worked around the house.  I have been super productive while Adrian has been gone!!  I alternated between working and watching the Jets win this afternoon - what a great game!!

The day passed quickly and before long it was time to go pick up Adrian from the airport.  We did fine with him gone but we sure are glad he's back!  He had a great trip, played a lot of games, ate a ton of great food and made some new friends.  He came home with some free goodies, a few games and a new pint glass.  After we all had dinner together, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed since it is a school night, even though it's a short week for us.  Then we watched the Cowboys game from this afternoon while we finished up a few small things around the house.  It was another great game, unfortunately it didn't go the way we wanted it to go.  Soon after the game, we headed to bed since we're both exhausted from the past few days.  Ready for a short week!
Monday (11/25) Back to our routine for a short week this week.  We all got up and moving on time and since Adrian is back, he helped me get AJ ready and on the bus before he headed to work for the day.  Then I got Daniel and Zak ready for school and dropped off on time to their schools.  I was only working an afternoon shift at school so I came back home and did a few things around the house and got ready for tonight's friends-giving with my Zumba students.  I put my turkey in the oven and left to work the afternoon in a fun 1st grade class.  The afternoon passed quickly and after getting them on the bus, Zak and I headed home for the night.

I got them quickly thru their homework, which thankfully wasn't very much and then finished up everything I needed to do for the Zumba dinner.  Adrian came home a little early so he could help me and carve the turkey.  I left with my turkey, mac and cheese and banana bread and had a fantastic dinner and fellowship with the Zumba ladies.  We had so much delicious food, drinks, laughs and good times.  I'm thankful for this amazing group of ladies who work out with me each week and have become friends.  While I was there, Adrian fed the boys dinner and then took AJ to Scouts where they finished up a few things for rank and got ready for some upcoming camping trips.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed.  It was later than we wanted it to be so by the time we cleaned up and watched a little of the Monday Night Football game, it was time for us to head to bed too.
Tuesday (11/26) Last day of the week for us!  We all got up and moving pretty quickly but then AJ decided to relax instead of rushing so Adrian helped me get them ready and then headed to work.  I dropped AJ and Daniel off at school and then came home to finish getting myself and Zak ready for the day.  We headed into school together because I was subbing all day.  I started as a kindergarten teacher for the first two hours, then finished the day as the librarian.  Zak and his class were super excited to come in and see me as their teacher for library today!!  I also got to enjoy a delicious lunch of chili and desserts thanks to the potluck the teachers had today.  It wasn't a bad last day before break, although the kids were all hyped up for break.
When we got home, I got the boys settled and then Zak and I headed out to bowling for the week.  He bowled well today, and his score was consistent for both games.  After bowling, we headed back home and I dropped off Zak and picked up Daniel to drive him to a sleepover at his friend Patrick's house with 3 other feiends.  Then I came back home and the rest of us had a quick dinner before Adrian and I headed out to pick up Rocky from her week long training.  She was so excited to see us and has learned a lot while she was gone.  We have a lot of work still to do with her but her manners have really improved over the week.  After our training session to learn what she learned, we headed back home for the day finally.  It was late so we let the boys visit with Rocky for a bit and then got them down to bed for the night.  Adrian and I finally had a chance to watch last week's "Survivor" before we headed to bed for the night.  It was a long day, thankful to have some time off now!!
Wednesday (11/27) First day of Thanksgiving break and we all got to sleep in a little.  I still had to get up and moving fairly quickly to get to the Y to teach my two Zumba classes.  I had smaller than usual classes, but that's to be expected with the holiday.  We still had fun and got a great workout before the feast tomorrow.  After my classes, I went and picked up my Kroger order for the last few things that I needed for the weekend.  While I was at class, Adrian went and picked up Daniel from his friend's house so we were all home together.

The rest of the day passed quickly at the house.  We worked with Rocky on her training, prepped for Thanksgiving, put up our Christmas trees and sorted thru our lights, the boys played video games and we watched some TV.  It was a very low key day and just what we needed after the past few weeks that were so busy.  Adrian and I made the desserts for both tomorrow and Friday tonight so they are done.  We also prepped the stuffing so there is very little food prep to do tomorrow.  Since he was tired of leftovers, Adrian grilled steak for us for dinner tonight and it was delicious!  After dinner, the boys finished up their games and came down for family movie night.  We watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."  The boys thought it was hilarious!!  It was a fun way to kick off the holiday season.  After the movie, we got the boys down to bed and after a little bit of clean up, Adrian and I watched this week's "Survivor" before heading to bed too.

Thursday (11/28) Happy Thanksgiving!!  We all slept in this morning since we aren't really on any time schedule.  When we got up and got our coffee and breakfast, we settled in to watch the parade together.  The boys enjoyed seeing all of the floats and balloons of the characters they knew and Adrian and I enjoyed the musical numbers.  When the parade was over, I got the turkey in and then we went to work decorating the house for Christmas while watching the Lions/Bears game.  We worked quickly since it was all five of us and had both trees, the outside and most of the inside decorated in just over an hour.  Then the boys wanted to take a break from all of the holiday stuff, so they headed upstairs to play video games.

