I live for weekends, really

Here is a boring start to a blog post: Had a nice weekend. It didn't really feel like 3 days (I took Friday off for one of the school's random "no school" days), since Saturday was a wash, spent at the Archdiocesan middle school Honor Band/Chorus Festival with Alex, but that was fun in its own way (more below). Friday was great and Sunday was... normal, with some good afternoon cooking/baking, which I haven't gotten to do in WEEKS.

So, Friday dawned (but I didn't dawn with it, until I wanted to, which was about 7:30) bright and sunny. Temps have been in the 70s for several days now, almost a little TOO warm, but still - warm! The first thing Kate wanted to do was make a list of the things we needed to do that day (a girl after my own heart)! So while we ate breakfast, she wrote:
-Homework (Alex) and Cougar Mall poster
-clean out draws (drawers)
-Staples for new crayons
-Kohl's - summer clothes for WinShape
-trampoline
-make dinner

Pretty cute. She dreamed up that she "needed" new crayons late on Thursday - maybe even as she was falling asleep - but I'm pretty much a sucker for new crayons so I let her. We found a box of 120 colors for $7.50. I wish it was mine. ;) Anyway, we got the homework done first, then moved on to cleaning out the clothes drawers. Both kids needed a BIG purge of old/too small/winter stuff, so I was going back and forth from bedroom to bedroom while the two of them tried on and then tossed on the floor. We have TON of clothes ready to give away (or sell - I'm trying to decide if I want to post them on the local Facebook sale page). I was surprised that we got finished by about 11, which was exactly my goal. Off to shop!

Great deals at Kohl's for both of them; we realized that Kate needed longer, looser shorts for her first time at WinShape (sleepaway camp) this year. They have a good-Christian-girl dress code and her typical summer "uniform" of super-mini-skirts, tank tops and bike shorts, does not meet the standard. None of it. Heh. We found her some appropriate shorts and tees, (some from her hand-me-downs bins and some we bought), and of course a new pair of flip flops, just because. Alex has been growing, so he was in dire need of some new shorts and shirts, as well. I think he got 4 pairs of shorts, 4 new shirts, and new flip flops, too. I saved as much as I spent, according to the receipt, so that felt good. And just good to have them outfitted a bit. I feel like I never get to shop properly for their clothes - partly because they wear uniforms for school - so it made me feel like a Good Mom. ;)

And THEN: the KIDS chose Poblano's Mexican Grill for lunch! I had nothing to do with it! They saw it, we'd never been there, and they suggested it! WOOP! I am training them right, after all. It was yummy (but maybe not the highest quality Mexican food, as I didn't really feel well in the afternoon). I resisted the temptation to have a beer or margarita, but we did eat outside which is my 2nd favorite "out to eat" thing. 1. Mexican food, 2. Eating Outside. SO HAPPY.

When we got home, we jumped on the trampoline (mommy too, which was a mistake because my knee was sore all the next day, DUMB 42-year-old body), and then I napped while Kate read a book for 30 minutes and Alex played on his DS. YES, I NAPPED! That made it a perfect day off.

I have to tell you about Saturday, even though it's past time for me to get to WORK. Alex was chosen for the Archdiocesan Honor Band festival with several of his classmates. He's been playing clarinet this year and I'm SO EXCITED about it - moreso than he, probably. Lately he's really gotten better, helped by the fact that he has a better instrument. (He was using a donated one from the school, but it gave out, so we rented him a newer one.) Anyway, I want so much for him to enjoy playing, and this was an opportunity. It was all day, 8 to 5, and boy, did we feel it. I volunteered to chaperone. Met some nice moms from other Catholic schools nearby, and enjoyed listening to the kids with their guest clinician. It would have been great if it had been planned just a LITTLE better. As it was, the kids were kind-of stuck in the cafeteria ALL DAY, with very few breaks and almost NO time outdoors (and it was a lovely day, so that was a shame). They all said it was a "hard" day, and some of them said "boring." But they learned a lot, I think, and the concert at 4:00 pm on a real stage was a nice reward for their work.

When we got home after dinner I was WIPED OUT, even though I didn't do much. Moved some chairs around, maybe, but I was stationed at "first aid" so mostly I sat there. But the energy expenditure, I guess, made me really tired.

Our Sunday was the normal kind, minus one hour. The females of us were unreasonably grumpy for a bit. Me included. I'm apologizing here - there was no reason for it and I hated feeling it, but I did. Eh, it happens. We all survived, I suppose. Got through a game of Apples to Apples as a FAMILY. I like Daylight Savings, though. I especially like Sunday afternoons on Daylight Savings. They seem more relaxed, somehow. I spent some time in the kitchen and made tomato-basil soup, that 2-ingredient Angel Food/Pie Filling cake (that Shawn LOVED, wahoo!), and a weight watchers Whole Wheat Penne Pasta recipe that was delicious, I thought. Too bad I could only have one reasonable serving (Lent!).

That's my recap. I know Mom and Dad are having fun on a road trip (they're making retirement look awfully fun), and I have a lot of summer planning to do (upcoming post) this week and next. It's Time to Panic About Summer™!