Whelp, the novelty has worn off. Or life with a pre-teen has hit a valley, or peak. I don't know.
It turns out, Captain really likes to have a schedule and a plan. He gets frustrated with writing and not being perfect which hinders him trying. He prefers staying home. Even when we've offered him to go get the mail or take a walk, he prefers to stay inside. There was some chalk painting on the balcony, but that's about it. Today, we got a little creative with lessons. Even though it's Spring Break, I still like to keep him busy. Today, he got to watch some Penguins of Madagascar and then had to write about his favorite part. In the afternoon, I had him write a letter to his great-grandparents.
Little Miss has been super great and making cookies for the family by herself or super emotional. So, 12 is fun. She gets a little cooped up and does like to get out to run around the block or walk down to get the mail. She has been allegedly working and keeps in contact with many of her friends.
All in all, I can't complain. They've been good. It's hard to keep them learning and motivated, but I think they (at least Captain) like the interaction and being around us.
Husband and I have been having Zoom calls with family. We've started Schitt's Creek. I've watched Glow Up, Next in Fashion, and Making It but having trouble concentrating on finishing an actual book. We've also been listening to the Scrubs podcast and doing a rewatch along with it. So, that's been fun.
So, we're hanging in there as I hope you all are as well.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020
Hanging in There
So, this has been a fun month. I hope this isn't "going out like a lamb." We've all kind of adapted ok so far.
We wake up. The kids start school work around 10AM. Little Miss has set their room up with two trays as desks and two chairs. She guides him through his lessons and does her own work. They come out for lunch. Normally, this is when they are done for the day, but the work load has ramped up this week to be more interactive so they went back to work after lunch time. We've been very consistent with bedtime which has helped at least.
They've been pretty calm. There are some questions here and there. In general, they've been more active with us though. You'd think close quarters would make them crankier, but it hasn't really. Maybe it's the extra sleep. Little Miss has been getting up 2-3 hours later than her usual school schedule. We've played some board games, watched movies, popped popcorn. We've had some interesting conversations about guns, politics, passing on germs. Captain has a lot of interesting perspectives. For example, he may need a gun to protect himself from bad guys... or just a shield. So, maybe he just thinks he's actually Captain America.
We wake up. The kids start school work around 10AM. Little Miss has set their room up with two trays as desks and two chairs. She guides him through his lessons and does her own work. They come out for lunch. Normally, this is when they are done for the day, but the work load has ramped up this week to be more interactive so they went back to work after lunch time. We've been very consistent with bedtime which has helped at least.
They've been pretty calm. There are some questions here and there. In general, they've been more active with us though. You'd think close quarters would make them crankier, but it hasn't really. Maybe it's the extra sleep. Little Miss has been getting up 2-3 hours later than her usual school schedule. We've played some board games, watched movies, popped popcorn. We've had some interesting conversations about guns, politics, passing on germs. Captain has a lot of interesting perspectives. For example, he may need a gun to protect himself from bad guys... or just a shield. So, maybe he just thinks he's actually Captain America.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
February 2020
February was a long month. The first weekend, Little Miss and I went to Williams Sonona to make and decorate Valentine's Day cookies. It was a private class! We got the cute little conversation heart cookie cutter set.
The second weekend, we went back to Williams Sonoma to make some orange chicken which was just a jar of sauce and chicken in the air fryer. It was so good (see other post). The next day, we went back to make salted caramel pretzel cheesecake and chocolate molten cake. They were so delicious and so easy to make! It's in the Instant Pot, takes no time at all, and we got to take the cookbook home.=
The third weekend, we went to the Parents' winter vacation house and met up with family. We celebrated Mom's birthday a little early. I played beer pong for charity. Poorly. Sister and Brother-in-Law won the tournament, Cousin won pint glasses, and I won the 50/50 cash raffle and a shirt. Great time all around! We also think Captain has his first crush on my youngest Cousin's girlfriend (above).
