Weekend Recap — Hello, May!

Hey, friends! Are you ready for a little bit of catch-up from the week in today’s Weekend Recap? It’s finally May, which means we’re looking forward to plenty of spring flowers after the rain we’ve seen over the past few days…

But first! I just learned that two of my recipes are included in two different contests for the Top Mother’s Day Recipes. Want to do me a favor? Head on over HERE and HERE to VOTE! ? Just leave a comment to let them know that your favorite recipe is my Skinny Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Sundae (it’s #1 in the Healthy Dessert Recipes section) and my Aunt Bee’s Sausage and Cheese Squares (it’s #4 on the second link)! You will automatically be entered to win a prize when you leave a comment, too!

Thanks in advance!

And now, backtracking to last weekend…

Sunday was awesome! The weather was beautiful, and we stayed home most of the day, got stuff done around the house, and played outside. Spence finally figured out how to steer his tractor around obstacles, so he spent a lot of time “mowing the grass…”

while his brothers supervised.

In the late afternoon, Maggie, Susie, and Tricia met me for a playground workout with Mark (who you met in THIS post). It was so much fun, and I’ll be sure to share more details with you in a separate post!

I made it back home in time to get dinner started. Keith grilled some burgers while the boys made a Caesar salad and I popped some french fries in the oven.

And then, since Keith just finished his fire pit, we celebrated some warm spring weather with dessert outside!

Keith bought the JUMBO marshmallows at the store, which meant that these s’mores were about as big as Casey’s head (but he was NOT deterred)…

Even Molly wanted in on the action. She’s smart enough to have learned that if she follows Spencer closely, she will always get at least a few crumbs (or graham cracker sheets, in this case).

I went to bed with some fluffy reading and crashed early. Perfect!

On Monday morning we were off and running again with our regular routine. I had a parent-teacher conference at the preschool early in the day, and after picking Casey up at noon and some time on the playground,

we headed into Charlottesville for errands. We made a quick stop at the mall, where these guys are always easily entertained with a ride on the merry-go-round:

We also took a very sunny and warm afternoon walk,

and enjoyed checking out the colorful spring flowers EVERYWHERE (as well as the pollen that’s coating everything)!

Keith’s dad was driving through town after making the trip to Charlottesville for work, so he stopped by for a visit in the afternoon AND he took Gibbs to soccer practice — saving me from dragging the younger two boys along with us. Instead, I stayed home and gave the little guys baths and prepped a quick dinner — these Pork Tacos using the new refrigerated taco meat from Hormel. I received a gift basket from the company, but this is definitely NOT a sponsored post and I had no obligation to share anything. We just really enjoyed the meal!

So easy, and perfect for evenings when I’ve been out of the house all day. We added some cheese, salsa, and guacamole and wrapped it all in flour tortillas. Served with corn on the side — and some very happy kiddos (and very clean plates all around when they were done)!

From Tuesday morning’s workout with Mark — wowza! My legs were burning after these Rear Elevated Single Leg Deadlifts! The variable weight from the sandbag and the balance challenge on one foot made me seriously work! In fact, I kept falling over and Mark had to take about 8 different pictures just to get one of me on my feet! Behind-the-scenes fun that you don’t see…?

And signs that spring has officially made its way to Madison: the tractors have taken over the roads…

{On the way to drop Gibbs off at school on Tuesday morning}

and the calves who live along our back fence are sleeping in the shade.

The boys requested a walk on the nearby trails on Tuesday morning, so that’s exactly what we did! Casey brought along his backpack so that he could collect “his Nature.”

Their Happy Place.

Since it was another late evening out on the soccer fields, I put dinner in the slow cooker around mid-day. We had THIS Chicken Tikka Masala over rice, plus veggies and hummus on the side. I’ve been making this dish for a few years now and the kids always really like it. The spices are not too overpowering, so it’s a great way to introduce them to a new cuisine. Try it! ?

Since Wednesday was a rainy day, I took the younger two boys to run around on the indoor playground at Burger King while we were killing time between school drop-offs.

