Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Sept 27 - Oct 3)

We did a great job sticking with our meal plan last week, although that's not saying much since it was a very simple plan. Sometimes that is what we need though! And honestly last week was a rough week for me. We had a lot of extra things on the schedule, plus I felt behind all week since I was away over the weekend. The boys had very busy school schedules and I just always felt stressed out and behind. Thankfully I had a much calmer weekend this weekend and am ready heading into this week. This is also a slightly easier week for me with the boys not having school on Friday and Adrian and Zak heading out for a camping trip on Saturday.

I continue to have more food than we can eat between the school breakfasts/lunches that we're getting for free and our CSA membership which still has another 6 weeks. Thankfully most of it is either frozen or stored so it will last for a bit and the things that won't last we are focusing on eating before they go bad. I'm doing very little grocery shopping the whole month of October, trying to only use what we have in the house. We're also having at least one day of leftovers and/or freezer food so that we can stay on top of all of that. I'm also not picking up my meals from the school this week, or if I do my friend will take them all because I just do not need any more food right now.

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Leftovers/Freezer Food

Monday - Air Fryer Salmon & Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash

Tuesday - Salsa Pork over Lime Coleslaw for the adults, Tacos for the kids

Wednesday - Vegetable Pasta Skillet

Thursday - Pork & Potato Bowls - using up some of the leftover pork from Tuesday & some of the frozen corn from our school lunches

Friday - Leftovers/Freezer Food - the boys have friends coming over so we want something quick

Saturday - Leftovers/Freezer Food - it will only be me, AJ & Daniel tonight so I want something quick and easy!

Water Flavor - Peach. I cleaned out my garage fridge this weekend and found a few peaches that were nearly spoiled, or had spots that need to be removed, so I cut those up for my water this week. I'm anxious to try it, this is a new flavor for me!

Baking - I'm taking the week off from baking since I did so much last week! Plus we get some baked goods, breakfast bars and frozen breakfast stuff from the school so I want to use some of that this week. I'll be back to baking next week for sure, especially since Sunday is cinnamon roll day!

Other - Again, this is a pretty easy week because I'm trying to use what we have. And all of the holidays are easy to celebrate and don't require me making another special. The only other thing I'm hoping to make this week is this cabbage salad that I didn't make last week. I'll make it for lunches if we are out of everything else. 

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

Monday (9/21) Back to school today for another full week. We got up and moving on time this morning although it was very rough to do it. Adrian got AJ and Rocky up and thru their morning routines before heading back to our bedroom to work for the day. I got Daniel and Zak up and started on school and then I started working on all the stuff around the house that I didn't get done this weekend. I was very productive and got a ton done! The boys were super focused and did a great job on school today, even if they were tired. We all finished up by around 2:30 and headed out to celebrate mini golf day. We headed to the golf course in Westerville and found out that it was buy 18 holes, get 18 free so the boys golfed 36 holes in just under 2 hours. They did a great job and had fun!! And everyone improved on the second 18 because they were trying harder to aim and play well.

After we finished golfing, we came home and grabbed a quick dinner of leftovers before getting ready for our night activities. I headed out to the church to teach my Zumba class. We had a great group and had a fun hour dancing and working out. While I was there, Adrian took AJ to his Scout meeting where they talked about upcoming events and prepared for a backpacking trip. When we all got home, we celebrated holiday number 2 for the day - Batman day. We watched the older Batman movie with Michael Keaton and Jack Nickalus. The boys really liked it, it's still not one of my favorites though. When the movie was over, we put the boys to bed, watched an episode of "Parks and Rec" and then headed to bed too. It felt like a really long Monday, probably because we're all tired from our weekend.

Tuesday (9/22) We got up and moving on time but were still dragging today. Adrian got AJ and Rocky up and thru their morning routine while I showered and then got Daniel up. Once AJ and Daniel were started in school, I got Zak up and then started working around the house. I hate when I miss a weekend of getting stuff done and then just feel behind all week! The day passed quickly as the boys did their schoolwork and I did housework. AJ and Zak both finished pretty early so we worked on some Scout requirements together including AJ doing an inspection of our house to make sure it's electrically safe and Zak making a seesaw lever to lift things.

When everyone was done with work, they headed upstairs for some video game time and I headed out to run some errands. I tried to get all of my grocery shopping for the week done so I wouldn't have to go out again, but I ran out of time and still need a small trip to Meijer. I was super productive and got a ton done though. When I got home, the boys helped me unload and put everything away and then I got started on tacos for dinner for everyone. When we were done with dinner, Zak and I got ready to head out to Scouts. We had a great meeting where we talked about preparing for an outdoor activity and pitched tents while completing 3 requirements. The kids did great tonight, much better behaved than last week!

When we got home, we cleaned up a bit and then got ready for family movie night. It was my pick so we watched "Playing with Fire" since we had a free Redbox rental. We also celebrated what may be our new favorite holiday, white chocolate day. We enjoyed candy and popcorn while we watched our movie, which we all enjoyed. It was cute and funny, if a bit predictable. When it was over, we got the boys to bed and then watched two more episodes of "Parks & Rec" before we also headed to bed. I can already tell this is going to be a long week!

Wednesday (9/23) Thankfully we all got to sleep in a little today! I got Daniel up and moving on time so he would be ready for Patrick to come over, but we let the other 2 boys sleep in. Daniel and Patrick got started on their work for the day and were actually finishing up when the other two boys got up. They played together while AJ and Zak finished their independant work for the day. When everyone was done with their schoolwork, we celebrated World Checkers Day by having a tournament. The boys all had fun playing each other and Daniel was eventually crowned the winner by going undeated against everyone!

After the tournament, the boys grabbed a quick lunch and then headed upstairs to play video games. I had AJ's IEP review over Zoom in the afternoon and am encouraged by what I heard. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on stuff around the house and cooking a delicious pot of chili in the crockpot for dinner. I got my free meals from school in the afternoon and spent a good chunk of time trying to organize my freezer. After a quick dinner, I headed out to the church to work for an hour and then to Meijer to finish up my grocery shopping. While I was there, Adrian worked really late since it was a session day and then started cleaning up the kitchen. When I got home, we put away the groceries and then watched an episode of "Cobra Kai" before putting the kids to bed. Then Adrian and I made our snacks and watched two episdoes of "Parks & Rec" before also heading to bed for the night.