The last weekend was relatively quiet. We ran a lot of errands. Little Miss scored her third goal in four weeks at hockey and is in the playoffs. Captain got new sneakers. It was not earth-shattering.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
New Food 2020 - Vanilla Cake with Fruit Filling & Homemade Buttercream
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 4 whole eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
- ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup shortening
- 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 3 cups cake flour (To make cake flour, replace 2 tbsp of flour with cornstarch per cup. So, for this recipe, add all the flour to a bowl, remove 6 tbsp and then add 6 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk, full fat, at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour three or four 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper that is also slathered with a bit of butter or shortening.
- Separate the 4 whole eggs, placing the 4 yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a separate medium size bowl. Add the 3 additional egg whites to the other 4 for a total of 7 egg whites. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. (*See note.) Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the sugar, beating as you pour. Continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk from the beaten egg whites. Set aside.
- Fit the standing mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter, shortening and remaining 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl a time or two. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
- Add 2 of the egg yolks and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining 2 egg yolks, beat for about 20 seconds, until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to a large bowl and mix with a wire whisk just to combine.
- Beating on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour. With each addition, beat on low speed, just long enough to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter just until distributed. You should still see some streaks of egg white throughout the batter. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If baking 3 layers, bake for 40-50 min. If baking four layers, bake for 30-35 minutes. When done, the cakes will be golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of one of the layers. Remove the toothpick and look for signs of raw batter. If only cake crumbs stick to the toothpick, the cake is done. You can also scoop a tiny amount of cake from the center of one of the layers to check for doneness. (You’ll be covering the cake with frosting anyway.)
- Let the cakes cool on wire racks for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently turn them out of the pans onto the wire racks to cool completely. If you don’t plan on frosting the layers immediately, wrap each tightly with plastic wrap. The layers can be stored at room temperature for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.
We used this buttercream and not the one in the above link:
Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Butter Vanilla Bakery Emulsion (or vanilla extract)
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter. Beat butter on medium speed with the whisk attachment for about 1 minute, until butter is smooth.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Repeat with 1 more cup.
- Add bakery emulsion and heavy whipping cream and beat until combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until combined after each addition.
- Beat for about one additional minute, until frosting is thickened, smooth, and fluffy.
- The frosting should be smooth and fluffy, but stiff enough to hold its shape. If it's too stiff, add more whipping cream, half a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired texture (2-3 tablespoons total).
For time, I just added Smuckers jelly as the filling (and not enough), but if you go full fruit preserves and liberally apply, I think it would be tasty. This recipe makes a decent amount of cake. I made 3 square layers. That said, the buttercream did not make enough to cover the entire cake so I added the strawberries along the bottom to cover it up best I could.
So, the points are below. Little Miss gave it a 6 because she doesn't like jelly. I gave it an 8. The average is 7 points.
Standings:
Orange Chicken - 9 pointsCrepes - 9 points
Vanilla Cake - 7 points
Friday, January 31, 2020
January 2020
January was a fun month. In the beginning of the month, we celebrated a belated holiday with the In-Laws. We had dinner out and then went back to our apartment for dessert and presents. I can't even handle the cuteness of all the kids together.
The very next day, Captain and I took the Metro to The Kennedy Center to see the play Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. He used to be scared of the Metro and is no longer! Because I'm an idiot, I bought 4 tickets to the play because I can't work the Internet. So, I gave two of the tickets to Sister-in-Law and Nephew. We met in between the two performances for lunch. After lunch, Captain and I did the fun virtual tour of The Kennedy Center with Pigeon on the app. The wifi was a little spotty so we didn't complete it, but we did get a pin and had a lot of fun.
The next weekend, Little Miss had a Latin party which is a total thing. She won second place in a costume contest. I went to a Housewarming party and a couple of happy hours. Overall, it was a pretty relaxing long weekend. Our Sunday Family Movie was Star Wars (A New Hope). I did not fall asleep once through this viewing, too.
The last weekend, the kids and I went back to The Kennedy Center for Lunar New Year (China). I think I'm going to have to skip Korea this weekend. I just need to do some things at home. The lanterns were beautiful, and the kids had a blast with crafts and costumes. We also completed the Virtual Tour and got certificates of completion! And then everybody melted down, and we came home.
