It is Sunday afternoon, and I am just blissful with the way that my weekend turned out. It has been the first weekend in a very long time that I was just at peace and happy. The long winter weather and the recent flu had really started to put me in a funk. But the sunshine gave me some added energy and I truly enjoyed the weekend.
Friday evening started off nicely. I dropped the 11-year old off at the friend's house and I joined a few friends for a Pampered Chef party. It was nice to hand off the parental baton to the hubby and spend an evening doing nothing child related. That may sound selfish, but with 3 children, I rarely have any 'me' time, let alone adult time. I learned at the party that pre-shredded cheese has been coated with cardboard to keep it from sticking/lumping back together....HMMMM, I decided at that moment that I would only buy blocks of cheese and shred them myself from now on. It may be more work, but it is cheaper and healthier.
I got back home around 9:00 and the hubby had put the baby to bed for me, which was FABULOUS NEWS.....but I had 3 hours to kill before picking up the 11-year old from the skating rink. I knew that I did not dare sit down and watch TV, as I would fall asleep and perhaps forget to pick my child my up....so I cleaned house. My son going skating ended up being a blessing in disguise, as I got almost my entire house cleaned on Friday night....minus the loud stuff. I have discovered a new purpose for Friday night! Pretty sad, but that is my life!
The husband went to bed early....as he was getting up at 3:00 a.m. to go hunting! (CRAZY)
Saturday morning was pleasant, but I was tired. After staying up so late on Friday, 6:30 a.m. came pretty early, but I had a full day ahead of me, so we got around and made the most of the SUNSHINE! I opened up the windows and the sliding glass door and let the fresh air envelop my entire house. It was wonderful. I finished up the house work, including some laundry. We headed out around 11:30 to grab some lunch and then attend a basketball tournament that the Tech College was sponsoring. The two youngest kiddos had a blast, running around and playing with the other children. The oldest help run the concession stand and he had fun hanging out with some 'college' kids; plus he clocked in 3 hours of community service. We took a brief break from the B.B. Tourney to attend a baby shower for a friend. It was at a country church about 10 miles from town, so we had a nice drive in the country. I should have just dropped off my gift and left, but we stayed for cake and punch. The 4-year old was still wound up from the B.B. Tourney, so he wanted to run wild through the church. Luckily they had a playroom for him and another little girl to play in. We stayed about an hour and then headed back into town. The baby fell asleep on the drive home, so we stopped by the tourney to pick up the oldest kiddo and then headed home for some quiet time. The kiddos played nicely together, while I finished up laundry and just relaxed a little.
Late afternoon/evening rolled around, so I threw some chicken and potatoes in the oven. The neighbor lady had her grandchildren over, so we went next door and played with the other kiddos. Seth had a blast. It was still warm and the wind had calmed down, so we enjoyed the evening outside. Hubby got home around 6:30 p.m. after a LONG day of hunting. We ate supper, the 4-year old was asleep by 8:00, and the baby was asleep by 8:30. I spent a little time researching the Internet for grocery ads and sale items and worked on my grocery list and menu for the week. I turned in early, as it had been a long day. Oh, the 11-year old left right before dinner to spend the rest of the weekend with his grandparents, so it was pretty quiet in the house.
We awoke Sunday to another warm, yet windy day. After a nice breakfast, we all went outside to play. We introduced the baby to bubbles. She was a little scared of them. She tends to be pretty shy and a little scared to try new things. Her personality is completely different from her active brothers, who have NO FEAR and don't know a stranger. She usually buries her face into mommy's chest whenever a stranger talks to her. The neighbor's grandchildren were back outside, we played with them for a little while again. After those kiddos went home, the baby took a nap and the 4-year old and Mommy ventured out to do some shopping.
We stopped by Payless Shoes for the BOGO sale. I was super proud at how well behaved he was the 4-year old was in the shoe store. Then we went to Aldi's and Dillon's for about two weeks worth of groceries. (Again the 4-year behaved nicely) I had researched the ads and made my first attempt to do some budget grocery shopping. With the price of gas on the rise, everything else we consume has increased in price; not to mention taxes, so our budget has gotten a little tighter these days. Feeding a growing family of 5 can get pretty pricey, so if I can pinch a few penny's and shop the sale ads, I think I need to make this a weekly ritual. I have had two different friends tell me that they do this weekly and that it really does save them money. I am still shocked that a gallon of milk was priced between $3.60 and $4.26. That is outrageous!!! I think these people who keep raising the price of oil and gas need to try and live on my salary for a year and realize that this economy is really hardest on the middle-class working families. We don't qualify for any assistance (not that I would accept it anyways), but we struggle month to month to just stay above water and keep our checkbooks outta the red, while working full time jobs and being productive, responsible, and respectable members of society and contributing to our communities....also while being positive role models to our children. For me, I don't have a nanny or a maid. Nor do I have a criminal record. I am just the average American woman...trying to maintain a happy and loving home for my family.
Anyways, after unloading the groceries and making a quick lunch for the family, I am off to take a little nap and prepare myself for the thunderstorms and then snow that has been forecasted for the next two days. Thank You to mother nature for the brief break from the nasty weather. The sunshine was wonderful and renewed my spirit and energy.
On a final note, the hubby just called me into the living room. He was watching some cheerleading competition on the TV. My 13-month old daughter was standing there, clapping and bouncing up and down. You Go Girl.....she is going to be a dancer/cheerleader type. She is following after her mommy...which pleases me to no end!