Thursday (9/24) We got up and moving on time, although we were pretty slow this morning. Adrian got AJ and Rocky up and started on their days and drove Rocky to daycare for the day before coming home to start working from our bedroom. I got Daniel up and ready for the day and then we waited for Cameron to be dropped off. After he got here, the two of the started on school and I got Zak up and ready for the day. Between Daniel, Cameron and Zak, they had 5 STAR tests and a Science test today, all at different times, so that was a bit of a challenge today. Thankfully they were all able to log on without any issues and I only needed to remind them a few times that I can't help with questions. The hardest part was keeping the other 3 kids quiet while 1 kid was testing. But we all survived and for the most part everyone did a great job!

While the boys worked on schoolwork, I worked around the house. I set up dinner and dessert in my instant pots so that they would be ready for us. When they were all done with school for the day, the boys played some video games together and also did some Beyblade races and marble races. After Cameron was picked up, we got ready for our evening. I went and picked up Rocky from daycare and then finished up the sides for dinner. After eating, I headed out to teach a Zumba Toning class at my church. We were all tired and dragging but still managed to pull it together for a great workout. While I was there, Adrian fed the boys dinner and then started cleaning up the kitchen.

When I got home, Adrian and I took Rocky for a quick walk and then we played a quick game of 7 Wonders Duel. He is hoping to exchange it tomorrow for a new game so we wanted to get one more in tonight. He played great and beat me pretty handily. After the game, we got the boys started on their night routine. They cleaned up some of the mess from the day and then we all got chocolate cherry dump cake for dessert. We watched another episode of "Cobra Kai" and then got the boys to bed for the night. Then Adrian and I watched two more episodes of "Parks and Rec" before we also headed to bed.

Friday (9/25) We made it thru another week, it was a rough one but the boys really did a great job! We got up and moving a little slower this morning but were very close to on time. Adrian got AJ and Rocky started on their days and then headed upstairs for work. I got myself and Daniel ready and then we waited for Cameron to be dropped off for the day. When he got here, they started their school day and I woke Zak up and got him started on his day. It was a pretty light day for everyone since yesterday was tough with the STAR testing. They broke up their school day with a lot of trampoline time, Beyblades and marble track. I worked around the house while they did schoolwork and the day passed quickly for all of us.

After Cameron was picked up, Adrian and I headed out to Huntington to sign our closing papers on the refinance for our mortgage. The rates are super low right now so we went into a shorter loan with a lower interest rate and will save a ton of money over the next few years. When we were done signing, Adrian headed to CABS to exchange our game and I went home to work on dinner for everyone. When he got home, we all had dinner and then the boys decided they didn't want another movie this week so they had some free time for video games while Adrian and I got a few things done downstairs and watched a few episodes of "Parks & Rec." Then the boys came down and we watched another episode of "Cobra Kai" as a family before we put the boys to bed. Then Adrian and I watched one more "Parks & Rec" before we also headed to bed since we both have an early morning tomorrow.

Saturday (9/26) We were all up a little earlier than we wanted to be this morning, Adrian, Zak and I because we had commitments and AJ and Daniel because they were woke up by the rest of us. I got ready and headed to the church to teach a fun (but super hot!) Zumba class. Adrian got Zak ready and they headed to the bowling alley for Zak's weekly league. He continues to improve and more importantly he's having a blast bowling again which is what we really want from the league! When we all got home, we all had lunch and then we played AJ's board game pick of the week, Food Chain Magnate. It was a new game for Daniel and I, and Zak sat this one out because it's a pretty involved game. Adrian won but the rest of us all learned a lot and had fun. We're hoping to play again soon!!

After the game, I got ready for my wine night with friends. Adrian made us all pancakes for dinner to celebrate pancake day and then he dropped me off at my friend's house for a night with girlfriends. We had a great time eating, drinking wine, laughing and having some good conversations. It was a very relaxing night and exactly what I needed after a long and stressful week. One of the girls drove me home and Adrian and I had another glass of wine together while watching two more episodes of "Parks & Rec." We took a break between episodes to put the boys to bed at midnight like we normally do on a Saturdy and then after the second episode we headed to bed too. It was a pretty great Saturday.

Sunday (9/27) We all slept in this morning and woke up not feeling like doing anything. Our plan was to go to the Scout Shoot-O-Ree but we decided to blow that off and stay here and relax and get some stuff done around the house. We had a lazy morning and a slow start to the day before getting started on our very large to do lists. The boys and Adrian spent a good chunk of time this morning decorating our house for the fall and Halloween and it looks fantastic!

The day passed very quickly as we were all busy getting our stuff done. The boys finished all of their weekly chores and their school work. Adrian and I got most of the stuff on our lists done while also watching some of the football games on the RedZone network. Unfortunately both of our teams lost again and it looks to be a long season for the Jets. After a quick dinner of leftovers and more work around the house, it was time to get the boys thru their night routine. We watched the first episode of the last season of "Series of Unfortunate Events" and then got the boys to bed. Then we watched some of the Sunday Night Football game and two episodes of "Parks and Rec" before we headed to bed for the night. It wasn't exactly the Sunday we had planned but it was probably the Sunday that we needed.

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 7/24 - 7/30)

Friday (7/24) We slept in again today, then I woke Adrian and Rocky up because I had a morning Zumba jam session I wanted to catch. Adrian did his morning routine with Rocky and then headed upstairs to work while I learned a new Soca routine. The morning passed quickly with me trying to get a bunch of small things tied up before a busy afternoon and evening. I got the boys thru all of their stuff for the day too and then jumped back online for the last jam of the week where I learned a super fun K Pop song. I had to miss the second half of that jam which was OK because it was a Zumba Step routine and I don't currently teach that format.

After all of that, Adrian finished work and we all packed up and headed out to Zoombeezi Bay for the night. We got there around 5:00 and headed over to the stuff we thought was closing. We played in the wave pool, babboon lagoon and rode dolphin dash before taking a short break for dinner. After dinner we checked out some new to us slides at the sea serpant. We had a blast riding the four tube slides that are there!! We all rode them multiple times! The mood wasn't even ruined by Zak and I flipping over in the pool and me losing my sunglasses (which the life guard nicely recovered for me). AJ and Daniel rode the cone ride by themselves and said it was awesome to get to do that alone. We finished the night with the 5 of us riding the sound surfer together. It was SO much fun, probably the best time we've ever had there. We stayed until it closed at 10pm and then headed home to a very excited Rocky. I got the boys down for the night while Adrian took care of her. Then we watched two episodes of "Parks and Rec" before heading to bed for the night. It was a great night!!