Food front: I bought myself an Air Fryer for Christmas so we used that quite a bit. In January, we air fried everything from veggies (butternut squash and broccoli and brussels sprouts) to pot stickers, chicken tenders and onion rings. The kids and I made chocolate donuts in the oven, homemade baked mac and cheese, parmesan chicken tenders, chicken romano and lemon pasta, broccoli cheese soup, champagne cupcakes with champagne buttercream, the yummiest vanilla cake, and circus cupcakes. There were also brownies and sugar cookies. You can find our updates and recipes here on our Cooking/Baking Instagram page, @A4MinimalEffort.
The next weekend, Husband was out of town on an annual trip. So, the kids and I did some cooking and baking and had a movie night (101 Dalmations, the original animated film). We did dinner out with the In-Laws. It was a lot of fun.
Food front: I bought myself an Air Fryer for Christmas so we used that quite a bit. In January, we air fried everything from veggies (butternut squash and broccoli and brussels sprouts) to pot stickers, chicken tenders and onion rings. The kids and I made chocolate donuts in the oven, homemade baked mac and cheese, parmesan chicken tenders, chicken romano and lemon pasta, broccoli cheese soup, champagne cupcakes with champagne buttercream, the yummiest vanilla cake, and circus cupcakes. There were also brownies and sugar cookies. You can find our updates and recipes here on our Cooking/Baking Instagram page, @A4MinimalEffort.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Bourbon? Veggies? Yes, please.
I tried this recipe this past weekend for my sister, the bourbon drinker. You can find it here.
First of all, I cut the bourbon recipe in half so it was 1 stick of butter and a half bottle of bourbon. I used 8 TBS of the butter (the whole batch) and doubled the veggies. It made way more, but then I didn't have leftover butter or wasted bourbon. It says you can reuse the butter-infusede bourbon but ew. I thought it was a weird mix with the cauliflower, but it mixed well with the sweet corn. My sister and I think it would be better with corn and maybe onions or red bell peppers, veggies that take to the sweet better. It's all about the butter though.
Corn and Cauliflower Sauteed in Bourbon Butter
First of all, I cut the bourbon recipe in half so it was 1 stick of butter and a half bottle of bourbon. I used 8 TBS of the butter (the whole batch) and doubled the veggies. It made way more, but then I didn't have leftover butter or wasted bourbon. It says you can reuse the butter-infusede bourbon but ew. I thought it was a weird mix with the cauliflower, but it mixed well with the sweet corn. My sister and I think it would be better with corn and maybe onions or red bell peppers, veggies that take to the sweet better. It's all about the butter though.
Corn and Cauliflower Sauteed in Bourbon Butter
- 4 tablespoons Bourbon-Infused Butter, recipe follows
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cored and cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- One 750-milliliter bottle good-quality bourbon
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Directions
Melt the Bourbon-Infused Butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and golden in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the corn, 3/4 teaspoons salt and some pepper, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the corn is just cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley.
Butter-Infused Bourbon and Bourbon-Infused Butter:
Combine the bourbon and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter melts. Transfer to a container and freeze until the butter has solidified. Remove the large piece of bourbon-infused butter and reserve, refrigerated in an airtight container, for cooking. Strain the bourbon through a fine-meshed sieve and coffee filter to remove any remaining particles of butter. Return the butter-infused bourbon to its original bottle and keep frozen to use in cocktails for up to one month.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
New Food - Mozzarella Sticks
Honestly, I don't care what the new food is as long as she keeps trying new foods. We went to NYC last weekend where we had a blast. Little Miss saw her first Broadway play. Plus, she did a little shopping at Madison Square Garden. No lie she has worn this knit cap every day (even the 70 degree days) since the trip. She's only really taken it off to eat and shower and sleep.
We traveled through lunch and had early dinner reservations so we decided just to nosh. Little Miss had a piece of cake. The adults ordered truffle fries and mozzarella sticks. So, Little Miss decided to try fried cheese and marinara sauce. So, duh, of course she loved it. However, neither one of the kids is a big french fry fan so there's no obvious likes or dislikes here.
