Weekend Recap!

Hey, there! I hope that you’ve had a great weekend! We’ve been busy around here (as usual), but unfortunately the sunshine and warm temps that we enjoyed last weekend have been Missing In Action over the past few days. I was sent scrambling to pull out the sweats and jackets, which I so eagerly packed away a week or two ago…

Our weekend started on Friday evening when Keith had a load of trees delivered to our property. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you may remember when Jeff delivered a similar truck full a couple of years ago. Same truck this time around, but more boys to spectate now. Seeing those old photos makes my heart melt!

This commotion in our yard was obviously very exciting for the kids, and Keith is now equally excited about what he calls the “Alpha Male Activities” that will keep him busy over the next few months (lots and lots of wood splitting for firewood).

Meanwhile, Casey spent the bulk of the afternoon tending to his “indoor garden.” If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably already saw a similar snapshot. I desperately wanted to vacuum all of the yard clippings as he repeatedly carried them through our house, but he was just too proud of them…I haven’t been able to bring myself to clean up the (now wilting) weeds that he so carefully arranged on his table.

Friday evening was a quiet one…after the kids went to bed Keith and I were ready to crash, too. Instead of falling asleep early, though, I got sucked into the Diane Sawyer interview with Bruce Jenner. Anyone else see that? OMG. I couldn’t stop watching!

Saturday morning started early with hot bowls of oatmeal for everyone. The temps outside were in the low 40’s, so I thought it was appropriate when that’s what they requested for breakfast. Spence takes his oatmeal plain, with just a bit of cinnamon and sugar. He’s most interested in feeding it to himself (and half of it ends up on the floor or in the high chair).

Casey loaded his bowl up with three separate servings of blueberries (until his mouth turned purple),

and Gibbs had his with almonds. Fruit and milk on the side!

Then we were headed off to Gibbs’s 9:00 a.m. soccer game. First stop, though: the farmer’s market!

I grabbed some lettuce, bread, hamburger buns, radishes, green onions, cookies, and ground beef this week.

The young farmer, George, who sold us his beef could not have been more than about 13 years old. He was so proud of his product and was sure to explain the health benefits of the lean Longhorn beef that he raises here in Madison. Apparently the Longhorn beef contains 10 percent less saturated fat than that of other cattle, putting lean Registered Longhorn Beef on par with skinless, boneless white chicken breasts. Who knew?! I’ll be using the ground beef later this week to put together a new recipe for the blog (hint, hint: it’s a Mexican-inspired breakfast casserole)!

My assistant shopper was also sure to pick out plenty of homemade cookies to add to our bag!

At the soccer fields, Gibbs scored some goals…

while Spence snacked on one of the peanut butter oatmeal cookies that Casey picked out from the market.

On our way home from the game, the entire family stopped by Yoder’s Country Market to return some of our glass milk bottles, buy some new milk, and pick up most of our other groceries for the week. Yes, it’s an extra stop to make, but (a) their products are great, and (b) I like to support the local business, which is owned by our neighbors.

Back home, the kids played outside with Keith while I made lunch for everyone. I drank this La Croix Coconut-flavored seltzer water with my meal. Have you tried it? Now that the weather is warmer it reminds me of drinking suntan lotion (in a good way!). Very tropical. It would also be a great mixer for alcoholic beverages, if you’re into that sort of thing!

After lunch, all 3 of the boys were ready for some quiet time. Spence took a nap while I headed back out for a quick run to the grocery store for a few remaining items on my weekly list, including this flat bread (which the boys love to use for “pita pizzas”),

some zucchini so that I can try out the spiralizer that my mom gave me last week,

and some calcium-fortified orange juice (did you see this post?!).

A few extras hopped into my cart as well, like this chocolate bar that was on sale. How’d that happen?!

After the groceries were put away and Keith was out sawing, the boys were in their rooms for quiet time, and I had a few minutes to sit down, upload some photos, and read THIS ARTICLE that my friend Margeaux sent to me. It gave me goosebumps. If you’re a mom to a boy (or two, or three), then you need to read it. I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Then late afternoon I headed in to town for a hair cut while the boys hung out with Keith and his huge pile of wood.

Hooray…I can see out of my bangs again!

Once home, I had about 15 minutes to change my clothes, clean up myself and the kids, and pull out some food for our playdate/dinner party with friends! Earlier in the week when the weather was warm and sunny, it seemed like a good idea to invite Kristie’s family and Margeaux’s family over for dinner. We all had a great time, but unfortunately, the cold and rainy weather forced all 6 boys to stay inside for the evening.

Ian loves his accessories!

We made it an indoor picnic — Keith and Miles grilled some burgers, hot dogs, and barbecue chicken outside on the porch, while the ladies supervised the 6 boys inside and drank a bottle of peach moscato that Kristie brought along!

The meal was delicious and it was definitely a team effort. Kristie also brought a beautiful salad, as well as some chocolate chip cookies that the kids devoured.

Margeaux brought this heavenly homemade mac and cheese (Spence was a HUGE fan!),

as well as these homemade apple turnovers and strawberry-guava turnovers. I’ll be enjoying the left-overs for snack with my coffee this week!

By about 7 pm my kids were exhausted, melting down, and asking to go to bed. Our friends headed out and Keith I went to bed EARLY after watching a little bit of television. Such a fun evening, but I was wiped!

This morning was a little bit slower because we didn’t have any commitments on the calendar. I slept in until 6:30 (which is late for me!), and we all had quick and easy cereal or toast with fruit for breakfast.

Then I spent about an hour in the kitchen prepping some food for the week. I made some almond milk ice cubes for my iced coffees (no watered down coffee!).

And I made a frittata with some kale and bell pepper that needed to be used up. This will provide some quick breakfasts and lunches this week, since I can just reheat a slice or two at a time as needed.

Casey and I made some muffins (recipe on the blog next month)…

and I browned some ground beef to use in a casserole later this week. I also made a double-batch of cornbread to use in a recipe that we’re having for dinner tonight. It’s a secret! I’m testing a recipe to use on the blog!

Then we headed out as a family to run some errands, which included a stop at Target (of course).

Some items that made their way into our cart included new light-up Star Wars toothbrushes for the boys,

these cereal-to-go containers, which come with an ice-pack cup to keep the milk cold and a spoon in the lid. Gibbs and Casey are very excited to be able to take cereal to school for their morning snack!

I also grabbed some shampoo, some hand lotion,

and this new mascara to try. I’ll let you know if I like it!

Once home, we ate a quick lunch and then Keith took the boys out to play while I tackled changing bed sheets and folding a few loads of laundry.

Spence took a nap, the boys had some quiet time in their rooms, and I prepped some sides for dinner while Keith spent time outside tending to his fruit trees and sawing wood.

The weather cleared, the sun came out, and we all enjoyed a walk in the woods before dinner.

For supper we had a salad + left-over barbecue chicken and mac & cheese from last night. Now it’s time for baths and bed! Have a great week, friends!