Saturday (7/25) Today started earlier than I wanted it to since I had to teach this morning. I got up and ready and headed to the church and had a great time dancing to the rest of my favorites with a small but fun group. Then I came home and picked up everyone else and we headed out for our weekly family walk. We went to Blendon Woods to walk their pet friendly trail and really enjoyed it. After walking for about an hour, we headed out to our weekly ice cream stop. This week we checked out Smallcakes in Gahanna and it was delicious! The boys got cones and Adrian and I each got a "smash" which is a cupcake cut open with 2 scoops of ice cream in it. So good!! They even had pupcakes for Rocky so she got in on the fun too!!

After we finished our ice cream, we headed home and I got started on my weekly chores. I was really focused and got a ton done this afternoon. I worked until dinner time and then enjoyed a delicious dinner with Adrian. After dinner, we had game night for the rest of the day. We played "Thanos Rising" with the boys and had a perfect game beating Thanos without losing any heroes. Then after Adrian and I took Rocky on a walk we played "Gizmos" (I won), "Splendor" (I won), "Azul" (he won) and "Sagrada" (I won). We broke up the games with an episode of "Parks and Rec" and one of "Press Your Luck." It was another pretty great day!!

Sunday (7/26) Today we all got to sleep in and when I finally got up and moving I did a few things around the house and then got ready to head out for the day with friends. Three of us met up and headed to Buckeye Lake Winery. We enjoyed the afternoon in their outdoor area, listening to live music, drinking wine slushies and relaxing. It was so nice to sit on the water and catch up with friends for a while. After hanging there for a bit, we all wanted ice cream so we headed to Dairy Barn and all got buckeye sundaes for dessert. They were so good and hit the spot on such a hot day! After eating those, we headed back home for the evening.

While I was out, Adrian and the boys got their normal weekend chores done around the house and I came home to a clean house. They also played a few games of a new to us game "Coup." When I got home, we took Rocky for a walk and then Adrian taught me a new game "Pan Am." It's a fun game and I won this first game we played! Then we got dinner together and finished up a few plans that we needed to make for this week. The boys headed back upstairs for a bit and Adrian and I played "Roll for the Galaxy" and I just eeked out a win. Then the boys came down and we all watched the next episode of "The Floor is Lava" before we put them to bed. Adrian and I finished up the night with some wine and another episode of "This is Us." It was a great weekend and I could almost forget about all of the stuff going on right now!! Hoping it leads into a great week!

Monday (7/27) We tried to get up and moving a little earlier this morning but were having a hard time getting going. When we finally got up, Adrian took care of Rocky's morning stuff and then headed upstairs to work for the day. I got the boys ready for the day and then started on my normal stuff around the house. I got the boys thru their daily stuff a little earlier than usual today because AJ had a follow up appointment at the orthodontist this afternoon. He still has 2 baby teeth left to lose so we're going to wait another 3 months and hope they both come out on their own by then.

When we got home, I finished up a few things around the house and then started on dinner. Adrian and I ate together and then I headed out to the church to teach my Zumba class. Unfortunately when I got there, I realized that the church didn't have power so we were not able to have Zumba class tonight. I was looking forward to dancing with everyone to celebrate my 7 year anniversary of becoming a Zumba instructor! I did hang out at the church with a few friends for a little bit and also got two really nice gifts from my students!!  While I was out, Adrian fed the kids dinner and started cleaning up. We finished cleaning up togehter and took Rocky on two short walks between the rain storms. We finished up the night watching "The Floor is Lava" with the kids and "Parks and Rec" after they went to bed. Not a bad start to our week!

Tuesday (7/28) We slept in again today, already giving up on our thoughts of getting up earlier to try to get more accomplished each day. Adrian got Rocky thru her morning routine and then headed upstairs to work for the day. I got the day started with the boys with breakfast and then they starting playing video games while I worked around the house. The day passed quickly and I got a lot done and also helped the boys get thru their afternoon acitivies. I was supposed to teach an Aqua Zumba class tonight but low registrations and forecasted storms cancelled the class for this week. Instead after having tacos for dinner, Adrian and I listened to our school board meeting over Zoom. They were talking about what the hybrid learning option would look like when school starts and we have the weekend to decide if we want to do that or full virtual learning. Lots to think about and discuss!

After the meeting, we took Rocky on a nice long walk and then got ready for family movie night. Tonight we finished up our second viewing of the Avengers movies with "Avengers: Endgame." It was still great, even the second time thru and knowing what was going to happen. It also felt a little more comfortable this time since we were able to pause for snacks, bathroom breaks and just to get up and move instead of having to watch the whole 3 hour movie in one shot. When the movie was over, it was super late so we all headed up to bed together for the night. 

Wednesday (7/29) Unfortunately this morning started a lot earlier than I wanted it to, especially after the late night last night. I had a Zoom conference with AJ's orthodontist to review the payment plan for his braces whenever he gets them on. I just barely got up and downstairs in time to do the call, but I made it. While I was doing that, Adrian got Rocky up and ready and then dropped her off at daycare for the day. Thankfully the boys slept in so I got some quiet time this morning after he headed upstairs to work. I relaxed by watching some TV and drinking my coffee for a bit and then headed out to get a much needed pedicure. It was very relaxing to sit and read for a while and chat with some other ladies.

When I got back, I got the boys thru their morning stuff (since they weren't up when I left) and had them do their afternoon stuff early since they had already stopped playing video games. When they were done, they headed back upstairs and I took a Zumba class online with Beto and some other Zumba trainers which I really enjoyed. After that I grabbed a quick shower and then started getting dinner together and got ready for my night. I picked up an exhausted Rocky from daycare, came home to eat dinner and headed back out to work at the church for an hour. While I was there, Adrian fed the boys and then had his Zoom call for his Bible study. When we were all done, we took Rocky for a quick walk and then watched and episode of "Don't" with the boys before getting them down to bed. When they were settled, we watched a few episodes of "Schitt's Creek" and then headed to bed too. I was exhausted after the early start today!