We traveled through lunch and had early dinner reservations so we decided just to nosh. Little Miss had a piece of cake. The adults ordered truffle fries and mozzarella sticks. So, Little Miss decided to try fried cheese and marinara sauce. So, duh, of course she loved it. However, neither one of the kids is a big french fry fan so there's no obvious likes or dislikes here.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Movies & Books in January 2017
I've been lazy at keeping up with the blog.
Movies Watched in January 2017
Books Read in January 2017
I decided to start listing our Sunday Family Movies. Every Sunday, we make pancakes and watch a movie as a family. Most of the time, Little Miss chooses, but we sometimes take turns. I saw Hidden Figures in the theater with Mom and Sister which was fun.
The books were all pretty solid, fast reads. Three romance and one memoir - all enjoyable.
Movies Watched in January 2017
Books Read in January 2017
- Who Do You Love by Christie Ridgway (This is part of the Rock Royalty series. The order of which can be found here.)
- Rules of Contact by Jaci Burton (This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here
- Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (This is part of the Heartbreaker Bay series. The order of which can be found here.)
- Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
The books were all pretty solid, fast reads. Three romance and one memoir - all enjoyable.
Friday, September 9, 2016
August 2016 Weekend Update
August was really busy! The first weekend, Husband and I traveled to New Jersey for a wedding while the kids stayed home with the in-laws - and their cousins. We hit the track on Friday night to lose a few bucks. We had a nice dinner. Then, the next day, we had a wedding to attend. It was a beautiful wedding. Between, we grabbed some drinks before going to the country club for a lot of eating and drinking. We visited with some of the Husband's family before heading back on Sunday.
The next weekend, we took off for vacation with the in-laws. The older nephew and Little Miss went up a day before. We met them the next day. It was a beautiful week of sun and sand. We did a lot of eating. The kids loved the water - both the ocean and the pool. I still feel like I'm recovering.
The kids really loved spending time with their cousins. They little ones are really getting much better at playing together and interacting. They still need to be watched because Captain can be kind of mean sometimes. He's used to being the darling baby of the group, but he turns into such bully, not wanting to share any attention. Then, sometimes, when you're not looking, the two of them play so nicely.
The last weekend, Husband and I went to La Tasca and had sangria and paella. The sangria was delicious. We definitely need to do that more often. Then, we saw John Oliver! It was amazing. He's one of my favorite personalities/comedians. After we saw a friend from college and her wife, and then we grabbed drinks with a former co-worker. It was a lot of fun and full of adult, grown up things.
The next day was another wedding! It was the last of the season. The wedding was lovely. We grabbed a drink after with another couple before we went to the reception where we had a blast. After, we were like entirely different people and went to the after party until we shut the bar down. I haven't done that in I don't know how long.
That said, we are definitely ready for the routine of school to start up again. I think our busy summer was great - and fast - but there's sometime comforting in the routine of the Fall. We have some plans we'd like to carry out in the Fall so it'll be something to look forward to.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
July 2016 Weekend Update
July went by in a blur. We went to the pool again during the Fourth of July weekend. We did a day at my sister's pool and a day at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's pool. The next weekend, we celebrated my nephew's birthday at the pool. The third weekend, we spent it at a friend's pool. We only got a good dip in before it started storming, but it was still fun.
The next weekend, my sister had a party. It turns out there was an issue with her marriage paperwork so they got married again (or for the first time). At the party, one of her bridesmaid and I wore our bridemaid dresses again as a little nod. The last weekend, the kids got their haircut and we met my parents for ice cream. Little Miss also went ice skating because that's what we do when it's a billion degrees. Throughout the month, Little Miss continued with her swimming lessons.