Adrian and I watched the football game and made sure the food was cooking.  When we had about an hour left in our cooking, our oven started displaying an error code and wouldn't work correctly!  Thankfully we were able to get the turkey and stuffing cooked and did everything else on the stovetop or in the instant pot.  It was a crazy scramble to get eveyrthing cooked correctly, but we made it work!  While we were cooking and eating, we watched the Cowboys game, although we were very disappointed since they didn't play well and they lost.
After dinner, Daniel wanted to play board games so we played Castle Panic with him.  Then Zak came down and said he wanted to play so we played Machi Koro with him.  After the two games, we took a break and ate dessert and watched "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."  Then the boys all wanted to play Flip Ships, so they played that with Adrian while I cleaned up some of the dinner mess.  After that game, we go the boys thru their night routine and down to bed.  Since it was late, Adrian and I watched one episode of "The Goldburgs" and then headed to bed too.  It was a small but fun and relaxing Thanksgiving for us.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 9/27 - 10/3)

Friday (9/27) I got a great night of sleep, but I was still so tired when I got up today.  It has been a long week and I still have a few long days ahead of me this weekend.  We were dragging this morning so we did not get AJ ready on time for his bus.  So I got him and Daniel ready and drove them to school for the day.  Adrian left for work for the day after helping me get them ready for school.  When I got home, I got Zak and myself ready for the day and headed into school for the day.  I was a floating sub in the kindergarten hallway so I was 3 different K teachers during the day.  It was a fun but exhausting day!!

When we got home, I tried to get a few things done around the house while the boys were playing, but I was so tired that I needed to sit down and rest for a bit.  Then I got ready and headed to church for the night for the leadership dinner for the women's conference.  We enjoyed a delicious meal together and then heard a great message from one of the speakers from "If. Then. Move." Since I was so worn out, I didn't want to go tonight but I am so glad I did!  It was great to fellowship with so many women from church and to learn and pray together too.  While I was at dinner, Adrian fed the boys and then they started Mary Poppins for family movie night.  When I came home, I watched the end with them.  No one was really a fan of the movie, which I'm not surprised about.  When the movie was over, we got the boys to bed and since I was tired and have an early morning tomorrow I decided to just head to bed as well.  This week was rough!!

Saturday (9/28) Today started bright and early since I had to be at the church for the women's conference.  I got there early and had an amazing day with 134 other women of God.  We laughed, cried, learned and hugged - a lot!!  It was am amazing time from the worship to the teaching to the fellowship.  I am so thankful that I was able to go and be there for the whole day to experience it!
While I was at the conference, Adrian held down the fort at the house.  He took Zak to his soccer game in the morning.  His team won and he played pretty well, although he struggled as the game went on since it was really hot.  After his game, they came home and did a few things around the house then they had lunch and packed up to head out to Zak's first Scout camp out of the year.  They headed up to Falling Rock and had a blast shooting BB guns, catching fish, making smores and hanging with the other Scouts.  I'm bummed I missed it, but so glad they had fun!
When I got home from the women's conference, I helped Daniel clean up a few things before two of his friends came over for a sleepover.  The four boys had fun playing with Nerf guns, video games, eating pizza and watching YouTube videos.  They also all enjoyed playing with Rocky all night.  I got a few things done around the house, specifically focusing on laundry.  But I was worn out from the week and the emotional day so I also spent a lot of time on the couch watching TV.  I finally gave up around 10:30 and went to bed.  The boys agreed to go to sleep at 1:00 so I set my alarm and got up at 1:30 and sure enough all 4 boys were asleep.  I'm thankful they are all such great kids!!

Sunday (9/29) The boys woke me up a little earlier than I wanted to get up because Rocky needed to go out and they couldn't find her leash.  After taking care of her, I cooked pancakes and breakfast for the 4 boys while they watched YouTube and played video games until their parents came to pick them up.  Soon after they left, Adrian and Zak got home from the camp out.  I'm so glad everyone had such a great weekend even if we were all split up for most of it!
After we all got home, we spent the whole day working around the house.  We got a ton done, including getting all of the dishes and laundry under control.  The boys also took some time to play video games and Adrian and I took some time to watch some of the good football games.  The day passed quickly and was a great mix of work and relaxing.  We had leftover pizza from last night for dinner so it was quick and easy.  After we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night, Adrian and I watched the Cowboys game.  It was a good game but unfortunately it didn't go the way we wanted it to go.

Monday (9/30) Back to our normal routine today!  We all got up and moving on time this morning.  Adrian helped me get AJ and Daniel ready and then he headed into work for the day.  I dropped AJ and Daniel at school and then came home to get Zak and myself ready for the day.  We headed into school together since I was subbing this morning.  I had a half day and finished up right as Zak's class was heading to lunch.  He asked me to go eat with him in the cafeteria and I couldn't resist so I had lunch with him and his class.  As much as I hate eating in the cafeteria, it was fun to be in there as mom and he was so excited to have lunch with me!
After lunch, I headed home for a short time before heading back into school to sub the last 2 hours of the day.  When the day was over, we all headed home and after a short mental break, we started getting ready for our busy night.  I got everyone thru homework pretty quickly and then we all had dinner.  Adrian took Zak to soccer practice and then took AJ to Scouts.  It was super hot at soccer so he left a few minutes early so that Zak got a break and AJ got to Scouts close to on time.  While they were there, I went to the church to teach my Zumba class.  We had an awesome time and are excited to have the Halloween songs on the playlist for the month!  After we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  Then we finally had a chance to watch last week's "Survivor" before we headed to bed as well.

Tuesday (10/1) We got up and moving on time again today and got everyone out on time.  Adrian helped me get AJ up and on the bus before heading to work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped off and then came back and got Zak ready and dropped off.  Then since today is my day off from subbing, I ran a few errands before heading to the YMCA to teach my Aqua Zumba class and then my Silver Sneakers class.  They were both great classes and we had a fun time!  After class I headed over to pick up AJ and Daniel from school so AJ can bring his baritone home without having to be crammed on the bus with it.

After we got home, I headed up to the other school to pick up Zak and then we got ready and headed to bowling.  Zak did great and had fun bowling this afternoon.  After bowling we headed home and all had tacos for dinner together.  Adrian ate quickly and then headed out to puppy preschool with Rocky.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night.  Rocky was exhausted after her big day so she passed out on the floor while Adrian and I had some snacks and watched a few comedies before heading to bed for the night.
Wednesday (10/2) We got up and moving on time again today.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus before heading into work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped him off at school and then came home and got Zak and myself ready.  We headed into school together for the day since I was called in to sub for the day.  I spent the day with some great 2nd graders and had an awesome day with them.  It passed quickly and before long it was time to head out for the night.  I quickly ran home to drop Zak off and pick Daniel up to head over to his school for his parent teacher conference.

