Weekend reframe

I have a case of the Mondays on Saturday.

I see all these posts abut living for the weekend and almost the weekend, and maybe it's the Whole30 totaling, but for me, the weekend seems kind of daunting.  So far, we have done a good job of whittling down the activities the kids are involved in, which has helped the weekends be both smoother and more meaningful.

But!  The meal planning and prep is much easier when everyone leaves and goes about their days.  Ben and I are also kind of crabby about our food choices, and we are not as good at giving the other person the benefit of the doubt as we usually are, and the lack of structure makes me worry about where all of my time will go.

I also sort of feel like I get ZERO time for myself on the weekends.  It's all meal planning and grocery shopping and chores and kid stuff. Now that the kids have later bedtimes, Ben and I don't get to really relax until we are ready to pass out ourselves.  And if there's a work thing I need to think about?  Stress city.

Clearly I need a little weekend reframing

• It's a blessing (seriously) to get to spend this time with my family.  In just a few years, Harry is going to be in college, for goodness sake.
• Alcohol and desserts are clearly not the only way to reward myself.  How about taking a walk around the neighborhood with Beatrix or one of the kids? Playing a hand of euchre with Ben and the big boys? Doing a face mask and using a bath bomb at the end of the day? Watching a movie I missed in the theater (and right now the list is long because we haven't been going to movies lately)?  Choosing to spend a chunk of time sitting quietly with my book instead of rushing around cleaning something someone is just going to mess up anyway?
• Grocery shopping is a task, that's for sure, but Jack loves shopping with me, so if he and I go together, it will be more fun.  Also, Ben is not a huge fan of sitting down to plan meals with me.  If I just do the planning on my own, it's not like he's going to refuse to eat something.  In fact, quite the opposite is true. He is really happy with whatever we make. I feel like he should share the emotional labor of planning meals, but maybe we'd both be happier if I just did it myself.
• Ditto sleeping in.  That's never going to happen for me, but it could for Ben.  I am going to try getting up a little early one day this weekend and using the time to relax and read or write before everyone else wakes up.  Maybe this wil help me feel more centered and ready to start the day?
• I also need to make sure I don't check my work emails from 5pm on Friday through 5 am (that's when I wake up. Blurgh.) Monday.  To make this happen, I need to clear my to-do list and my inbox by end of business of Friday, so there's no stress hanging over my hear.  the exception is the online adjunct work I do.  Most of my online students have other lives and jobs, so I need to be available to them on weekends.
• One more thing I am going to try is to treat myself on Fridays.  I am going to campus early every day of the week, and so far, this is working SO WELL for me.  On Fridays, though, I am going to work from home in my jammies, at least until lunchtime.  To make this happen, I need to be super productive the rest of the week-- talk about a great reward.  For my first Friday, I am going to indulge in blueberries with almond butter and coconut and this hot nut cereal, along with Good Earth sweet and Spicy tea and Designing Women in the background.  And I am going to go crazy and change all of the sheets and wash all of the duvet covers.  I CANNOT EVEN WAIT.
• Finally, I am going to try to add exercise to my weekend.  Usually, I am happy with 5 days a week of cardio, but maybe some exercise will feel good and give me the alone time I seem to miss.  Or I could take a kid to cram in some extra 1:1 time.

Anyone else have reverse dread-- weekend dread on Friday, instead of weekday dread on Sunday?  And what have you done to have a happier weekend?

One other note: JACK SPRAINED HIS ANKLE AT RECESS and is on crutches until further notice, which really puts a wrench in his trampolines and tumbling class...

Marigold Festival Weekend; Whole 30 real talk

We got up at the crack of dawn o Saturday to head to Pekin and celebrate the Marigold Festival.

 Firs stop: THE PARADE where the kids rolled around and collected gutter candy for almost 2 hours

 Next, we headed to the riverfront park to check out my dad's memorial bench.

 We all adore the bench and its location, near the path my mom and dad waked on during my mom's lunch hour and also near the playground where my dad and I brought the kids on Sunday mornings after greasy spoon breakfasts while Ben slept in.  My brother knocked the bench inscription out of the park.

In memory of Gary R. Meinen.  He built his life with love, generosity, and devotion.  We miss him every day.

And, we do.

 In other weekend news, Cooper kicked off his birthday

 (Spoiler alert!  Already built it!)

 We also attended the Art in the Park portion of Marigold weekend.  Dorothy LOVED IT, obvi.

 Why yes, yes I did buy the t-shirt.  Aren't you jelly?

 I coukd not resist.  Also, I think this sign is telling me that three is the ideal number of kids, but, like, seriously, whose husband even wants to be in this pic?