Monday, September 5, 2016
June 2016 Weekend Update
June wasn't as busy. Except that first weekend. You know, that weekend my sister got married. It was such a great weekend. The kids were great. The rehearsal dinner ran late. It was fun except the kids stayed up to about midnight so it was rough for them. The day of the wedding, they were with my family so they got to take it easy. It was a really relaxing day. The weather was overcast, but it turned beautiful for the wedding itself. The mint green photographed so nice. The kids had a great time. Little Miss danced her tail off. Captain loved eating everything. The in-laws picked up Captain from the reception so he could get to sleep. Little Miss opted to stay the entire evening and spend the night with my family and her cousin. Captain was co-flower girl. He loved throwing the flower petals - and then he tried to pick them all up afterwards.
The second weekend in June, it was my birthday. On Friday, I had drinks with friends after work and then we went to see Me Before You. It wasn't the happiest birthday movie, but we enjoyed it. The next night, we did a big dinner with the in-laws as a belated Mother's Day/Father's Day celebration. On Sunday, we went to the pool where the kids were starting to enjoy the water. The swimming lessons Little Miss has been taking have started to pay off and Captain wasn't as afraid of the water.
The third weekend was a nice, relaxing one. We did nothing of note. I'm not even sure we did swimming lessons.
Friday, September 2, 2016
May 2016 Weekend Update
May seems like months ago - because it was. May and June were ridiculously busy for us (as was the rest of the summer honestly). The first weekend, we had our annual Kentucky Derby party. It was on the small side this year, but we still cooked about the same amount of food. We watched the race and then played Cards Against Humanity which was a lot of fun - good group. On Sunday, we had the in-laws over for a cook out. Our apartment added a few grills and gave us a proper patio so we tried that out for the first time.
The second weekend was our nephew's birthday. It was a lot of fun. Captain enjoyed the food, and Little Miss enjoyed ruling all the kids around her as the oldest. It was a day of fun and chaos as all children's birthday parties are. The next day was the Taste of Arlington. Captain tried a soba salad which I thought was a little too strong for me, but he loved it. The lotus root always creeps me out, but he ate it up. The wind took his plate which made him sob, but I bought him another. Little Miss mostly liked rock climbing and gathering as much free stuff as she could. She had swimming, and then we actually went back to the Taste of Arlington where we scored free food from some vendors.
The third weekend we did the Fun Fair at the elementary school. Little Miss loves being around her friends. She got her face painted, tried her hand at the cake walk (many times), and loved seeing her teachers outside of school hours. The next day, we did Truck & Bus Day. It rained, but that didn't stop Captain from freaking out all over the bus and trucks and other vehicles. Little Miss also really enjoys this event. After, I took the kids to book club and then we all went to get frozen yogurt and then ended up at my parents' for a jam packed weekend!
The last weekend of May, Memorial Day, we just ran errands, had more frozen yogurt, and went to the pool. It was a little chilly for the pool, but that didn't stop the kids from staying in until it started raining. All in all, it was a good month.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
April 2016 Weekend Update
April starts a very busy time for us. The first weekend, Little Miss had hockey. After we changed and went to Fairfax for family pictures. No shock, but Captain cried the entire time until the photographer gave him a baseball. He stopped crying, but he was never happy. On Sunday, Little Miss had her swimming lesson and a birthday party for a friend. They were supposed to go bowling, but the bowling alley lost power so it was at his house.
The second weekend was the Masters. Husband prearranged a day out of golfing and then watching the Masters at a friend's house. While he was out, Sister-in-Law and the nephews came over and played. On Sunday, I took the kids to the library. They had a blast, but the library didn't have anything we wanted. We put some items on hold though.
The third weekend, I went out of town for my sister's bachelorette party. On Friday, we went to her final dress fitting and then drove down to Charlottesville. We went to a goat farm where we got some goat kisses and ate goat cheese. We hit up the breweries, distilleries, and wineries. We had a shuttle take us around, and at one place, the bartender drove us home. It was a nice, relaxing time. We capped it off with brunch downtown and a nice walk during the unseasonably warm afternoon. Back home, Little Miss had hockey and soccer. She scored her first goal in hockey practice. Husband sent me a video and, in the background, Captain was shouting her name. It was so precious.