I got two great reports from Daniel's teachers during his conferences and found out that he will be transitioning out of speech therapy since his speech has improved so much.  After the conferences, we went and picked up Marco's for dinner since it was a fundraiser night and finally headed home for the night.  We had dinner together and then finished up homework for the night.  Then the boys had some free time while I cleaned up a little around the house.  Before long it was time for the boys' night routine and then we started getting settled for bed.  Adrian came home while we were getting settled after a great night at Bible study.  After we got the boys to bed, we came down and finished a few things in the kitchen and then watched this weeks "Survivor" before heading to bed for the night.
Thursday (10/3) We got up and moving again on time today but just barely.  We were all moving slowly so AJ decided to take some time to relax and have me drive him instead of taking the bus to school this morning.  Adrian helped me get the boys ready and then headed into work while I drove AJ and Daniel to school.  Then I came home and got Zak and myself ready for the day.  We headed into school together because I was subbing for the day.  I had a great day with the kindergarteners and it passed quickly.  When we got home, I got everyone thru dinner and homework quickly before heading out to teach my Zumba class at the church.  I had an awesome class with the ladies and we got a great workout!  When I got home, it was time for the boys' night routine.  We got them settled for the night and headed back downstairs to watch a few comedies before heading to bed.  We were both exhausted and I'm so happy that we all have the day off tomorrow!!  Bring on the three day weekend!

Friday, November 22, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 11/15 - 11/21)

Friday (11/15) We survived another week!  We got up and moving on time this morning but AJ was tired and moving slow so he asked me to drive him to school instead of taking the bus.  Adrian helped me get him ready and then headed out to work.  I helped Daniel get ready and then dropped both AJ and Daniel off at school.  Then I came home and got myself and Zak ready for the day.  We headed into school together since I was subbing for the day.  I subbed for two different 3rd grade teachers today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  It was a fun but challenging day, and it went very fast!

When we were done at school, we headed home to get ready for Daniel's friend Yusuf to come over to play.  He hung out for a little over 2 hours and they had a blast together!  When his mom came to pick him up, she dropped off some Somolian food for Adrian and I to enjoy for dinner tonight.  After he left, the boys and I had dinner and then they did clean up and we got ready for movie night.  Adrian worked late again and then headed to his board game club meeting for the rest of the night.  The boys and I continued to rewatch the Avengers movies and we watched the first 'Thor" movie tonight.  Everyone enjoyed it!!  When it was over, I got them ready for bed and Adrian came home in time to say good night.  After we got them settled, we finished a little bit of clean up and then watched a few comedies before heading to bed for the night.

Saturday (11/16) We got to sleep in a little this morning but then I had to get up and moving to head to the church to teach my Zumba class.  The boys woke up around the same time so I guess it didn't matter that I had to work.  I had a great Zumba Toning class and while I was there, Adrian got the boys thru some of their homework and weekend chores.  When I got home, I picked up Daniel and we went to Target to buy a birthday gift for his friend and Kroger to pick up a grocery order.  When we got home, Adrian drove AJ to Math Plus to earn the Programing Merit Badge for Scouts.  In between all of the running around, we got a few things done around the house and prepped for dinner with friends later tonight.

After a few hours, I headed out to pick up AJ from his merit badge workshop.  He said he had a great time and learned a lot about programming.  We got home just a few minutes before our friends arrived for dinner.  The 5 boys immediately headed upstairs to play video games together while the adults hung out downstairs chatting, drinking wine and enjoying delicious homemade pizza and buffalo chicken dip.  The night was very fun and very relaxing for all of us.  They hung out for almost 5 hours and when they headed home, we were all exhausted.  Adrian and I did a little clean up, got the boys down to bed and then headed to bed ourselves.  It was a fun but busy Saturday!!
Sunday (11/17) After a late night last night, we all slept in this morning, even Zak!  We had a lazy morning of Uno, coffee and TV before getting ready for second service at church.  I volunteered in the elementary room so I was in with Daniel and Zak while AJ went to his class and Adrian went to the regular service.  We all heard great messages!  When we got home after church, we had lunch and the boys finished up their homework and weekend chores.  Then Adrian dropped Daniel off at a birthday party and took AJ and Zak bowling.  Zak needed to pre-bowl for his league for this Tuesday because we just can not make it work that day.

While they were out, I got a bunch of stuff done around the house.  When they got home, we watched both the Cowboys and the Jets win today - the first time all season that both teams won the same weekend!!  Then we spent the rest of the day doing stuff around the house, eating leftovers and relaxing while the boys played video games.  The day passed quickly, as the weekend days always do.  We got the boys down early since it's a school night and Adrian and I watched the Bears/Rams game before heading to bed too.  It was a nice mix of relaxing and working today.

Monday (11/18) Back to the grind today for our last full week of school before Thanksgiving break next week.  We all got up and moving on time today since we were well rested after the weekend.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then headed into work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped off to school and then got Zak and myself ready.  We headed into school together since I was subbing for the day.  I had a fun but exhausting day with a kindergarten class and before long it was time to head home.

Zak and I picked up Daniel and we ran to Krispy Kreme to get some donuts to have for breakfast this week.  When we got back home, we finished everyone's homework and had leftovers for dinner.  Then I headed out to the church to teach an awesome Zumba class.  I'm so happy my classes continue to be big and new people keep coming, it's a rough time for fitness classes but these are still doing really well.  While I was at class, Adrian took AJ to his weekly Scout meeting where they worked on a few things and recruited some of the Arrows crossing over soon.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and then down to bed.  Adrian and I finished up a few things around the house and then watched two episodes of "The Good Place" before heading to bed.