Thursday (7/30) After the early morning yesterday, we were back to sleeping in today. Adrian got up and got Rocky thru her morning routine and then headed upstairs to work. I got the boys started on their day and then I headed out to run a ton of errands. I went to Costco to do a much needed stock up trip, Cooper's Hawk to pick up our wine from the past 5 months, Trader Joe's to grab a few essentials and a few other smaller errands. When I got home, we unloaded everything and put it all away. I'm very thankful that the boys are old enough to help me unload and put away all of the groceries now. I joked that all of my school shopping was done after this trip. 

After we got everything put away, the boys did a few of their daily activities while I quickly cooked dinner and got ready for my Zumba class at the church. Thankfully tonight we had power so we were able to have class! We had a great time dancing together to a shuffled playlist of my favorite songs over the past 7 years as an instructor. After class, I ran to Kroger to pick up the last of the groceries for the week and finally came home for the day. As we were unloading, I noticed that the house was really hot. I asked Adrian and the boys & they all said it had been hot all day. We quickly realized that our air conditioning wasn't working! Thankfully one of my friends had a contact for an a/c repairman so he'll be here tomorrow to help us out. After all of that excitement, we watched this week's episode of "Holey Moley" before getting the boys down for the night. Then Adrian and I watched a few episodes of "Parks & Rec" before we also headed to bed. I was exhausted from the super busy day running around!

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 5/22 - 5/28)

Friday (5/22) - Day 70 of "Corona break." We survived another week at home and it finally stopped raining today!! We all got a great night of sleep and were ready for a fun weekend. Adrian headed upstairs to work and I got the boys started on their stuff for the day. Zak had a Zoom call to say "so long" to his teacher this year so I made sure to get him online for that, since we missed one earlier this week. While he was doing that, Daniel's teachers stopped by to say "so long" to him and drop off a treat and an award for finishing 5th grade strong. Today would have been our last day of school if we were still going to the buildings. And while it was a weird end to the school year, I'm glad we had some closure today.

After the excitement of the morning, we took some time to catch our breath and then finished up what we could on our weekly bucket list for the summer. Then the boys headed upstairs to play video games and I headed out to meet some friends for a social distancing walk and chat to catch up. We had a great time walking for about an hour and catching up on what's going on with all of us ove the past 2 months. It was really hot and hard to walk with my mask on so I know I made the right choice to insist that I will not wear a mask while I am teaching Zumba. After we finished our walk, I headed to the library to return a stack of books & pick up a new one for Zak, then to Kroger to pick up our grocery order and a movie from Redbox.

When I got home, we put away the groceries together and then got dinner together for everyone. The boys then had a little bit more free time while Adrian and I cleaned up from dinner and took Rocky on a walk. Then we all settled in for a family movie night and watched Zak's pick of "Spies in Disguise." The movie was awesome, we all really loved it! I'm thankful I remembered I had the two free rentals from Redbox to be able to watch two great movies this week. When the movie was over, we got the boys to bed and then Adrian and I watched an episode of "Young Sheldon" before we also headed to bed for the night. It was a great Friday!!

Saturday (5/23) - Day 71 of "Corona break." Today is family fun day part 1 for us! Since we have a 3 day weekend, we're doing two family fun days and will push our work day to Monday. Today started a little early since I had my Zumba Toning class on Zoom this morning, but I had a great time with the ladies who joined me and we all got a great workout! After class, I came home and picked up everyone else and we headed out for our weekly walk in the park. We had planned to go to one park, but it was closed so we headed to Hannah Park in Gahanna. All 6 of us enjoyed walking around together for about an hour, especially Rocky who never gets to come out with us!

When we got home, the boys rode their bikes while Adrian and I got a few things done around the house. Then we played two of the games the boys wanted to play this week, Machi Koro Legacy (Zak won) and Escape (we won twice). In between the games, we made our art project for the week. I kept seeing people did a handprint memory mat for this quarantine so I wanted to do that to commerate this time we stayed home together for so long. I think it came out great!! After we finished with that, we gave the boys some free time and we played Gizmos (Adrian won, barely).  Then we did a little cleaning, had dinner and I got ready to head out for the night.

After dinner, I headed to my friend's house for an in person wine night, finally! There were six of us that got together and we had a blast eating, drinking and laughing together. We all stayed far away from each other and spent most of the night outside to make sure we didn't share any germs. But apparently we forgot about the social distancing so we could get a good selfie together, ha! It felt SO good to be out and together with people again, even if we weren't hugging each other like we normally would be. While I was out, Adrian hung out with the boys. They played the final game of the week, Potion Explotion (Adrian won, barely) and also spent some time watching YouTube and playing video games together. I got home around midnight and we all headed to bed for the night. It was a pretty epic day!!

Sunday (5/24) - Day 72 of "Corona break" and our second family fun day of the weekend! We all slept in then had a lazy morning getting going. The boys headed upstairs after breakfast since their video game came out with a new update today and they were eager to play. Adrian and I started playing games pretty early and spent most of the day playing. We played Carcassonne (Adrian won), Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 (we lost), Roll for the Galaxy (I won once, Adrian won once), Reef (I won) and Lords of Waterdeep (Adrian won). In between games we watched some TV and finished up last season of "Young Sheldon." It was great this year, the writers are doing a great job with this show and the characters. We also took a little bit of time to do some housework so that tomorrow won't be so overwhelming. We all stayed up until about midnight having fun and then all headed to bed for the night. It was our third great day in a row!!

Monday (5/25) - Day 73 of "Corona break." Happy Memorial Day! After the past two fun days, we had to buckle down and get our work done today. We again slept in this morning and then got moving on our work around the house. We finished a ton of stuff from the past week and our weekly chores as well. The day passed quickly while we worked. The boys helped us by doing their weekly chores and also went thru all of the stuff we picked up from their schools this week. We found a few fun art projects to hang up and also got Zak's Marco's pizza box that was never used for the fundraiser. After a great dinner together, the boys had a little bit of free time while Adrian and I finished up the rest of the stuff around the house and took a nice long walk with Rocky. We finished up the night with an episode of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" with the boys and two episodes of "Blackish" after they went to bed. It was another good day for us!!

Tuesday (5/26) - Day 74 of "Corona break." Today was back to our normal weekday routine after the amazing weekend. We all slept in and then Adrian went to work in our bedroom while the boys and I hung out around the house. We rode bikes, read and started a new puzzle this afternoon. The boys spent a lot of time playing video games and I spent some time working around the house. This afternoon I took advantage of the continued free Zumba livestreams and took a class with one of my new favorite jammers, Anna. It was super fun and a great workout, especially for my core since she's a belly dance expert!