They ate breakfast #2 of the day (these kids NEVER stop eating…), and I introduced them to French Toast Sticks for the first time. No big surprise, they were a huge hit!

After Casey was settled at the preschool, Spence and I braved the cloudy weather for a walk with our friends Mollie, Amanda, and Amanda’s youngest, Leo. We did end up getting a little bit wet when it started raining at the end of our walk, but nobody seemed to mind!

For dinner that night I served an oldie-but-goodie recipe from the blog archives — this Baked Italian Shrimp — which is an easy sheet pan supper! Just dump the ingredients on the tray and pop it in the oven!

I served our shrimp with pasta (no sauce necessary — just use the pan sauce from the shrimp) and these Parmesan Peas.

Thursday morning’s workout with Mark included a Pyramid of Push-Ups! ?? They may not have been “fun” at the time, but it IS fun to feel like I’m getting stronger — I definitely remember (not that long ago) when I couldn’t do a regular push-up without using my knees. Progress, friends!

It was a rainy day, so we were especially glad that my mom came for a visit! We headed out in the morning and she entertained the younger two boys with treats from the toy section at Target (spoiled!!) while I did some grocery shopping at Harris Teeter next door. That arrangement made all of us happy!

Then we grabbed lunch at Subway (Casey’s request), before coming home to work on Legos and do some cooking.

While Casey and Spence had quiet time in their rooms, my mom and I made some chocolate cookies from a recipe that Aunt Bee recently sent us. Coming soon to the blog — they turned out GREAT!

I appreciated the company and the help in the kitchen, which made the job go about twice as fast. ?

After my mom left, I pulled together a very quick dinner that was perfect for a cool and rainy evening: this Chicken Tortilla Soup from Costco for me and Keith, chicken noodle soup for the boys (since the other soup is spicy), and salad and crescent rolls on the side.

At the end of a busy week, Friday was a much-needed quiet day. It was rainy and cool, but that didn’t stop the boys from spending plenty of time outside. It’s amazing how much fun they can have just toting their prized possessions around in a wagon…

Sticks, trucks, balls, a weed whacker, and a lacrosse stick! ?

Spencer, in particular, loves to find any mud puddle or sand pit that he can sit in…which means we had A LOT of outfit changes occur over the course of the day! That said, it still beats a bored, energetic toddler indoors!

Our neighbor calves found shelter from the rain under the old barn.

For lunch I had leftovers from dinner the night before: a small cup of the remaining soup, as well as a Chicken, Bacon, Avocado and Ranch Mason Jar Salad that I prepped on Thursday while my mom and I were in the kitchen. Full details and recipe coming to the blog later this month, so stay tuned!

I took the night off from cooking that evening, but instead of our usual Friday Night Pizza we switched it up for dinner — Keith and I ordered hot, toasted subs (which were delicious!) and the kids went with chicken fingers and spaghetti with meatballs. We had full and happy tummies!

Saturday morning was rainy, cool, and it started early. Both boys had soccer team photos at 7:30 a.m., followed by a game AGAINST EACH OTHER! Talk about one nervous mamma! I just wanted everyone to WIN!

We made a quick stop at the Farmer’s Market too, since the boys’ babysitters (our neighbors) were there selling their fresh eggs and baked goods that we love. You can read more about their dairy farm in THIS old post, but here’s a more recent picture of their newest chicken coop. Apparently the covered wagon keeps the foxes away at night and allows the birds to roam freely during the day!

We picked up some cookies (which were devoured before we made it home), as well as the eggs and some granola.

After lunch, Keith headed up to Culpeper with a couple of his guy friends for a beer festival…

and the kids and wives all met up with them later that evening at a Mexican restaurant for dinner and drinks!

We demolished A LOT of guacamole that was made fresh at our table (+ chips), and ate some tasty fajitas,

while the boys entertained each other with action figures that hung from their milk, as well as plenty of really bad knock-knock jokes…

Such a fun evening!

Have a wonderful Sunday, and enjoy the week ahead! I’ll be back tomorrow with a sweet treat to share — stay tuned!