Tuesday (11/19) We all got up and moving again on time today, for the last time we'd all be home for a while.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus before heading to work for his last day this week.  Then I got Daniel ready and dropped off at school and came back to get Zak and myself ready.  Once again I was subbing all day so we headed into school together.  I had a pretty good day boucing around to a few classes and finished a little early.  I hung around to pick up Zak and we went home together.  Thankfully none of the boys had any homework tonight because it's a crazy busy one!

I left soon after getting home with Rocky to drop her off at a week long training.  She will be living there all week and come back with a lot of commands and better manners.  We'll miss her but are excited for this training!!  After dropping her I came back and picked up Adrian to drop him off at the airport to head to Dallas until Sunday.  He is working at the Board Game Geek conference this week with a local game developer and will be teaching the game "City of the Big Shoulders" all week.  He's super excited and I'm excited for him!!

After fighting the traffic to get home, we had a quick taco Tuesday dinner and then Zak and I headed out to his Scout meeting.  We made cards for cancer patients and thank yous for the local firefighers.  It was a crazy busy meeting but we had fun!  I finally got home late after a quick stop for gas so I am ready to go in the morning.  I got the boys thru their night routine and then down for the night.  I cleaned up the kitchen and then watched some "Real Housewives of Orange County" before heading to bed.  I'm going to need to be well rested to survive this week!!

Wednesday (11/20) We were up and moving on time again today.  Since I'm on my own for the rest of the week, we decided AJ would not take the bus to make it a little easier on me.  So I got AJ and Daniel ready and dropped them both off at school.  Then I came home and got Zak ready and dropped him off.  Then I ran a ton of errands and also went to the Y to teach two classes, Zumba Toning and Aqua Zumba.  After all of that, it was time to pick up the boys from school.  I picked up AJ and Daniel and then went in to each school to pick up the items from the fundraiser earlier this year.  After that we stopped home to unload the car and then I ran up to pick up Zak.  We had nothing planned tonight so we had a nice relaxing night.  We got Marco's pizza for dinner for a fundraiser for Zak's school, finished all of our homework and then the boys played video games while I put away groceries and worked around the house.  The night passed quickly and before long it was time to get the boys thru their night routine and down for bed.  Then I finished up a few things, watched some "Real Housewives" and went to bed.  We survived day one on my own!!

Thursday (11/21) We were up and moving on time again today.  I got AJ and Daniel ready and dropped them off at school and then came home to get Zak and myself ready for the day.  I was called in to sub a full day at school so we headed in together.  I spent a fun day with a great group of 4th graders and it passed quickly.  Before long I was picking up Zak and heading home to the other boys.  We quickly got thru homework and dinner before I headed out to the church to teach my Zumba class at night.  We had an awesome class with a Zumba shuffle playlist celebrating one of the student's birthdays and also enjoyed cupcakes and chocolate covered pretzels after class.  When I got home, I got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  I came back down and cleaned up a little before watching some "Real Housewives" and then heading to bed.  It's been an exhausting week already and we still have two more days!!

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 11/8 - 11/14)

Friday (11/8) Thankfully everyone was feeling better today, except me but I was good enough to go to work.  Unfortunately we all overslept this morning so AJ missed the bus.  Adrian helped me get them ready and then he headed to work.  I went to leave to drive AJ and Daniel to school and we realized my van doors were frozen shut!  We waited as long as we could and when they still wouldn't open, they climbed in the back and we made it the best we could.  After I dropped them off, I came back and got Zak and myself ready for our day.  We still couldn't get in to the back when we left so Zak got to ride in the front seat for the first time to school today.

I had a great day with some 4th graders today and was able to attend two different assemblies celebrating the Veterans with the kids from the school.  I went with my 4th grade class and then my lunch was during the 2nd grade assembly so I got to see Zak and the rest of the 2nd graders perform two songs for it.  He was so excited to see me there, he thought I wouldn't get to see him!  After school, we came home and enjoyed breakfast for dinner before dropping Daniel off at his friend's house for a sleepover tonight.  Adrian and AJ were supposed to go to a camp out but since it's so cold, they decided to sleep at home and get up early tomorrow to head down for the activities.
After I dropped Daniel off at his sleepover, we had a pretty relaxing night at home.  AJ and Adrian packed up for tomorrow, then AJ and Zak played video games while Adrian and I cleaned up a little.  We got the boys down at normal time since they were tired and AJ is getting up early again tomorrow.  Then Adrian and I watched two comedies and headed to bed since I'm still fighting this cold and he's getting up early tomorrow.  It wasn't a super exciting Friday night, but it was exactly what we all needed right now.

Saturday (11/9) We were all up and moving early for a Saturday.  Adrian and AJ finished packing up and headed about a little after 7 for their Scout day of shooting and camping.  I got Zak and myself ready and we headed to the church for my Zumba class.  It was a small but mighty Zumba Toning class this morning.  My friend dropped Daniel off to me during class since they had somewhere to be this morning after the sleep over.  After class, we all went home and quickly changed into Scout clothes for Zak's rain gutter regatta.  He raced his boat four times and won two and lost two.  He had a great time and I was really proud of the Scouts for trying their best!
After the regatta, we came home and had lunch and did some homework.  Then Daniel and Zak played while I worked around the house.  The day passed quickly and I was super productive.  Due to some schedule conflicts, none of the Scouts were camping tonight and Adrian and AJ got home around 5:00 tonight after a fun day of shooting guns, bows and arrows and axe throwing.  Adrian watched some college football while the kids played video games and I worked until dinner time.  We all had leftovers for dinner and then settled in for family movie night.  It was Daniel's pick and he decided to watch the next Avengers movie, Iron Man 2.  Zak didn't really like it but everyone else loved it.  After the movie, we put the boys to bed, watched two episodes of Superstore and headed to bed as well.  I'm still not feeling well, hoping for a good night of sleep to recover tonight!!