The day passed quickly and before long it was time to make tacos for all of us to enjoy for dinner. Then I tried out the new Zumba Studio livestream service and it seemed to work great, my moves were synched with my music and it seems like it will be a lot better than Zoom. After that, we played a family game of Forbidden Island and unfortunately lost, but just barely. We finished up the day with a family movie night watching "Dr Strange" as we continue to rewatch the Avengers movies. After the movie, Adrian and I got the boys to bed, watched a few comedies from our DVR and headed to bed too. It wasn't a super exciting day, but it was productive and probably pretty common for the next 3 months.

Wednesday (5/27) - Day 75 of "Corona break." Happy 14th Anniversary to me and Adrian!!! While it doesn't look like any of our previous anniversaries, we're still hoping to make the best of it. We started our day by oversleeping so Rocky missed her scheduled day at daycare. That's OK, we obviously all needed the rest this morning. Thankfully I got up just in time to catch the Zumba mini jam livestream and learn a fun song to bring to my classes. After that, I took my giant errands list and headed out for the day. I ran what felt like 1,000 errands, including a stock up trip to Costco, dropping off and picking up things from friends' houses, Trader Joe's for wine and the weekly grocery shopping. I made it home just in time to watch the space shuttle launch with the boys...only to find out it was scrubbed because of the weather.

After unloading and putting away all of the groceries, we fed the boys dinner and then Adrian headed up to Cazualla's Mexican restaurant to pick up our dinner. We had a nice night enjoying take out fajitas, margaritas and cheesecake that I had picked up earlier from the Cheesecake Factory. We sent the boys upstairs to play video games and we played a few board games and then watched another episode of "The Good Doctor." We eventually got the boys to bed, enjoyed a few more margaritas and another episode of "The Good Doctor" and then we also headed to bed. Although it wasn't the night we would have planned, it worked out great. Here's hoping next year we aren't under quarantine!!

Thursday (5/28) - Day 76 of "Corona break." Today was another normal day around here. We all slept in a little bit and then got up and moving. Adrian headed to work upstairs and the rest of us got settled around the house. The boys played video games for a while and then we took a break and did our weekly art project. The boys each painted a water color of their favorite animal, which also took care of a merit badge requirement for AJ. AJ painted a giraffe and a Minecraft creeper, Daniel painted a gray dog and Zak painted a brown dog. 

After our art projects, we headed outside for some time on the trampoline and bike rides. After that, the boys headed back upstairs and I took a fun Zumba class with Steve, one of my favorite Zumba personalities! Then I got dinner together for everyone and started to get ready for my evening. I taught a fun Zumba class on Zoom and then we did a test with Zumba Studio from the church which failed miserably! I'm hoping I can figure out what the problem is because I would much rather use Studio than Zoom going forward. When I got home, we finished our night with the boys new favorite show "Holey Moley." After we put them to bed, we watched another episode of "The Good Doctor" before we also headed to bed. It was another pretty great day and I am very thankful for a long string of them this week!

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 1/24 - 1/30)

Friday (1/24) We made it to the end of another weird week.  We thankfully all got up and moving, even though some of us were dragging and running late.  AJ didn't want to get up so we let him sleep a little longer and I drove him today instead of him taking the bus.  Adrian helped me get everyone up and moving and then he headed into work for the day.  I dropped AJ and Daniel off at school and then came home to get Zak and myself ready for the day.  We headed into school together since I was subbing all day.  I had a pretty easy day in my class and it passed quickly.  Zak and I headed out when the day was over and ran to Kroger to pick up my order and then came home for the night.

When we got home and settled, the boys headed upstairs to play video games and I hung out with Rocky for a bit.  I was really exhausted after the week, I think I'm still recovering from being sick and my body is just tired.  I decided not to cook dinner, we just had leftovers.  Then we did a few things around the house before settling in for family movie night.  We watched "Pokemon: Power of Us" for AJ's pick this week.  It was just OK for me and Adrian, but the boys loved it!  When the movie was over, the boys headed to bed since we all have a busy day tomorrow.  Adrian and I watched one comedy and then headed to bed too since we have an early morning too.

Saturday (1/25) We were up and moving early this morning because we had a super busy day today.  We got Daniel ready first and our friend picked him up and drove him downtown for his art class.  He had a great time again and is really glad he decided to try this class.  Then I got ready and headed out to the church to teach my Zumba Toning class.  We had a great time and got a great workout in class.  While I was there, Adrian took Zak to bowling where he had an off day of bowling but still had fun.  After bowling, they went downtown to pick up Daniel & our friend who is also taking classes there and brought them home.

I came home after Zumba and got a quick lunch and shower and then headed back out to the grand opening of the new YMCA in town.  I did a Barre demo class and had so much fun teaching the format, I'm glad I decided to try it again.  And the facility is beautiful, I'm very excited to be teaching there.  After class, I ran to get a quick eyebrow wax and then finally got to Costco.  It was super crowded but I needed to do it so I'm glad I sucked it up and went.  While I did all of that, Adrian took Zak to church for basketball pictures and his shoot out fundraiser.  Zak did great and got 25 points!!  Then he took AJ to his basketball game where AJ also played great and his team finally won one!

When we all got home, we were tired, but still managed to pull together dinner and get a few things done.  Then the boys played video games for the night while Adrian and I played board games.  We played our first month of Pandemic Legacy Season 2 and won the month, and enjoyed it way more than we thought we would based on the prolouge games we played.  We also played another game of Viticulture with the Tuscany expansion pack.  It was a super close game and Adrian won by 1 point on the very last moves of the game!  We all stayed up a little later than we should have but had a fun night together!!

Sunday (1/26) We all slept in this morning after staying up late last night.  We had a relaxing morning of coffee and donuts and then headed to second service of church.  We all enjoyed the service and then stayed for our annual church meeting and lunch with our church family.  After the meeting, I dropped Adrian and the boys off at home and headed back to the new Reynoldsburg Y to teach another Barre class.  This one went much smoother than yesterday and we all had a great time.  I hung out after class to chat with some friends and am super excited about starting my weekly classes there this week.

