Weekends Are Exhausting...

Happy Presidents' Day!  

Hope you are celebrating properly.

By posting and sharing your hard-earned constitutional law degree influenced decision on who and when a new supreme court justice should be and will be appointed.  

George and Thomas would be so proud.

I am ever so grateful for a low-key lazy day.  The kids are off and because they are just as exhausted after this weekend as their momma, they slept until past 7 am.  

High five mommas.  I got to sleep in until 6:45 am.  I feel so pampered.

(Sarcasm font)

In case you were wondering (or really, even if you weren't), Chris is not off.  It's a teacher work day.  Where he gets to play human bingo.  Clearly, teachers take themselves seriously around here.

Our weekend was non-stop.  I think the goal was to pack a months' worth of activities into two solid days.

Mission.  Accomplished.

Chris was out of town at the yearly Texas Band Geek Conference.  Honestly, there's not much of a difference for me between him literally being out of town and the night's he works late.  Except maybe I don't have to cook a full meal.  

That left me solo and on the hunt for arranging child care while I did my long Saturday morning run.  

Thankfully, a sweet friend agreed to watch them.  So our weekend started by loading up and heading for a first-thing-in-the-morning play date Saturday.  

About half-way through my run, I got this from the playdate...

They were having far more fun that I was.

The first seven, maybe even eight miles were good.  Those last three though.  Ugh.  

At one point, I turned around to run backwards.  I just needed to use some different muscles.  My hamstrings were plotting a revolt if I didn't give them some sort of break.  A cycler cycled by and shouted, "Are we there yet?"

Preach.

I walked and stretched for 15-20 minutes but that was not enough.  I thought it was.  But once I got in the car to drive the 15 minutes to the kids, I realized it was so not.  There was a moment when I contemplated pulling over on the side of the interstate to stretch.  

Sweet mercy.

After another 30 minutes and 48 oz of water, my muscles let go and I was able to function.  Which was good considering the day was just beginning.

We ran home (pun unintended) and while the kids ate lunch, I showered and prepared myself emotionally and physically for the next event.  

A birthday party at Build-a-Bear.  In the middle of a mall.

Do you know how many people were at the mall during President's Day weekend?

ALL OF THEM.

Also, I need you to know we had never visited a Build-a-Bear store.  It was sort of like I was putting my hands over my ears and shouting, "LALALALALALALA!"  (See also, "American Girl Store," "Chucky E. Cheese")

But this kindergarten class of AK's is just so precious.  I couldn't say no to a sweet friend's birthday.  

Each kid got to pick out their own animal and a pair of clothes.  They named their new friend and got a birth certificate to take home.  The store was beyond crowded.  Assuming because parents wanted to buy their kids a stuffed animal for Valentine's.  

I mean, I guess some could have been buying to celebrate Presidents' Day but that would be just weird.  

There is no real way to describe Aubrey Kate's excitement over the entire experience.  The highlight of her five and half year old life.

Say hi to Sally!  

Now that we are aware of the existence of this place, I feel like it won't be forgotten.  There's a cloud of doom that seems to have settled over us in this knowledge.  

Between the birthday party and the evening event, we had about enough time to drive by the house.  Like literally DRIVE BY THE HOUSE.  Wave maybe.  But not get out of the car.  

So we opted for the playground at Chick-fil-a instead.  I ate dinner while they played.  And they played so well.  

Ever have those moments when you are so overwhelmed by the graciousness of God right in the middle of absolute ordinary?

That was the hour at CFA for me.  

It was beautiful.  

After that, we loaded back up to head to AK's school party.  It's the school's 30 birthday so they threw a party to raise money for new playground equipment.  The kids had been insistent about going so I bought them tickets for dinner and off we went.

There was a kids' area set up with games and face painting and a photo "booth."  Dinner was spaghetti, rolls (which AK had never seen.  Our conversation about those was priceless.), salad and cookies.  Rhys ate at least four bites which is HUGE for him.  A couple of the kids' friends met us there and they ran themselves silly in the kids' area.

The highlight was seeing Aubrey Kate singing on stage!  She was so excited to do this and I was so excited she was doing it, I totally forgot Rhys was there at all.  I ran up to the front of the room to take pictures and a video.  Leaving Rhys totally alone.  Thank goodness for mommies and teachers who comforted him until I came to my senses after song number two.

MOTHER OF THE YEAR.

Saturday night, I got the kids Valentine's gifts ready.  

AK had asked for a unicorn.  She saw one at the grocery store.  Because exactly what we needed was at $25 Valentine's stuffed animal.  

No way.  

Instead, the thrift store provided me with a better selection.  A Build-a-Bear My Little Pony.  For $2.  I framed the picture of her friends at dance class in this precious frame.  Also for $2.  And this adorable chambray and pink dress from Wal-mart.  On clearance for $1.  (Rodeo day is this month so I thought this would be AK rodeo approved)

AK says the pony's name is "Shutterfly" and is on day two of wearing the dress.  

Rhys has been asking for Spiderman rain boots since before Christmas.  I could find them in every size but his.  Finally, I found the only pair of them in the entire metroplex.  And I had to pay full price.  Which KILLS me but sometimes, it just has to be.  

The money was another thrift store find.  Rhys has named him "Wolfie" and has yet to put him down.  The scuba diver is a Rescue Bots character from the consignment shop.  (I've been on the hunt for "Blaze" the Rescue Bot but I haven't found him yet.)  Rhys was pretty thrilled with is haul.

Please note his shorts and rain boots and the enormous amount of sunlight pouring into the room.  Rain boots are clearly a neccessity on sunny, warm days.

Of course, I realize this was a lot for Valentine's.  Especially considering last year they got Happy Meal toys I had stashed away and some hand-me-down coloring books.  

I blame the rain boots.  

Then the request for a unicorn.  

I did my best to keep things even.  Which won't always need to be the case.  At least I hope not.  But in all honestly, apart from the rain boots, I spent less than $10.  Those blasted full-price boots totally messed with the budget.  Although, I know he'll use them and love them and that takes the sting out a little.

Sunday morning was church, lunch, another birthday party at a gymnastics place where the kids jumped and ran themselves totally out and then another playdate so adults could go out for dinner.

Our small group went out to dinner together.  It was so fun and refreshing.  Vital topics like The Eagles, the state of the EU and Greece's place in it and the inappropriateness of bare bottomed statues were all covered with great enthusiasm.  

So thank you, Presidents' of the United States, for scheduling a holiday immediately following our crazy weekend.  This momma is grateful.  For both the weekend and the rest today.