Sunday (11/10) Today was the opposite of yesterday and everyone slept in!  I didn't get up until after 10am and AJ slept even later than me.  We clearly all needed some rest.  I was up coughing part of the night so I knew I needed some extra sleep this mornaing.  Since we were all so late to get going this morning, we unfortunately missed church this week.  The boys finished up their homework this morning and then had some video game time.  I did a few things around the house and then headed into church to work for the afternoon as a facilities rep for a square dancing group.  It's fun to work these events, the people are all so nice and I get to listen to their music all afternoon.

While I was at work, Adrian hung out at home with the boys.  They finished up some cleaning around the house and started working on cleaning on the garage since my van needs to be able to fit in it now after Friday's debacle.  His parents came over for the evening and Adrian cooked a delicious dinner of baked ziti, garlic bread and salad.  We had a nice visit with them before they leave for Florida later this week.  We also watched the Jets game while they were here and I was thrilled to see another victory this week!!  After they left, it was time to get the boys thru their night routine.  We got them down to bed, finished cleaning up the kitchen from dinner and watched the Cowboys game.  While it was a good game, unfortunately it didn't go the way we wanted it to go and the Cowboys lost.  They keep digging themselves a hole with a slow start and it's hard to climb out of it when they are playing a good team like the Vikings.

Monday (11/11) Happy Veteran's Day and thank you to all who serve!  Adrian had the day off today but the boys still had school.  We got up a little later since AJ wasn't taking the bus this morning.  We got AJ and Daniel ready for school and then Adrian drove them to school.  Then we got Zak ready and he dropped him off too.  It was a nice break for me!  When he got back, we started working on cleaning out the garage and organizing it so I can park the van in there this winter.  We spent just over an hour organizing it and it looks amazing!!  Then we spent another hour putting things back on our walls and in the living room that have been in the garage since we painted earlier this year.  I'm so excited to accomplish this and be able to park my car in the garage again!!  And both the garage and the living room look fantastic.
Since that didn't take as long as we thought it might, we were able to sneak out for lunch before we had to pick up the kids.  We went to a new place in town called Tempe Tacos.  They just opened this past weekend and I've been so excited to try it since I heard it was opening.  The food and margaritas were delicious!  They were a little slow and were out of a few menu items, but I know they will work that out as they are opened a little longer.  Definitely a repeat place for us!  After lunch, we picked up the boys from school and headed home to get ready for our evening.  We got the boys thru homework and I cooked dinner for everyone.

After dinner, we split up for the night.  I headed to the church to teach my Zumba class.  We had a great class and had more new people.  I am so thankful for these classes and all of my students who are supporting them!  While I was there, Adrian and AJ headed to Scouts where AJ earned his Cyber Chip for the year and Adrian turned in all of his paperwork to be an adult leader.  Daniel and Zak opted to stay home tonight since it was pretty cold out.  It started snowing while we were all out and I was even more grateful to have the garage cleaned out to park in!  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed.  Then Adrian and I watched "The Good Place" and some of the awesome Monday Night Football game before heading to bed as well.  It was a pretty great day off for us!!

Tuesday (11/12) We woke up to icy roads so the boys had a two hour delay for school.  I was excited to have the extra sleep, although I know the delay throws the whole school schedule off.  Adrian still got up and headed to work early while I got a little extra sleep and then got the boys ready for school.  I got AJ on the bus and dropped of Daniel and Zak when it was time for each of them to leave.  When I got back I did a little bit of work around the house and then it was time to head to Daniel's school for his last IEP meeting.  He has officially tested out of needing speech therapy and both of us could not be more excited about it!
After my meeting, Daniel and I came home and it was just about time to get the other two boys from school.  Then it was time for mine and Zak's busy night.  First we headed to his bowling league, where he got his high roller award but struggled bowling this week.  After bowling, we came home for a quick dinner and then headed back out to Scouts.  We had a field trip to the local fire house where we learned about how the firemen live there and what they do to help people.  The Scouts all asked really good questions and I think everyone learned a lot!  The tour was pretty long so by the time we got home, it was time for snack, show and bed.  Adrian and I got the boys down, finished up a little cleaning around the house and then watched "The Good Place" before heading to bed for the night.
Wednesday (11/13) Back to our normal schedule today, well kind of.  We all got up early and Adrian helped get AJ on the bus.  Then I got Daniel ready and dropped off at school.  Adrian had a doctor's appointment this morning so he worked from home for a little bit and then dropped Zak off at school before heading to the doctor.  I got a few things done at home, including making my first pick up order at Kroger and then headed out to run a few errands.  I also headed to the YMCA to teach my two classes this morning.  After class, I headed to pick up my order from Kroger and this service did not disappoint!  In under 10 minutes I had all of my groceries loaded into my trunk and never had to get out of my car.

After a few more errands, I went and picked up Daniel and AJ from school and then came home to unload all of the groceries.  Then I ran up to pick up Zak from school, dropped him off and went back to the school to teach another Zumba class.  After class, I came home exhausted but ready to have a good night with the boys.  We had dinner together and got thru homework, which thankfully there wasn't much of.  Then they had some video game time while I finished putting away the groceries and cleaned up from dinner.  Adrian surprised us and came home early since he got stuck at work and had to miss his Bible study.  After the boys' night routine, we put them down to bed and then came down and watched the first half of this week's two hour "Survivor" before heading to bed for the night.  We were exhausted after the long day!!