While I was there, Adrian got the boys thru all of their weekend homework and did a bunch of work around the house.  When I got home, we worked together to finish up a few things, then cooked a delicious dinner together.  Adrian grilled steak for us while I made potatoes in my air fryer and mixed up a salad from Costco.  When we were done eating, we fed the boys and helped them finish their weekend chores, then gave them a little more video game time for the weekend.  Then we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night.  I worked around the house and got as much done as I could for the week ahead.  We also watched some of last night's SNL because we really like Adam Driver and heard he was great.  We finished up the night with a few comedies from our DVR and then headed to bed to rest up for a full week ahead!!

Monday (1/27) Back to our normal routine today.  We were all very slow moving this morning so we decided to take some extra time to rest and slept in an extra 30 minutes.  Adrian helped me get AJ and Daniel ready and then he headed out to work while I drove the boys to school.  Then I came home and got Zak and myself ready for our day.  We headed into school together since I was subbing and we both had a great day.  I had an assignment where I met with smaller groups which is a nice change of pace from teaching a full classroom.  Zak was super excited when he found me at the end of the day - he earned the personal achievement award for his class for the second quarter for his outstanding effort to improve his writing.  He was so excited and proud to show me that he earned it and we are very proud of all of his hard work!!

After school we all came home and quickly finished our homework.  Then the boys had some free time while I cooked dinner and relaxed a bit before our night activities.  After dinner, I headed out to the church to teach Zumba.  We celebrated January birthdays tonight and had an awesome 70's and 80's playlist to dance to!!  While I was there, Adrian took AJ to his Scout meeting where they did a 3 mile hike to work on finishing AJ's next rank requirements.  When we all got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and then spent some time cleaning up the kitchen.  Then we watched two episodes of "Modern Family" and headed to bed for the night.

Tuesday (1/28) We are two for two with our normal schedule so far this week!  We got up on time and Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus before he headed out to work.  Then I dropped Daniel off at school and came home to get Zak and I ready for the day.  We headed into school together and I had a great day subbing in a kindergarten class.  After school I ran Zak home then came back to school to teach Zumba to some of the teachers.  We have such a great time in that class and laugh SO much!!

After class, I came home and quickly made tacos for everyone for dinner while the boys did their homework.  Unfortunately while I was getting stuff together, our microwave died. It has lasted us about 10 years so it had a good run, but now it's time for a new one. We'll be shopping over the next few days to hopefully find one for over the stove. Then Zak and I headed out to our weekly Cub Scout meeting.  We learned about dinosaurs and played a fun game to learn about them to work towards another belt loop.  When Scouts was over, we headed home for the night.  Adrian and I got the boys thru their night routine and then down to bed for the night.  Then we finished cleaning up and watched two episodes of "Modern Family" before heading to bed too.

Wednesday (1/29) We got up and moving again on time this morning. Adrian helped me get AJ ready and on the bus and then he headed out to work. I dropped Daniel off at school then ran home to pick up Rocky and drop her off at daycare. Then I got Zak ready for his day, dropped him off at school and came home to get myself ready since it's my day "off" from working in the schools. I got my stuff for the day ready and then headed to Gahanna Y to teach my Zumba Toning and Aqua Zumba classes. They both went great and I had an awesome time with those groups as always.

I ate a quick lunch in the car as I drove over to the Reynoldsburg Y to teach my first Silver Sneakers Classic class there. I was so excited to see a few familiar faces from my days of teaching at Wesley Ridge, and heard that more will be following me there. We had a great class together and it was so good to catch up with some of those students. After class, I headed back to the schools to pick everyone up for the day, just barely making it for AJ and Daniel. I dropped everyone off at home and ran a few errands including going to Lowes to pick out a new microwave and set up our installation before heading over to pick up Rocky from daycare and then finally heading home for the day.

Adrian had Bible study tonight straight after work so the boys and I were on our own. We had dinner together and got thru all of our homework pretty easily. Then I gave the boys a little bit of free time while I cleaned up a bit from the day. When Adrian finally got home, we got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night. Then we watched a few comedies from our DVR before we also turned in for the night because we were exhausted!!

Thursday (1/30) We were not motivated to get up and moving this morning so Adrian helped me get AJ and Daniel up and moving and then he left for work. I drove both boys to school and then came home to get Zak and myself ready for our days. I dropped him off at school and then headed to the church to have a meeting to figure out a couple of things for my job there. My friend and I got the work stuff out of the way and then enjoyed just catching up as friends and boy moms. It was a very nice morning together!!  After the meeting, I headed in to sub for the afternoon. The time passed quickly and soon it was time to meet up with Zak and head home for the day. 

After school, I got the boys thru their homework and then gave them free time while I got dinner ready and got us ready for our night activities. After a quick dinner, Adrian and Zak headed out to his basketball practice and scrimmage. They had a fun night and Zak played really well. While they were there, I was also at the church teaching my Zumba class. We had a great time dancing together and got a great workout. When we all got home, we quickly got the boys thru their night routine and down to bed for the night. Then we watched a few comedies from our DVR and also headed to bed for the night. These weeks are jam packed and we are very tired trying to keep up!

Keeping Up With...Food (Meal Plan for Sept 20 - Sept 26)

 

I am super late writing this post and I almost didn't do it this week. But then I decided to go ahead and publish it even if it was late. We had a super busy weekend, I was camping all weekend with AJ and Adrian was here with the other two boys. We were all exhausted on Sunday so most of our normal weekend chores did not get done. We did what absolutely had to be done to have a successful week and everything else was pushed to either this week or next weekend.

As for my meal plan, I kept it very simple this week. In addition to being tired from the weekend, we have a few extra things on our schedule and I do not want to spend the week stressed out. We followed our plan last week and are finally caught up on leftovers. We are also doing really well keeping up with our produce from our CSA. We're getting into the fall and winter veggies which are squash that can keep for a long time. I'll be using them up but I'm letting them hang for a few weeks to make sure I'm caught up on everything else first. And we are getting breakfasts and lunches from the school so we have a ton of food from them that I can use for dinners as well. I'm considering not shopping at all in October and seeing if we can make it thru the month with what we have in the house, but not sure if I want to do that.

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Pepperoni Pizza from Jets to celebrate pepperoni pizza day!
Monday - Leftovers 
Tuesday - Beef Tacos for the boys & Shrimp Tacos for the adults, with refried beans & corn on the side
Wednesday - White Chicken Chili and Air Fried Brussels Sprouts
Thursday - Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs with Air Fried Potatoes and Cabbage Salad
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pancakes to celebrate pancake day! I'll either use a box mix or just use the frozen ones from the freezer. I have a girls night out so I'll be snacking there too so I'm thankful for something quick and easy before I head out.

