For real, the weather in Iowa lately. It's been rainy and cold. We seemed to have skipped right over fall and went into winter. We broke out the winter coats, shopped for new ones since the minis seem to think it's cool to keep growing, and stocked up on hats, gloves, and snow pants. For the third weekend in a row, we stayed home on Sunday. Towards the end of summer, the minis have been requesting to stay home more and more on the weekends. That's usually difficult for me, as the weekends are my chance to get out of the house! However, with our cold, rainy weather, it's been easier to say 'yes' to staying home on Sunday. Plus, Saturday was kind of crazy.
Friday night Hubs and I went out with friends for drinks while the minis spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa. As usual, we ended our night out with a shopping trip to the grocery store. This is how most date nights end with us. When we grocery shop with our kids it's all about efficiency, how quickly we can get in and out, while displaying to our children how one should act in public. When it's just the two of us, we tend to crack immature jokes in the toilet paper aisle. It's just a little more laid back than a run to the store with the kids.
Then came Saturday. The day I ran ALL around town from early morning until evening. Elizabeth decide she wanted to do the Christmas recital at her dance studio. This means practice every Saturday morning for an hour (in addition to her Wednesday night dance lessons). I woke up early on this first Saturday to pick the kids up from my parents, except I only picked up the one because the boys still wanted to stay.
So, I drove Lil Miss E to the dance studio expecting a two hour practice, only to be told it was just an hour. I had fully planned on dropping her off, grabbing a quick breakfast, and heading home to get ready for the day. Instead I had to settle for gas station coffee and a granola bar while I sat at the studio in my pajamas (no bra either) listening to the other parents around and pretending to be busy on my phone. I'm prepared for the coming weeks though....you'll still find my in pj's but I'll at least have my computer with me for working!
I sipped my extremely hot coffee while watching my daughter perfect her "reindeer trot" during Santa Baby. Then, I had just enough time to head home, get ready for the day, and inspect my husband's progress on new window installation. While I spent my day running to and from places, Hubs put in new windows for our 67 year old house. The plan was to lay Elizabeth down for a nap and head to the Children's Museum so I could get some work done for programming. However, Elizabeth requested to go back to Grandma and Grandpa's to hang out with the boys. So back to Grandma's we went. From there it was a blur of errand running, gift shopping, and email sending (27 emails sent in one hour. Boom!) before heading back to my parents to get the kids, drop the boys off at home to "help" with the last of the window installation (which really turned into playing with neighborhood friends), and run Elizabeth to a friend's birthday party. Like I said, a day spent running here, there, and everywhere.
I did have an hour to myself in Target while Elizabeth was at the birthday party. I probably should have found a nearby spa instead, but Target is a close second. After picking up Miss E, we stopped at Tasty Taco's and brought dinner home to "our boys" (as Elizabeth calls them). When the minis asked to watch a show after dinner to wind down, I happily obliged. I'm not used to a full day of running all around like that!
Sunday was a slow start and a day spent at home. Hubs had (and still has) to put up the trim around the new windows, but of course, as soon as we got moving for the day the rain, sleet, and snow came. The minis and I cleaned the daycare room and did a toy rotation. In the afternoon, the minis were busy playing in the snow and with neighbor friends, so I took advantage of my time and did some daycare prep and writing.
These fall days have been so wet and cool that I really have enjoyed our Sunday's at home. It's also given me time to get things done that need done, but I rush through doing them. I say these days at home are relaxing, they only are to a certain extent. I've found we have PLENTY to keep ourselves going all day long on these days at home. While I much prefer to be out of the house and doing new things (or the things we love), I do hope the minis will remember these (few) Sunday's at home, spent in our warm house, football on the TV, goodies, soups, and chilis being cooked in the kitchen, and pj's all day long.
The cat was really confused as to why were we outside and he wasn't.
The oldest mini was looking out the window when he discovered it was sleeting/hailing. Then it turned to snow (nothing that stuck to the ground) and the boys instantly went outside to catch snowflakes. Meanwhile, Elizabeth made herself hot chocolate and sat on the couch indoors and watched the boys.
Monday morning sensory bin of noodles and eyeballs!