Thursday (11/14) Another normal day for us today.  We all got up and moving on time this morning.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus this morning and then left for work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped him off at school and then came home and got Zak ready and dropped him off at school.  I had the day off so I came back home and worked around the house for most of the day.  Then in the afternoon, Daniel had his awards assembly for the first quarter so I headed over to his school to see him get his award.  He received A/B honor roll, a silver card & a Hornet award for great behavior in the first quarter.  Great job Daniel!!
After the assembly, I came home and worked around the house until it was time for the boys to get home from school.  AJ and Daniel took the bus home and then I walked up to pick up Zak.  We got thru homework quickly and then the boys played video games while I got dinner together.  We had a quick dinner and then I headed out to teach my Zumba class at the church.  Adrian got stuck at work, but thankfully got home soon after I left for Zumba.  When I got home from class, we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  Adrian and I finished a few things around the house and then watched the second half of "Survivor" from yesterday before heading to bed too.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Nov 10 - Nov 16)

Last week I did great sticking to my meal plan and made everything that I planned on making!  Well, almost everything!  I switched a few things around and when I pulled up a recipe to make salmon, the featured recipe on the website was this dish that used chicken things, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, all of which I had and needed to use up.  So instead of the Apricot Chicken Thighs, I made this dish and it was delicious!!  I still have the apricot jam I bought so I may make those other chicken thighs at some point in the future.
This week is a little weird with a few different things on our schedule.  But I am seeing the benefits of sticking to the healthy eating as much as possible so I'm continuing to do that as much as I can.  We have dinner with my in-laws tonight and dinner with friends on Saturday so those will be a little more carb heavy.  Then Adrian won't be home on Wednesday night or Friday night for dinner so I will probably do easy dinners those nights.  Actually this whole week is pretty busy so there may be a lot of easy dinners this week!  I'm still planning dinners around my CSA vegetables that I have left and also cleaning out my freezer one shelf at a time so I'm working on the pork shelf right now.  There will be a lot of sausage meals coming up in the next few weeks!

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Baked Ziti with Garlic Bread and Salad
Monday - Spaghetti Squash with Sausage
Tuesday - Taco Tuesday!!
Friday - Shrimp Salad
Saturday - Pizza and Snacks with friends

Water Flavor - Cucumber Mint.  I got mint on sale last week so I grabbed an extra cucumber to make this water flavor this week.  It's another favorite and I'm so excited about it!

Overnight Oats - This is becoming more just my general breakfast thoughts, but once again I'm not making oats this week.  I have two servings left from last week that I will eat first.  I also found rice krispy rolls that the boys don't like anymore so I will eat those for breakfasts as well this week.

Use it Up - I'm using up sausage on Monday, squash on Monday, cabbage on Weds and peppers on Thurs.  Plus I'm hoping to finish the rice krispy rolls for breakfasts this week.  I'm also using up the rest of the romaine in my lunches as well as a few other veggies in my lunches.

Lunches - I'll be having salads again this week for lunch.  I have a few heads of romaine left that should get me thru the week.  I also have peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers that I will use in the salads and a little bit of grilled chicken to add some protein.  I'm also hoping to have leftover taco chicken from Tuesday to get a taco salad or two later this week.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 11/1 - 11/7)

Friday (11/1) Ugh it's hard to get up and moving the day after Halloween!  We were thankfully able to get up on time and get everyone out.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then headed to work for the day.  I dropped Daniel off at school for his last day of only 4 of them in his class, everyone else will be back from camp on Monday.  Then I came home to get myself and Zak ready only to find out that Zak is sick and won't be able to go to school today.  He spent the day on the couch watching TV and playing video games and relaxing.  I spent the day taking care of him and getting a bunch of stuff done around the house.  While I'm bummed that I had to call out of work, I am thankful I have a job that understands and I'm able to take care of my boys when they need me.

The day passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for the bus to drop off AJ and Daniel.  When they got home, I ran to Kroger quickly and then came home and got dinner together.  We all enjoyed meatball subs for dinner together and then the boys played video games for a while and Adrian and I cleaned up.  After that it was time for family movie night and we watched my pick "Hocus Pocus" to keep the Halloween magic going just a little longer.  It was a really cute movie & we all enjoyed it!  When the movie was over, the boys and Rocky headed to bed in their room while Adrian and I got snacks and watched a few comedies before we headed to bed.

Saturday (11/2) We got up and moving earlier than we planned because we forgot to turn off Daniel's alarm clock.  I got ready and headed out to Zumba at the church where we had a great group.  It was fun to get back to teaching there after taking most of the week off.  After class I headed to my Bible study and had a nice discussion with the ladies there.  While I was there, Adrian and the boys got some stuff done around the house including taking down our Halloween decorations.  The rest of the afternoon we spent working around the house while the boys played video games.

Late in the afternoon, Adrian and I headed out for a double date.  We went out to dinner at a new to us restaurant, Forno, which had delicious pizzas and drinks.  Then we headed down the road to go axe throwing.  We had SO much fun with the group we had throwing axes, playing games and laughing a lot.  Adrian and I were both pretty good at it, including me hitting the winning shots for my team for two games and Adrian winning the final last man standing game.  It was a great date night and we're hoping to do it again!!  When we got home, we fed the boys a late dinner and then they wanted to play more video games so they when up to do that and Adrian and I played our November game of Pandemic Legacy.  We did not start well and thought we would lose, but we pulled it out in the end!  Only one month left to go!  When our game was over, we got the boys to bed, changed the clocks, watched one comedy and then headed to bed.
Sunday (11/3) We all slept in a little bit today since we were up late last night.  Adrian wasn't feeling well and none of us felt like moving quickly so they skipped church and I headed in to volunteer for the second service.  I had a fun time with the kids in children's church and also got to catch up with a few friends after service.  Then I came home and we started working around the house and watching football.  That's pretty much how the whole afternoon went.  We watched the Jets lose again, but at least they are finding new ways to lose each game.  The boys finished all of their weekend chores and homework and also spent a lot of time playing Fortnight.  The day passed quickly even though we had the extra hour today.  Adrian grilled amazing steaks for us for dinner and I roasted some veggies. After dinner, we finished up the last of our things around the house and got ready for another busy week.  We watched a lot of football and before long it was time for the boys' night routine.  We got them thru that and down for the night.  Then we watched the last football game of the day and headed to bed, fairly early since this stupid time change makes it feel so late!