 We stopped by our favorite art-adjacent park:

 And then we attended a new addition tot eh Fest: the Lagoon Glow, which was a lovely lantern launch.  You could get your lantern ahead of time and decorate it to honor a loved one and turn it in at the information gazebo (everything about this small town festival is adorable).  Then, Marigold staff lit and launched all the lanterns at once at sunset.  It was my favorite.

 Ben's too, obvi.   Do you love his Marigold tan?

 So pretty!!

 Evcen though we are on the Whole30, we selflessly took the kids to Double D's.

 TORTURE

 And Harry was a good Gar stand in Saturday night.

 We went home early the next morning because first grade soccer is serious business.

 F I V E goals!

 And I ran some errands with my little shopping buddy.

 Before setting up Cooper's bday.

All in all, it was a terrific weekend, and I already have next year's fest on my calendar.

And!  Ben, my mom, and I all stayed Whole30 compliant all weekend long.  Which was a slog.  For me, weekends are harder than weekdays on Whole30 because I just want to unwind with a cocktail or some wine.  I have to admit, in the summer, it is hard for me to confine this unwinding to the weekend, which is another benefit of a September Whole30.  I think it will be WAY EASIER for me to indulge less after not indulging at all.  (Maybe.  I am definitely a person who has a problem with moderation).

Whole30 is really hard in terms of meal prep.  I feel like I am spending way more time in the kitchen, and I think I am worrying more about food.  On the flip side, I am definitely thinking of food as fuel, not reward, and I feel flipping fantastic.  So much energy!  Such stable moods!  This way of eating is GOOD FOR ME.

Oh my gosh-- you want too see pictures of my weekend food?  Well, I am so glad you asked!

Real talk: There's no reason why I can't eat like this all of the time.  Like, why not do Whole30 lunch and snacks and then let myself have a dessert with dinner?  Or some real butter?  The last meal was particularly delicious and filling.  Anyone have particular success with life after Whole30?  How'd you do it?

Happy birthday COOPER!

Cooper turned 8 yesterday, a Monday.  The FIRST MONDAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.  Needless to say, it was a totally low-key day.  Birthday breakfast and presents, treats at school, birthday dinner at our favorite birthday bar.  He called it the best birthday ever, so I feel like that was a win.

Ben, looking handsome before school after he helped me and Cooper bring Cooper's dirt cup birthday treats to school.

Not only were they cute, but I thought this was a freaking brilliant use of Aldi yogurt flats, if I do say so myself.

 Cooper started his day with balloons, dancing, and a birthday playlist while the big boys walked the dog.

 He and Dorothy could barely wait to eat his requested powdered-sugar-andM&M-topped brownies.

 Making a wish:

 HA-- DOROTHY!

 PRESENTS!!

 He got the Nintendo Switch he's been wanting forever.  Just 11 days before the new model comes out because that's FOR SURE how we roll.

 Also games.

 He clearly has no complaints.

 Think how much would be gone if I was eating sugar!

 After dinner, on the way to the car.

And, erm, that was basically it.  School day birthdays are pretty chill.

I want a routine, but maybe not this one

I know that it's only the first week back to school, and so I have to be gentle with myself in terms of developing a good routine and sticking with it but OMG are we out of practice. 

When the kids leave in the morning, it looks like we have all been abducted in the middle of a robbery.  Except for yesterday when I had to literally follow the last of them out the door and get straight in my car to go to a meeting and ran around like a fool all morning making everything look pristine and putting away 3 loads of laundry by 8 am.  (I hate coming home to a messy house). I am looking for something in the middle of these two extremes.

 I mean, I don't want housework to eat up my whole day when I am working from home, and I also don't want to have to sweat so much before school-- you know?  Mostly, though, I want to have a productive semester, not spend until December "adjusting to my routine" which is what happened last year.

On one hand, I want to be in the routine already, and on the other hand, I need the routine to look different than it does so far.  You know?

OK-- a couple other things:
1.  Harry started school!

 2.  Harry and Jack can ride the bus together!

 3.  Dorothy is all about ding her hair and wearing accessories

 4.  She is also always playing school and reading to an assembled audience in her room

 5.  I had my first day of class.

 6.  The coffee shop by my office has compliant almond milk, and we had a date!

 7.  Dorothy wore a ponytail and kept it in her hair all day!

 8.  Yesterday was the most gorgeous day of the year, and I walked all over campus for meetings, and it was lovely.

 9.  I just keep slapping weird stuff on my walls, and I love it.

 10.  Still doing the Whole30, kind of crabby about it.