Water Flavor - I'm skipping this week because I just emptied last week's water container on Tuesday and just don't think it's worth it for this week. I'll be back to it next week!

Baking - I'm doing a lot of baking this week between the holidays & my girls night out on Saturday. I'm making this cherries jubilee cake for us on Thursday for that holiday and hoping the boys will like it. And then since I can't decide what to make for Saturday night, I'm over preparing and bring too much. I'll be making Buffalo Chicken Dip to snack on plus mint brownies, white chocolate mocha cookies and salted caramel mocha cookies. I'll make a tray with a little bit of each and then leave the rest home for us to eat.

Keeping up with...Family (Weekly Wrap 9/14 - 9/20)

Monday (9/14) We got up and moving early ready to start week 3 of virtual learning. Adrian got AJ up and started and also took care of Rocky before heading upstairs to work. I got Daniel and Zak up and started on their classes for the day. We all started the day with donuts because today is cream filled donut day! While the boys were working on their school work, I worked around the house and focused on getting ready for Cub Scouts which starts tomorrow. The boys did a great job of staying focused on their work and getting all of their assignments done in between their Zoom calls. Zak and I also did a virtual tour of our state house during our lunch today. The boys were done with school before 2:00 today which was great for all of us!

When they were done with school, the boys headed upstairs and I got to work on dinner. The afternoon passed quickly and before long it was time for dinner and then our evening activities. I headed out to the church to teach my largest Zumba class since the pandemic began tonight. We had a great time, even though it was very hot in the gym! After class I headed to Kroger to pick up my order for the week and then headed home to put the groceries away. While I was out, Adrian took AJ to his Scout meeting where they planned our campout for this weekend, got ready to start selling popcorn and did a few other planning activities. When we all got home, we watched an episode of "Series of Unfortunate Events" together and then the boys headed to bed for the night. Adrian and I watched another 2 episodes of "Parks & Rec" while having our snacks and then headed to bed as well. It was a good start to our week!

Tuesday (9/15) We got up and moving on time again today, even though it's early to get to virtual classes it's not as early or as crazy as it would be if we had to get to the actual schools. Adrian got AJ and Rocky up and ready for the day and then headed to work for the day. I got ready and then got Daniel and Zak up and ready for the day. All three boys logged in and did a great job and doing all of their schoolwork today. They stayed focused and even got a few extra things done like Scout requirements and chores. And they were able to finish up a little earlier than planned. When they were done, they made paper plate top hats to celebrate "Make a Hat Day" before they headed upstairs to play video games.

After they left, I did a fun Zumba class online with Loretta Bates. This is the first time since we started school that I have had time to jump into a live class, or even do a workout at all! After the class, I started getting ready for our night. I made tacos for everyone and then got Zak and myself ready to head out to our first Cub Scout meeting in over 6 months. We are Bears now and I'm excited for another year as the leader of this group. We had a lively meeting, it was clear the kids haven't been around each other in months! We played a few games and then just let the kids run around and catch up. It was great to be around both the kids and the parents, I've missed them all!

When we got home, we got ready for family movie night. It was Daniel's pick and instead of a movie, he picked to watch a few episdoes of "Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events." He really likes that series but the rest of us think it's just OK so we don't watch it consistently. So Daniel decided to wanted to binge some of the episodes and we finished season 2 last night. It's still not a great show, but it did get a little more interesting in season 2. It also got a little more scary and gory which I didn't think was necessary. We have one more season left to finish the series, we'll probably start it later this week. When we were done watching the 3 episodes, we got the boys to bed and watched one episode of "Parks and Rec" to continue trying to finish that series by the end of the month. Then we headed to bed, I was exhausted after a busy day!

Wednesday (9/16) We got to sleep in a little today since we don't have any scheduled Zooms today. We eventually got up and moving in time to be ready for Patrick to be dropped off. We didn't have the best start to our morning though. I came down to find our watermelon had burst opened and leaked all over our counter. While I was cleaning that up, Patrick got here and Rocky knocked the gate over trying to get to him. Then soon after AJ went to get online and his computer would not boot up. Thankfully most of these were easy fixes, except AJ's computer. Adrian is working on that and AJ used Daniel's computer after he was done with school for the day as a work around for now.

Patrick and Daniel finished their school work super quickly and started playing Beyblades while the other two boys worked. Zak did a great job with his work today, getting 100% on his first spelling test and doing a great job on his first writing assignment. Late in the morning, I had Zak's IEP meeting with the team from school and everyone is impressed and encouraged by his progress in school. He still has some work to do with his speech and his handwriting so we'll be focusing on that for this school year. While I was on the Zoom call, the boys all played nicely together and waited until I was done to ask for video games for the rest of the day. They all played here while they chatted on the phone with another friend who was playing with them at the same time. While they were playing, I ran out to do a few errands including picking up our free food from the school for the week.

The day passed quickly while everyone kind of did their own thing. I got all of our food items stored and then finally started on our dinner for the night. Adrian worked late and then finally had time to work on AJ's computer. We were supposed to have a date night tonight, but since we needed to focus on the computer that was cancelled. Thankfully it was because I got called to work at the church for an hour when the person who was supposed to work for me didn't show up. After we all finished all of that craziness, Adrian and I took Rocky on a quick walk and then got the boys started on their night routine. We watched the next episode of "Cobra Kai" with them and then got them to bed. Then we finished cleaning up from dinner, made our snacks and watched two episodes of "Parks & Rec" before heading to bed too. It wasn't a great Wednesday, hoping for a better Thursday!

Thursday (9/17) We got up and moving early again today. Adrian helped AJ get set up and thankfully his computer seems to be working again. Then he dropped Rocky off at daycare and came back and headed upstairs to work. Cameron got here and he and Daniel started school for the day while Zak was the only one who was able to sleep in a little and then get ready for school. We had our first meltdown during school today when Zak couldn't figure out how to log in for his STAR testing, but thankfully his teacher is a rock start and talked us thru it on a personal Zoom call later in the morning. Other than that hiccup, the day went pretty smoothly and everyone got online when they needed to and finished their work early. In between classes and after they were done for the day, Daniel, Zak and Cam built a giant trick track to play Beyblades on. They were spinning them down the stairs on the track and into a stadium at the bottom of the stairs. They had a blast and it was so good to hear all of the laughter coming from them. 

