Our weekend + a recipe

Another weekend on the books and it was a good one.

We had the Fall Festival at Connor’s daycare on Saturday and unlike most Saturdays in recent memory, the weather was perfect.  Connor’s class and one other sat in a semi-circle while their teachers sang a song.  Connor had some performance anxiety but luckily the McHusband was there to help.

Other than those few minutes of unhappiness, Connor had a blast and we appreciated the school coming together on a weekend for all of their attendees’ and their families.

Connor’s school is only a mile or so from our house and since the festival took place at the same time as my normal Saturday-morning class at the Y, I decided to run home afterward.  It was a great afternoon for it and I was very glad it worked out for me to “do it all” that morning.

When I got home, the McHusband was talking to the buyer of the Magnum, who eventually drove away in the car.  He is on a roll with the sale of our cars since this is the third time the first person to look at and drive the car has bought it.

We went to a couples’ baby shower Saturday evening and were home in time to Connor to bed at his normal time, and then I pretty much went to bed at my normal weeknight time as well.  I was tired and looked forward to catching up on my sleep a little.

Sunday was our day to play catch-up from all the playing we did on Saturday.  Connor and I got groceries, then while he napped I tried a Pinterest tip for cleaning my shower.  More on how that worked out soon.

Connor has decided that his favorite snack – or “nack” as he calls it – is raisins straight from the container.  So, yeah, keep that in mind if you come over here and we offer you some.

He had to fuel up for all his yardwork.  As soon as he heard the McHusband start up his mower, he got excited and ran to the door to the garage yelling, “Guide!” which is how he says “outside.”  Luckily the McHusband just so happened to be in need of an apprentice.

While the boys used the mower to move leaves off the grass and into the natural areas, I did some cleaning inside.  I don’t have good toy storage in the den yet so I am struggling with having them all just kinda piled in the corner.  I do have a basket, but what happens is Connor only plays with what’s showing. So I went through the basket and took some meant for younger kids out and put some others on a table in the den so Connor will see them and can easily access them.

Finally, we wrapped up our day with this Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole, which was very good.  I’m already looking forward to my leftovers for lunch today!

So there you have it, our weekend in a nutshell.  Hope everyone else had a nice one as well!

{Recipe}

How time flies!

Ten years ago, on a beautiful fall day, I became a McWife.

My car-loving McHusband searched for the custom-made Ford garter I had up my sleeve dress, and we partied the night away with our friends and family.

The evening wound down, and we ran through flower petals to the fancy getaway car that the McInlaws surprised us with, embarking on what has become the journey of our lifetime so far.

And there’s no one else I’d rather be traveling with.  Happy Anniversary, McHusband!  I love you!

A little weekend recap

After a week of beautiful weather, Saturday was a mess.  It rained alllllll day.  I did get out to the Y for my class in the morning and it was a great way to start my day.  On the way home, I saw the sign about the Open House at the fire station so I got to the house, picked up the boys, and we headed back up the road to check out the fire engines.

From there, we got some pizza for lunch then got Connor a haircut – his fifth!  He had a Dum Dum while the lady snipped away so he wasn’t bothered at all by what was happening to his head.

Home for a nap (Connor) and a shower (me) then some house stuff like all the boys working on some items on the to-do list.  The McHusband sure is lucky to have such willing and obviously able helpers.

We woke up to sunshine and blue skies on Sunday.  What a nice change of pace from the day before.  Nothing too exciting for us yesterday: a walk, grocery shopping, laundry, yardwork, and Cooking Light’s Shepherd’s Pie for dinner.  All the ordinary things that we do on a normal weekend day but somehow they add up to something a little bit special: our day together as a family.

Sheesh, mushy much?

Hope everyone else was able to find something special in their weekends, too.

PS  Happy Birthday to Owen today!

Surprise!

I almost had a really big surprise waiting for me when I got home from work on Friday.

The McHusband had found my car – the same one I’m driving now – but in the really pretty blue color that I prefer.  It was at a dealership in VA and he asked about it then told me that it already had a buyer.

Darn.

Well, in reality, he was throwing me off so he could go up to the dealership, check the car out, buy it, and drive it home so when I tried to pull into my spot in the garage, I’d find that pretty blue car with a big red ribbon and bow on it.

How fun would that be?  For both of us (but especially for me).

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out.  The car’s exterior wasn’t up to our McStandards and with that beautiful blue paint color, we wanted it looking great.