Monday (11/4) Back to school for only one day before we have a day off tomorrow.  We all got up and moving early this morning because Zak was up before our alarms went off.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and we barely got him on the bus on time.  He played a quick game of "King of Tokyo" with Zak and then headed to work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped off then came home and got Zak ready and dropped off as well.  Then since I wasn't subbing today, I came home and got to work on my massive to do list.  I was super productive all day and got a ton done!!  The day passed quickly and before long it was time to get AJ and Daniel off the bus and pick up Zak from school.

Since they don't have school tomorrow, we opted to not do homework today and take the night off.  They played video games for a bit and then we all had dinner.  I headed out to Zumba with Daniel & Zak since they had friends going tonight.  I had an amazing class and continue to be in awe of my students who keep showing up, we had a large class and 4 new people!!  It's such a blessing to teach these beautiful ladies!  While I was there, Adrian took AJ to Scouts where they had their final gun safety meeting and camping prep before their campout this weekend.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night.  Then we watched the Cowboys game together.  I made it to halftime and then had to go to sleep, but I'm glad they won the game!

Tuesday (11/5) The boys and I had off today since it's Election Day and one of the schools is a voting place.  Adrian got up and headed into work while the rest of us slept in.  When we got up and moving, the boys played and I got ready to head out for some appointments.  I took Rocky to the vet where we found out she's 35 pounds, almost 3x as big as when we got her!  She got her last round of shots and we got her all set up for her spay appointment in January.  After her appointment, I dropped her off and picked up Zak to take him to a pediatrician follow up for some writing difficulties he's having in school.  We got some ideas for moving forward and will have a few more appointments as well.

After those appointments, I came home and got lunch for everyone.  Then I headed out to Kroger to do some quick grocery shopping while the boys played video games.  The afternoon passed quickly and before long it was time for Zak and I to head to bowling.  He bowled great and finally broke 100 to earn his high roller certificate, he got 116 his first game!!  He was SO excited!!  After bowling, we came home and I got dinner ready for everyone.  We finished up some homework, had dinner and then did the rest of our normal evening stuff.  We got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night.  Then Adrian and I watched two comedies and headed to bed for the night.  It's always weird to have a day off in the middle of the week but it was a very productive day!
Wednesday (11/6) Back to the normal routine after our day off.  We all got up and moving quickly since we had some extra sleep yesterday.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then left for work for the day.  I got Daniel and Zak ready and dropped off to their respective schools and then headed out to run my weekly errands.  I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Aldi and realized they got the wine advent calendars in today and I was able to get one!!  I'm so excited to do this again with Adrian this year!  After a few errands, I headed to the Y to teach my two Zumba classes and then finished up some errands before heading home to get everyone after school.

Once I got everyone settled after school, I headed out one more time to teach Zumba to the teachers at the local elementary school.  Then I went to pick up Marco's pizza for the boys for dinner since it was fundraiser night.  I cooked my dinner when I got home while getting the boys thru dinner and homework.  Daniel was complaining he didn't feel well and he did have a slight temperature so after homework, he rested on the couch and watched TV.  The other boys had a short video game turn while I got a few things done around the house.  Then we did their night routine and I got them down to bed.  Adrian came home soon after they were in bed from his Bible study.  We watched Survivor together and then I headed to bed while he watched the OSU basketball game.

Thursday (11/7) Since Daniel wasn't feeling well last night, we decided that he could sleep in and stay home from school today.  The rest of us got up and moving on time.  We let AJ sleep in a little and then I drove him to school while Adrian got ready and headed to work.  I got Zak ready and dropped off and school and then came home and hung out with Daniel for the morning.  I was schedule for an afternoon half day of subbing and Daniel felt good enough for me to go in and do that while he hung out at home alone.

After school, Daniel was feeling a little better thankfully.  None of the boys had any homework so they had some video game time while I got dinner together for everyone.  After dinner, I headed out to the church to teach another awesome Zumba class to some fantastic ladies.  While I was there, Adrian hung out with the boys and got them started on their night routine.  When I got home, we put everyone to bed and thankfully Daniel felt good enough to go to school tomorrow.  When the boys were down for the night, Adrian and I watched a few episodes of "The Goldburgs" and then headed to bed too.  I have also been fighting a cold the past few days so I need a lot of rest!!

Monday, November 4, 2019

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 9/13 - 9/19)

Friday (9/13) It's Friday the 13th and a full moon today!!  It has been a long, exhausting week and I feel like I'm crawling to the finish line right now.  We somehow managed to get up and get moving on time this morning.  We got AJ on the bus on time and then Adrian headed out to work for the day.  I got Daniel ready and dropped him off at school.  Then I came home and got Zak and myself ready for our day.  We headed into school together since I was subbing in his school for the day.  I was in a 4th grade class for the day, teaching ELA all day to three different classes.  It was a long but fun day with them!