After Cam was picked up for the day, the boys played some video games until dinner time. I ran to pick Rocky up from daycare and then we all had an easy dinner of leftovers or frozen food from the school lunches. Then I headed out to teach my Zumba Toning class at the church. We had a great class and got an awesome workout! I had a few other small things to do at church so it was late when I got home. We started our night routine with the boys and all watched the last episode of "High Score" which was an interesting documentary on Netflix. The boys really enjoyed learning more about the history of video games. When theat was over, we got them to bed for the night and watched two more episodes of "Parks and Rec" before we also headed to bed for the night. It has been an exhausting week!

Friday (9/18) We survived another week and boy was this a long one! We were all up on time and in better moods than we have been for the past few days. Adrian got AJ up and started and then headed upstairs for work. I helped Daniel get ready and when Cameron got here, they both got started for the day. Zak got up last again which is great because he really needed the sleep and got started on time for his classes as well. Everyone had a full day of Zoom meetings and assignments, but they managed to squeeze in some Beyblade battles and trampoline time. Daniel was super excited because he finally learned how to set up his drums during band today and they will start playing next week. Everyone did a great job of being online when they needed to be and getting all of their work done. I'm proud of them for rallying after a rough few days this week!

After school was done for the day, the four boys headed upstairs to play video games for a bit. After Cameron got picked up, AJ and I started getting ready for our mother son camping trip this weekend. We packed up and then the 5 of us had cheeseburgers for dinner to celebrate cheeseburger day! Then AJ and I headed out to meet his Scout troop to head to Caldwell for the campout. We got to the cabin around 8pm and quickly set up camp, tent for AJ and bunk bed for me. We hung out with the other Scouts and families for a few hours, had a snack of cookies and pretzel bites and then had an early lights out since we have a jam packed day planned for tomorrow. 

Saturday (9/19) AJ and I were up early in the cold morning on the farm. He and the other Scouts cooked us breakfast, bacon and pancakes. After we finished that, we bundled up and headed outside to learn how to tie knots and how to make rope. The Scouts did a good job of explaining that to the moms and letting us see some of what they are learning. Then we built a fire together and the Scouts cooked us "Pioneer Pizza" which was like a Hot Pocket but over the campfire. After lunch we cleaned up and then headed out for our afternoon activities. We did a compass course where AJ did a great job of teaching me how to use a compass and we were the only team to get 2 answers correct out of the 5 problems we had.

After the compass course, we got our supplies together and headed out for a hike up the mountain on the backside of the farm property. It was a pretty steep hike, but we made it up. We found tracks of some deer that we took plaster molds of. We also saw some interesting plants and folliage and learned a little about the history of the farm. When we were done, we headed into the Creek to look for more tracks and found some raccoon tracks for more plaster molds. By then my ankle was bothering me and we were all worn out so we took some time to just relax. I read my book on the porch with my ankle elevated while AJ played on his phone for a bit and then played capture the flag with the other Scouts.

After a break, the Scouts got started on dinner. They made us spaghetti and meatballs and salad and everything was delicious. After dinner, the Scouts worked on their Scouts while the moms enjoyed some chatting around the campfire. The Scouts did a great job on their funny skit and when it was over, we enjoyed cheesecake, apple dump cake and smores for dessert. Then the Scouts headed back out to play capture the flag in the dark while the adults chatted around the fire. We headed inside around 9pm for a little more snacking and chatting before calling lights out at 10pm because we were all exhausted from a fantastic day together.

While AJ and I were enjoying all of that time, Adrian was home with the other two boys.  He took Zak to bowling where he improved greatly from last week! He got his first strike without the bumpers and his scores were all 40 or higher. Our friends from church who are doing the same league gifted Zak their old ball so he is super excited to have his own bowling ball. After bowling, they came home and had lunch then headed out to Urban Air for their field trip this week. They had fun bouncing and playing on the ninja course there and all came home exhausted.

Daniel's friend Ethan came over in the afternoon for a sleep over. The boys played video games together for while then took a break to have pizza for dinner. After dinner, they went back to video games while Adrian worked around the house. They wanted to stay up late and while trying to let them do that, Adrian fell asleep on the couch. So they ended up staying up until about 4:30 in the morning. Adrian woke up then and found them all still awake and playing video games. He put all three of them to bed then so they would get a little bit of sleep over night. They are going to always want Adrian to be in charge of sleepovers, I make them go to bed way earlier than he did!!

Sunday (9/20) AJ and I were up early for our last morning at camp. He cooked breakfast with the other Scouts and we all enjoyed scrambled eggs, cinnamon buns and leftover dump cake. After breakfast, we broke camp and packed up all of our stuff. We took some final pictures, made sure the camp was clean and headed on our way back home. AJ & I had a great time together, but boy were we tired after all of that outside and work!! We drove home pretty quietly and are looking forward to sleeping in our own beds tonight.

As suspected, everyone at the house slept in really late since they were up until all hours of the night. Ethan and Daniel finally got up around 11:30 and went right back to playing video games. Zak slept until after noon and we finally woke him up so he'll be ready to go to sleep today. The boys enjoyed pancakes for breakfast and a lot of video game time before Ethan's dad picked him up around 2:00. After he left, we got to work around the house, as best we could since we were all exhausted from our weekend. We made sure everyone finished everything they needed to get done for school first, then did our weekly cleaning of the house.

While we were working around the house, we had football on in the background. It's so nice to have the RedZone channel again, we love having that on and knowing what's going on in all of the games. When it seemed like both the Jets and Cowboys were going to lose, we decided to take a break from working and go out to get our weekly ice cream. We went to Dairy Hut for the last time this season since they close next week. I'm so glad we did this weekly ice cream trip and have been exploring different places, this is one of our favorites for sure! We look forward to coming back in the spring, hopefully outside and not as a drive thru like this year.

After we got home, we gave AJ some free time and we played Flip Ships with Daniel and Zak. We just barely won, thanks to Adrian hitting the mother ship multiple times! When the game was over, it was time for pepperoni pizza for dinner and then a little bit of free time for everyone. We finished up the absolutely necessary things on our to do list and then just relaxed the rest of the night. We watched two episodes of "Cobra Kai" with the boys, we are all loving this series! Then after we got them to bed, earlier than usual, we watched two episodes of "Parks & Rec" before we also headed to bed, earlier than usual. It was a fun weekend but we'll be recovering all week from the lack of sleep!