The week started off slow. The kids and I definitely needed to wind-down from the busy weekend. On Monday we ran some errands and hung around the house. We went to the library and to Walmart. Travis picked out his lunch box for first grade (Spidey). He spent his own money to buy a new monster truck. Then it was home to do a test run on the kitchen cabinets. I am going to try my hand at painting them. Right now they are a medium brown laminate. I will reveal the finished product when they are all done.
On Tuesday I did a little more work on the cabinets and I think I like how they look. I am on the fence as to if I am going to distress them a little or not. I guess I should try it out on the two doors I am using as a prototype, huh?
After lunch I took the kids over to a friend's house. Travis and Jack are friends from kindergarten and I have gotten to know his family a bit. He has two younger sisters, one of whom is just a bit older than Chelsea. They all played together in the wading pool. Then the boys played with their monster trucks and Chelsea and Miranda played together. They were so funny. The discussed nail polish and dolls and must have been entertaining each other fairly well because there was a lot of giggling. It was so darned cute to see Chelsea with a little playmate.
Tuesday night John and Chelsea went out for ice cream. I really wanted to go, also. But, Travis wanted to ride his bike instead (I think I got the wrong kid at the hospital...no kid of mine should be turning down ice cream!). Travis rode up and down the hill. At one point he hit a bump and his wheels left the ground. It took a few years off my life to see him do that. Luckily he didn't get hurt.
Chelsea decided her date with dad was cause to dress in high-fashion. And no fashionable lady goes without her frog boots. John convinced her that she would be too warm in them and had her put on sandals (CHICKEN!)
On Wednesday Chelsea had her first ever girl sleepover with her cousin Gwyn and Grandma BJ. They spent a lot of time dressing up and putting on make up and doing their nails. Chelsea loved it!!!
Ronald McDonald, is that you??? No, Chelsea just found out how pretty lipstick can be!
Because Chelsea was going to a slumber party, I decided to let Travis have a sleep-over of his own. He had Tyler and Alli sleep over from up the street. I didn't realize it, but I guess I didn't take one picture of the night. Maybe because my son banished me to my room by telling me that they needed some "kid time".
On Thursday it was my 37th birthday. Happy birthday to me! The kids and I went with Tyler and Alli and family to the Ecotarium (forgot the camera again!) which is a science museum in the area. They don't have a ton of exhibits, but they do have a train that my son is determined to to drive someday. Chelsea and I only stayed for a little while and then went home so she could nap. Travis stayed with his friends and come home a little later.
My mom, grandmother and friends Leslie, Kieran, and their two kids Aidan and Delaney came to dinner. My hubs cooked my favorite pasta and chicken dish and we had cheesecake for a birthday cake. As I was the birthday girl, I declared this little soiree a "camera-free" zone. Leslie, Kieran, and I went out for drinks after and met our friends Michele and Jay. It was good to be with all adults...and talk about adult things (OUR KIDS). At one point we started laughing because we were discussing potty training our daughters and what kind of underwear our sons prefered...needless to say the conversation was riveting! Lots of laughs. Lots of fun. And a perfect night for it. I only wish my husband could have come with us, but we didn't make arrangements for a babysitter since it was a pretty impromptu thing.
Today is Friday. We were supposed to go to a local zoo with friends. It poured for most of the day. We still spent the day with Travis's friend Brandon, his big sis Briana, and their mom. We adjusted the plans and after some discussion, settled on lunch at a McDonalds with a Playland and a round of indoor mini golf.
Here are the kids posing at McDonalds. The kids climbed and ran around and Jen and I chatted and caught up. And we all had fun. This was pretty much the only time they stayed still today.
We headed a few towns over to Monster Golf. It is an indoor mini-golf place with spooky glow-in-the-dark decor. It is pretty cool actually. Here are some pictures of the course and some of the friends we made along the way.
Briana and Chelsea pose for a picture. The big white smear across Chelsea's belly are the little daisies on her dress. They glowed.
Travis and Brandon took time to have their picture taken. Then they proceeded to be grumpy every time things didn't go their way. Travis was mad that he didn't get to go first on two holes. Brandon was mad at one point and refused to play. Chelsea danced her way through the place and Briana had a great time getting low numbers on each hole. The music is pretty good...lots of 80s stuff. It was the fastest game of golf ever because we weren't real strict about the rules. It actually looked a little more like hockey than golf at some points.
Jen and I left the golf course a little frazzled and decided to call it a day. We made a quick run to Target and headed home. The kids were bushed and ready to relax a little, as were we.
The last week of July is at an end. For me that always means that it is time to start thinking about going into my classroom and getting everything back together for the upcoming year. I will miss my stint at being a stay-at-home mom, but there is a certain excitement about the new school year. I definitely have a lot of work to do before my first graders come knocking on my door. I just need to work effectively so I can still enjoy what is left of my summer!