The following weekend, we celebrated Captain's second birthday. I made cupcakes with Where the Wild Things Are cupcake toppers and some cupcakes were little boats. The big kids watched a movie while the little kids literally ran around in circles. Captain missed his morning nap so he was slightly cranky and over sensitive, but I think he had fun. He very much enjoyed the pizza at least. Right after the party, I showered and drove to the Marine Corps Heritage Museum for the awards gala. It was a really great event. I had missed it previously because I had a baby and Captain's first birthday party, but I planned accordingly this year.
Last weekend, I hung out with friends. It's been so long that we were just celebrating their birthdays - which were in March and the beginning of April. We had a lovely lunch and caught up. One just got a new puppy so it was nice to meet her.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
March 2016 Weekend Update
March was busy! The first weekend was hockey - super early. Then, later that day, we had Sister's bridal shower and bachelorette party #1. The shower was a lot of fun - presents, good food, mimosas! That night, the girls all went out at Reston Town Center and drank and danced. We shut the place down. Sunday was a sleepy day - literally.
The third week of March, we hung out with Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law. It was the beginning of Spring Break. We had corned beef and cabbage. The kids played. It was relaxing, and we got home at a decent hour. It's so nice to see the cousins growing up together and playing well with each other.
On Monday, Husband brought Little Miss to NYC to watch the Rangers play during her Spring Break. Captain and I stayed home together, and we traded selfies.
The next weekend, Husband took Little Miss to hockey while I stayed home with Captain. After, I got a pedicure with a friend before book club. On Sunday, Little Miss had her swimming lesson. It's always great to hang out with friends. Plus, I can't remember the last time I had a pedicure so that was heavenly.
The third week of March, we hung out with Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law. It was the beginning of Spring Break. We had corned beef and cabbage. The kids played. It was relaxing, and we got home at a decent hour. It's so nice to see the cousins growing up together and playing well with each other.
On Monday, Husband brought Little Miss to NYC to watch the Rangers play during her Spring Break. Captain and I stayed home together, and we traded selfies.
The last weekend was Easter. We saw Zootopia on Saturday and went to Sister's house for Easter brunch. We had a ton of Korean food which was delicious. The kids had Easter Egg hunts. Captain missed his naps so he was super cranky, but he loved finding eggs and playing with the dog. He peed right through his little outfit right after we got there, but that's life with a toddler for you.
Friday, March 4, 2016
February 2016 Weekend Update
This year has been flying! The first weekend in Februray, Little Miss had hockey and swimming on Saturday and Sunday.
The second weekend, we went to my parents' mountain house. It was frigid cold. Sister, Brother-in-Law, and we went on a double date for Valentine's Day. It's our annual date night. The next day, we went ice skating and to the pool. I had not been ice skating in a very long time. It was evident the minute I got on the ice. We planned to stay until Monday, but a bad snow storm was coming so we all drove home after dinner on Sunday.
The third weekend, Little Miss had hockey and swimming again, but on Sunday, I met a friend for a Sangria and Paella-making class. It was a lot of fun and full of food and sangria. I had a lot of sangria. I was also so full that I didn't even eat dinner that night. I'm looking forward to trying to make some!
The last weekend in February, Little Miss had hockey which now starts at 7AM which is rough on us all (though I stayed home with Captain so it wasn't as bad for me). Then, we hosted a playdate in the afternoon. Little Miss had a lot of fun with her friend. We baked brownies for the boys and then went to the game room for some pool, ping pong, and Golden Tee. On Sunday, it was the Oscars and swimming. Little Miss got all ready so she could watch the pretty dresses and the first awards. (The selfie on this post is from when we all watched the Grammys. Captain slept through the Oscars so no family selfie for that). I had a gift card so we did take out instead of our usual "cook way too much food" for Oscar Sunday.
The second weekend, we went to my parents' mountain house. It was frigid cold. Sister, Brother-in-Law, and we went on a double date for Valentine's Day. It's our annual date night. The next day, we went ice skating and to the pool. I had not been ice skating in a very long time. It was evident the minute I got on the ice. We planned to stay until Monday, but a bad snow storm was coming so we all drove home after dinner on Sunday.