I had to share all that because the McHusband deserves credit for his intentions.  I can’t believe he went to all that trouble – the research, the planning, the day off work – to surprise me with a car.  I wish it had worked out, for both of us, but it was still amazing to know that he tried to do this for me.

I have a pretty awesome husband, don’t I?

All is not lost though.  Kevin, the McHusband’s brother, found another blue TL Type S for sale by a private seller in Nevada.  It looks like that car may just have my name on it.

Keep your fingers crossed that this one works out.

Long time no blog

I needed this long weekend.  And the entire month of August plus a week of September.  The move to the new house took its toll.  There was just so much to do that I didn’t have the energy, mentally, to live the life I did before we moved.  But I started feeling more like myself last week and the long weekend helped tremendously.  I was able to be productive around the house, but I tempered it with enough downtime to feel rested.  Connor had his moments, both challenging and rewarding, but thankfully he ended it on the latter note.

We didn’t have any social plans this weekend unless you count touring Terry, Vickie, and Zachary through the house.  In the spirit of the Labor Day cookout, the McHusband and I grilled turkey burgers on Sunday and enjoyed our new porch furniture and lights.

Monday was more of the same: long walk, house stuff, and hanging with Connor.  The added bonus was baking cookies (see, I told you I’m feeling more like myself), visiting Heather who is recovering from some surgery, and the McHusband bathing Monte, who was waaaaay past stinky.

I have Connor’s 18-month post written and hope to get it published this week with some pictures.  Don’t come here every day looking for something new and interesting (or even just one of those), but check in once a week or so.  I hope to resume a semi-regular blogging schedule.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

My weekend with Connor

The McHusband spent this past weekend in Myrtle Beach with a couple of his friends.  It was his annual guys’ vacation, and I’m happy to say he returned with all appendages still attached.  No shark excitement this weekend, thank goodness.

I went out with some girlfriends Friday night.  We had dinner and saw Magic Mike XXL.  As much as I wish I could say it was awesome, the movie was a little disappointing.  Not enough dancing and, let’s face it, this group of guys wasn’t put together primarily for their acting.  Also, the dancing that was in the movie?  It was just way too dirty, too…sexual.  It wasn’t fun enough.

But maybe that’s just me.  The women in the movie certainly seemed to be having a great time.

Connor and I stuck close to home the rest of the weekend, venturing out only to Walmart, on walks, and to the patio out back.

Connor helped me reorganize my cupcake pans.

He played in his fancy water table and, ever the gentleman, kept the hose from getting me wet.

Connor enjoyed some Greek yogurt and the subsequent facial.

He even got some work done.

Finally, he went to Mars and back in my laundry basket.  Looks like he had a good trip, huh?

It was nice getting the quality time with him.  I’m not saying a break wouldn’t have been good, but we had fun most of the time AND I got some stuff done around the house.  Can’t really ask for much more.

Happy Monday!

Thursday ramblings

My favorite part of my weekdays is when I pick Connor up from daycare.

Ashley says that most days, from the time the first kid gets picked up, Connor starts in with his “Momomomomom” and hangs out by the front door looking out the windows next to it.  He understands that I will be there soon to get him and is looking forward to it.

Hold on a minute, I need to recover from my burst heart.

When I come through the door, he’s usually playing in one of two places, but when he sees or hears me, he comes “running” wearing a big smile, singing my favorite song: the “Momomom song.”

It is hard to be away from him all day, every day.  However, stay-at-home-parents do NOT have an easy job, I’m certainly not trying to imply that I think they do.  One thing that is nice for them, though, is being able to take care of chores and errands during the week instead of cramming all that PLUS quality spouse, family, social, and “me” time into the two-day weekend.

I’m lucky that I have a wonderful McHusband who picks up my slack in so many areas, who lets me get in my time at the Y and go out with the girls.  I’m very dedicated to my job and being there when I’m supposed to be, but I have a boss who understands that sometimes things come up so I may need to leave early or come in late or take time off for Connor’s check-ups or take a vacation day because daycare is closed.  Knock on wood, we’ve never had to take any unexpected time off due to Connor being ill.  (Let’s hope me putting that out there in the universe doesn’t change that record.)

