Family Fun

Yesterday we took the boys to the spring game on campus.  We spent forty dollars on hot dogs (when she told me the total I nearly fainted), and the boys dusted the pollen-covered benches with the seats of their formerly-clean jeans.  They met Riptide, the Pelican mascot, and rubbed his fuzzy beak.  There was a kids’ area set up out back, with bouncy houses, food trucks, footballs and soccer balls, and a bunch of those football player tackle things.  The boys had a ball.  A woman asked if I had a son playing in the spring game, and I was like – WHUT.  Do I look that old?  (Technically I could have a son in the game, if he was a freshman and I’d had him when I was a freshman.) (Shut up.)

Later that night, we went to a crawfish boil.  Tables lined with newspaper, a hole in the middle for tossing the shells.  Piles of steaming mudbugs, potatoes, corn, sausage – rolls upon rolls of paper towels, fingers stained orange from the boil spice.  I made new friends.  A woman who just finished chemo showed up – the first time she’s been out in months – and flitted from group to group, so thrilled to be back in the world, energized.  After we finished I washed and washed and washed my hand up to my elbows, like a doctor scrubbing in – the price of having a son allergic to shellfish.

After church the next day, the big boys go to a birthday party at the botanical gardens.  Craig and I plan to follow after nap, but he sleeps and sleeps.  The Prof texts me pictures of the boys riding a merry go round, playing with kids, sad faces because everyone is asking for Craig.  I give Craig a popsicle when he wakes up, as a consolation prize, and later, after they get back, the boys fish in the freezer themselves and give him another one.

The following Monday I work til after midnight, but it was worth it.  The weekend.

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That was last weekend.  The intervening week was another stressful and busy one.  I try to preserve my weekend for time with the kids (plus the ever-present domestic chores), but always end up paying for it with a terrible, awful, crushing Monday.  My biggest challenge is to not let thoughts of the looming Monday ruin the family time, or what’s the point?  Might as well just work.

Jack had a little play this week – I wrote the time down wrong in y calendar so we were a little late, but we caught most of it.  A friend was in town briefly for work, and we went out for drinks one night and then he came over and had some wine at our place Friday night.  Saturday we went to a new espresso bar/breakfast place with the boys – it was full of kids, largely well-behaved, which was nice to see.  Sort of European almost – children, mingling with adults!  Everyone getting along!  The woman at the register had an almost grown up conversation with Liam, trying to wheedle him into getting French Toast.  (She talked him into it, and after he took his first bite he exclaimed – “this is dewicious!”)  Jack ordered a smoothie, which he hated, so he shared Liam’s French Toast (as did Craig), and the Prof and I shared an egg sandwich and Jack’s smoothie.  We walked out into the bright heat of the day and let the kids play on a nearby playground a while.  Next to it was a basketball court and nice enclosed dog run, full of dogs and owners frolicking in the lovely weather.  A house we made an offer on was just a block away, but . . . cash buyer swooped in.  It would have been nice.

Now it’s Sunday, the day of Jack’s birthday party.  Eight!  Ugh!  I rented a movie theater screen and we’re watching The Neverending Story and eating popcorn.  Keeping it simple. His actual birthday is later this week.  I usually will string up balloons and streamers in their doorways on their birthdays, so they have to break through to get through their door. He woke up today and whispered to me “mooooom.  I don’t see any decorations.  Should I stay in bed til you put them up?”

I’ve got to go get moving for this party.  Here are the week’s meals . . . planned on the fly this time, as I moved through the grocery, since that’s just how it worked out.

Pork chops, steamed purple potatoes, asparagus

Turkey burgers, stir fried squash and zucchini, fruit

Chicken and black bean enchiladas with green chile

Skillet basil cream chicken, couscous

And then we head north for the wedding of the century.  More on that later . . .