After school, we all came home and had a little break before we got ready for our night activities.  I got dinner for AJ and then Adrian took him to the high school since he was marching with the high school marching band during the football game tonight.  I got dinner ready for everyone else, then we all headed out to the high school as well.  Zak and I helped raise the flag with our Scout pack and then we watched the first half of a boring football game.  We were super excited when the band finally headed out.  They did a great job playing two songs together and AJ had a great time!!  After the songs, we picked up AJ and headed home for the night.  We were all tired, thirsty and hungry.  After a quick snack, we got the boys down to bed, then we watched another episode of "This is Us" before heading to bed as well.  It has been an exhausting week and I'm hoping to recharge this weekend!!
Saturday (9/14) Today started earlier than we would have liked, but we had commitments early this morning.  We all got up and moving and I helped Adrian and Zak get out the door to Zak's soccer game.  Zak played great and his team won, and enjoyed the snacks that we sent.  While they were there, I headed to the church to teach my Zumba class.  We had a great time and got a great workout.  Then I headed home to grab a quick shower and lunch before heading across town for a Zumba jam.  I had so much fun dancing with my friends all afternoon and learning four new awesome choreographies.  I can't wait to bring the songs to my classes!!
While I was there, Adrian and the boys worked around the house.  They spent a good chunk of time setting up the boys new bunk beds.  The boys are so excited to have these bunks, and everyone is fighting over who will sleep on the top bunk (we'll take turns).  When I got home, we all had dinner together, finished a few other things around the house and then settled in for family movie night.  We watched "Labyrinth" and everyone loved it!  The kids thought it was funny and interesting and Adrian and I enjoyed seeing it again.  When the movie was over, we got the boys down to bed and then watched two episodes of "This is Us."  We're almost caught up and the season is getting awesome!  I would have kept watching last night, but I was exhausted.

Sunday (9/15) We all got to sleep in today, finally!!  I got up and wasn't feeling great so we decided to skip church this morning so I could rest and hopefully feel better for the week ahead.  We spent the day relaxing at home and getting as much done around the house as possible.  We watched the Cowboys game in the afternoon, happy they won again!!  We got a lot done and I also rested a lot and am feeling better and ready to go into this week.  We watched a lot of football all day while the boys played a lot of video games all day.  That's OK with all of us, sometimes you need a down day like that.  The day passed quickly and we had an easy dinner before finishing a few things, getting the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  Then Adrian and I had a glass of wine and watched some of the Sunday Night football game before heading to bed early.  I'm feeling better and hopeful I can still do all I have planned for the upcoming week!

Monday (9/16) Back to our normal routine today.  We got up and moving early this morning and got AJ ready and on the bus on time.  Then Adrian left for work and I took Daniel to drop him off at school.  Then I came home to get Zak ready and on the bus to school.  I had a rare day off from subbing so I hit the ground running and got a ton of stuff done around the house today.  I stayed really focused and got a ton of stuff done as the day passed quickly.  Before long it was time to get everyone off the bus at the end of the day.  The boys took a short break and then we got thru homework quickly because we had a busy night on tap!

I got dinner ready for everyone and we ate in shifts so everyone could get ready and out on time tonight.  Adrian and Zak ate first and then headed out to Zak's soccer game.  He played well and his team won again!  I ate with the other boys and then I got ready to head to the church for my Zumba class.  We had an awesome Zumba Toning class and got a great work out, despite missing a lot of people due to illness.  While I was there, AJ's friend picked him up and took him to Scouts for the night.  He had his Court of Honor tonight and earned two merit badges, geocaching and electronics.  Adrian and Zak headed there after soccer to see him get his awards.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  Then Adrian and I watched the Jets game, although it wasn't much of a game since the Jets looked horrible!!  We went to bed before it was over, it was just too painful to stay up late to watch.
Tuesday (9/17) It was tough to get up and moving this morning since we stayed up later than we should have watching the Jets game last night, but we managed to get up and out on time.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then he headed into work for the day.  I drove Daniel to school and then came home to get Zak and myself ready for the day.  I put him on the bus, gave Rocky a quick walk and then headed out to run errands for a while before heading to the Y to teach my two classes.  Aqua Zumba was small but fun and Silver Sneakers continues to grow as the session moves along.  After the classes, I headed to pick up the boys from school and quickly move on to our evening activities.

I got everyone settled and figured out homework for the night and then headed back out with Zak for our busy night.  We headed to his first week of his new bowling after school league.  He bowled pretty well and had a fun time with his new teammate.  After bowling, we ran back home for a short stop for me to grab dinner and then headed out to our Scout meeting.  It was a pack meeting so we were all together for the meeting.  We got our awards from summer camp and then heard a presentation on paratroopers in the military.  It was a good night and even though it is busy, Zak and I had fun.  When we got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  We finished up a few things around the house, watched another episode of "This is Us" and headed to bed for the night.
Wednesday (9/18) We got up and moving on time today after getting more sleep last night.  The bus came a little early though and AJ was moving slow so he decided to just have me drive him in when I dropped Daniel off.  So Adrian helped me get them ready and then headed to work while I drove them to school.  I came back and got Zak and myself ready and got him on the bus since I was only subbing a half day this afternoon.  After a quick walk with Rocky, I got a bunch of things done around the house this morning and then headed into school for the afternoon where I had a fairly easy afternoon with some 4th graders.

When we all got home, Zak informed me that is was Marco's fundraiser night tonight so I quickly ordered and picked up pizza for them in between homework and getting Zak ready for soccer practice.  After they had pizza for dinner, I headed out to drop Zak off at soccer and run to Giant Eagle quickly before picking him back up after practice.  When we got home, we had help doing the night routine because Adrian doesn't have Bible study for the next few weeks.  We got the boys down on time and had time to finish up a few things in the kitchen before we watched another episode of "This is Us" and headed to bed early since we were both really tired.
Thursday (9/19) We got up and moving on time today.  Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then he left for work.  Then I dropped Daniel off at school and came home and got Zak and myself ready for the day.  I put Zak on the bus to school and then came back inside and got some stuff done around the house before heading to school for Zak's annual IEP meeting.  After the meeting, I ran a few errands and then did a few more things around the house before all of the boys got home from school.  We got thru homework and dinner and then I headed out to the church to teach my Zumba class.   We had a fun class as always and got a great workout.  When I got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down for the night.  Then we finished up some cleaning, watched some of the football game and headed to bed.  It wasn't a super exciting day but I got a lot accomplished so I'll call it a success!