I’m healthy, if sleep deprived but not because of Connor, not directly anyway.  He sleeps like the proverbial baby.  I am finally coming around to not being as sad about leaving our house for a new one and am getting excited about making it over with our touches.  I have job security, a fantastic network of friends, strong family ties, and coworkers I enjoy being with.  I have a really cute kid (if I do say so myself – and I do!) who brings me joy every day.  And I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I have the best McHusband out there.

Now if only I could get a third day added to my weekends…

My second Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day was mostly a normal Sunday although it started and ended with food that the McHusband was responsible for so that right there is enough to make for a great day.

Our breakfast was an Overnight French Toast Casserole that we assembled together Saturday night.  I loved the praline topping, but the McHusband didn’t love how it was still grainy after baking.

After Connor’s nap and lunch, he and the McHusband ran a couple errands, leaving me all alone in the house.  I can’t lie: it was nice to have the time to myself even if I did spend most of it cleaning up the kitchen, doing laundry, and dusting the den.

I was rewarded with a lovely bouquet of tulips and they go perfectly with the accent color in the den.  Good job, McHusband!

The afternoon was more of the usual: a walk with the boys that turned into a jog when it started raining, home for a nap (Connor), laundry and a little Grey’s (me), and flower planting (the McHusband).  I told the McHusband that I’d like some pre-planted pots for the front porch so he picked up a pot and the flowers along with a new tree for the front yard, and he did the work himself.

(For my local peeps, go to Broadwell’s in Angier for your landscaping needs.  Great selection at amazing prices.  That huge tree?  Only $40!  But remember to bring cash, they don’t take cards.)

I had planned to have glazed salmon for dinner, but the McHusband mentioned him making dinner or picking something up, like sushi, and I quickly changed my mind from wanting to make dinner to wanting it delivered.

(Kobe in Holly Springs has great sushi.)

All in all, it was a very nice Mother’s Day.  As you can see, Connor was quite unimpressed by the day being all about me.

Good help is(n’t) hard to find

The McHusband and I each had our helpers yesterday.

The McHusband was in the yard digging out the dirt so that some edgers would fit in around areas that will be mulched.  Monte, of course, took it upon himself to supervise.

Monte made sure to check out each section as the McHusband finished.

He was very thorough, inspecting from all sides.

“Good work!”  This part gets Monte’s stamp of approval.  And watch out, it’s a really wet stamp.

All that supervising is hard work, donchaknow.  Monte alternated taking his breaks in shade

and in the sun.

The McHusband enclosed three areas with the edgers and my favorite is this one right off the patio.  See the heart?

The McHusband worked really hard out there both days this weekend and unfortunately he’s not done since mulch will still need to be spread.  I’m sure Monte will be a big help with that, too.

While the big boys were outside playing in the dirt, Connor and I were inside cleaning the dirty house.  I’m lucky that Connor doesn’t have to be entertained 24/7, and he can find fun in the ordinary.

Now if I can just teach him to clean windows instead of putting his hands all over them…

We were so happy to get lots of time in the sunshine this weekend.  Fingers crossed that spring lasts a while and doesn’t turn straight into summer as it likes to do here in NC.

Hope you guys also enjoyed some fun in the sun!

All about me!

Well, me and my little family, that is.  But today IS my birthday so when better to bombard you with pictures of the McHusband, Connor, and me?  At least they are really good pictures and not from my cell phone or my version of good picture taken with our nice camera.

Kelsey Jones of Kj Photography was our photographer and she was wonderful to work with.  I had to reschedule because the weather turned frigid the morning we were supposed to get together and she was so accommodating.  I got way more pictures than I expected, and she told me that if she had edited any and I wanted something different, just let her know.

She is very affordable, and I loved that I was able to download all the pictures so that I can do what I want with them.  If you are looking for a photographer in the Raleigh area, please consider Kelsey.  Check out some of her work on Facebook.

So back to that milestone I mentioned way up at the top.  Yep, today’s my birthday.  The big 3-6.  That seems so much older than I feel or imagine myself.  In my head, I’m stuck closer to 30 or so.

I’m celebrating by taking the day off work, dividing my time at home as evenly as possible between productively and couch potato-ness, getting a haircut, picking Connor up early, and enjoying one of the best white pizzas I’ve ever had (from Garibaldi Trattoria) for dinner.

Oh!  Did you guys see the new blog header?  It was so far overdue for an update.  Neither dog is still with us, Connor is over a year old, and the McHusband hasn’t had a bare chin since maybe the Christmas after that picture was taken.

The end(s)!