The third weekend, Little Miss had hockey and swimming again, but on Sunday, I met a friend for a Sangria and Paella-making class. It was a lot of fun and full of food and sangria. I had a lot of sangria. I was also so full that I didn't even eat dinner that night. I'm looking forward to trying to make some!
The last weekend in February, Little Miss had hockey which now starts at 7AM which is rough on us all (though I stayed home with Captain so it wasn't as bad for me). Then, we hosted a playdate in the afternoon. Little Miss had a lot of fun with her friend. We baked brownies for the boys and then went to the game room for some pool, ping pong, and Golden Tee. On Sunday, it was the Oscars and swimming. Little Miss got all ready so she could watch the pretty dresses and the first awards. (The selfie on this post is from when we all watched the Grammys. Captain slept through the Oscars so no family selfie for that). I had a gift card so we did take out instead of our usual "cook way too much food" for Oscar Sunday.
It was a super fast month. I hope one of these months this year doesn't fly by!
January 2016 Weekend Update
Let's see. I have to get better or I'll soon be doing seasonal weekend updates. Well, we actually went out for New Year's Eve while the kids were at the In-Laws' apartment. On New Year's Day, we had a family dinner with the In-Laws and Sister-in-Law, Brother-in-Law and the nephews to ring in the new year. It was a nice quiet intro to 2016.
The following weekend, Little Miss had hockey. The next day, the bridal party met for brunch to nail down details for the bridal shower and bachelorette party. It also helped us all be on the same page plus have some yummy food.
The third weekend, Husband was gone for his annual trip to Las Vegas. We had hockey on Saturday and then Little Miss started swimming class on Sunday. A co-worker of mine used to teach swimming so I asked if she would teach Little Miss. She's done amazing in such a short time. She really loves my co-worker and works hard to impress her. That weekend was a long weekend so, on Monday, we went to Sister's house to hang out, and then Husband came home!
The fourth weekend had a blizzard! I was let out of work early on Thursday and worked from home on Friday. Then, Saturday and Sunday were wild. The wind was crazy so Captain was very unhappy (as you can see below). Plus, the floor was wet, and he took a bad header. The next day, we took a walk around the neighborhood where it was already starting to clear, and he liked that. Little Miss wasn't feeling well so she stayed in bed. This worked out ok because they had no school the entire following week. All of her activities were obviously cancelled that weekend.
The last weekend in January, we had hockey and then we went out to dinner with the In-Laws to celebrate their birthdays. Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law, and the nephews also met us out. Captain was a big pain in the neck during dinner. All came back to our place after for some dessert. The next day, Little Miss had swimming, and I had lunch with book club at a super delicious Vietnamese restaurant.
The following weekend, Little Miss had hockey. The next day, the bridal party met for brunch to nail down details for the bridal shower and bachelorette party. It also helped us all be on the same page plus have some yummy food.
The third weekend, Husband was gone for his annual trip to Las Vegas. We had hockey on Saturday and then Little Miss started swimming class on Sunday. A co-worker of mine used to teach swimming so I asked if she would teach Little Miss. She's done amazing in such a short time. She really loves my co-worker and works hard to impress her. That weekend was a long weekend so, on Monday, we went to Sister's house to hang out, and then Husband came home!
The fourth weekend had a blizzard! I was let out of work early on Thursday and worked from home on Friday. Then, Saturday and Sunday were wild. The wind was crazy so Captain was very unhappy (as you can see below). Plus, the floor was wet, and he took a bad header. The next day, we took a walk around the neighborhood where it was already starting to clear, and he liked that. Little Miss wasn't feeling well so she stayed in bed. This worked out ok because they had no school the entire following week. All of her activities were obviously cancelled that weekend.
The last weekend in January, we had hockey and then we went out to dinner with the In-Laws to celebrate their birthdays. Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law, and the nephews also met us out. Captain was a big pain in the neck during dinner. All came back to our place after for some dessert. The next day, Little Miss had swimming, and I had lunch with book club at a super delicious Vietnamese restaurant.
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