lxforever

“YOU CAN DANCE! YOU CAN (sic) TRY! HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! OOOOOOOOH!! SEE THAT GIRL! WATCH THAT SCENE! DIG IT, THE DANCING QUEEN!”

—Preschooler2 / Gradeschooler1 / ABBA

One of the most ordinary, most wonderful weekends, and while it will lack in details, it deserves a recaplet, with the usual meaninglessness of anonymity.

FRIDAY was a day daycare was closed so it was me + Preschooler2. Coffee + reading + then breakfast club with the 6-year-olds at Gradeschooler’s school, then back home for 10-minute workout with Preschooler2 underfoot. After hearing how STRONG and LOUD she loves to sing, we were off to gymnastics open gym for ‘jump-ing, jump-ing, jump-ing’…delightful. Then cauliflower soup and chocolate-covered strawberries at lunch out, then naps for both (shorter for me, followed by chores). Sunny day = walk to retrieve Gradeschooler1 then PUMPKIN patch for scavenger hunt and a giant pumpkin hauled home in the stroller. Off to a friend’s house for delicious pizza and fire and chit chat, lovely, then back home to indulge in wasting of time on the couch next to Jeff as he played Borderlands.

SATURDAY Preschooler2 woke up saying her ‘tummy wanted to eat’ and we goofed off in the bed before getting her tummy something to eat and the grownups some coffee downstairs. “HELLO GUYS!” yelled the newly-awakened Gradeschooler1 from upstairs and the real fun began. Dolls were played with, pretend car seats were set up, books were read by the readers and Jeff worked out, then I did a little yoga/barre while the kids played Mario Kart. Costumes and whisker face paint on and off to Halloween parties! First to Trike’s. Kid cousins were cute and fun and sweet with one another, big cousins were joking and silly and full of weird hypotheticals. Pink lemonade! Good bacon! Then to neighbor’s Halloween party which was delightful. I especially love these people. Preschooler2 seems to have discovered food suddenly and downed a bowl of chili while Jeff and Gradeschooler1 disappeared into Neighbor’s house with separate tour guides (this was an outside party) for a large amount of time. Fun party. More little games and playing and food and mud cake. Back to house for another solid nap for Preschooler2. Jeff and I rake the WHOLE YARD, which is AWESOME, a beautiful sunny day for it and so accomplished, last warm day, etc.!, while Gradeschooler1 entertains herSELF, trying cool tricks on the swingset and doing bubbles and chalk and jumping in leaves. Wake up, off to swim for the first time in weeks…pool looks clean (ew). Preschooler2 wasn’t thrilled. Gradeschooler1 is basically a swimming champ and fiend and all of it. She looks good. Procure window clings from guest, return stuff at Kohl’s where Gradeschooler1 wants faux fur bolero jacket (??? as a parent who buys only practical kids clothing I am flummoxed by this, but I think someone will have to get it for her someday) and receives a compliment on her manners from a worker which we praise, then APPLEBEE’S! We all have a delightfully standard suburban time, watching the Gophers crush it, drinking giant lemonade (pink, natch) and sharing apps and being goofy while Preschooler2 discovers her appetite AND sass. Dairy Queen for treats then home, where kids are silly and fun but then I have to work (lame! lame!), but Gradeschooler1 gets to stay up with Jeff for a ‘sleepover’ and there’s a fire going so it’s not so bad to have to work for awhile I guess.

SUNDAY woke up after solid 11-7 sleep…this is a miracle that happens about 1-2x a year so I like to record it. A GD MIRACLE! Preschooler2 sees light peeking in around her drapes and claims she “doesn’t want to sleep anymore” and we all cuddle in bed as soon as Gradeschooler1 joins us (after too-little sleep). I dash away for maple cold press and reading downstairs before heading to barre3. BARRE3. Elle is teaching 8:30 and I thought she wasn’t my favorite but now she IS. She teaches a great class and I am INTO IT and just dancing away. I am still thinking about it. Got a coldpress refill (will I go back to hot? not sure??? am I cold for LYFE?) then met Diana for brunch at Hola Arepa. We finally left after 2.5 hours because we felt bad for just sitting there but it was GREAT. She really is one of the smartest people I know and has taught me 50% of my business sense (the rest I likely picked up from my Dad). She restored my confidence around a work thing and we ate delicious food and it was just the best. I love Diana. Back home to a family being silly and chasing each other and I did some fun cooking and food prep while listening to podcasts, then got the kids late lunch. Played a little but mostly watched parts of movies, attempting to find a facsimile of Mamma Mia; snacks in front of TV then early bed, then chili/cornbread/finishing Newsroom (almost) with Jeff. Tried to work again but couldn’t take the slowness of my computer so now I wrote this and will go to bed.

A GREAT weekend!